PRT Lowgar

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Provincial Reconstruction Team Lowgar


caption=Insignia of PRT Lowgar
dates=19 March 2008 - Present
country=Czech Republic
branch=Land Forces
type=Light Motorised Task Force
role=Reconstruction/Area Security
size=as of September 2008: 208 total (200 soldiers and 8 civilians)

History

PRT Lowgar (PRT Logar "in Czech") is part of the International Security Assistance Force - an international military force in Afghanistan. PRT Lowgar is subordinated to ISAF Regional Command East which is responsible for the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. Regional Command East with its HQ in Bagram is a U.S.-run Operational Command containing units from several other NATO and non-NATO countries. The task of PRT Lowgar is to help Afghan government rebuild and further develop Lowgar province [ [http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=6586 Ministry of Defence - ISAF - Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar ] ] .

PRT Lowgar was established on March 19th 2008 as a 26th Provincial Reconstruction Team deployed to Afghanistan. [ [http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/news/2008/03-march/080319a.html ISAF News - Czech-led PRT opens in Logar Province ] ] The PRT is located at U.S. Forward Operating Base Shank near capital of the Lowgar province, Pul-i-Alam. Current area of responsibility is 3,800 km².

PRT Lowgar, as of July 2008, was composed of 192 troops and 7 civilians. Troops were mostly members of 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion with attachments from other units. In August 2008, 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion was replaced by troops of the 7th Mechanized Brigade. As of August 2008, PRT Lowgar is composed of 200 troops and 8 civilians.

Principal Leaders

Casulties

Since March 2008, one soldier of PRT Lowgar was killed and 4 were wounded by enemy action.

* April 30 2008, at 1550, Private First Class (rotný "in Czech"; OR-3) "Radim Vaculík", from the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion, was killed in his M1151 Up-Armored HMMWV by Improvised Explosive Device (IED) composed of anti-tank mine. [ [http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=11231 Ministry of Defence - Czech soldier - member of PRT Logar - killed in Afghanistan ] ] Four other soldiers were wounded (one of them seriously, two moderately and one lightly) in the same attack. PFC "Radim Vaculík" was posthumosly promoted to Sergeant First Class (praporčík "in Czech"; OR-7).

* August 25 2008 one soldier from the Military Police Special Operations Group was moderately injured when a wheel of his vehicle was damaged and the vehicle overturned. [ [http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=11923] ]

* September 22 2008, at 0200, two Privates First Class were moderately wounded and one Corporal (rotmistr "in Czech"; OR-4) was lightly wounded by a Indirect Fire (IDF) attack on FOB Shank. [ [http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=12066] ] [ [http://beta.cn.cz/tema/index_view.php?id=334630&id_seznam=1892] ]

* October 1 2008, at 1220, seven soldiers from 7th Mechanized Brigade were wounded (one of them moderately and six lightly) in an ambush while trying to recover an M1151 Up-Armored HMMWV that got stuck in the mud. [ [http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=12131] ] [ [http://beta.cn.cz/tema/index_view.php?id=336308&id_seznam=1892] ]

Awards and Decorations

Czech soldiers who deploy to Afghanistan (for at least 30 consecutive days) receive "Medal of the Minister of Defense for Service Abroad - Afghanistan". Also, Czech soldiers are elgible for "NATO Non-Article 5 Medal" after 30 either continuous or accumulatedd days on deployment in Afghanistan. [ [http://beta.cn.cz/tema/index_view.php?id=334304&id_seznam=1892] ]

See also

*International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
*Military of Afghanistan
*Afghanistan War order of battle
*Provincial Reconstruction Team
*Counter-insurgency
*Logical line of operation

References

reflist