The town of Bamian, in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan is where the NZ PRT is located. Kiwi Base and the airfield are to the south of the valley and the main township and bazaar (shopping centre) is located to the north of Kiwi Base.
In winter (Dec-Mar), the surrounding mountains and valleys are covered in snow. The township of Bamian is at an altitude close to 2,550m above sea level (Mt Ruapehu is 2,997m and some of the mountain passes are as high as Mt Cook/Aorangi).
NZDF personnel make up the NZ Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZ PRT) in Afghanistan. The fifteenth rotation, Commanded by COL Martin Dransfield arrived in Afghanistan in October and will remain in Afghanistan for approximately six months.
The government has announced that the NZ PRT will be extended until September 2010.
The Bamyan Valley (which runs east- west) and the northern side of the valley, taken from the hilltop citadel of Gholghola.
The New Zealand National Support Element (NSE) is based at Bagram Air Force Base (BAF) about an hour and a half (60km) drive north of Kabul. Their task is to provide logistical support to the NZ PRT at Kiwi Base in Bamyan and other NZDF personnel in Afghanistan.
Two SNCO instructors attached to the UK Afghan National Army Training Team (UK ANATT). These instructors deploy for six-month tours.
Five NZDF personnel are in the Middle East to provide a support mechanism for NZDF force elements deployed to Afghanistan and to assist co-located coalition partners.
NZDF contribution to the United Nations Assistance Mission Afghanistan (UNAMA) is one officer. The officer works as a Military Liaison Officer (MLO) providing the strategic interface between multi-national forces and Afghan authorities.
For more information: UNAMA - Overview
ISAF: Kabul
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan. NZDF has four staff officers and a driver attached to HQ ISAF.The senior NZ officer works on policy and planning within the ISAF HQ.
Feature Story: Kiwi's at HQ ISAF
HQ CJTF: Kabul
Two staff officers to HQ Coalition Joint Task Force (HQ CJTF 76) & Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan (CFC-A).