Yesterday, at the Headquarters of the Mission Resolute Support (RS) in Kabul, division general Rosario Castellano assumed the post of deputy commander of the NATO mission.
With the assignment of this level assignment, Italy takes a leading role in the coordination, consultancy and support of the Afghan political components that integrate with the Ministry of Defense and the Interior and which have repercussions in the Afghan society, as for example: Ministry of Transport, Agriculture, Rehabilitation and Rural Development and that of Religious Affairs.
The general of division Castellano, before taking up his current position, since July 2014 has carried out the task of chief operations department of the Interforze Summit Operational Command (COI), based in Rome.
The NATO mission Resolute Support, which began in January 2015, represents the continuation of the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission. The RS mission focuses on consulting, training and assisting the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) as well as the related Afghan Security Institutions (ASI).
Italy has been contributing since 2001 to the international engagement in Afghanistan, first with the ISAF mission and now with the RS: the Italian contingent operates in the west of the country near the Train Advise Assist Command (TAAC) West headquartered in Herat, of which he is in command, as well as in staff positions at the RS Command of Kabul. A commitment, the Italian one, which is currently the second in number of units employed only in the US, and highlights Italy's firm willingness to cooperate, together with the other Coalition countries, on the pacification and stabilization of Afghanistan.
