About The Mission of the Headquarters Background NATO in Afghanistan Family Support Centre News 26 Jul. 2011 Force Command Heidelberg farewells last rotation to Afghanistan 23 Jul. 2010 HQ bids farewell to the second rotation deploying to ISAF 12-25 Jun. 2010 HQ FC Heidelberg personnel from the second ISAF rotation 2010 passes final milestone in its ISAF pre-deployment training 30 Jan. 2010 Boots on the Ground 27 Jan. 2010 HQ bids farewell to the main body of the first rotation deploying to ISAF HQ External links ISAF Homepage

Having successfully carried out deployments to ISAF twice before, the Headquarters received its latest task from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) related to ISAF in Mid-Summer 2009.

This latest and third engagement of the HQ foresees the provision of about 100 HQ personnel to ISAF HQ in Kabul, to commence in February 2010, and to sustain that effort for the next 24 months.

The Heidelberg contingent, consisting of men and women, military and NATO civilian personnel, will provide operational capabilities to the core staff of the restructured HQ in Kabul. To facilitate personnel sustainment as well as continuity of ISAF operations during the required 24-month period, the HQ decided that personnel in most cases will be deployed on a six-month rotational basis, thus leading to four successive personnel rotations. 

The HQ has undertaken a thorough pre-deployment training over a period of 6 months in order to prepare its first personnel in the best way possible for the upcoming ISAF tasks. The effort will be continued on a 6-month training base for each of the following personnel rotations.

The current effort is in tradition with former engagements of the HQ in ISAF: In the timeframe 11 August 2003 - 11 February 2004 the then “Joint Headquarters Centre Heidelberg” was the first NATO unit to lead the ISAF mission. In the timeframe July 2007 – August 2008, the headquarters, by then renamed Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg, deployed approximately 200 soldiers and civilians in support of the Standing Headquarters of ISAF in order to fill core battle staff positions in support of ongoing military operations.