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Dan Kelly McNeill |
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Engagements: • Vietnam War (1960 - 1973)• Gulf War (1990 - 1991)• Afghanistan War (Operation Enduring Freedom) (2001 - present) |
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Biography: | ||||
Dan Kelly McNeill Dan Kelly McNeill was born on 23 July 1946 in Warsaw, NC. He served as Commander, Coalition Forces, Afghanistan, from 2002-03 and as Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) from 2004-07. He then served as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from 1 February 2007 to 3 June 2008. According to Eurasianet, McNeill opposed the local ceasefires and economic development programs that had been favored by the outgoing NATO commander, British General David Richards. The attempted targeting of Taliban commander Abdul Ghafour through aerial bombardment, on 4 February 2007, was seen as a sign of the policy changes McNeill wanted to introduce. Officials in several European countries quietly expressed concern about placing an American general in charge of the NATO force. General Richards tried to create a less harsh, more economic-development-oriented identity for NATO in Afghanistan, as compared to the "kicking-down-doors" image that U.S. forces have. Many local analysts expect NATO forces to embrace a more aggressive stance under McNeill, who is believed to oppose the type of local peace arrangements that Richards promoted. They believe that the danger at this point is that an overly aggressive NATO force in Afghanistan could alienate Afghans, and thus cause the Taliban's support base to grow. McNeill was featured in the Academy award-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side (2007). General Dan Kelly McNeill retired from active Army service in 2008. Medals, Awards and Badges Defense Distinguished Service Medal |
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Honoree ID: 284 | Created by: MHOH |
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