Troops advise Afghans on Pakistan military border coordination

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Jan. 9, 2015) -- Leaders from NATO's Resolute Support headquarters and Train, Advise, Assist Command-East, or TAAC-E, traveled for a meeting with Afghan National Security Forces leaders to the Khyber Border Coordination Center, or KBCC, near the Torkham Gate area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in eastern Nangarhar province, Jan. 4.

Attendees included Resolute Support Commander U.S. Army Gen. John Campbell, TAAC-E Commander U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Christopher Bentley, Police Advisory Team Commander U.S. Army Col. Gregory Stokes, Afghan National Army Chief of Staff Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, a number of U.S. advisors from 3rd Infantry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, and key leaders from the Afghan National Army, or ANA, Afghan Uniform Police, or AUP, and Afghan Border Police, or ABP.

The KBCC is run by the border police and is part of the larger Forward Operating Base Torkham that U.S. forces transferred to the Afghans in July 2014. "This is the first time coalition personnel have visited the KBCC since it was turned over to the Afghans about six months ago," said Stokes.

Around a long table in the dimly-lit KBCC conference room, the U.S. and Afghan leaders discussed ways to improve operations at the facility and how to build cross-border relations with the Pakistani military. Establishing a Pakistani military liaison team collocated at the facility along with ABP, ANA, and AUP personnel is a priority for U.S. and Afghan leaders.

Stokes, who works daily with senior Afghan police officials in eastern Afghanistan, said, "In light of recent events in Pakistan, cross-border coordination between Afghan security forces and the Pakistani military will be of increasing importance as we head into fighting season '15 and in the road to securing the country. The KBCC is the node that will facilitate this in eastern Afghanistan."

In talking about the value of having Afghan and Pakistani security forces working in close proximity at the KBCC, Stokes added, "Improved coordination lessens the chance of friendly fire incidents as both the Pakistani military and Afghan security forces operate in close proximity on both sides of the border. Increased coordination between security forces on both sides of the border decreases freedom of movement and historical safe havens for hard-pressed criminal and terrorist networks."

Going forward, more U.S. and Afghan visits to the KBCC are in the works. Advisers will continue to mentor and assist the ANA and ABP to resolve some of the logistics, contracting, and equipment issues so the KBCC will be fully functional in time to coordinate efforts on both sides of the border in the near future.

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