Posted on 12/11/2008 6:27:32 AM PST by Clive
CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick – A major research project on Canada´s military, aid and development mission in Afghanistan is the focus of the book Kandahar Tour: The Turning Point in Canada´s Afghan Mission published September 2008.
Chronicling Task Force 1-07, the book, sends a powerful message to the military community according to the authors.
"We´re discussing the Afghan mission totally in the context of casualties. I hope this book will change the nature of the debate," says co-author Professor Lee Windsor, one of three faculty of the University of New Brunswick´s Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society.
"Kandahar Tour brings balance to the public view by telling a full story of one six-month rotation of Canadian soldiers, Mounties, diplomats, aid officials, and UN workers who struggled to bring law, order and aid to Afghanistan in the first half of 2007," he adds.
The rotation selected for the study, based on a contingent from CFB Gagetown, happened to occur during a time of dramatic change in Kandahar. It was the year the drought came to an end, investment and aid began flowing into the region in significant quantity and relations between the government of Afghanistan and disaffected southern farmers took a sharp turn for the better. The story documents that turning point.
"It´s putting what we do into words so we can understand ourselves and convey that message to Canadians," says LCol Rob Walker, Commanding Officer, Task Force 1-07, Second Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. "It also helps explain to Canadians what the 18 soldiers who died while under my command were doing to help bring hope to strangers."
For more info on the history of the book and the Gregg Centre: http://www.unb.ca/greggcentre/gregg/index.html
Article and photos by Sgt Kyle Richards, Army News, CFB Gagetown
some exerpts from the book:
“...While bullets cracked past or thumped dully into the LAV’s armour, Denine tried to concentrate on the dim silhouettes and flashes of movement he could just make out through the dust and smoke. Shouting to be heard over the fire of his own rifle and the occasional roar of an RPG launch, Denine alternated giving orders to Oz with more swearing at the turret crew working on the broken weapons. “Get your ass goin’!” he shouted at Moores and Trowsdale. “Get your act in gear! Trowsdale, start making it happen!”
But the gunners’ heaving and hammering on the action of the 25-mm cannon was having no effect. Finally, the brawny sergeant decided he had to do something himself. “Enough of this.” Denine dropped an empty magazine at his feet, pulled a fully loaded one out of one of his pouches and slid it smoothly into the rifle.
“Oz, stop! Don’t shoot, I’m gonna hop up and get the pintle-mount [light machine gun] goin’ — we gotta get something goin’. Something more than two rifles, for fuck’s sake.”..
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=851967&p=1
If I may, here is another book; this one is about TF 1-07:
the tour my husband was on:
“Kandahar Tour: The Turning Point In Canada’s Afghan Mission “
http://www.amazon.ca/Kandahar-Tour-Turning-Canadas-Mission/dp/0470157615/ref=pd_sbs_b_3
“Kandahar Tour takes the reader into Afghanistan, into the battlegroup responsible for driving the Taliban farther into outlying areas, to establish a broad security and development zone, allowing Task Force 1-07, the UN and NATO to increase their restoration initiatives. The book details the combined work of soldiers—Canadian and their dozen allies—and their commanders, aid workers, the RCMP, and NGOs—all of the pieces that are a part of the Afghan mission, often overlooked by journalists and media. Kandahar Tour is a thorough accounting of life and mission in Afghanistan. “
BTW, Chapters Indigo also has other books about Canada's paerticipation in the Afghanistan job.
Whoops, didn’t read the article properly, guess I had Chris Wattie’s book in my head (Contact Charlie),I bought it for a friend for Christmas.
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