Defence Forces needing a new foreign mission?

Photo: Raigo Pajula

By now, Estonian Defence Forces have been constantly involved in foreign missions for over a decade, probably ready to face situations increasingly complex and intense. Over the years, more and more men and machines have been included: in the beginning, a few men were dispatched into crisis areas; now platoons and even companies have been sent to Afghanistan.

Next year, the first big turnaround will happen in the development. The Afghan mission comes to its end.

It would probably be a journalistic exaggeration to claim that Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu and Commander of the Defence Forces Major General Riho Terras are searching for a new mission. However, this is where the thoughts are turning. The «what happens after Afghanistan» issue is rising to the agenda.

When soldiers die or get wounded, the public feel sympathy. At the same time, questions are asked why send out boys to faraway deserts and mountains. Yet, as a rule, a soldier will want to fight. Any soldier, whether an Estonian or one of another nationality.

At a Schibsted media conference in Oslo, a couple of weeks ago, a Norwegian journalist Marius Arnesen introduced his documentaries on Afghanistan. Having spent months in Afghanistan, with his countrymen, he documented their lives, their battles, their deaths and, finally, the departure of Norwegian troops.

As we talked, later, Mr Arnesen did stress, however, that Norwegian troops did indeed come home (Norwegians removing their forces from Northern Afghanistan in October 2012 – edit), but the question «what next?» is high on the agenda even there.

«A soldier wants to fight, he does not want to patrol somewhere in Northern Norway, watching the Russian border,» is how Mr Arnesen described the veterans’ views.

Something of the kind is also happening around here, in Estonia. In our Defence Forces, they sometimes call it the missions’ addiction. For a brief reference: over 1,500 Estonian soldiers have been to missions, a large part of these repeatedly.

The main recruiting argument of the elite infantry unit – Scouts battalion – has, over the years, been the promise to take the men to missions. When, in a year’s time, major activities in Afghanistan will cease, many changes will result, impacting the defence Forces as a whole.

New carrot needed

First and foremost, it is that very Scouts Battalion that will be affected by the end of Afghani mission. Here, optimists see an opportunity.

Because of Afghanistan, hundreds of men have passed through Scouts Battalion over the years – the battalion being entrusted the task of preparing missions soldiers – but, at the same time, this has meant that Scouts Battalion itself has hardly ever been a battalion. True, the term «battalion» is used, but it has never achieved the status, engaging all of its energies on missions. Now, at long last, we might have a chance to develop Scouts Battalion itself.

The danger being: what will be the new carrot? Earlier, recruits were promised missions and better pay (missions’ soldiers earning more – M. S.). But what to promise them now? How to keep the soldiers from leaving for private security companies or to hunt pirates in African waters?

Missions are not ruled out. These are needed, and Ministry of Defence and defence Forces will be looking out for new ones. Not looking for them, actively, but doing broader research and keeping their eyes open. Here, the Mali mission will serve as an example.

On our soldiers going to Mali, Postimees wrote as early as end of last year – then, the talk was of two officers. In the meantime, the number has risen to almost ten. There are some other options, but most come with question marks.

Take Kosovo, for example. Let us assume to participate in a mission there, sending a larger number of soldiers. What will it give to our Defence Forces?

There are many reasons for participating in missions; one also being what the soldiers and officers learn and the knowhow brought back home. To just ride around Kosovo in trucks might be fun, but actually our soldiers are already past that.

As said above, up to now there has been a logical course of development. In Iraq, we were involved in platoon level. In Afghanistan – on company level. Everything peaked in the second half of 2009 with the Afghani elections, Estonia being present with two companies i.e. about 300 soldiers.

The next logical step would be battalion level missions. Right now, sending a battalion – about a thousand soldiers – is far out of Estonia’s reach. There being no opportunities for that, and, in all honesty, our state does not possess the capacity.

Many of us probably are unaware that, starting this year, our Defence Forces also includes a special operations unit. Prepared for many years, now ready with its flag and statutes. What is even less known: right now – in June – they are returning from their first trip to Afghanistan. What they did there, where exactly they were located, the overall size of the unit – all this is secret.

Wanting to react fast

Still, Lieutenant Colonel Riho Ühtegi, in charge of putting together the special unit, says that we are talking about being in a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, together with Americans. Largely, the unit resembles all other Estonian units that have been to Afghanistan – just a smaller bunch of men covering a larger area.

However, it may be garnered from Mr Ühtegi that the special unit does more cooperation with the locals, being closer to the locals. As an example to this, he says the special forces are allowed a beard and longer hair, the uniform also differing somewhat from ordinary soldiers: over there, a white man will still stick out; however, via the appearance it is easier to get closer to locals, to mingle more.

As Estonia’s mission exits Afghanistan, in 2014, the option remains that special unit might linger. There is no decision yet, neither in government or parliament level, but defence minister Mr Reinsalu has hinted at the possibility of sending the special unit.

So, Estonian Defence Forces are getting the overall picture of «life after Afghanistan». Probably, on a smaller scale, we will continue to be present there. Evidently, other minor missions are sought and considered – Mali being an example of that.

Riho Rõngelep, director of Readiness and Operations Department at the Ministry of Defence says that, broadly speaking, the end of the large scale Afghani mission is good for both Estonia and NATO as a whole.

The same, essentially, is echoed by Kaarel Kaas, editor-in chief of the foreign policy magazine Diplomaatia: «Afghanistan was wearing out the NATO development and pushed back many other vital topics.»

A definite example being the development of the NATO strike team NRF. Estonia also being willing to send a battalion to NRF, which we will probably be able to do once the Afghani mission is over.

In Ministry of Defence and Defence Forces, the talk is that a little rest is actually welcome, for recreation and development. And, by 2017 or 2018, roughly, Estonia might again stand ready for a larger military mission.