February 23, 2009 - Tridentnews.ca

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12 SPECIAL REPORT: AFGHANISTAN TRIDENT, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 Our mission in Afghanistan On December 20, 2001 the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was formed with a mandate to maintain security in and around Kabul, Afghanistan. The first major wave of Canadian soldiers arrived 44 days later. Canada and the other nations participating in the ISAF, a NATO-led and UN-sanctioned mission, are in Afghanistan at the request of the democratically elected government of President Hamid Karzai. Since that time, Canada has assisted in the rebuilding of Afghanistan through operations to improve security, governance and infrastructure. This 12-page special report on Afghanistan not only pays tribute to the more than 100 CF members who have made the ultimate sacrifice, it also highlights Canada’s work in the areas of education, humanitarian assistance and rebuilding core elements of their society. The following is a timeline including some of the events following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. October 17, 2001 HMC Ships Charlottetown, Iroquois and Preserver leave Halifax to join US and British forces in the Arabian Gulf. December 20, 2001 Under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was formed with a mandate to maintain security in and around Kabul. January 25, 2002 Canada re-establishes diplomatic ties with Afghanistan. February 2, 2002 The first large group of Canadian soldiers, 140 members of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, arrives in Afghanistan. June 13, 2002 Hamid Karzai is elected Head of the Afghan Transitional Authority. February 12, 2003 Minister of National Defence John McCallum announces Canada will deploy more than 1,000 soldiers to join the ISAF in Kabul. July 17, 2003 Operation ATHENA begins and BGen Peter Devlin becomes commander of the Kabul Multinational Brigade. July 19, 2003 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battalion Group deploys to Kabul as Roto 0 of Operation ATHENA. August 11, 2003 NATO takes over the command and coordination of ISAF. January 20, 2004 The 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment and the 5th Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada deploy as Roto 1. In June 2004 they are joined by 5th Régiment du génie de combat. February 9, 2004 LGen. Rick Hillier takes command of the ISAF. June 28, 2004 NATO announces it will expand its presence in Afghanistan through four additional Provincial Reconstruction Teams. August 8, 2004 LGen Rick Hillier hands over command of the ISAF to France’s LGen. Jean-Louis Py. August 2004 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Reconnaissance Squadron, Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) and 11 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment deploy as Roto 2. October 7, 2004 Afghanistan holds its first direct presidential elections. Hamid Karzai is declared president two days later. December 3, 2204 Following a request from a local resident in Kabul, Canadian soldiers remove approximately 1,500 kg of munitions from an ammunition cache near a patrol route in the Kabul area. The cache includes more than 300 rounds of 82mm mortars, approximately 50 rounds of 120mm mortars, and the rest of various sizes. This is one of the largest caches engineers encountered since OPERATION ATHENA began in 2003. February 5, 2005 23 Field Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, joined in March by 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, deploy as Roto 3. This is the final roto for Kabul. July 2005 Reconnaissance Squadron The Royal Canadian Dragoons, joined in August by D Squadron, The Royal Canadian Dragoons, and 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, deploy as Roto 0 Kandahar. August 2005 The Government of Canada forms the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City. September 6, 2006 NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and President Hamid Karzai sign the Declaration by NATO and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, setting out a framework for enduring co-operation in partnership. September18, 2005 Afghanistan holds its first parliamentary elections in 30 years. January 30, 2006 The Afghanistan Compact is signed. This compact governs the relationship between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the coalition forces, which are the ISAF and the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom. February 2006 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group, deploys as Roto 1. February 28, 2006 BGen David Fraser takes command of the multinational force in southern Afghanistan. August 2006 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group deploys as Roto 2. August, 2006 The Canadian Operational Mentor Liaison Team starts work in Kandahar Province. November 1, 2006 BGen David Fraser ends his eight-month command of NATO soldiers in southern Afghanistan. September 22, 2006 During an official state visit to Canada, President Hamid Karzai speaks to MPs and senators in Ottawa. Karzai thanks Canada for its financial aid to Afghanistan and after stating that four fallen Canadian soldiers had returned home recently, President Karzai tells the joint session of Parliament that he sympathized with the families and friends of the fallen, and that those soldiers gave their lives so that Afghanistan might have a better future. February 2007 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group deploys on Roto 3. August 2007 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment Battle Group deploys as Roto 4. February 2008 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light infantry deploys as Roto 5. July 2008 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group deployed on Roto 6. October 6, 2008 Afghanistan starts Phase I of the voter registration process in 14 provinces. This is for the national election to be held in 2009. November 27, 2008 In recognition of Canada’s contribution in supporting training, mentoring and infrastructure development at Sarpoza Prison, the Ministry of Justice presents members of ISAF’s KPRT with an award. Col Abdullah Balwar, director of Sarpoza Prison, presents the award to four members of the Correctional Service of Canada, two members from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and two members of the Canadian Forces. December 6, 2008 The Canadian Forces expands its presence in the skies over Afghanistan as the Joint Task Force (Afghanistan) Air Wing is officially stood up at Kandahar Airfield. December 20, 2008 Six Canadian Griffon helicopters land at the Kandahar Air Field via C-17 Globemaster III. The Griffons are the first Canadian helicopters to arrive at the Canadian Air Wing in Afghanistan and will provide escort protection for Canada’s newly acquired Chinook helicopter. January 6, 2009 Following a three-day operation from December 18 to 20, 2008, during which they found and destroyed several weapons caches containing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), IED making equipment, small arms and munitions, soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, participate in Operation PANCAR, or ‘Claw’ in Pashtu. This battle group operation aims to maintain constant pressure on the insurgents through the winter months. “We need to stay aggressive,” states LCol Roger Barrett, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion. “We can and will dictate the pace through the winter months.” February 7, 2009 Fifteen soldiers from the Afghan National Army (ANA) 205th Corps complete a four-week Basic Engineers Course and graduate during a ceremony at Camp Hero near Kandahar Air Field. The course, offered by members of the Canadian Operational Mentoring Liaison Team (OMLT), emphasizes principles in mine detection and demolition as well as field operations and carpentry. With file information from www.cbc.ca, www.nato.int/isaf and www.forces.gc.ca.
SPECIAL REPORT: AFGHANISTAN TRIDENT, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 13 A rotation in review: Outgoing Commander of TFK reflects on year’s successes By Capt Sonia M.I. Dumouchel-Connock Task Force Kandahar Public Affairs Officer After serving nine months as Commander of Task Force Kandahar, BGen Denis Thompson passed command to the incoming commander, BGen Jonathan Vance. The Transfer of Command Authority (TOCA) took place in a ceremony at Kandahar Air Field on February 19 and was attended by a host of Afghan, Canadian and international guests. “Our mission in Kandahar Province was to increase and solidify the Afghan people’s support for their government while at the same time removing the insurgent influence over the people,” said BGen Thompson. “During our time here, we strove to do this through operations and activities geared at improving security, governance, and development and reconstruction in the province.” Because the road to peace and development is long and the insurgency will not be defeated in the short term, the focus of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan during the past year was on winning the trust of the Afghan people and building up local government and security institutions. “Our mandate has been to keep the insurgents at bay in order to give Afghan security and governance institutions a chance to continue to develop,” said the outgoing commander. Unable or unwilling to take on NATO and Afghan security forces using conventional military means, MARCH 6 TGIF with Sax in the City 14 St Patricks Day dance with Montana 20 Super Weepers & Spring Fling with Floyd King 21 Hockey night in the mess Toronto vs Montreal 28 Newfie Night with Lukey’s Boat A Canadian soldier works alongside three members of the Afghan National Army during Operation ROOB UNYIP JANOOBI. This operation, which took place in August 2008 in Maywand District, was conducted jointly with Afghan security forces and was one of the major operations conducted by Task Force Kandahar this year. I too live a military life and your finances need not be another stress. Protect what’s important... Ask about our no war zone clause. We all make time to see our dentist, be sure to make time to arrange your finances AND your future. “All bankers are not the same.” Banking can be this comfortable Charlene Cassista Financial Advisor TD Canada Trust Dartmouth Crossing (902) 468-6007 x222 charlene.cassista@td.com Open 8 ‘til late 6 days straight the insurgents’ tactics clearly shifted in the past year as they put their weight behind the use of terror tactics against vulnerable targets. Numerous government, tribal, religious, and security force leaders were assassinated, including LCol Malalai Kakar—the highest ranking Afghan female police officer serving in Kandahar Province. In Kandahar City, 15 school girls were attacked by insurgents on motorbikes who threw acid in their faces. While these brutal tactics have terrified the local population, slowed the progress of development and governance, and captured the attention of international news media, the MCPL KARL MCKAY, TFK IMAGE TECHNICIAN use of such unconscionable tactics has also alienated Afghans from the insurgency, noted BGen Thompson. “Afghans are frustrated with the slow progress of reconstruction and nation-building, but they are also horrified by the atrocities committed on a daily basis by the insurgents,” he said. “They are a strong people— and this strength is exemplified by the fact that every one of the girls attacked with acid in Kandahar City is back in school. They have not been cowed by the terrorist actions of insurgents.” Throughout the past year, Canadians worked hand in hand with Afghan and coalition partners and achieved a number of notable operational successes. Nine months ago, Maywand District had virtually no coalition or Afghan force presence. Today, soldiers of 2-2 Infantry—an American battalion under the command of Task Force Kandahar—are regularly patrolling and marginalizing the insurgents in this district that used to be a key logistical node of the insurgency. In the Zharey and Panjwayi districts, Canadian troops and their Afghan partners faced heavy opposition but our troops held their own. Numerous successful operations were conducted, huge weapons and IED-making component caches were discovered and destroyed, and POSTED TO HALIFAX Specializing in Relocations and Residential Properties Lifelong resident Schedule your time with me today for your HHT! Karen Sullivan (902) 471-3591 sullivan@royallepage.ca “Consistent Award Winning Service Year After Year”
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February 23, 2009 - Tridentnews.ca

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