Michel Stollsteiner is a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 general. He was one of the five regional NATO commanders in Afghanistan, and was the highest-ranking French officer in Afghanistan between 6 August 2008 and 10 July 2009.

Career

Stollsteiner joined the Army in 1975, taking part in numerous operations in Africa (ex-Zaire

Zaire

The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...

, Centrafrique, Chad

Chad

Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...

, Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...

) and in the Balkans

Balkans

The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

 (Sarajevo

Sarajevo

Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....

, Mitrovica

Mitrovica

Mitrovica, which stems from the name "Saint Demetrius" or "Sveti Dimitrije" may refer to:- Places :* Kosovska Mitrovica, a city in the disputed region of Kosovo* Sremska Mitrovica, a city in Srem, Serbia...

), as well as in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

.

From 6 August 2008 to 10 July 2009, Stollsteiner served as a NATO regional commander in Afghanistan, heading the Regional Command Capital

Regional Command Capital

Regional Command Capital is a multinational military formation, part of the International Security Assistance Force. The headquarters is in Kabul. Since 6 August 2006, Regional Command Capital is the new name given to the former Kabul Multinational Brigade...

 at Camp Warehouse

Camp Warehouse

Camp Warehouse is the operations centre for the multinational International Security Assistance Force located 10 kilometers east of Kabul. The camp has soldiers and equipment from dozens of countries. Part of Camp Warehouse is a German-sponsored ISAF military hospital.- External links :* * *...

, under US generals David D. McKiernan

David D. McKiernan

David D. McKiernan is a retired United States Army four-star general who served in Afghanistan as Commander, International Security Assistance Force from June 3, 2008 to June 15, 2009. He served concurrently as Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan from October 6, 2008 to June 15, 2009.Prior to...

 and Stanley A. McChrystal

Stanley A. McChrystal

Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan...

. He also served in the capacity of REPFRANCE, representing the head of staff of the military on the Afghan theatre.

Stollsteiner supervised the sector where the Uzbin Valley ambush

Uzbin Valley ambush

The Uzbin Valley ambush occurred when ISAF troops were ambushed by Afghan militants in eastern Afghanistan on 18 August 2008. It took place outside the village of Spēṟ Kunday, of the Surobi District of Kabul province and resulted in heavy casualties to the French ISAF contingent.A NATO report of...

took place.