Special Operations: Commandogram from Denmark

Commandogram from Denmark

September 5, 2006: Denmark is sending a team of its Jægerkorpset (JGK) commandos to Afghanistan, to deal with a local group of Taliban who have been attacking Danish troops there. Denmark has 122 infantry (and about 200 support troops) in Afghanistan, as part of the NATO force that has taken over counter-terrorism duties in southern Afghanistan. The Taliban believe that if they can kill enough of the NATO troops, their governments will withdraw support for military operations in Afghanistan.

The British and Canadian contingents, each more than five times the size of the Danish force, have been able to hammer the Taliban sent against them. But the Danish base has been attacked over fifty times so far, and eight Danish soldiers have been wounded. The Danish special forces have been in Afghanistan before, as have those from most nations in the world that have special operations troops. Apparently the Jægerkorpset convinced their superiors that a few Danish commandos, with some knowledge of operating in Afghanistan, could go in and clean out the local Taliban forces that are attacking the Danish troops.

The Danish Special Operations Forces are small. The Jægerkorpset are commandos, similar to the British SAS. There are only about 70 of them. There is also a force of about fifty naval commandos, similar to U.S. SEALS. Then there are a few dozen arctic commandos, who operate only in Greenland. There are several companies of reserve troops trained to operate as LRRPS (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols).

The Jægerkorpset troops will have the benefit of American special forces in the area, who probably already have a good idea of which tribal groups are responsible for the attacks. The Jægerkorpset troops will have to go in and do some scouting, to identify exactly who is carrying out they attacks. At that point, the Jægerkorpset will probably ambush the Taliban and kill or capture them. Any who get away will most likely advise their friends that Danish troops be removed from the Taliban hit list.

Commandos speak a language (of stealth and violence) that Afghan tribal warriors understand. During the 1980s, the Afghans came to despise most Russian soldiers, except for the Spetsnaz commandos. They still speak of the Spetsnaz with respect. Same thing with American Special Forces, British SAS and all the other commandos who have been in Afghanistan since late 2001. But as good as the commandos are, there are few of them, and lots of armed Afghan tribesmen out to make some kind of mischief. But the hundred or so Taliban who have been shooting at the Danish soldiers, can be taken care of by a few dozen Jægerkorpset.