Thank you, Senator Inhofe.  I join you in welcoming Lieutenant General Miller, as well as his daughter, Sarah, and son, Austin, who have joined us today.

General, thank you for your continued service to the nation, and thank you also to your family for their support throughout your career. 

General Miller, much of your career has revolved around the mission in  Afghanistan.  In addition to several deployments, you have served as the Commander of the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command in Afghanistan, and as the director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Center on the Joint Staff. 

General Miller, if confirmed, you will take command at a critical time.  It has been nearly ten months since the President’s South Asia strategy was announced.  In support of the strategy, the Administration has increased the number of U.S. troops on the ground-- primarily to advise and enable the Afghan Security Forces-- made adjustments to the rules of engagement, and sought to keep pressure on the Taliban throughout the winter months.  Despite these changes, the Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations recently reported that “available metrics showed few signs of progress” and the intelligence community assesses that the “overall situation in Afghanistan will probably deteriorate modestly this year” due to “persistent political instability, sustained attacks by the Taliban-led insurgency, unsteady Afghan National Security Forces performance, and chronic financial shortfalls.”   General Miller, I am interested in your thoughts on the security situation in Afghanistan, particularly on how we ensure we are making measurable progress in our efforts to train, advise, and assist the Afghan Security Forces.

In addition to the advisory mission in Afghanistan, our forces are also engaged in a counterterrorism operations against foreign terrorist organizations, namely al Qaeda and ISIS-Khorasan Group.  Despite concerted efforts to disrupt and destroy their networks, these groups remain resilient and have retained the ability to conduct high profile attacks against innocent civilians throughout the country.  I look forward to your assessment of the threats emanating from Afghanistan and Pakistan and your expectations for the counterterrorism mission under your command, if you are confirmed.  

Though the security projections for 2018 are pessimistic, there are a few notable bright spots that also bear highlighting. The Afghan Security Forces continue to employ their most effective fighting units, specifically the special operations and air forces, and are committed to the effort to recruit and train additional forces in both categories.  Over the recent Eid holiday, the Afghan government and the Taliban completed a successful three day ceasefire, the first national level ceasefire the Taliban has agreed to since 2001.  Additionally, grassroots level peace efforts, including peace marches and sit-ins, have spread to over half the provinces in Afghanistan over the past few months.

We have heard from the Administration that the South Asia strategy is “integrated” and “whole-of-government.”  However, many questions remain regarding the way in which progress on the battlefield will be translated into progress towards a political solution.  Absent a diplomatic effort that is empowered with appropriate resources and staffing to engage with Afghan counterparts and critical regional players, any security gains will be fleeting.  

General Miller, these are just a few of the challenges you will confront if confirmed.  I again thank you for your willingness to serve in this critical position.