Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve Explained

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
War:the Syrian Civil War, the War in Iraq (2013–2017), and the War on Terror
Active:10 October 2014 – present
[1] [2] [3]
Leader:
Headquarters:Kuwait[4] [5]
Size:6,350[6] [7]
Partof:CENTCOM
Opponents:


Tahrir al-Sham
al-Qaeda
White Flags[8]
Battles:International campaign against ISIL
Identification Symbol Label:Patch
Image Alt:Seal of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
Founders: United States
Founding Leader:United States Central Command
Leader Title:Current Commander
Leader1 Title:Deputy
Commander
Leader1 Name: Brig. Ben Halsted[9]
Leader2 Title:Chief of Staff
Leader2 Name: Brig Gen Jeffrey T. Schreiner[10]
Leader3 Title:Senior Enlisted Leader
Leader3 Name: CMDCM Timothy L. Garman[11]
Spokesperson: Col. Myles B. Caggins III

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) is a multinational military formation established by the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State with the stated aim to "degrade and destroy" the organization.[12] Led by United States Army Central (ARCENT), it is composed of military forces and personnel from over 30 countries.[13] [14]

Formed in October 2014 by U.S. Central Command, CJTF-OIR was intended to replace the ad hoc arrangements that had been established to coordinate operations against ISIL, following its rapid gains in Iraq in June.[15] Its central military action, Operation Inherent Resolve, consists of campaigns in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. The current commander of the coalition is U.S. Army Major General Matthew W. McFarlane.

The bulk of CJTF-OIR's combat operations have consisted of airstrikes against Islamic State; various ground forces have been deployed including special forces, artillery, training, and military advisors. The United States accounts for the vast majority of airstrikes (75–80%), with the remainder conducted by Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.[16] Although the task force is not under NATO, all 31 members of the military alliance are contributing to CJTF-OIR.[17]

By the end of 2017, CJTF-OIR stated that its airstrikes had killed over 80,000 ISIL fighters.[18] The coalition also provided $3.5 billion in military equipment to the Iraqi Armed Forces,[19] billions more to the Peshmerga, and trained 189,000 Iraqi soldiers and police.[20] It has also provided significant support to the Syrian Democratic Forces, with which it coordinates various operations.[21]

The coalition ended its combat mission in Iraq in December 2021, but U.S. troops remain in the country in a training and advisory role.[22] [23]

Structure

As of September 2019, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Robert "Pat" White commanded CJTF-OIR[24] in an appointment which consolidated three commander's tasks. White is also the commander of the U.S. III Corps, which assumed authority over CJTF-OIR from ARCENT on 22 September 2015, turned over its command to XVIII Airborne Corps in August 2016, and then resumed command on 5 September 2017.[25] White has two deputies, a British Army officer, Major General Gerald Strickland, who is currently serving as CJTF-OIR Deputy Commander-Stability, and a U.S. Air Force officer, Major General Alexus G. Grynkewich, who is currently serving as CJTF-OIR Deputy Commander-Operations and Intelligence.[26] CJTF-OIR's headquarters is at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and includes approximately 700 personnel from 27 nations who are involved in coordinating operations in Iraq and Syria.[27]

Lt. Gen. White handed over operational control to Lt. Gen. Paul Calvert on 9 September, 2020.[28] Command was subsequently passed to Maj. Gen. John Brennan on 9 September 2021.[29]

A dozen countries not involved in combat operations still contribute to the Building Capacity Mission (BPC) in Iraq. Those who have announced their participation in the program, which trains Iraqi security forces, include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, [30] and Spain. As a result of the BPC program, nearly 6,500 Iraqi forces completed training, with approximately 5,400 currently in training.[31]

Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant

Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (CSOJTF-Levant) was initially known as Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR), formed in 2015 as a joint special operations task force that is regarded as spearheading CJTF-OIR's campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.[32] SOJTF-Levant serves under Special Operations Command Central and has trained special operations units in the region.[32] [33]

Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve was restructured, consolidated, and quietly established as Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant on 1 July 2022. CSOJTF-Levant was to oversee a broader, regional approach to special operations, including activities in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, commanded by Army Brig. Gen. Isaac J. Peltier. According to retired Army general and former USSOCOM and USCENTCOM commander Joseph Votel, the consolidated task force was "a maturing of our overall approach in the region", adding that CSOJTF-L combines "multiple SOF headquarters and units that were conducting a variety of missions across" the area of responsibility.[32] [33]

History

From August 2014 to August 2015, coalition aircraft flew a total of 45,259 sorties, with the U.S. Air Force flying the majority (67%) and dropped more than 5,600 bombs, the Royal Air Force conducted 30% of the airstrikes.[34] At the time, The Guardian reported that a team of independent journalists had published details of 52 airstrikes which killed more than 450 civilians. The coalition acknowledged only 2 non-combatant deaths.[35]

On 3 October 2015, Tunisia announced it would join CJTF–OIR.[36]

By April 2017, CJTF-OIR estimated that it had killed 70,000 Islamic State fighters since 2014, with Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve killing "over 21,000". The War Zone magazine estimated that SOJTF-OIR was responsible "for around 30 percent of all dead terrorists in Iraq and Syria", adding "we don't know whether SOJTF-OIR counts terrorists who died in air or artillery strikes its personnel called in among the task force's final count."

On 14 April 2017, members of SOJTF-OIR's headquarters element received new, distinctive patches, replacing the interim 1st Special Forces Group unit patch.[37]

On 22 December 2018, three days after Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw all its troops from Syria, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the coalition against ISIL, announced his resignation from his post.[38]

In April 2019, a joint investigation by Amnesty International and Airwars reported that 1,600 civilians were killed by coalition airstrikes and U.S. artillery shelling during the four-month battle to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIL in 2017.[39] [40] The Coalition states it conducted 34,464 strikes against ISIL targets between 8 August 2014 and end of March 2019, and unintentionally killed at least 1,291 civilians.[41] [42] [43] [44]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Defense.gov News Article: DoD Authorizes War on Terror Award for Inherent Resolve Ops. Defense.gov. 1 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141111050513/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123542. 11 November 2014. live.
  2. Web site: Inside the Coalition to defeat ISIL. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714031347/http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq/docs/Inside_the_coalition_to_defeat_ISIL_3.pdf. Combined Joint Task Force – U.S. Department of Defense. 21 April 2015. 27 April 2015. 14 July 2015.
  3. News: Kohn. Sally. Warren and Christie Are the Anti-Hillarys. 14 October 2014. The Daily Beast. 25 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151027111624/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/14/warren-and-christie-are-the-anti-hillarys.html. 27 October 2015. live.
  4. Web site: 4,600 international troops pledged to train Iraqi forces. Military Times. 12 June 2015. 8 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150628005247/http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2014/12/08/international-troops-pledged-train-iraqi-forces/20106625/. 28 June 2015. live.
  5. Web site: Georgy. Michael. Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery. 13 June 2015. Reuters. 25 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924220507/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/13/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKBN0OT0BA20150613. 24 September 2015. live.
  6. Web site: 4,600 International Troops Pledged to Train Iraqi Forces. militarytimes.com. 8 December 2014. 23 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20171010091512/https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2014/12/08/4600-international-troops-pledged-to-train-iraqi-forces/. 10 October 2017. live.
  7. Web site: Harper. Jon. 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne headed to Iraq. Stars and Stripes. 19 December 2014. 23 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150811063648/http://www.stripes.com/news/us/1-000-soldiers-from-the-82nd-airborne-headed-to-iraq-1.320194. 11 August 2015. live.
  8. News: Schogol . Jeff . A 'post-ISIS insurgency' is gaining steam in Iraq . 10 December 2018 . Business Insider . 25 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180501110249/http://www.businessinsider.com/post-isis-insurgency-iraq-2018-4 . 1 May 2018 . live .
  9. News: Deputy Commanding General, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024 . 1 January 2024. Operation Inherent Resolve.
  10. News: Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024. 1 January 2024. Operation Inherent Resolve.
  11. News: Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024 . 1 January 2024. Operation Inherent Resolve.
  12. News: Pomerleau. Mark. 14 August 2015. Can the US really destroy terrorist groups like ISIS?. The Hill. live. 14 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150815005909/http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/defense/251112-can-the-us-really-destroy-terrorist-groups-like-isis. 15 August 2015.
  13. Web site: History of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve . https://web.archive.org/web/20220525201316/https://www.inherentresolve.mil/Portals/14/Documents/Mission/HISTORY_17OCT2014-JUL2017.pdf?ver=2017-07-22-095806-793 . 25 May 2022 . Operation Inherent Resolve.
  14. Katz. Whitney. JECC assists in the establishment of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. JECC Public Affairs. 13 January 2015. 14 September 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133055/http://www.jecc.mil/News/RecentNews/tabid/3796/Article/572157/jecc-assists-in-the-establishment-of-combined-joint-task-force-operation-inhere.aspx. 4 March 2016.
  15. News: US sets up new headquarters for Operation 'Inherent Resolve'. Ripley. Tim. 9 December 2014. IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. 14 September 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150601230929/http://www.janes.com/article/46877/us-sets-up-new-headquarters-for-operation-inherent-resolve. 1 June 2015.
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20170331011424/http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve Special Reports: Operation Inherent Resolve
  17. Web site: NATO. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190703202903/https://theglobalcoalition.org/en/partner/nato/. 3 July 2019. 3 July 2019.
  18. Web site: Once promised paradise, ISIS fighters end up in mass graves. The Straits Times. 15 October 2017. 11 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171212093159/http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/once-promised-paradise-isis-fighters-end-up-in-mass-graves. 12 December 2017. live.
  19. https://twitter.com/CJTFOIR/status/1108360466278109185 CJTF-OIR Official Twitter.
  20. https://twitter.com/CJTFOIR/status/1106534055036760065 CJTF-OIR Official Twitter.
  21. Web site: Coalition retraining 15,000 veteran SDF fighters to serve as Syrian border force. 13 January 2018.
  22. Web site: US-led combat mission in Iraq ends, shifting to advisory role. aljazeera.com.
  23. News: U.S.-led troops end Iraq combat mission, as planned - military officials. reuters.com. 9 December 2021 .
  24. Web site: New Operation Inherent Resolve commander continues fight against ISIL . 2 August 2016. U.S. Army . 20 October 2016 . Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, assumed command of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve during a transfer of authority ceremony on Monday August 21. . https://web.archive.org/web/20171023184155/https://www.army.mil/article/173729/new_operation_inherent_resolve_commander_continues_fight_against_isil . 23 October 2017 . live .
  25. Web site: 5 September 2017 . CJTF-OIR transitions commanders in the mission to destroy ISIS . https://web.archive.org/web/20210716205226/https://www.inherentresolve.mil/Releases/News-Releases/Article/1299200/cjtf-oir-transitions-commanders-in-the-mission-to-destroy-isis/ . 16 July 2021 . 27 June 2020 . Operation Inherent Resolve . en-US.
  26. Web site: CJTF-OIR Leaders. 9 May 2016. Operational Inherent Resolve Official Website. 9 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160406172544/http://www.inherentresolve.mil/About/Biographies. 6 April 2016. dead.
  27. News: Lekic. Slobodan. Simoes. Hendrick. Islamic State tactics and lack of intel strain US strategy. Stars and Stripes. 19 May 2015. 25 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150921130620/http://www.stripes.com/news/islamic-state-tactics-and-lack-of-intel-strain-us-strategy-1.347125. 21 September 2015. live.
  28. Web site: 10 September 2020 . Coalition welcomes new commander, continues mission . https://web.archive.org/web/20220531074101/https://www.inherentresolve.mil/Releases/News-Releases/Article/2342126/coalition-welcomes-new-commander-continues-mission/ . 31 May 2022 . 3 July 2022 . Operation Inherent Resolve.
  29. Web site: 10 September 2021 . Coalition Welcomes New Commander, Continues Mission . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416080734/https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/News-Article-View/Article/2771191/coalition-welcomes-new-commander-continues-mission/ . 16 April 2022 . 3 July 2022 . US CENT COM.
  30. Web site: Prvi slovenski vojaki so prispeli v iraški Kurdistan. 6 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160907143121/http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/prvi-slovenski-vojaki-so-prispeli-v-iraski-kurdistan/402067. 7 September 2016. live.
  31. Counter-ISIL military coalition concludes operational planning conference. U.S. Central Command. 1 May 2015. 11 June 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150613004022/http://www.centcom.mil/en/news/articles/counter-isil-military-coalition-concludes-operational-planning-conference. 13 June 2015.
  32. News: After 7 years, a US-led task force fighting ISIS is getting a new name and taking a new approach to its mission. Business Insider. 30 November 2021. 8 February 2022.
  33. News: Special ops task force in Middle East restructured for 'broad, regional' ISIS fight. Military Times. 1 November 2021. 8 February 2022.
  34. News: Everstine. Brian. Operation Inherent Resolve: One year after the first bombs fell. 7 August 2015. AirForce Times. 14 September 2015.
  35. News: Ross. Alice. Hundreds of civilians killed in US-led air strikes on Isis targets – report. The Guardian. 3 August 2015. 3 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20190515164920/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/03/us-led-air-strikes-on-isis-targets-killed-more-than-450-civilians-report. 15 May 2019. live.
  36. Web site: Targets of Russian airstrikes in question. The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon. 5 October 2015. 5 October 2015. dead . https://archive.today/20161114034922/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Oct-05/317686-targets-of-russian-airstrikes-in-question.ashx . 14 November 2016.
  37. News: How a Secretive Special Operations Task Force Is Taking the Fight to ISIS . Joseph . Trevithick . The Drive. 1 May 2017. 9 February 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220209073236/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/9848/how-a-secretive-special-operations-task-force-is-taking-the-fight-to-isis . 9 February 2022 .
  38. News: Brett McGurk, US envoy to anti-ISIS coalition, resigns in wake of Trump decision to pull troops from Syria. Shaw. Adam. 22 December 2018. Fox News Channel. 22 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181222171325/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/brett-mcgurk-us-envoy-to-anti-isis-coalition-resigns-in-wake-of-trump-decision-to-withdraw-from-syria. 22 December 2018. live.
  39. News: Groups say airstrikes by US-led coalition killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa. 25 April 2019. MilitaryTimes. 26 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190426021102/https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/04/26/groups-say-airstrikes-by-us-led-coalition-killed-1600-civilians-in-raqqa/. 26 April 2019. live.
  40. Web site: At least 1,600 civilians died in US-led Coalition actions at Raqqa, major new study finds. 2 April 2019. Airwars. 11 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190507175230/https://airwars.org/news-and-investigations/raqqa-amnesty-airwars/. 7 May 2019. live.
  41. News: US-led coalition 'killed 1,600 civilians' in Syria's Raqqa . 27 April 2019 . Al Jazeera . 25 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190426014244/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/led-coalition-killed-1600-civilians-syria-raqqa-190425135739616.html . 26 April 2019 . live .
  42. News: Martinez . Luis . Coalition strikes killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa says new report . 27 April 2019 . ABC News . 25 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190427014748/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/coalition-strikes-killed-1600-civilians-raqqa-report/story?id=62629765 . 27 April 2019 . live .
  43. News: Hansler . Jennifer . Browne . Ryan . Report: US-led coalition killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa in 2017 . 27 April 2019 . CNN . 25 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190426185300/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/25/politics/amnesty-international-report-raqqa/index.html . 26 April 2019 . live .
  44. News: IS conflict: Coalition strikes on Raqqa 'killed 1,600 civilians' . 27 April 2019 . BBC . 25 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190427002526/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48044115 . 27 April 2019 . live .

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