Gerhard K., from Vienna, Austria, is a lieutenant colonel in the Austrian Army. He has been on a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan since Oct. 26, 2008. He is one of two Austrian soldiers dispatched from Austria as part of a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) contingency.
Gerhard is assigned to the communications and planning section of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at the Afghanistan Headquarters in Kabul. His fellow countryman serves as liaison for the same agency.
Gerhard maintains that it is important that even small countries like Austria contribute to NATO endeavors. According to Gerhard, it is not only important “whether contingents from large nations are present, but [critical] that there are also representatives from relatively small nations to assist the Afghan people.”
Of the smaller nations, Austria’s participation is small--between two to three soldiers. There are seven troops from Ireland, nine from Luxembourg, 13 from Iceland and two from Singapore, all presently stationed in Afghanistan.
NATO Contingent in Afghanistan
In 2001, after the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the ISAF was formed. The agency is under the control of NATO’s Allied Powers Supreme Headquarters, located in Mons, Belgium.
The official website of the ISAF summarizes its mission: “The UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force assists the Afghan Government in extending and exercising its authority and influence across the country, creating conditions for stabilization and reconstruction.”
Gerhard accepted the Afghan assignment “because many soldiers were needed.” He sees his role as one of assisting in bringing security and stability to Afghanistan, which also includes fostering infrastructure development.
His tour of duty will be up sometime in June of this year. He is not overly anxious about being away from home. Gerhard said, “I am frequently on duty in foreign countries. My family has gotten used to my travels to foreign countries and my taking part in international missions. They support my life style. Anyway, I’m generally only gone for six months. Communications with family members is made easy through the Internet, phone calls and Skype.” He continued, musing, “Afghan food is great, and one has to watch one’s waistline.”
Gerhard is considered to be very outgoing. He has made a number of friends with soldiers from different countries. A soldier’s life for him is not boring, and he is enjoying this tour.
He added, “I have had the best experience [with soldiers from other countries] in a very short time. Cooperation with those from others nations has been working rather well.”
The NATO operation is successful in Gerhard’s eyes, and he wouldn’t object to returning for a second tour of duty. He is certain that all the soldiers in the NATO contingent have really helped Afghanistan in its effort to build a new life, enabling the Afghan people to maintain hope for the future.
“I believe that every single soldier who is here in Afghanistan makes a small contribution, but this contribution is very important,” he stated wistfully.
He became quite thoughtful when asked if he thought that Afghanistan has been freed from the shackles of the previous regime, and replied, “It is a long process and will be years, possibly decades, until the country is free from the Taliban.”
Tours of duty in Afghanistan are not easy and are wrought with danger. At the beginning of this year, a single suicide bomber killed one Australian, two British and two U.S. soldiers.
Since 2001, there have been about 70,000 international soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. To date, there have been 1,060 casualties. The majority of the casualties--640 soldiers--were from the U.S. Great Britain has lost 142, and Canada has lost 107 soldiers in Afghanistan, according to the website, “Operation Enduring Freedom.”
