Canada will provide up to 950 Canadian Forces (CF) personnel to continue training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Afghan National Army (ANA) until 2014.
Important job
“The job we are being asked to take on post-2011 is an important one,” said Chief of the Land Staff Lieutenant General Peter Devlin. “Afghan national security forces are in need of more trainers, and by strengthening their capacity, we move closer to our goal of being able to transition responsibility for security back to the government of Afghanistan in the coming years.”
Beginning in 2011, all CF personnel will be deployed as part of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A), a NATO-led initiative that aims to support the government of Afghanistan to enable accountable, Afghan-led security.
This training-centred role that the Canadian military will fulfill is deemed central to achieving Canada’s goals of development, diplomacy and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.
Soldiers destined for Afghanistan load a C-177 Globemaster in Cyprus, where the Strategic Lines of Communication Detachment is responsible for moving soldiers.
There is confidence within the government of Canada that the military is highly capable of assuming this new role. “I believe the men and women of the Canadian Army are well suited to the task of training our colleagues in the Afghan National Army,” said LGen Devlin.
“Canadian military and police trainers are recognized as among the best in the world. Many of our soldiers have served alongside Afghans over the past number of years, and will quickly earn the trust and respect of Afghan trainees in the various military training institutions centred in and around Kabul.”
Afghan responsibility
The mission carries with it the ultimate goal of preparing Afghans to assume responsibility for their own security.
The decision to retain CF personnel in Afghanistan stems from discussions at the 2010 Kabul Conference, where Canadian and international allies, together with the Afghan government, identified additional security training as a key component to a successful transition.
Article by Kelsey Hickson, Army News, Ottawa
Photos by Cpl Shilo Adamson, CF Combat Camera
