British troops in Afghanistan put under US command as part of restructuring of NATO forces

Published November 17, 2014

LONDON (AP) — About 8,000 British troops in Afghanistan have been placed under U.S. command as part of a restructuring of NATO forces in the country.

The Ministry of Defense says U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Mills will be the new commander of NATO forces in Helmand province, home to most of the British troops in Afghanistan.

The change is part of a decision by NATO to split its Regional Command South, which oversees 50,000 U.S., British, Canadian and other troops, into two separate commands.

Operations in the Nimroz and Helmand provinces will come under U.S. command — Regional Command-Southwest — while forces in Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul and Daikundi provinces will be led by a British commander.

The new structure will take effect this summer.

A Royal Marine was killed in Helmand on Friday, bringing the British death toll in Afghanistan to 286. The Ministry of Defense said the member of the marines' 40 commando unit died in an explosion while on foot patrol in the Sangin area of Helmand province.

His name was not released, but officials said his family have been informed.

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