The increase for the year 2007 will be realized with task organized units and National Support Elements. The novelty in the territorial deployment is the participation of the Croatian Military Police members in PRT Pol-e-Khomri, in area of the Regional Command North that is under Hungarian leadership. By achieving the number of 200 soldiers in mission ISAF, Croatia will, in view of the number of citizens, compare favourably with NATO’s member countries.

The increased and progressively active Croatian participation requests appropriate training of the units and individuals sent to Afghanistan. Participation in ISAF contributes to increased readiness and development of modern military capabilities that NATO’s member countries have. Direct experiences gained in the operation ISAF in international environment will be built in the CAF system that has intensively professionalized. The work in multinational environment and organisation during a military operation is an irreplaceable preparation for future tasks. International military cooperation with states that are in the mission with their units is compelling and exceptionally important, as much before soldiers are sent to the area of operation, as in everyday work of the CAF members, regardless they are in the field or in staffs.

Participation in the mission ISAF and all lessons learnt will help development of the CAF professional composition and of each soldier, NCO and officer so that they could continue be a role model to other states in the southeast of Europe.

MILITARY POLICE TASK FORCE (MP TF)

Military Police Task Forces (MPTF) are the first CAF component sent to mission ISAF. Jobs its members do are classical military-police jobs: patrols, surveillances, on-site investigations as well as escort and protection of VIPs who visit the mission. The difference from their operation in Croatia is not only operating in zones of greater risk and danger, primarily because of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers; they also operate in multinational environment in which military-police tasks in planning and execution adjoin the existing national restrictions of the participating states and national legislations, when we are talking about authorities in cases of public disturbance and not adhering to regulations of the participants in the operation.

Members of the MPTF also take part in passing their knowledge on members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and Afghan National Police (ANP) they closely cooperate with, thus enhancing their capabilities, developing good relations and establishing contacts thus increasing the level of their security in execution of everyday tasks.

Since spring 2003 the MPTF in Kabul have had almost the same numerical strength. The Military Police platoon has been exceptionally successful operating within the multinational Military Police company of the Kabul Multinational Brigade (KMNB). The KMNB cooperates with Kabul City Police (KCP). At the end of the fourth year of the participation of the Military Police in ISAF, after establishment of the Regional Command Capital (RCC) in Kabul, in early August 2006, the KMNB got a new name and organisation of a greater area of responsibility and more complex tasks. However, the participation of Croatia has not decreased.

A significant and the same number of Croatian military policemen in the Military Police company KMNB has contributed to assignment of important duties as Deputy Provost Marshall and officers in operational section. One of the functions that confirmed the capability and professionalism of the predecessors and high quality of individuals in training and capabilities in conformity with NATO’s standards is carrying out duties of Provost Marshall of the multinational company. During important operations in Kabul, Croatian military policemen and staff officers in Kabul were assigned to responsible and important positions they deserved by commitment and consistency in carrying out everyday duties.

MPTF comprise the national team of military crime police that operates within crime police section and a Croatian officer was in command in several rotations. Every rotation of the Military Police has guides with official dogs for detection of drugs or explosive or protection-search dogs. They operate within a separate section. In view that Croatia is the only country that has search dogs in Kabul, the section has a national organization; it means that it is headed by member of the CAF who decides about the use of a group of dog guides. Military policewomen are in composition of the Military Police; this is important and useful in a country as Afghanistan where differences in genders have been traditionally deep-rooted in everyday life and affect the execution of military-police tasks.

In spring 2007, a minor group of military policemen was sent to Regional Command North where it will be active within the Hungarian PRT Pol-e-Khomri.

COMBINED MEDICAL TEAM (CMT A-3)

Countries of the US-Adriatic Charter (Albania, Republic of Croatia, Macedonia) have confirmed their common interest for developing special mutual military cooperation for accession to membership in NATO. They would like to contribute to strengthening international security by participating in NATO led operations with their Combined Medical Team (CMT) that is sent to mission ISAF.

A trilateral combined medical team of the US-Adriatic Charter (CMT A-3) was formed after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in May 2005 in Bruxells and already after three months the first rotation was sent to area of the operation ISAF. Since then, the team has been active within the field hospital at Kabul international airport (KAIA)

The combined medical team is multinational. Each of the three countries of the US-Adriatic Charter participates equally in the team by providing one physician and three medical technicians of whom one is at the same time a driver. The rotation of the Combined Medical Team lasts six months. Before the trip, each rotation of the Combined Medical Team undergoes a joint training that serves for getting to know each other and familiarization of the team members as well as for preparation of joint activities in the area of operations. The programme of training is worked out in several activities that take place in all three countries that are members of the US-Adriatic Charter. It is an integral part of the annual partner plan for implementation of the US-Adriatic Charter in defence area.

Besides joint training, national elements of the Combined Medical Team are trained in their homeland in line with NATO’s standards. Team members communicate among themselves in English language. The leader changes in each rotation, in conformity with the country that has a role of a coordinator in A-3 at the moment of sending to the mission.

OPERATIONAL MENTOR LIAISON TEAM (OMLT)

OMLT is a task force. It has been specially conceived and organized for requirement of ISAF. For the time being, such units are active in area of the Regional Command North. In the first place, it is responsible for training, practice and mentoring in units of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in all functional areas. The objective is that ANA becomes self-sustainable by increasing and maintaining training standards. The final objective is a successful independent operation without foreign help. Therefore, OMLT provides support to ANA units in their actions. It monitors the movement of those units in combat operations. In view that there are no special national restrictions for Croatian members in operation ISAF, OMLT monitors deployment of ANA’s units in execution of combat operations in the entire territory of Afghanistan. In September 2006, members of the OMLT abandoned the area of the Regional Command North and were deployed to area of the Regional Command South (Kandahar).

Croatian OMLT operates on battalion level and two Croatian NCOs work within the multinational OMLT on corps’ level. Part of the OMLT that is active on corps’ level is mainly stationary while the OMLT on battalion level is mobile and accompanies the pertaining ANA’s battalion. In the process, members of the OMLT operate solely within the authority given to them by the UN mandate and are elaborated in appropriate NATO’s operational plans for ISAF.

OMLT is multinational in its activities in ISAF and in the work with ANA, the success depends on mutual trust that has been built from the first day of the cooperation with Afghan soldiers.

INFANTRY AND GUARDS TASK FORCES (INF TF, HRV GUARD)

The purpose of infantry and guards’ task forces is to carry out surveillance and security tasks. Since summer 2006 infantry task forces have been deployed to the mission in Regional Command North. Their present task is to secure the camp. After one year of successful operation their number will be increased. Since spring 2007 Croatia has been taking part with guards task forces in Regional Command West, within Lithuanian PRT Chaghcharan where it will secure activities of the civilian PRT that is pronouncedly mobile and active in that area.

MOBILE LIAISON OBSERVATION TEAM (MLOT)

MLOT belongs to the group of task-organized forces that are active within Provincial Reconstruction Teams. That is the operational part of the PRT’s military component. MLOT is exceptionally mobile in its operation. It can independently move away from the PRT and carries out patrolling without any special protection in settlements in the PRT’s area of responsibility. MLOT’s members gather information, evaluate the short-comings and favourable conditions in the area. On their job, they connect with local inhabitants and inform them how the PRT provides support to Afghan Government in Kabul that established its authority in that area and helps the government in reconstruction. While it carries out its everyday missions, MLOT can be separated from the parent PRT up to one week. It is therefore clear how MLOT members are more exposed to danger or increased risk. Only one MLOT has been attacked so far. In late June 2006 one off-road vehicle was damaged and members of the Croatian MLOT remained uninjured.

MLOT’s operation is made more difficult by bad or lack of roads. The second factor is a harsh climate, dry and hot in summer, exceptionally cold in winter. Besides snow in mountains that makes it impossible to move, temperatures of - 20 to - 30 degrees make military missions more difficult.