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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today sat down with the Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Gen. John F. Campbell, to continue discussions of the ongoing situation there.

“Gen. Campbell and I discussed the importance of maintaining our resolve and finishing our mission in Afghanistan,” Wicker said. “Taliban insurgents now control more territory in Afghanistan than at any point since 2001. We must continue to nurture political reconciliation in the country and further modernize the Afghan Security Forces. I am hopeful that Gen. Campbell’s successor will speak truth to power and will follow his example by making decisions based on conditions on the ground. I believe that Afghanistan can be an enduring success story for Americans, but only if we avoid the mistakes we have made elsewhere.”

The Department of Defense announced last month that Army Lt. Gen. John “Mick” Nicholson was nominated to succeed Gen. Campbell, taking command of U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan. Gen. Nicholson is currently the commander at NATO’s Allied Land Command in Turkey. He served as commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2012 to 2014 and deputy commanding general for operations in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012.

“I want to congratulate Gen. Campbell on his impending retirement,” Wicker continued. “We owe a great deal of thanks to him for his 37 years of sacrifice and service as an officer in the United States Army.”

Gen. Campbell is scheduled to testify on February 4, 2016 at 10:00am ET at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.