Photograph Caption: Corporal Murray Macauley (left) supervises Afghan National Police during weapons training, assisted by NZPRT interpreter and Private Pita Te Aonui (right), at the Sayghan Police Headquarters, northern Bamyan Province.
November 2005
SSGT Tim Rowe, Kiwi Base, Afghanistan (NZPRT 5)
The end of the tour is quickly approaching for Kiwi Team Five after an eventful and challenging deployment to Afghanistan. Kiwi Team Five is the ‘surge’ patrol of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) and is primarily used to reinforce the main effort. Without a particular area of operations for itself, the patrol moves to and supports the other Kiwi patrols and consequently receives a number of diverse tasks throughout the Bamyan Province.
Being the only patrol without a forward patrol base, Kiwi Team Five also spends a lot of time establishing night locations at schools, abandoned buildings, and in patrol harbours observing named areas of interest. While the remaining four patrols mainly liase with locals, Kiwi Team Five are primarily concerned with targeted information gathering and the maintenance of stability and security. This focus has seen the patrol conduct such tasks as route reconnaissance, convoy escort, presence patrolling, aid distribution, election security, and the development of the Afghan National Police (ANP). The patrol, commanded by Captain Jaron Shaw, is composed of personnel from 1st Battalion, RNZIR with the exception of the patrol signaller, Lance Bombardier Robert Bush of 16 Field Regiment. This unit background has seen a strong team ethic develop within the patrol, resulting in an enjoyable tour for all the patrol members.
The recent focus for Kiwi Team Five was the National Assembly and Provincial Council Elections, held in September, which are Afghanistan’s first democratic elections to elect a government. During this period, the patrol worked long hours to ensure the ANP were equipped and trained to deal with any threats to security. After distributing weapons to the ANP, Sergeant Craig Jordan and Corporal Murray Macaulay designed and implemented a training programme, and ran live field firing practices to develop the ANP prior to this critical event in Afghanistan’s history. Once the weapons and equipment distribution and training had been completed, the patrol established a patrol base in a derelict building next to the ANP and provided security advice to their Chief of Police as the elections progressed. It is testimony to the efforts of both Task Group Crib 6 and previous Cribs that the elections came and went without any serious breaches of security throughout Bamyan Province.
With the elections over, Kiwi Team Five’s main role then focussed on route reconnaissance along untravelled routes throughout the area of operation (AO) and assessing requirements for aid to be distributed prior to the harsh Afghan winter. This has remained the focus to date and will continue until Task Group Crib 7 takes over in mid December. Overall, the members of Kiwi Team Five have enjoyed a successful and enjoyable tour to Afghanistan, and look forward to returning to our friends and families in New Zealand in time for Christmas.