The German PRT Group

PRT Pilot Project in Northern Afghanistan

By placing the German Contingent in Kunduz under the command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) with effect from January 6, 2004, NATO expanded its area of activity in Afghanistan. Through the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) there, for the first time the Alliance has been performing tasks outside the region around KABUL.

In late October 2003 the Contingent had already taken over this originally US-founded PRT (OEF) in Kunduz, a provincial capital of northern Afghanistan.

In October 2004, a second German PRT was activated in Feyzabad. Its geographical area of responsibility is the province of Badakhshan with its difficult conditions of access. It is supported by the Kunduz PRT in terms of organisation and logistics.

The PRTs' Mission

The mission of the PRTs is to support the Afghan Central Government in the three northern provinces of Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan. The concept is a new one: rather than leaving the task of reconstruction in the war-racked region to the Bundeswehr alone, Germany selected what is called an inter-ministerial approach. The Federal German Ministries of Defence (MOD), of Foreign Affairs (MFA) , of the Interior (MOI) and of Economic Cooperation and Development (MECD) jointly control the operations of the PRT. The representatives of these different ministries perform tasks according to a clear-cut division of labour: The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his function as civilian head of the PRT, coordinates the work of the personnel provided by the MECD and the MOI, whereas the task of the military component - together with the indigenous security forces - is to ensure a safe environment and thus provide the conditions for the support and reconstruction work of the German and international aid organisations (GO and NGO). Each PRT is controlled "in tandem": a military commander and a senior civil servant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly act as heads.

The commander of the Kunduz PRT is at the same time commander of the German PRT Group, thus acting as superior officer for the Feyzabad PRT, too.

The Contingent - a Team of Specialists

The German Contingent, PRT Kunduz largely consists of a HQ with the usual functions, a HQ Support Company, a Protection Company and a Medical Company. In addition, it comprises specific capabilities such as PSYOPS, which is sub-divided into the sections of Tactical PSYOPS Team, Radio, Printing and Target Group Analysis.

Furthermore, the German Contingent, Kunduz includes a Military Police component, an EOD element, an Infrastructure and Planning element, an Engineering element, administrative elements, a Military Geology element, a "Country Information Advisor" and a Press and Information Centre. At the moment, approximately 260 German soldiers and 20 civilians are employed in Kunduz.

In order to be able to cover the province of Takhar, the Kunduz PRT operates a branch in the provincial capital of Taloqan.

The Feyzabad PRT comprises the specialists required for the core mission. For all other tasks it receives support from the Kunduz PRT. Specialists from Kunduz are employed in Feyzabad as required. Having completed their tasks, they return to Kunduz. The number of German military personnel permanently employed at Feyzabad PRT is currently 55.

Under the mandate decided by the Bundestag (the Federal German Parliament) up to 450 soldiers may be employed in northern Afghanistan. In fact, however, another new approach is being applied concerning the actual personnel strength: personnel is transferred to Kunduz or withdrawn from there depending on the current estimate of the local situation. This so-called personnel pull principle gives the contingent commander a high degree of flexibility, as he can employ the number of soldiers he considers to be necessary.

International Approach

The Kunduz PRT was the first one established under ISAF mandate. The PRTs are under German command, however they are multinational, which means that they are open to the participation of other nations. The first to join was Switzerland, which contributes three officers. Moreover, Belgium, France, Hungary, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands are providing personnel.

The Mission of Peace - Day-to-Day-Operations of a PRT

The German-led forces strengthen the influence of the Kabul Central Government in the north-eastern provinces by ensuring a stable and safe environment in cooperation with the regional security forces and authorities. This, in turn, provides the basis for the work of the governmental and non-governmental aid organisations dedicated to the reconstruction and development of the country. Therefore, the routine duties of the PRT heads include visits to tribe chiefs and religious leaders as well as authorities at regional and local level. These visits serve to establish contacts and maintain liaison, exchange views on the focal points of cooperation, develop ideas for the region and talk about possibilities of support for specific aid measures.

At working level, too, meetings of various kinds regularly take place between specialists of the Contingent and their respective points of contact at administrative and governmental organisations. Apart from this, of course, the PRT members are in contact with the population, too. The objective of all the talks and consultations which the German soldiers pursue with the regional military, intelligence and police forces is to stabilise the security situation. Liaison Monitoring Teams are constantly on the move, producing assessments of the civilian situation for all districts of the provinces, so that the requirements of action can be defined both for the military leaders and for the work programmes of the civilian organisations. Minor projects being carried out, such as construction improvement measures at police stations located at the city entry points or the digging of wells, serve to build up confidence. By means of a radio broadcast station, an ISAF newspaper and operations of a Tactical Team, the PSYOPS component informs the population in the entire area of responsibility about the work of ISAF, the elections and various other topics.

The fruits of these efforts are tangible, whenever one passes through the city or the villages: children come close to the vehicle in large numbers, waving enthusiastically, cheerfully shouting "How are you" or "Thank you" and giving the thumbs up. And the street vendors, the people walking in the streets, the farmers and the craftsmen - they all smile and greet the soldiers, to who they have got well accustomed meanwhile. Again and again, people talk to the soldiers about the old ties between Afghanistan and Germany. Trust and confidence are gaining ground again after more than two decades of war and oppression.