101st Commander Responds To Rising Casualties In Afghanistan

The Commanding General of the 101st Airborne says his troops are in one
of the riskiest times of deployment.

Responding in a written statement to reporters’ questions about an upsurge in casualties in Afghanistan, Major General Robert Campbell calls the first and last 90 days of any deployment “the times when our forces are most vulnerable.”

This month, 13 soldiers from Fort Campbell have died, and it has been the deadliest overall month for NATO troops in Afghanistan since the war began in 2002.

Major General Campbell says the 1st and 3rd brigades of the 101st face an enemy that knows the terrain and tries to take advantage of periods of transition. He says insurgent casualties have risen as well.

The general began his statement with his sympathies to families and communities of fallen soldiers. He says he carries cards in his pocket that have the photo and data of each one to remind him of their sacrifice.