Military contribution

In order to promote security and create a safe environment for the civilian population and NGO workers that promote development, Denmark focuses on a robust military commitment in Afghanistan. Also, an overarching purpose of the Danish military presence is to “contribute to national, regional and international security by preventing that the country again becomes a free-haven for terrorists”. The newest Danish strategy for Afghanistan did not contain any major changes on the development side. However, when it comes to the security issue, the strategy has taken a new turn. The current Danish policy  that Danish troops should be ready to hand over responsibility to Afghan authorities and eventually exit Afghanistan. Or, as formulated in the strategy document, “the goal is to gradually shift the balance to a greater civilian effort and a more withdrawn military effort”. This entails a strengthening of the current military contribution and a heavier focus on training for the Afghan National Army. At the same time, the effort towards training the Afghan National Police is also stepped up. In 2008, the financial support of the Afghan National Army amounted to up to DKK 10 million in addition to a one-time contribution of DKK 30 million to material upgrading.

The Danish military contribution in Afghanistan is substantial for such a small country. The number of troops stationed, as of August 2008, is 675 soldiers. Within the year this number will increase to 750 troops. The largest concentration of Danish soldiers is in Regional Command South in the Helmand Province. Up until recently, troops have also been stationed in other parts of Afghanistan. Some staff officers have supported the German led PRT in Feyzabad in the north; others have contributed to the PRT in Chagcharan in the west. Some Danes have served at ISAF headquarters in Kabul, some at KAIA, the military airport for the joint ISAF troops in Kabul. Danish officials have found this to be ineffective, and now they want to focus their efforts in a battalion-sized task force in Lashkar Gah, the PRT in Helmand.
The Helmand Province is a very unstable province where Taliban has a strong grip on the population, the aim is however to train Afghan soldiers to be able to handle the security challenges in the province.

                           Photo: Militaryphotos

To read more about the Danish military contribution please visit:
http://www.netpublikationer.dk/UM/8986/index.htm