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EGF mission in Afghanistan

On December 8th 2009, EGF officially started its operational commintment within the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan.

 Egf will contribute to the development of the Afghan National Police by:

Delivering experts to the NTM-A HQ/CTAG-P command structure;

Delivering mentors and training advisers to the Afghan National Civil Order Police;

Providing Police Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams (POMLTs);

Contributing to the develpment of pre-deployment training requirements and standards for the POMLTs.

The mission in Afghanistan is a new operational commitment for EGF assets, already engaged in the EUFOR integrated Police Unit within the framework of the EU Operation Althea in Bosnia Herzegovina.

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EGF participation in EU Crisis Management Exercise 09

From november 23rd till December 4th 2009, the EGF Permanent Headquarters participated in the fifth EU crissi management Exercise (CME 09), an EU joint civilian military exercise in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The PHQ contributin consisted in:

The generation of two "virtual" Integrated Police Units (IPUs), one "deployed" and the other one "over the horizon";

The secondment of an IPU expert to integrate the Exercise Planning Team in order to contribute to the drafting of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS).

CME 09 erxercised and evaluated a range of EU crisis management structures, procedures and consultation arrangements. The exercise supported the need for planning for both a military operation and a civilian mission engaged in the same theatre. Both the EU operations Centre (EU OHQ), and the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) were involved in the context of an appropriate scenario requiring EU rapid response to the crisis.

CME 09 involved EU Member States (capitals and delegations), the Secretary General / High Representative, relevant EU Council instances, the EU Council General Secretariat (including the Civilian Operation Commander and the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability), the European Commission, the EU satellite Centre, the EU operation Commander and the EU Operations Centre (Including augmentees from EU Member States), a response cell acting as an EU FHQ and another response cell acting as the existing civilian mission on the ground.

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                EGF permanent headquarters

From 14^th September to 6^th November 2009, in Vicenza (Italy), took place the European Union Police Forces Training (3 sessions of 2 weeks each). The European Gendarmerie Force participated in all of the three phases seconding eight EGF PHQ members to reinforce the Force Headquarters established for the occasion.

This combined Command Post Exercise (CPX) for the Headquarters and Live exercise (LIVEX) for the units aimed at training approximately 600 police officers of 24 different police forces from 19 countries. Simulating an ESDP police operation, the scenario was based on interethnic violence in a fictitious country. Both strengthening and substitution mission capabilities were tested.

         Fact Finding Mission in Afghanistan in October 2009

Following the decision taken by the CIMIN (Comité Interministeriel de haut Niveau) in Paris on 13^th May 2009 in relation to the future EGF involvement within NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A), the Permanent HQ dispatched, from 12^th to 22^nd October 2009, a fact finding mission in Kabul to plan the EGF deployment within the NTM-A for the mentoring and the training of the Afghan National Police.

The EGF Delegation, led by the EGF Commander, had meetings with numerous high-ranking authorities – to mention but few US Army General Mac Chrystal, COM ISAF, US Army Major General Formica, COM CSTC-A/NTM-A, and Commissioner Kai VITTRUP, EUPOL Head of Mission – as well as with local officials. More specifically the meetings were aimed at studying the conditions in which EGF can best contribute to the Afghan National Police development.

Additionally, the EGF team visited also the Central Training Centre (CTC) in Kabul and the Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Mazar-e Sherif in order to concretely assess the possibility to set up in their premises the EGF training hubs for the planned future EGF activities. 

The EGF possible added value was unanimously recognized by international and national actors involved in this challenging project.

From 3^rd to 5^th November 2009 EGF Permanent Headquarters’ representatives participated in a working group meeting at the NATO Allied Joint Forces Command (JFCBS) headquarters in Brunssum (Netherlands) dealing with the training concept of police operational mentoring and liaison teams (POLMLT’s) in Afghanistan.

EGF members provided police expertise to NATO in the development of this concept for Afghanistan. POMLT’s are mainly in charge of coaching, teaching and mentoring the Afghan National Police in its daily duty on the ground. The aim of POMLT’s training is to establish common standards across all teams.

EGF     invited as observer at the “Above Kandak Operational Mentor and Liaison Training” in Bydgoszcz (Poland).

From 3^rd to 12^th November 2009 an EGF PHQ member attended as observer the “Above Kandak Operational Mentor and Liaison Training” held in the NATO Joint Force training Center in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Kandak training program for Corps, Brigade and Garrison level Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT) Personnel is tailored to prepare them to successfully execute their mission of mentoring, teaching and coaching the Afghan National Army.

185 participants from 15 countries as Training Audience and 139 experts EXCON participated in the mentioned initiative.