The Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC-A, pronounced "see stick-uh") was a multinational, U.S. led, military organization during the War in Afghanistan.
As of 2019, the organization's missions were:
Budget, account, and execute more than $50 billion in Afghanistan Security Force Funds across multiple fiscal years. Manage all foreign military sales for the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF). Plan, budget, and execute all of the infrastructure projects in support of the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces. Train, Advise and Assist the Afghanistan government in these areas: Plan, Program, Budget, and Execute Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight Rule of Law Sustainment
History In April 2006, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) was formed from the Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan. In partnership with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), CSTC-A was charged with planning, programming, and implementing reform of the Afghan Security Forces consisting of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) in order to develop a stable Afghanistan, strengthen the rule of law, and deter and defeat terrorism within its borders.
In April 2009, the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit made the decision to establish NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A), an organization responsible for the training and development of Afghan Security Forces. Seven months later, on November 21, 2009, NTM-A was formally activated under CSTC-A. With the headquarters at Camp Eggers, Kabul, the Commander of the organization commanded both CSTC-A and NTM-A. At its peak structure, CSTC-A/NTM-A was an 8,000-member advisor/mentor, combat theater forward-deployed strategic command recognized as an Army Corps-level Headquarters. With the Train, Advise and Assist (TAA) mission associated with the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Ministry of Interior (MoI), and Non-Security Ministries, the organization was known as the Deputy Commander - Ministerial Advisor Group, or DCOM-MAG.
In November 2013, with NTM-A functionally aligned under International Security Assistance Force's Joint Command (IJC), NTM-A and CSTC-A disaggregated, allowing each organization to focus on its unique mission set. Several months later, CSTC-A prepared Camp Eggers for turnover to the U.S. Department of State and transferred the unit's personnel and equipment to the Headquarters International Security Assistance Force (HQ ISAF) compound while simultaneously drawing down to Resolute Support mission numbers.
With the realignment of advisors toward establishing a Functionally-Based Security Force Assistance set in July 2014, DCOM-MAG/CSTC-A was recast as the Deputy Chief of Staff Security Assistance (DCOS SA)/CSTC-A. Along with the mission to budget, account, and execute more than $50 billion of Afghanistan Security Force Funds across multiple fiscal years, manage all foreign military sales for the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF), and plan, budget, and execute all of the infrastructure projects in support of the ANDSF, DCOS SA/CSTC-A currently provides the TAA mission for four Essential Functions – EF1 (Plan, Program, Budget, and Execute), EF2 (Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight), EF3 (Rule of Law), and EF5 (Sustainment).
DOD shut CSTC-A down in June 2021 and transferred many of its responsibilities to DOD’s newly created Defense Security Cooperation Management Office-Afghanistan (DSCMO-A).
Campaign participation credit Afghanistan: Consolidation I Consolidation II Consolidation III Transition I Transition II
List of commanders MG Robert Durbin, 2006-2007 MG Robert W. Cone, 2007-2008 MG Richard P. Formica, 2008-2009 LTG William B. Caldwell, IV, 2009-2011 LTG Daniel P. Bolger, 2011-2013 LTG Kenneth E. Tovo, 2013-2013 MG Kevin R. Wendel, 2013-2014 MG Todd T. Semonite, 2014-2015 MG Gordon B. Davis Jr., 2015-2016 MG Richard Kaiser, 2016-2017 MG Robin Fontes, July 2017–October 2018 LTG James Rainey, October 2018–November 2019 LTG E. John Deedrick, November 2019–July 2021
Unit decorations
Ribbon Award Year NotesJoint Meritorious Unit Award FEB 2004 - NOV 2004for Joint service in AfghanistanJoint Meritorious Unit Award JAN 2005 - DEC 2005for Joint service in AfghanistanJoint Meritorious Unit Award 2006–2007for Joint service in AfghanistanJoint Meritorious Unit Award 2007–2008for service in AfghanistanJoint Meritorious Unit Award 2009–2010for service in Afghanistan (dual hatted with NTM-A)Joint Meritorious Unit Award 2010–2011for service in Afghanistan (dual hatted with NTM-A)Joint Meritorious Unit Award 2011-2012for service in Afghanistan (dual hatted with NTM-A)Joint Meritorious Unit Award 2012-2013for Joint service in Afghanistan
References
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