Efforts continue to improve their logistics systems, command-and-control systems and maintenance operations, and, Owens said, U.S. and coalition soldiers are "working shoulder-to-shoulder with them" to make those improvements.
Owens called the troops "absolutely courageous," highly motivated and proud of what they're contributing to their country.
Equally important, he said, the Afghan National Army soldiers "are absolutely revered" by the Afghan people, who are witnessing "an army that is raised from their ranks, that is representative of all tribes and ethnicities across Afghanistan, providing a secure environment for them."
As the coalition helps the Afghans continue the battle against terrorist threats in their country, they're also helping set conditions for Afghanistan to succeed as a fledging new democracy.
Millions of Afghans defied the Taliban and al Qaeda remnants in the country and elected Hamid Karzai as their president during Oct. 9, 2004, presidential elections. On Sept. 18, the Afghans returned to the polls, this time to elect a lower house of parliament and councils for each of their nation's 34 provinces.
"We believe the real winners in this process are the people of Afghanistan, who courageously took a stand against years of violence and oppression and took a major step forward toward peace and prosperity," said Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76 following the Sept. 18 elections.
"The success of Afghan elections clearly shows how earnestly Afghan people want a truly free and democratic country," agreed Army Lt. Col. Michael Fenzel, deputy commanding officer for Regional Command East. "These elections are yet another powerful reminder, among many I have witnessed, that Afghanistan will not be controlled by the Taliban, al Qaeda, or other enemy forces."
Meanwhile, other conditions around Afghanistan demonstrate continued progress: a growing economy, a boom in school attendance by girls as well as boys, and work on the "Ring Road" that links the country.
Owens said these efforts go hand in hand toward building a new Afghanistan. "Our enduring lines of operation are security, good governance and reconstruction," he said. "I believe all of these are interrelated, and you can't have one without the other."
Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who took the reins of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan in early May, said the credit for much of the progress to date goes to U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
During the ceremony marking his assumption of command, Eikenberry pledged to "continue to work together, build security forces and support the rebuilding of Afghanistan."
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, speaking to Pentagon reporters Sept. 20, said history will record the historic developments that have taken place in Afghanistan during the past four years as a major step forward for freedom.
"Think of it," Rumsfeld said. "The country that hosted Osama bin Laden, that supported training camps for al Qaeda, endured decades of civil war, Soviet occupation, drought, Taliban brutality, is now a democracy that fights terrorists instead of harboring them."
Those who have been involved in the country's transformation "can be enormously proud," the secretary said.
