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Reconstruction Task Force

by Richard Tanter — last modified 22-Oct-2008 20:23

ADF Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) in Oruzgan Province forms part of the Netherlands-led Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Introduction

In May 2006 the Australian government announced the deployment of the Australian 1st Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) as part of the Netherlands-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Oruzgan province. The RTF is based in the provincial capital Tarin Kowt, and worked originally from the Dutch base of Kamp Holland.

In April 2007 the government announced that the deployment of the existing RTF Protection Company Group will be extended and will continue to provide close protection to RTF personnel until August 2008, and would be supported by the Special Operations Task Group being redeployed to Oruzgan Province.

The 2006-7 budget provided $218.2m for the Reconstruction Task Force across three financial years, including $91.5m in 2006-07.

When deployed in 2006, the Reconstruction Task Force had three components: an engineering and indigenous capacity building group, a protective force, and command, logistics and support elements.

Capacity-building component (carpenters, plumbers, electricians and plant operators) composed of elements of:

1st Combat Engineer Regiment.

Protection Company Group of motorised infantry drawn from:

6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, (6 RAR)
7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, (7 RAR)
2nd Cavalry Regiment

Command, logistics and support elements from:

1st Brigade

RTF commanders

Lieutenant Colonel Harry Jarvie, 4.2007 -
Lieutenant Colonel Mick Ryan, 5.2006 - 4.2007
Lieutenant Colonel David Wainwright, -4.2008
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Yeaman, 4.2008 -

RTF bases

Tarin Kowt, Australian Forces Abroad: Bases

: Google Earth image of section of Oruzgan province from Tarin Kowt to Yaklenga.

[Click image for larger version.]

Government sources

Operation Slipper: RTF3, Department of Defence, 8 January 2008.

Reconstruction Task Force 3 (RTF3) consists of approximately 400 personnel providing command, security, engineering and operational support capabilities. It is equipped with Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMV), Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) and armoured engineer plant equipment. RTF3 has a clearly defined role to work on reconstruction and improvement of provincial infrastructure (schools, hospitals, bridges, security points etc) and community based projects to assist the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) achieve a stable and secure future for its people. RTF3 also provides trade training to the local population and military engineering training to the Afghan National Army (ANA). This type of assistance is designed to benefit the people of Uruzgan Province well into the future and form the building blocks of a stable and prosperous community. RTF3 is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Wainwright from the Townsville-based 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment.

Parliamentary sources

Topic: Afghanistan (Oruzgan) Governance, Answers to questions on notice from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Additional estimates 2006-2007; February 2007, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

"Senator Evans asked:
In response to a Question on Notice (No.4969) the Government stated that there are no specific training targets for Afghan police and army and police in Oruzgan province.

(a) What is the Government ís long term plan for Australia's commitment to Oruzgan and what specific benchmarks is it using to gauge its success?

(b) What governance measures is Australia undertaking in Oruzgan to build the capacity of the local Government and justice systems?

Answer

"(a) The specific benchmarks Australia and the international community use to gauge the success its commitment in Afghanistan are set out in the Afghanistan Compact, agreed to at the London Conference of January 2006.

"(b) Australia is primarily involved in Oruzgan through our Reconstruction Task Force (RTF). The RTF is contributing to capacity building at the local level in areas related to small-scale reconstruction activities in Oruzgan. To this end, a trades training school has been established by the RTF which is, for example, providing training in carpentry. In 2007, AusAID disbursed $1m through the World Bank Trust Fund to the National Solidarity Program, a local governance program which to date has supported communities to manage around 7,000 reconstruction development projects in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. More
broadly, Italy is leading the international community ís efforts to improve the capacity of the justice sector in Afghanistan."

Analysis and commentary

Diggers Start New Role in Afghanistan, AAP, Age, 2008-10-21

"Australian troops are entering a new phase in operations in Afghanistan with trainers embedding within an Afghan National Army battalion. Under this transition, the Reconstruction Task Force will become the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF) with members serving in Afghanistan for an eight-month deployment, rather than the previous six months."

More Diggers to Fight Taliban, Dennis Shanahan, Australian, 4 October 2007.

"Australia is preparing to send hundreds more troops to Afghanistan's southern Oruzgan province. In addition to an increase in troops to replace the Dutch soldiers, a mortar team has just been dispatched, 110 crew and support staff for two Chinook helicopters are preparing to go and there are plans for increased RAAF surveillance over southern Afghanistan."

"So far the Government has not received a formal request from The Netherlands and has not lifted its ceiling, but the Dutch have been considering withdrawing some of their 1300 troops in Afghanistan for some time. The Dutch coalition cabinet has had to move slowly, but a decision is expected soon.

"Defence Minister Brendan Nelson warned a Dutch parliamentary committee in Kabul two months ago that a withdrawal of key elements, such as Apache helicopters, without replacement by other NATO forces would mean Australia would withdraw its 370 engineers working on reconstruction near Tarin Kowt."

Australian Forces Try New Tactics against Taliban, Tom Allard, SMH, 20 July 2007.

"The main mission of the special forces task group is to provide security for the Australian reconstruction team operating out of Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan province. Oruzgan is considered a Taliban stronghold, and at present, the Australians will not undertake projects beyond a 20-kilometre radius around Tarin Kowt. In time, it is hoped the area of operations can be extended considerably."

Tour of duty, Brendan Nicholson, The Age, 12 February 2007

"The role of Australia's Reconstruction Task Group in southern Afghanistan is less warlike than in Iraq. When it arrived late last year its commander, Mick Ryan, headed into the villages near his base at Tarin Kowt to ask local chiefs what they needed. Lieutenant-Colonel Ryan was told armies had passed that way before and promised a lot but they'd all left without delivering.

His response was his own "backyard blitz", heavily armed convoys laden with building materials and army engineers to tackle jobs immediately. In four villages the locals said they wanted damaged or rundown mosques rebuilt and they told the soldiers they would keep them safe from the Taliban while did the work. The soldiers brought in new furniture and prayer mats and built water towers to provide worshippers with fresh water for cooking, drinking and washing.

Lt-Col Ryan said the goal of the operation was not to kill the enemy. 'It's designed to make the enemy irrelevant.'"

Six months into the reconstruction of Afghanistan, ABC Radio Sydney, 31 January 2007

Series of interviews between 702 ABC Sydney's Richard Glover and Lieutenant-Colonel Mick Ryan, Commander of the 1st Reconstruction Task Force.

Video: Australian Army Reconstruction Task Force, KGW Afghanistan Blog, 3 January 2007

"Synopsis: A great deal of effort in Afghanistan goes to what the military terms "non-kinetic" operations. These involve rebuilding and assistance projects that work to establish a stronger infrastructure while fostering strong relationships with the residents in the local communities. In a joint operation of the Australian Army's Reconstruction Task Force, a Missouri Army National Guard Embedded Training Team, and soldiers of the Afghan National Army's Combat Engineering company, a mosque is improved by installing a wash station for those that come to pray."