Supporting logistics—short term holding facility at Kandahar Airfield

Military Police, April, 2003 by Ed Lowe, Jean-Michael Guerin

The current FM 3-0, Operations, describes logistics preparation as "assessing the existing theater infrastructure, which greatly affects planning for both combat service support and operations." Assessing the logistical functions and availability of supply assets, regarding the operation and sustainment of the Short-Term Holding Facility (STHF) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, provided a great challenge to the commanders on the ground.

The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 519th Military Police Battalion--reflagged as Task Force 519 MP--deployed to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom in early January 2002. Falling under the umbrella of the battalion headquarters was the 108th Military Police Company (Airborne/Air Assault) out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 16th Military Police Brigade and the 211th Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard.

The battalion's chain of command changed as the theater matured. Task Force 519 MP was first task-organized under the Combined Force Land Component Command (CFLCC) and later fell under the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The battalion's main effort centered on the STHF where the suspected Taliban and al Qaeda fighters were being held and interrogated. The challenge to the company and the battalion leadership was ensuring that the logistical flow into the facility remained constant.

Strategic-Level Considerations

The events of September 11,2001, certainly provided a target of opportunity not only for the military planners but also for the news media. Such cases as the John Walker Lindh situation attracted media representatives from around the world. Due to the interest in the detainees, the STHF became a major stopping point for media types sending stories back to the United States as well as worldwide. Seeking stories that would be of interest to their readers, the media consistently sought out reports that would be useful to them.

Therefore, it became clear that a reinforced, trained emphasis on the humane treatment of the detainees--in addition to detainee security--had to be a top priority. This in no way suggested that such treatment was warranted simply because of the media focus. However, the soldiers and leaders understood that perceived ill treatment of the detainees could very easily have become a story in the next day's New York Times. Hence, the strategic-level considerations had to be understood when handling a situation such as a detention facility. Negative press statements could produce a ripple effect across the operational water--from the Office of the Secretary of Defense down to the young soldier standing guard on a watchtower. From a logistical standpoint, commanders had to observe the supplies that were vital to operate and sustain a detention facility, thus ensuring the adequate treatment of the detainees.

Tactical-Level Considerations

The location of the STHF presented tactical advantages and disadvantages in this respect. The battalion was located in preexisting structures that were immediately off the Kandahar runway. This facilitated the air transportation of detainees and supplies. Using the preexisting facilities greatly reduced infrastructure requirements and the manpower necessary for logistical transactions. Conversely, security requirements mandated using floodlights during the hours of darkness, transforming the facility into a truly remarkable target reference point. Host nation laborers, accessing the patrol base throughout the day, could easily have paced off the distances from the facility to key locations in the camp and use that data for targeting.

In addition to developing the detention facility, force protection measures were needed inside the STHF due to the security threat in the area of operations. The battalion constructed force protection bunkers inside the facility that guards could use during different types of enemy- and detainee-based contingencies. Indeed, every improvement to the facility was scrutinized using combat zone considerations as one of the numerous criteria war-gamed during the planning phase. The tactical challenges of establishing and operating a forward-based internment facility had to be carefully considered in addition to the numerous challenges inherent in this type of operation.

International Committee of the Red Cross

One of the challenges throughout the operation was interacting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC had almost unfettered access to the facility and the detainees. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel P. Keith Warman, recognizing the importance of this delicate political environment, assigned an officer (dedicated to serve as an inspector general with an escort detail) to work closely with the ICRC civilians. Nested with the strategic-level considerations was the fact that negative reports from the ICRC could also prove detrimental to the military police performing their functions in and around the STHF. This simple yet effective measure, taken to mitigate potential problems, yielded many positive results throughout the battalion's seven-month deployment. By having a representative closely linked to the ICRC, the battalion was able to quickly and effectively ward off problems and concerns that the ICRC representatives identified. Future commanders should take this into account when conducting similar operations.