[color="Red"]What else did you expect.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. and NATO formally transitioned Sunday to a new “non-combat mission in a combat environment” whose definition remains as unclear as Afghanistan’s future, now that the bulk of foreign forces have left.

During an hour-long ceremony in a drab gymnasium at the headquarters of the military coalition that has battled against insurgents [color="Red"]dirt farmers for 13 years, generals hailed the "end" of a mission, while struggling to explain the parameters of what will still be a substantial military operation in Afghanistan.

“Today marks an end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” ISAF commander Gen. John Campbell said at the ceremony. “Today NATO ends its combat mission.”

But, despite that statement and President Barack Obama’s recent assertion that America’s “longest war will come to a responsible end,” there will still be roughly 11,000 American troops in Afghanistan next year as part of the Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghanistan’s roughly 350,000 security forces. Coalition members will still be able to conduct air strikes and defend themselves if engaged by insurgents.

A portion of the U.S. troops will fall outside the NATO training and advising mission, focusing on counterterrorism, force protection and logistics, according to ISAF spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Belcher. U.S. officials have said troops conducting counter-terrorism missions will be able to go after terrorists and “associated forces,” a broad term, which could include Taliban insurgents deemed to be connected to groups like al-Qaida.

Belcher said there would be a total of roughly 17,500 foreign troops in Afghanistan next year, some of them U.S. troops performing the non-NATO missions. U.S. and NATO officials have said that about 12,000-13,000 troops would be part of Resolute Support.

“Resolute Support is a non-combat mission, that is the very clear statement,” ISAF deputy commander Lt. Gen. Carsten Jacobson said after the ceremony. “It is a non-combat mission in a combat environment.”

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