Observation Post North
.jpg)
The Observation Post North (short OP North , German "Observation Point North" ) was an outpost of the German armed forces as part of the ISAF mission , located about 15 kilometers north of the provincial capital Pol-e Chomri in the Afghan province of Baghlan .
location
The OP North was located on the outskirts of the settlement Puzeh-E Yshan between Kokan and the provincial capital Pol-e Chomri, about 23 km south of the city of Baghlan . The outpost was built on a range of hills that lies directly on Highway 3, one of the most important south-north connections in Afghanistan, which connects the state capital Kabul with the city of Kunduz . About 2 kilometers west of the former OP North is the so-called "Highway Triangle", the intersection between Afghan Highways 1 and 3. Highway 3 also connects the cities of Pol-e Chomri and Mazār-i Sharif , the seat of the regional command north in Afghanistan. Thus, the OP North was located in the immediate vicinity of one of the most important strategic traffic hubs in northern Afghanistan, through which almost all north-south traffic in northern Afghanistan is handled, as vehicles cannot travel a long distance away from these highways. The distance from OP North to Kunduz was about 100 kilometers in a northerly direction, the distance to Mazār-i Sharif was about 200 kilometers in a north-westerly direction, so the outpost was about halfway between Mazār-i Sharif and Kabul.
Strength
At times, around 700 Bundeswehr soldiers and soldiers from other ISAF participating nations were stationed at OP North, which is roughly the strength of a battalion . Two infantry companies, a reconnaissance company and a pioneer company were available to the commander of the outpost. These forces have been enhanced by a wide variety of support forces, such as a Mörserzug, a 2000 tank , guide support forces , military police , maintenance and logistics forces, electronic warfare (EW), a field kitchen group and a branch of the field post . In addition, the commander of OP North had a reduced battalion staff , which supported and advised the commander in all operational issues and tasks.
The OP North received supplies either via the road connection or from the air. In this case, OP North had its own helipad.
assignment
The post was established in early 2010, when Taliban activities in the province were at their peak. After it was used as the base of operations for Operation Taohid, the main focus of the hill was expanded by forces from the Mountain Infantry Battalion 231 from Bad Reichenhall , and over time it was reinforced . OP North was tasked with monitoring Highways 1 and 3, stabilizing the security situation in the area and supervising and mentoring the Afghan security forces in the region, primarily the Afghan National Army (ANA), in order to enable the Afghans to independently maintain security in Baghlan Province.
living conditions
The soldiers in OP North were not accommodated in fortified accommodations, but in tents that were occupied by an average of eight soldiers. In order to protect against the extreme climatic conditions, field heaters for the winter and air conditioning units for the summer were available in the tents. Despite these air conditioning units, the temperatures in the tents reached up to 40 ° C at times, so that the soldiers were exposed to high climatic stresses.
For hygiene reasons, there were no sanitary containers available for a while that offered the opportunity to go to the toilet and shower. Instead, mobile toilet cubicles were set up for using the toilet . For personal hygiene, improvised showers that were operated with drinking water were initially built. The sanitary containers were only set up in the current contingent. Even after the sanitary container operations began, there were repeated problems with the water supply and the disposal of wastewater. For example, soldiers who were on duty in the camp were sometimes subject to a "shower reservation" so that there was still enough capacity when, for example, soldiers returned from a patrol to OP North.
The water was obtained from its own well at OP North; Drinking water and food were supplied via the supply route. The field kitchen troop provided the soldiers with meals in the morning and in the evening. Lunch was taken in the form of EPA .
Dismantling
In preparation for the withdrawal of ISAF troops from Afghanistan, the order was given to OP North at the beginning of 2013 to dismantle the outpost by mid-2013 at the latest and to relocate all forces back to the German camp at Camp Marmal . Dismantling began in early February and was largely completed in early June 2013. On June 15, 2013, OP North was handed over to the Afghan armed forces in a ceremonial ceremony . The last forces of the Bundeswehr left OP North on June 15 at 12:00 a.m. Afghan time. The last platoon to leave OP North again belonged to Mountaineer Battalion 231. This outpost is one of many that the Bundeswehr is gradually dismantling or transferring to the Afghans as a result of its withdrawal from Afghanistan .
2011 attack
OP North became known to the German public when on February 18, 2011 an Afghan soldier killed three members of the German armed forces and injured six, some seriously, by pointing his weapon at them and then opening fire. The assassin himself was also killed in the attack. The fallen comrades were commemorated with a grove of honor within OP North. This honor grove was brought to Germany in the course of the dismantling and has since been rebuilt at the Bundeswehr Operations Command in Schwielowsee near Potsdam.
Major General Markus Kneip at the handover of command from Lieutenant Colonel Hübner (r.) To Lieutenant Colonel Mirow (l.) In August 2011
New flag of Task Force Mazār-i Sharif when it took over control in August 2011
Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière in conversation with Hungarian soldiers in OP North
Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière and Major General Erich Pfeffer in OP North
OP North ("Logitown") from above
CH-53 approaching OP North
Defense position at OP North, main direction of fire on the hills in a northeastern direction
See also
Web links
- Bundeswehr December 14, 2012: Service at Op North
Individual evidence
- ^ Defense minister in Afghanistan − On a "farewell visit" at the base OP North. Der Tagesspiegel , March 5, 2013, accessed on June 18, 2013 .
- ↑ C. v. Löwenstern: The OP North, or the women and men from the mountain. Bundeswehr , October 22, 2012, accessed on June 18, 2013 .
- ↑ Along the lifelines: On patrol from OP North. Bundeswehr , December 12, 2012, accessed June 26, 2013 .
- ↑ Bundeswehr leaves "OP North". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , June 15, 2013, accessed on June 18, 2013 .
- ↑ Marco Seliger : Withdrawal from Afghanistan − The incomplete farewell. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , February 10, 2013, accessed on June 18, 2013 .
- ↑ Three German soldiers killed. Image , February 18, 2011, accessed June 26, 2013 .
- ↑ Marcel Bohnert : Enemies in your own ranks. On the problem of internal perpetrators in Afghanistan. if. Journal for Inner Leadership, pp. 5–12, ISSN 1864-5321
Coordinates: 35 ° 58 ′ 29.5 ″ N , 68 ° 42 ′ 28.4 ″ E