U.S. and Romanian Operational Mentor Liaison Team members
The soldiers from Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, Albania and Romania are going to create ten operational mentor liaison teams (OMLT) crucial for the transition process and Afghanistan’s long-term security. Serving as a bridge between the NATO conventional forces and Afghan national security forces, the operational mentor liaison teams are going to mentor Afghan military units and new police operational mentor liaisons teams. With the mission to increase and help build Afghan capabilities in order for Afghan military units to assume greater security responsibility, there is a possibility that the operational mentor liaison teams will be embedded within Afghan security forces to ensure Afghan units’ ability to operate with the remaining forces of NATO countries deployed in the country.
According to army colonel Jeffrey Martindale’s declaration for American Forces Press Service, the operational mentor liaisons teams will deliver assistance during withdrawal of major NATO conventional forces and gradual transfer of power to Afghan military.
At the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels the soldiers from every NATO country have an opportunity to train and prepare for the combat under the supervision of the US training officers who have valuable first-hand experience from Afghanistan. Designed to be as challenging and realistic as possible, the training consists not only of preparation for combat but also the art of mentoring. Coming from different training and combat environment, the soldiers from the Central and Eastern European countries have to learn to cooperate and mentor each other. While every team from participating countries approaches the mentoring differently, the Hohenfels centre would certify only those ready for deployment.
The Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels offers training opportunities for all NATO countries and enables even the small-seized countries with limited military deployment abilities to contribute to the International Security and Assistance mission.
The American commitment to provide training and equipment to its Eastern European allies conducting special operations missions and serving as operation mentor liaison teams in Afghanistan remains to be top priority of Washington.
Despite, the U.S. decision to decrease its military presence in Europe, the Pentagon will continue building partner capacity and will spend round $100 million (77.5 million Euro) on “enhancing responsiveness of special operations forces” of Washington’s Eastern European allies. The main beneficiaries would be Hungary, Poland, Romania and Lithuania.
The author is CEPI Research Assistant