“The Afghan army has taken severe casualties over the past year-and-a-half and they’ve stayed in the field fighting,” Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield/TAAC-South Public Affairs)

Soldiers from both the United States and Egyptian armed forces review battle plans during the command post exercise September 10, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Jeffrey Dallin Belnap)

A U.S. Marine with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, attached to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response-Central Command, fires a FGM-148 Javelin, a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile, at his target during a live fire demonstration near At Tanf Garrison, Syria September 7, 2018. SPMAGTF-CR-CC Marin ...More

Kuwait City, Kuwait -- U.S. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, commander, U.S. Central Command, addresses senior defense leaders from nine countries throughout the region during a conference here Sept. 12. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Dana Flamer/Released)

Army General Joseph Votel, CENTCOM Commander, and Egyptian senior leadership visit the Logistic Staging Area to talk to Army personnel involved in Bright Star 2018. Bright Star 2018 is an important symbol of the long-standing relationship between the U.S. military and Egyptian Armed Forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA ...More

U.S. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), passes the guidon to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph T. Guastella Jr., Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT), during a change of command ceremony at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Aug. 30, 2018. As the Combined Force Air Component Co ...More

U.S. Marines with India Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division attached to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response-Central Command conduct a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise August 19, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Teagan Fredericks)

Guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) leads a formation of ships during a trilateral exercise with Iraq and Kuwait. (U.S. Navy Photo by MC2 Lucas Askew/Released)

A sailor deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Group 52.3, left, and Egyptian Naval Force (ENF) Sailors conduct a familiarization dive during Eagle Response 18. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander, U.S. Central Command, welcomes His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the U.S., to MacDill Air Force Base, July 31, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. Dana Flamer)

2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, Alpha Battery, 2nd Platoon fires artillery in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, July 23 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Elliot Hughes)