Kamp Holland
Encyclopedia
Kamp Holland is the main Dutch military base on the outskirts of Tarin Kowt
, the provincial capital of Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan
.
The Dutch
are present in Uruzgan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.
The first group of Dutch military personnel left for Afghanistan in March 2006 in the Deployment Task Force (DTF). They were the quartermasters for the following Dutch forces of the Task Force Uruzgan
(TFU) becoming operational in August 2006.
They took over the former US Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ripley, rebuilt the facility to accommodate the Dutch operational needs and renamed it Kamp Holland.
The average strength is 1,200 personnel split over the locations Tarin Kowt and Deh Rawod.
(TFU) is a composite unit it consists of various units and specialties of the Dutch armed forces, therefore Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Special Forces and Military Police personnel are completely integrated in the TFU.
The TFU "hard core" is the Battlegroup, consisting of infantry - Dutch Airmobile or Marines btn - and some 155mm mechanized howitsers for firesupport. In case the Battlegroup needs close air support, the Dutch Air Task Force - consisting of F-16 multiroles stationed at Kandahar Airfield and AH-64D Apache combat helicopters stationed at Tarin Kowt- will provide it.
An important item of the overall mission is the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). PRT is responsible for the supervision of all technical and logistical support to rebuild the Afghan province of Uruzgan. The PRT is part of ISAF and is placed under NATO command.
From their Regional Kandahar Hq, Canada
, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom
take their 6-months turns in commanding all NATO military personnel spread over the area.
In December 2009 approximately 1,300 Dutch
and 390 Australian
personnel were stationed at Kamp Holland.
The Australian 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) is also based at Camp Holland.
MRTF-2 is engaged in reconstruction, mentoring and security operations in Uruzgan Province.
The bulk of the MRTF is composed of elements from the 3rd Brigade (Australia) (Townsville), with support elements drawn from the 1st Brigade (Australia) (Darwin) and from the Navy and Air Force.
MRTF-2 includes 2 Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) whose mission is to assist in the development of the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army
. Australian soldiers that operate in the OMLTs live with, train and provide support to their Afghan National Army colleagues in patrol bases in Uruzgan Province. In so doing, the OMLTs continue to develop the capability of the 2nd Afghan Kandak and the 4th Afghan Kandak.
MRTF-2 also includes two Combat Teams (CT) which undertake security operations within Uruzgan Province in order to enhance the security environment in the province. These CT's are operationally integrated in the Dutch Battlegroup.
All Dutch military locations in Afghanistan:
Kabul
Kandahar
Tarin Kowt
Deh Rawod
Mazar e Sharif
EMPF's lead nation is France. The aim is to train the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) under the supervision of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A).
Tarin Kowt
Tarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
, the provincial capital of Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
The Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
are present in Uruzgan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.
The first group of Dutch military personnel left for Afghanistan in March 2006 in the Deployment Task Force (DTF). They were the quartermasters for the following Dutch forces of the Task Force Uruzgan
Task Force Uruzgan
The Netherlands Army Task Force Uruzgan was part of NATO's Regional Command South, International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan. The Dutch lead one of the four Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the southern region of the country...
(TFU) becoming operational in August 2006.
They took over the former US Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ripley, rebuilt the facility to accommodate the Dutch operational needs and renamed it Kamp Holland.
The average strength is 1,200 personnel split over the locations Tarin Kowt and Deh Rawod.
Current situation
As the Task Force UruzganTask Force Uruzgan
The Netherlands Army Task Force Uruzgan was part of NATO's Regional Command South, International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan. The Dutch lead one of the four Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the southern region of the country...
(TFU) is a composite unit it consists of various units and specialties of the Dutch armed forces, therefore Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Special Forces and Military Police personnel are completely integrated in the TFU.
The TFU "hard core" is the Battlegroup, consisting of infantry - Dutch Airmobile or Marines btn - and some 155mm mechanized howitsers for firesupport. In case the Battlegroup needs close air support, the Dutch Air Task Force - consisting of F-16 multiroles stationed at Kandahar Airfield and AH-64D Apache combat helicopters stationed at Tarin Kowt- will provide it.
An important item of the overall mission is the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). PRT is responsible for the supervision of all technical and logistical support to rebuild the Afghan province of Uruzgan. The PRT is part of ISAF and is placed under NATO command.
From their Regional Kandahar Hq, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
take their 6-months turns in commanding all NATO military personnel spread over the area.
In December 2009 approximately 1,300 Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and 390 Australian
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
personnel were stationed at Kamp Holland.
The Australian 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) is also based at Camp Holland.
MRTF-2 is engaged in reconstruction, mentoring and security operations in Uruzgan Province.
The bulk of the MRTF is composed of elements from the 3rd Brigade (Australia) (Townsville), with support elements drawn from the 1st Brigade (Australia) (Darwin) and from the Navy and Air Force.
MRTF-2 includes 2 Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) whose mission is to assist in the development of the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
. Australian soldiers that operate in the OMLTs live with, train and provide support to their Afghan National Army colleagues in patrol bases in Uruzgan Province. In so doing, the OMLTs continue to develop the capability of the 2nd Afghan Kandak and the 4th Afghan Kandak.
MRTF-2 also includes two Combat Teams (CT) which undertake security operations within Uruzgan Province in order to enhance the security environment in the province. These CT's are operationally integrated in the Dutch Battlegroup.
All Dutch military locations in Afghanistan:
Kabul
- ISAF Hq
- ISAF Hq Log Support element
Kandahar
- Cdr Kandahar airfield
- Staff RC South
- Contingent Cdr and Staff
- Air Task Force F-16 det
- Air Task Force Cougar/Chinook det
- Joint Support det
- Role 3 hospital (specialized chirurgical aid)
Tarin Kowt
- Staff Task Force Uruzgan
- Australian MRTF-2
- Provincial Reconstruction Team
- Battlegroup
- Air Task Force Apache det
- Staff and Operational Mentor Liaison Team
- Log Support det
- Role 2 hospital (emergency aid)
Deh Rawod
- Battlegroup
- Operational Mentor Liaison Team
- Provincial Reconstruction Team
- Log Support det
Mazar e Sharif
- European Military Police Force
EMPF's lead nation is France. The aim is to train the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) under the supervision of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A).