Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday that changes to the Afghanistan strategy are designed to give commanders flexibility in helping Afghan forces.
“The president made a decision to enable the commander there to have some additional authority to act proactively, that is to anticipate situations in which Afghan Security Forces would benefit from our support,” Carter said at the Defense One Tech summit on Friday. “This is using the forces we have here in a better way, basically, as we go through this fighting season, rather than being simply reactive.”
Under the new authority, U.S. military advisers will be permitted to accompany Afghan conventional forces into the field to advise and assist in combat missions, but will not be on the front lines.
Currently, U.S. troops accompany only Afghanistan’s elite special operations troops on a limited number of missions.
The expansion will also give U.S. commanders more flexibility in ordering airstrikes to support Afghan offensives, since American troops will be with their Afghan partners.
Carter insisted the changes in authorities did not change the overall mission, and the president was in full support of the military recommendations from Afghanistan commander Gen. Mick Nicholson.
“It’s a good move to make. It should really help us help the Afghans even better this fighting season,” Carter said.
