Camp Marmal Camp Marmal is the largest base of the Bundeswehr outside of Germany . It is adjacent to the Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport in Mazar - i - Sharif , Afghanistan , at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains . The camp was opened in September 2005 and has expanded in recent years . The camp gets its name from the bordering Marmal Mountains . Camp Marmal hosts the staff of the German Armed Forces in Afghanistan , Regional Command North of the International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) , as well as the Quick Reaction Force ( QRF ) , stationed at Camp Mike Spann , composed of Easy Company 1 - 167th Infantry Battalion . Major General Jörg Vollmer has been commander of " RC - North " since 23 February 2013 , as well as leader of the German ISAF contingent and commanding general of the German Special Forces Division , serving under the NATO ISAF commanding general , U . S . General Joseph Dunford . He is replacing Major General Erich Pfeffer . Vollmers ' s deputy commander is United States Marine Corps Brigadier General John Bullard . More than 5 , 000 soldiers are currently stationed at Camp Marmal . Additional forces come from the United States , Croatia and 14 other NATO countries . From Camp Marmal , ISAF soldiers conduct work in northern Afghanistan related to physical security and joint civil / military projects , in addition to the major task of supplying the five Provincial Reconstruction Teams ( PRT ) . RC - North supports five PRTs : Kunduz , Feyzabad , Meymaneh , Pol - e Khomri and Mazar - e Sharif . RC - North supports and protects the nine provinces under their military administration through reconstruction efforts . Foremost is cooperation with Non - Governmental Organizations ( NGO ) and Afghan National Security Forces . The base hosts a large medical center for ISAF forces and also local civilians . The base has been heavily involved in supporting German combat operations in Afghanistan in early 2009 . History . Marmal was opened in September 2005 and has expanded in recent years . Camp Nidaros is the Norwegian part of the camp and is located within Camp Marmal itself . It began operating in 2006 . Airfield . The airfield at the camp used to have a large airborne detachment consisting of Panavia Tornado reconnaissance jets but due were redeployed back to Germany in 2010 . Sikorsky CH - 53 Sea Stallion and Sikorsky UH - 60 Black Hawk helicopters are currently stationed there . The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade was replaced by the 2 - 227TH Aviation Regiment , Task Force Lobos earlier this year and provide AH - 64 Apache , UH - 60 Blackhawk and CH - 47 Chinook support throughout RC North . The airfield is currently under a large amount of construction and expansion for future operations . Hospital . The German military hospital was completed in 2007 . Its primary purpose is to provide emergency services to the ISAF troops . German civilians in Afghanistan and aid workers are also served , either under contract or in cases of emergency . Local Afghans are also cared for , as capacity and means permit . Along with two operating units , there are specialists , outpatient clinics , intensive and intermediate care stations . The hospital , pharmacy , and laboratory have approximately 80 military personnel . Facilities . Military chaplaincy . The German chaplains are offering space for recreation and spiritual care . There is also a Norwegian chapel inside Camp Nidaros . The atrium . Planet Mazar There is a recreation facility at Camp Marmal called Planet Mazar located in the atrium . Planet Mazar offers pool tables , dart boards , foosball tables and a poker table . Internet Café There is also an Internet Café in which service members and contractors can connect to the pay - as - you - go internet with laptops or use the desktops provided . Internet cards can be purchased at Planet Mazar . Fitness Center The German Fitness Center is located by The Atrium . All personnel must change shoes prior to working out . Cafés There are two cafés located in the atrium , The Lounge and K2 . Restaurant There is one restaurant located in the atrium , The Oases . Various food items , coffee , sodas , and alcohol are sold at Planet Mazar , The Lounge , K2 and The Oases . Bazaar . A bazaar is located on base . It is open every day but Friday . Local vendors sell a variety of items such as military paraphernalia , loose gem stones , Afghan rugs , DVDs , local cell phones and electronics . Cell phones and DVD ' s are no longer allowed to be sold at the bazaar per the German military . This also includes cameras and MP3 players , or anything else that can store data . The Norwegian PX has basic cell phones for sale between 40 and 60 Euros . Cell phone SIM cards and topup cards for Roshan and Etislat are still available for sale at the bazaar and the Norwegian PX . Etislat has the best cell phone signal in the base area and most of RC North . A barber shop is also available at the bazaar . Dining facilities . There are three dining facilities ( DFAC ) on Camp Marmal : a German , American and a Norwegian . The Norwegian DFAC is invite only for non - Nordic personnel . All personnel are required to wash their hands when entering the dining facilities . Fast food . Green Bean Coffee , Pizza Hut , and Burger King are all located on the U . S . side of the base next to the PX , they all accept US Dollars or Eagle Cash . There is also a nice pizza restaurant called MAK Team on the second floor above the German PX within the Norwegian compound , they accept US Dollars , Euros , and Eagle Cash . Housing . Most U . S . personnel are housed in air - conditioned tents , with generally 8 - 10 people per tent . Heat and A / C in the tents are sufficient year round , although in the hottest summer months a fan is suggested . Near the Dutch camp , music is sometimes played till midnight on the weekends . The entire side of the U . S . base near them is affected by this . Laundry . The laundry facilities are run by Ecolog and usually next day pickup is expected . However as of September 2012 Fluor has taken over the US laundry service with pickup times being extended to around 48 – 72 hours and there is usually a long line at the pickup area . However Ecolog are still running the service on the German side of the base . Mail . There are two post offices located on Camp Marmal . All packages must also be thoroughly inspected by the PO personnel before it can be sealed . Money . There are Eagle Cash machines located at the following locations : next to the German PX , the American PX , the U . S . Post Office , and the finance office . The Eagle Cash machine located in front of finance is mostly used for withdrawing money . Personnel may also cash checks or draw advanced pay from the finance Office the Beach House . Internet service . Bentley Walker is available with dedicated Ka Band Satellite that offers sustained , high quality coverage in the entire area . They offer various high speed , affordable packages with equipment . The USO has computers available and a WiFi center that allows visitors a no cost option for connecting to the internet . Sniperhill offers extensive Wi - Fi coverage over all of the U . S . parts of the base with some access points reaching surrounding Swedish , Finnish , and Norwegian compounds . A few access plans are available such as 1 day access , 7 day access , or 30 day access with speed levels up to 512 kbit / s , but users often complain about connection issues and unsustainable internet speeds . They do accept credit cards , cash or PayPal . AGN ( Afghan German Network ) covers the German side of the base with Wi - Fi and similar plans as Sniperhill . There is some limited coverage on the U . S . side and various other areas . Call2Home offers Wi - Fi and GSM services for the Dutch Forces on time based payments . Wi - Fi is also covering partially some other nations . Post exchanges . There are four post exchanges located on Camp Marmal . The Dutch B & S store and the American Exchange PX function as all - purpose stores that sell snacks , drinks , personal hygiene products , clothing , nicotine products , and various other supplies . The main German Deutsche Speicher PX ( DSPX ) primarily sells clothing items and military gear . All three PX ' s accept dollars , Eagle Cash , and credit / debit cards . The Dutch PX and the DSPX accept euros . There is also a small German PX in the same building as the German feldpost .