There is also a Finnish MOT-team at the Swedish led PO (provincial office) in Sar-e Pol. MOT stands for military observation team. That simply clarifies the role of the unit.

Swedes are used to see our team going out every morning. The Finnish MOT team patrols the entire area of the Sar-e Pol province. Our task is to patrol and to create a bridge between the locals and the PRT.

The best part of living and working in Sar-e-pol is that we can work closely with the Swedes. We have learned a lot from them and we think that they have also learned thing or two from us Finns.

It is said that the MOT teams are the eyes and the ears of the PRT. Therefore we have good knowledge about the terrain and the situation in our area, and of course, about the people living here. MOT team tries to find out the problems that the locals have and helps them by making project proposals for the PRT. Our task is also to liaise with local police (ANP) and the Afghanistan national army (ANA) representatives.

The best part of living and working in Sar-e-pol is that we can work closely with the Swedes. We have learned a lot from them and we think that they have also learned thing or two from us Finns.

The support we get from the PO is fantastic. All the assistance and help that we need is offered really quickly. Good spirit and nice athmosphere among the hosting Swedes and us Finns encourages us to sincerity. Therefore we can speak openly about work and private life, too.

When the night in Afghanistan gets dark and the sauna is being heated, we eat sausages with our Swedish colleagues and it feels almost like we were at home up north.

The ways that the two nations operate on daily basis are quite similar but there are also some differing things. Swedes like to have many mötes in a day and the Finns aren’t used to have that many. Sometimes our table manners and loud talking bring us attention, but we think that our friends are already used to it.

We also have a small sauna at the PO that we and the Swedes use. When the night in Afghanistan gets dark and the sauna is being heated, we eat sausages with our Swedish colleagues and it feels almost like we were at home up north.

Finnish MOT at PO Sar-e Pol