New French partners take Kapisa command

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – French Coalition partners, here, in eastern Afghanistan welcomed a new brigade-sized task force, Oct.15, as French Brig. Gen. Jean-Pierre Pallasset succeeded French Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Maurin for command of Task Force La Fayette.

Palasset, commander of the 1st Mechanized Brigade, assumes command for the fifth combat rotation of French troops under TF La Fayette.

Held at the Nijrab French military camp, French Maj. Gen. Charpentier, commander, French land forces, welcomed Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, commander, Regional Command-East, Ambassador Bernard Bajolet, French Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Afghan General Yar Mohamed, commander, 201st Afghan National Army Corps.

Speaking for the last time to TF La Fayette Soldiers, Maurin said he was proud of the work accomplished and confident in the capacity of the Afghan security forces.

“The Afghan security forces are henceforth in charge of operations. We’ll continue to support them until it would be necessary, but, they successfully win daily,” he said.

He pointed out the last operation in Uzbeen valley, where Afghan troops of the 31st and 32nd Kandak led the main effort; supported by French units of TF La Fayette. He also pointed to successful unilateral missions of the 33rd ANA Kandak in Ghayn valley recently.

Closing his command chapter, Maurin paused to remember the memory of the 75 French Soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan since the France’s entry into Afghanistan in 2001.

“On the white marble of this parade, their names are lying down. They are not anonymous names; they are Soldiers’ names, the names of heroes, names of comrades,” he said.  “We will carry them away in our heart and our conscience.”