Germany

Early Years of the Conflict. Germany has played a major role in Afghanistan alongside numerous other NATO and Coalition partners since 2001. The country's initial deployment of its German special operations forces saw action in the surrounding areas of Kabul while attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A). In addition, aviation and other specialized units were assigned to the coalition presence in Kabul in the early months of the conflict.

Expansion Beyond Kabul. Eventually, with the movement of the international coalition forces beyond Kabul Germany took a leading role in northern Afghanistan - establishing major bases in Mazar-e Sharif (Camp Marmal) and in Kunduz province. It would be the lead nation of Regional Command North (RC North); which consisted of the military of many nations - mostly from Europe.

Post-2015. Germany continues to play a leading role in Afghanistan and is instrumental in the "Train, Advise, and Assist" mission for the 209th Afghan National Army (ANA) Corps based in Balkh province. It is the 'framework' nation that leads the Train, Advise, Assist Command - North (TAAC-North) in northern Afghanistan.

News Stories about Germany in Afghanistan

May 22, 2019. "German Policymakers Worry About Losing Afghan Gains", Atlantic Sentinel. German voters are tired of the war, but policymakers worry about the consequences of withdrawal.

December 18, 2017. "German defense minister says troop withdrawal from Afghanistan too rapid", Reuters.

February 10, 2016. Afghanistan: A Difficult Year Ahead, by Gale Mattox, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS).