In the nearest future military personnel of the Lithuanian-led Ghor Provincial Reconstruction Team will begin combat training of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and will instruct them in the fields of command, standard planning procedures, military topography, procedures of liaison and tactical operations centre, first medical aid, handling IEDs, and practical skills of firing.
Such support scenario was agreed on in the first meeting of the military component of Chaghcharan PRT and officers of the Operations Coordination Center-Province (OCC-P) responsible for coordinating operation of ANSF in the province on February 6 at the Chaghcharan PRT base.
According to the Chief of OCC-P Gen Sayed Asadullah, Afghan personnel of the Centre seeks new skills and knowledge. "OCC-P strives for improvement to ensure efficient contribution to security in Ghor province. We expect to develop close and productive cooperation with the Lithuanian-led PRT", said Gen S. Asadullah.
Chief of Staff of the military component of the Lithuanian-led PRT Lt Col Aurelijus Motiejūnas accentuated the important role that OCC-P had been playing in effective coordination and fulfillment of ANSF - Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army and National Security Directorate - activities in ensuring security in Ghor.
Operations Coordination Centers were established in Afghanistan in 2008 by the President of Afghanistan's decree to achieve better coordination of ANSF actions of ensuring security during the period of presidential elections. OCCs are functional at regional and provincial levels till present. The key task of the centers is facilitating synergy among force structures, coordination of actions and synchronization in implementing the full-spectrum of tasks. OCCs are manned by ANSC officers.
OCC-P of Ghor is established at the Police Headquarters of Chaghcharan. Personnel of OCC-P currently includes roughly 30 specialists of various ranks and different functional areas.
The Lithuanian-led PRT in Ghor is a joint civilian-military mission, a part of NATO's ISAF, that was launched in Ghor in summer of 2005. The main task of the mission is to help Government of Afghanistan to extend authority in the province, ensure security and create environment for provincial reconstruction. Prerequisites for the allied forces deployed in Afghanistan to finish the mission will be provided as soon as the country's National Security Forces are able to ensure security of the country and its people independently. In the present period major attention is paid to the projects of training and preparation of Afghan National Security Forces.
PRT-12 is formed mainly of troops of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion providing personnel for the ISAF mission in Ghor for a second time.
Representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, Poland, Ukraine, and Finland are deployed for service at the base of the Lithuanian-led PRT together with Lithuanian personnel.
Pictures and article by PIO for PRT-12 Capt Ainaras Jonaitis.
Pictures: meeting of OCC-P representatives and PRT military personnel.
