General John Campbell

General John Campbell replaced General Joe Dunford as the Commander for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2014. ISAF ended its mission in December 2014 and NATO stood up the Resolute Support command to conduct the Train, Advise, and Assist mission. Upon the transition from ISAF to Resolute Support General Campbell became the commander for the Resolute Support Mission.

General Campbell assumed duties as the commander for ISAF in August 2014. Previously he was the U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff. General Campbell is the son of a U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, grew up on military bases around the world, and then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1979.

He started his career in the 5th Special Forces Group where he commanded a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha. He would later serve as a company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division, and as a battalion, brigade and division commander of various other units.

General Campbell's tenure in Afghanistan has been difficult. While overseeing the reduction of U.S. forces to less than 9,800 he was tasked with continuing the U.S. counterterrorism mission and NATO train, advise, and assist mission. At the same time, the Taliban, seeing an opportunity with the reduced presence of foreign troops, expanded their attack on the Afghan government forces. Unfortunately, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces - hobbled by an ineffective government and corrupt and inept senior military leaders - have been suffering defeat after defeat on the battlefield. This dire situation - with the Taliban controlling more territory than at any other time in the past 15 years - coupled with disastrous events such as the bombing of a Doctors's Without Borders medical clinic in the fall of 2015- has seen General Campbell exercising command over a taxing and demanding situation.

General Campbell is scheduled to end his tour and be replaced by LTG John "Mick" Nicholson in the spring of 2016. After his return to the states and decades of service to his country he will retire from the military.

Websites with more Info on General Campbell

Bio - General John Campbell - Resolute Support
www.rs.nato.int/about-isaf/leadership/general-john-f.-campbell.html

General John F. Campbell - Facebook Account
www.facebook.com/GENJohnCampbell

U.S. Army Biography - March 2013
www.army.mil/article/98068/Gen__John_F__Campbell_biography/

General John Campbell - WikipediA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Campbell_(general)

Videos about / by General John Campbell

Change of Command (CoC) Ceremony in Kabul. Gen Campbell departs and General Nicholson assumes Resolute Support command. 2-min long video by RSM posted on YouTube.com on March 2016.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy74urTLUeM

Testimony before House Armed Services Committee on February 2, 2016
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuYTzYRaiRs

Papers & Reports by General John Campbell

Commitment to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces is Working, by General John Campbell, Commander of Resolute Support, Afghanistan. Posted by Defense News, Dec 2015
Read news article here.