International Security Assistance Force - History

History

The initial ISAF headquarters (AISAF) was based on 3rd UK Mechanised Division, led at the time by Major General John McColl. This force arrived in December 2001. Until ISAF expanded beyond Kabul, the force consisted of a roughly division-level headquarters and one brigade covering the capital, the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade was composed of three battle groups, and was in charge of the tactical command of deployed troops. ISAF headquarters serves as the operational control center of the mission.

ISAF command originally rotated among different nations on a 6‑month basis. However, there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve the problem, command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on 11 August 2003. This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America.

• Eighteen countries were contributing to the force in February 2002. It was expected to grow to 5,000 soldiers.
• In February 2002 South Korea sent a medical contingent of 99 soldiers.
• In June 2002: Major General Hilmi Akin Zorlu of Turkey took command. During this period, Turkish troops increased from about 100 to 1,300.
• Between February and July 2002, Portugal sent a sanitary team and an air team to ISAF.
• In November 2002, ISAF was consisting of 4,650 troops from over 20 countries and was led by Turkey. Around 1,200 German troops were serving in the force alongside 250 Dutch soldiers operating as part of a German-led battalion.
• On 10 February 2003 Lieutenant General Norbert van Heyst, on behalf of Germany and the Netherlands took command of ISAF. His Deputy was Brigadier General Bertholee of the Netherlands. The mission HQ was formed from HQ I. German/Dutch Corps (1GNC), including staff from the UK, Italy, Turkey, and Norway amongst others.
• In March 2003 ISAF was composed of 4,700 troops from 28 countries.
• Service in ISAF by NATO personnel from 1 June 2003 onward earns the right to wear the NATO Medal if a servicemember meets a defined set of tour length requirements.
• On 7 June 2003 in Kabul, a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 German soldiers, after months on duty in Kabul, were en route to the Kabul International Airport for their flight home to Germany. At the time, Germans soldiers made up more than 40% of ISAF.
• A study by Care International in the summer of 2003 reported that Kosovo had one peacekeeper to 48 people, East Timor one for every 86, while Afghanistan has just one for every 5,380 people.