Foreign Contributions to WOT

[George Wallace]

Many are knocking the efforts some of our Allies are putting into the current war in Afghanistan and Iraq.  As our National News networks and newspapers are not too current on Foreign and International Affairs perhaps it is time that we got off our 'high horses' and looked at what other nations are 'really' contributing to the war efforts and world stability.

Germany is often bashed in our Press for not contributing much.  Does the Press even know what Germany is contributing?  No!  They don't.  It may surprise them that Germany, has probably got as many, if not more troops deployed than Kanada.  A Map of the German deployments can be found in Spiegel Magazine online.  Rather interesting to note that Germany has 8,937 troops deployed overseas, 2,865 in Afghanistan and an equal amount in Kosovo. 

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I disagree.  Germany's numbers are disingenous at best.  Their numbers include their Battle Group in Kabul, a bloated C2 structure, a PRT, and people in Manas at their strategic airhead - roughly equivalent to what we're doing, although we're much more involved with training the ANA and with other tasks.  They are a much larger Army than Canada's and should be expected to contribute more.

My issue isn't so much with the numbers but with the tasks assigned to German forces in theatre. 

The German PRT is in Konduz and Faizabad, in the north of the country where there is little in the way of security threat.  The German BG's AOR essentially consists of the Eastern part of Kabul province, where they are essentially restricted to presence patrolling and show of force.  Germany also (AFAIK) had a number of heavy lift helicopters in theatre, again restricted to the north of the country.  Their efforts to train (on the civilian side) the ANP haven't exactly been successful.

At a time when NATO is begging for helicopters, theatre-wide QRFs, and additional forces in the south, the Germans have been content to restrict their activities to "safe" (and I do use that word advisedly) areas in the north of Afghanistan.  They are one of Europe's largest and best equipped Armies - surely we can expect a little more from them?

 

[Cloud Cover]

Starting with a panzer division in the south complete with sausage brigade. 

 

[probum non poenitet]

They are one of Europe's largest and best equipped Armies - surely we can expect a little more from them?

Unleash the Germans? Look out if they get on a roll ... they have a history of overachieving ... 

 

[tomahawk6]

I would rather see a Turkish brigade attached to NATO forces in the hot zone.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I would rather see a Turkish brigade attached to NATO forces in the hot zone.

Meh, I did a month attached to a Turkish brigade:  nationalist, treat their soldiers like s**t, have a hidden agenda (support of Dostum), massive caveats (Turkish company confined to PD 12 in Kabul), and a restrictive, rank-centric chain of command.  The first two weeks under the Turks consisted of redoing the Brigadier's office...  :

Perhaps they got better after I left, but they carry a lot of baggage in Afghanistan.

 

[daftandbarmy]

3 PARA at Sangin doing some contributing... so this is a new one on me, are you supposed to jack up the guy who grabs a camera instead of a .50 cal during a firefight? Ah well, there's enough outgoing anyways I guess...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7vNHkHFAVc&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-VKRWOkgzU&NR

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