Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan steps down

KABUL, Afghanistan – The commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan is stepping down on Monday, US defense officials said, a move that marks the symbolic end of the US military mission there.

Army General Austin “Scott” Miller has commanded the military coalition in Afghanistan since August 2018, longer than any other commanding general in that position.

He entrusted the command of the American forces in Afghanistan to the commander of the American central command, the general of the navy Frank McKenzie.

As head of CENTCOM, McKenzie already had authority over Afghanistan and many neighboring countries. He will continue to work from CENTCOM’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and its forward headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar.

The Biden administration announced in April that all US troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11.

But the American withdrawal was much faster. The United States had deployed 2,500 to 3,500 troops here when Biden announced the decision, but more than 90% of American personnel and equipment had left by early July. After the official end of the military mission on August 31, the United States will maintain approximately 650 troops in Kabul for embassy security and several hundred more to assist with security at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Miller is expected to retire, three defense officials said.