Train Advise Assist Command – South

Train Advise Assist Command – South
(TAAC – South)
Active October 2014 – present
Country USA
Branch Multifunctional
Role Training
Garrison/HQ Kandahar Airfield
Website TAAC – South
Commanders
Current
commander		 Brig. Gen. Jeffrey D. Smiley (USA)
Jeffrey D. Smiley
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey D. Smiley, Commanding General, Train, Advise, and Assist Command South
Allegiance United States United States of America
Service/branch California Army National Guard
Years of service 1983–present
Rank Brigadier General
Unit Train, Advise, and Assist Command South

Train Advise Assist Command – South (TAAC – South) is a multinational military formation, part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission within Afghanistan. It is the former Regional Command South of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The 40th Infantry Division (Forward) of the California Army National Guard is the current organization assigned as TAAC – South.

It is responsible for provincial reconstruction and security in Zabul, Kandahar, Daykundi, and Uruzgan Province. Its primary Afghan National Army partners are the 205th Corps and the 404th Zone Police Corps. NATO countries contributing troops are Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Non-NATO countries contributing troops are Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

History

Command

Master Sgt. Janet Bretado, logistics advisor for the Military Advisory Team, Train, Advise and Assist Command-South, meets with her Afghan counterparts, March 27, 2018, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. TAAC-South, composed of Soldiers from the 40th Infantry Division, California National Guard, and 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, mission is to train and advice Afghan forces and assist with counterterrorism operations.

The command of the region previously rotated between Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, but has most recently been assumed solely by the United States. The headquarters is located at Kandahar International Airport next to the city of Kandahar. In 2010, the command's original territory was split into two commands, with the new Regional Command Southwest headquartered in Helmand Province.[1]

  • 28 February 2006: Canadian Brigadier-General David Fraser assumed Command of Regional Command South.
  • 1 November 2006: Dutch Major-General Ton van Loon led Regional Command South in Afghanistan for a six months period.[2]
  • 1 May 2007: British Major-General Jacko Page
  • 1 February 2008: Canadian Major-General Marc Lessard took command for a nine-month period.
  • 1 November 2008: the Dutch Major-General Mart de Kruif took command of this region.
  • 1 November 2009: British Major General Nick Carter took command.[3] At this time, 6 (UK) Division, reorganised as Combined Joint Task Force 6, took over the headquarters function for the period of the British rotation. On 14 June 2010, RC(S) was split to create RC(S) and RC(SW). RC(SW) assumed control of the Helmand and Nimroz provinces.
  • 1 November 2010: USA Major General James L. Terry, Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division, assumes command of Regional Command South. Headquarters 10th Mountain Division (LI) became HQ Combined Joint Task Force 10 for the deployment.
  • 1 October 2011: USA Major General James L. Huggins,[4] Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division, assumes command of Regional Command South.
  • 2 September 2012: Major General Robert B. Abrams, Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, assumes command of Regional Command South. The 3rd Infantry Division became Combined Joint Task Force 3 for the deployment.[5]
  • 8 July 2013, USA Major General Paul LaCamera, Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division, assumes command of RC-S. Headquarters 4th Infantry Division became HQ Combined Joint Task Force 4 for the deployment.
  • 7 July 2014, USA Major General Michael Bills, Commanding General, 1st Cavalry Division, assumes command of RC-S. Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division became HQ Combined Joint Task Force 1 for the deployment.
  • 14 Oct 2014, USA Brigadier General Douglas Gabram, Commanding General, CJTF-1 of the 1st Cavalry Division, assumes responsibility for Train, Advise, Assist Command – South (TAAC-S), CJTF-1. At this time RC(S) became TAAC-S.[6]
  • 10 January 2015, USA Brigadier General Viet Luong, Commanding General, CJTF-1 of the 1st Cavalry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S.[7]
  • 10 June 2015, USA Brigadier General Paul Bontrager, Commanding General, CJTF-7 (TF Bayonet) of the 7th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S.[8]
  • 26 October 2015, USA Brigadier General Antonio Aguto, Commanding General, CJTF-7 (TF Bayonet) of the 7th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S.
  • 22 June 2016, USA Brigadier General Lee Henry, Commanding General, CJTF-36 (TF Arrowhead) of the 36th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S. This is the first time a National Guard division command element has assumed responsibility for a regional command within Afghanistan.[9]
  • 18 February 2017, USA Brigadier General Chuck K. Aris, Commanding General, CJTF-36 (TF Arrowhead) of the 36th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S.
  • 31 October 2017, USA Brigadier General John W. Lathrop, Commanding General, CJTF-40 (TF Sunburst) of the 40th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S. This is the first time the 40th Infantry Division has deployed to a combat theater since the Korean War.
  • 30 June 2018, USA Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley, Commanding General, CJTF-40 (TF Sunburst) of the 40th Infantry Division, assumes responsibility for TAAC-S.[10]
    The Commander of Resolute Support, Gen. John Nicholson, visited Train, Advise, and Assist Command South to meet with Afghan leaders in the Uruzgan province regarding concerns over the security of provincial district voting registration centers in Tarin Kowt, 14 May. The meeting was hosted by TAAC-S under the command of Brig. Gen. John W. Lathrop with the 40th Infantry Division of the California National Guard.

Major Units

  • HQ RC(S) at Kandahar International Airport in Kandahar Province, consisting of the 4th Infantry Division's divisional headquarters[4]
  • Combined Task Force Spartan, U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Zhari and Maywand Districts of Kandahar Province[11]
  • Combined Task Force Warhorse, U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Kandahar City[11]
  • Task Force Viper, U.S. Army's 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, southeastern Kandahar Province[11]
  • Combined Team Uruzgan, Australian Mentoring Task Force Number 2, Uruzgan Province[11]
  • Combined Team Zabul, U.S. Army National Guard's 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division, Zabul Province[11]
  • Task Force Arctic Wolves, U.S. Army's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Panjwa'i, Dand, and Daman districts of Kandahar Province[11]
  • Task Force Thunder, U.S. Army's 159 Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, responsible for rotary-wing aviation in Regional Command South[11]
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, U.S. Air Force, provides fixed-wing aviation support[11]

Provincial Reconstruction Teams

Three Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) operate in Regional Command South: Kandahar PRT, Kandahar province, led by the United States; Qalat PRT, Zabul province, led by the U.S. and supported by Romania and the U.K.; and Tarin Kot PRT, Uruzgan province, led by Australia.[11]

Current use

Afghan leaders from across the Train, Advise, and Assist Command South region came together to discuss details security during the upcoming 2018 elections. Attendees included the Provincial Governors and Chiefs of Police for Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, and Daykundi, members of the Independent Election Commission, and the commanders of the 205th Corps of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, and 404th Zone of the Afghan National Police.

Command

Major units

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Command and control changes in southern Afghanistan". Ministry of Defence. 21 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Major-General Ton van Loon Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ UK Ministry of Defence
  4. 1 2 Major General James L. Huggins (USA)
  5. ↑ http://www.army.mil/article/88250/3rd_Infantry_Division_takes_command_of_Regional_Command_South/
  6. ↑ https://www.army.mil/article/136094/RC_South_transitions_to_TAAC_South_in_ceremony_at_KAF/
  7. ↑ .https://www.army.mil/article/141273/U_S__Train__Advise__Assist_Command___South_changes_leadership/
  8. ↑ http://www.rs.nato.int/article/rs-news/7th-infantry-division-assumes-responsibility-of-taac-s.html/
  9. ↑ http://www.airborneangelcadets.com/2016/06/texas-army-national-guard-takes.html/
  10. ↑ "New Commander Welcomed at Train, Advise and Assist Command-South". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Regional Command South

Official website

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.