The Defense Department this morning hosted a briefing earlier today for reporters on the military's progress in training Afghan forces to take over as the U.S.-led NATO effort in that country begins to come to an end.
Appearing from Afghanistan via video conference was Lt. Gen William Caldwell, the head of the NATO Training Mission as well as the Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command. He's been in those positions since November, 2009.
In June, President Obama ordered the Pentagon to withdraw 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, and another 23,000 by next summer.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told a Senate Committee last week that the troop withdrawal was on track, and the Taliban had changed strategies, "concentrating their efforts on attacks that will produce a maximal psychological impact for a minimal investment in manpower or military capability" like last week's attack on the U.S. embassy and the assassination of former Afghan President Rabanni.