Troops face riskier mission
Kandahar base taking shape 2,000 Canadians will call it home
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN— Cranes are shovelling away desert sand, landmines are being plucked from the ground, and foundations are being poured for the new military base in Kandahar that more than 2,000 Canadians will call home come February.
They’ll be among 12,000 other troops from various countries. The new base will be a far cry from Camp Julien in Kabul, where Canadian troops were offered small consolations such as gourmet grub and their own roller hockey rink. Kandahar will offer more risks, less allure.
“ We’re building up parts of the camp, but other nations have already built up certain parts of it so it’s quite well-developed,” says Lt.-Col. Lowell Thomas, acting commander of Task Force Afghanistan. “It allows you to focus on your mission and have time for yourself as well.” The troops will have a few luxuries — among them a gym and Pizza Hut and Burger King outlets. But it’ll be more work, less play: their mission to create a safe, secure environment in Afghanistan while helping the government become self- sufficient means hard slogging ahead and many challenges.
Canadians will be heading Operation Archer, Canada’s military commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom, the U. S. anticampaign in Afghanistan. Canadians will lead the British and Dutch in this mission. Some troops will be based at Camp Nathan Smith, where they will serve on the Provincial Reconstruction Team, helping local authorities stabilize and rebuild Kandahar and its surroundings.
Part of the Canadians’ challenge is to train Afghan national police, highway and border patrols, teaching them how to become soldiers rather than warriors, they say. The cost of this: $30 million in infrastructure, $30 million in equipment, plus human resources. “We will work on a 3D approach — defence, diplomacy and development,” Thomas says, adding: “ The troops due in February started training in August and they’re just finishing up now. They’ve been trained for everything from landmines to first aid, physical fitness, weapons — everything.” With the death toll of Canadian troops in Afghanistan now sitting at eight, the risks are real and sometimes not as evident as soldiers would like them to be.
“Believe it or not, the most likely threat to soldiers is traffic accidents,” Thomas says. “ Not everyone drives with a licence here and brakes are only considered an ‘ option.’
“ Trucks are overloaded with as much as they can pile on and there’s everything from donkey carts, camels, pedestrians and motor vehicles on the road . . .
“ Weather will also be a challenge for the troops,” he adds. “ Now it’s the cold ( down to - 10C at night) and once we move out of winter, it’ll be the heat. . . . You don’t get used to it.”
Canadian troops will
face myriad enemies.
“ Belligerent forces and
anti-coalition militia
. . . Taliban, Al Qaeda,
warlords, drug lords,
crime lords — they all have their own agenda and they’ll do what they can to retain control.” Thomas says. “ This includes suicide bombings, explosive devices and ambushes.” From training to tools, Canadian forces in Afghanistan are expressing a new satisfaction with the support they’ve been receiving from Ottawa and they say they’re well equipped to deal with the mission’s risks.