ASPFOR XII

On 3 October ASPFOR XII, the twelfth Spanish task force in Afghanistan, began its mission in the country. It is deployed at the Forward Logistics Base in Herat and at the base “General Urrutia” in Qala-i-Naw, Badghis province, headquarters of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Most of its troops come from the 1st Mountain Light Infantry Brigade “Aragón” based in Huesca, Jaca and Pamplona.

Under the command of Colonel José María Soroa, the force is made up of 325 troops from the Mountain Light Infantry Brigade but also includes members from the 4th Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion of the Army Helicopter Forces, based in Dos Hermanas (Sevilla), and from the 1st Ground Logistics Force, which brings together soldiers from several logistic units throughout Spain.

The Forward Support Base in Herat hosts the Regional Coordinating Agency for the Western region of Afghanistan, whose task it is to coordinate the work of the PRTs in Chaghcharan (led by Lithuania), Herat (Italy), Farah (US) and Badghis (Spain). The latter province is around 150 km from Herat, on the border with Turkmenistan and not far from Iran. The four PRTs report directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) through the Western Region Coordinating Command.

The military component of the Spanish PRT is made up of several units, each with a specific task: protection, logistic support, signals, reconstruction support… It also includes teams devoted to explosives deactivation, intelligence and tactical air control – the latter, from the Air Force. The assignment of the Spanish PRT is to provide a secure and stable environment in the Badghis province in order to permit its reconstruction.

In addition to the helicopter unit mentioned above, the Army contributes to the Forward Support Base in Herat a company which acts as a Quick Reaction Force for ISAF. Its members come from the aforesaid 1st Mountain Light Infantry Brigade “Aragón”. It is equipped with high mobility vehicles which grant it the tactical mobility needed to operate in any of the four provinces situated in the western area of responsibility of ISAF.