Australian Brig. Gen. Craig Furini, addresses a remembrance ceremony on Nov. 11, 2015, at U.S. Army Central Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, in Camp Afrijan, Kuwait. (U.S. Army)
Australian Brig. Gen. Craig Furini, addresses a remembrance ceremony on Nov. 11, 2015, at U.S. Army Central Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, in Camp Afrijan, Kuwait. (U.S. Army)
Forward deployed coalition servicemembers at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, took time on Nov. 11, 2015, to remember those who served before them. (U.S. Army)
The top coalition and American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Campbell, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Delbert Byers bow their heads after placing a wreath near a monument to fallen coalition and Afghan soldiers during a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, in Kabul. (Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes)
Coalition troops march behind a bagpiper before a ceremony at the military headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015. Servicemembers and civilians from a variety of allied countries gathered to pay tribute to troops who have died in wars, past and present. (Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes)
Coalition troops salute during a ceremony to honor fallen soldiers at the headquarters of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015. The ceremony recognized victims of past wars, as well as the latest casualties of the war in Afghanistan. (Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes)
Gen. John Campbell, center, bows his head while standing between civilian ambassadors and allied military commanders at a ceremony to honor fallen troops. Campbell, the top American and coalition commander in Afghanistan, was among the participants who laid wreaths and said prayers in remembrance. (Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes)
Flowers adorn a memorial to fallen coalition and Afghan soldiers at the Kabul headquarters of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. Servicemembers laid wreaths on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, to honor troops who died in past wars, as well as in the current conflict in Afghanistan. (Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes)
KABUL, Afghanistan — Coalition troops paid homage on Wednesday to soldiers who died in past wars, as well as to comrades who have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan.
A ceremony at the headquarters of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul marked a day known variously as Remembrance or Armistice Day for many European and commonwealth allies, and Veterans Day in the United States.
Nov. 11 first became a military holiday to mark the armistice at the end of World War I. In the United States it is celebrated as a day to honor veterans who have served in the military, while in other countries the date is also used to remember those who have fallen in past wars.
The solemn assembly in Kabul braved a gray rain and winter temperatures to say prayers, lay wreaths, and recite the names of roughly two dozen coalition service members who have died in the past year, most of them after the coalition declared an end to its combat mission in Afghanistan.
While the conflict in Afghanistan has dragged on and the future of international forces has become more debated, British Brig. Neil Dalton said there is still a need to sacrifice to protect a democratic way of life. “The world is still an unstable place,” he said.
Observing the holiday while in an active war zone is always a poignant and sobering experience, Dalton said.
Meanwhile, in Camp Afrijan in Kuwait, more than 300 coalition servicemembers from U.S. Army Central Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Forward took time Wednesday to remember those who served before them.
“Today is a time to pay our respects, express our gratitude and remember all Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, regardless of nationality, that gave so much in war,” said Australian Army Brig. Gen. Craig Furini, director of plans.
Coalition forces forward deployed to Camp Arifjan support the fight against the Islamic State.
Stars and Stripes reporter Chris Church contributed to this story from Bahrain.
smith.josh@stripes.comTwitter: @joshjonsmith
