Combined Joint Task Force 76

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Combined Joint Task Force – 76 (CJTF-76) was a US led subordinate formation of Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan (CFC-A) headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was active from the time CFC-A stood up (circa 15 April 2004) to the time the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took full command of the coalition military operations in Afghanistan in October 2006. CFC-A reported in its turn to United States Central Command. While CFC-Afghanistan was supposed to have inactivated sometime after November 30, 2006, CJTF-76 remained as a headquarters for ISAF's Regional Command East. CJTF-76 was replaced by Combined Joint Task Force 82, led by the 82nd Airborne Division, in the middle of 2007.

CJTF-76 was located at Bagram Airfield. On 15 April 2004 the headquarters of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division arrived in Afghanistan and took command of CJTF-180 from the 10th Mountain Division. Lieutenant General David Barno, commanding then decided to rename the CJTF because the "180" designation had traditionally been given to Joint task forces led by the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. Barno chose Combined Joint Task Force 76 as the new name to evoke America's history and the democratic spirit of 1776.^[1] The CFC-A commander was hoping that this new designation would highlight the change in command at the operational level at a time when Afghanistan appeared to be moving closer to democracy.

CJTF-76 was the operational headquarters which consisted of two subordinate regional formations: Regional Command South and Regional Command East. The regional commands, both roughly brigade sized forces, conducted counter-insurgency operations against Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the east and south of the country. The Task Force and its subordinate formations comprised a shifting group of units and formations. There were also engineer and special operations Task Forces, plus the Provincial Reconstruction Teams. At the time of the ISAF take over, CJTF-76 was commanded by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).

The mission of CJTF-76 was to conduct a 'full spectrum of operations throughout its operations area to defeat [the] enemy extremist movement, establish an enduring security and reshape its posture for the Long War in order to set conditions for long-term stability in Afghanistan.'

As of mid 2006, US official sources stated that over 21,000 coalition forces from 21 nations were deployed in Afghanistan to 'defeat extremist enemies of peace and stability'.