More than 300 military representatives from 39 nations concluded a weeklong operational planning conference at MacDill Air Force Base today, that “further developed and refined coalition plans to degrade and defeat” the Sunnin insurgent group Islamic State, according to U.S. Central Command, which hosted the conference.
Centcom oversees U.S. military operations in a tumultuous 20-nation swath of the Earth that includes Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and Yemen.
“Planning the coalition campaign is a challenging but essential step in our aim at defeating Daesh,” said French Army Maj. Gen. Bernard Commins, chairman of the coalition planning and strategy group Centcom, according to a command media release, Commins was using an alternative word for Islamic State. “Success relies on the cohesion of this coalition. Sixty-two nations for one mission. That’s where we are.”
According to the release:
This week’s conference was the third hosted by Centcom in less than a year.
It represented another important milestone in coalition military efforts to work together with Iraq and other partners in eliminating Islamic State and the threat the terrorist group poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community.
“I have never experienced commitment and determination like this,” said British Army Brig. Gen. Gary C. Deakin, deputy director of Centcom’s strategy, plans and policy directorate. “The conference was an impressive gathering of talent from what I believe to be, after 30 years of experience, the strongest military coalition ever assembled. The degree of personal commitment and determination from the representatives of these 39 nations was overwhelming. This plan will deliver the defeat of Daesh.”
The planning at this week’s conference complements the coalition’s military actions against Islamic State, which include airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces as well as helping to train and equip Iraqi forces.
A dozen nations have undertaken more than 3,600 airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. As part of Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve, those who have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States; and those who have conducted strikes in Syria include Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and United States.
A dozen countries are also involved in the building partner capacity effort in Iraq, designed to train Iraqi forces. Those who have announced their participation in the program that trains Iraqi forces include Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. As a result of the program, nearly 6,500 Iraqi forces have completed the training, with approximately 4,500 currently in training.
Iraqi forces have received about 5.5 million pounds of materiel from nearly 20 donor countries, with much of the material flown to Iraq on board nearly 80 flights of coalition aircraft.
On the ground, Iraqi forces have stopped Islamic State expansion and are rolling them back, Commins said.