New commander at Kandahar/RCR returning home

The rotation continues:

1) New commander takes charge of Afghan mission

Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche has officially taken command of Canada's military in Afghanistan, heading fresh troops from the famed Vandoos regiment.

Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche has officially taken command of Canada's military in Afghanistan, heading fresh troops from the famed Vandoos regiment.

The handover of command happened at a ceremony this morning at Kandahar Airfield, a major base for Canadian and coalition troops in southern Afghanistan.

Laroche succeeds Tim Grant, who was promoted to major-general during the ceremony by Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier, commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force...

2) First soldiers return to N.B. from Afghan mission

Six months after they said goodbye to family and friends and left for a dangerous mission in Afghanistan, troops from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown began returning to their home base in New Brunswick late Tuesday...

...the mass homecoming will be tinged with sadness. Seven soldiers from Gagetown were killed during the rotation.

In Oromocto, virtually every utility pole, signpost and fence in the town of 9,000 has been decorated with yellow ribbons since the tour began.

Tidd said she expects they'll remain in place for the duration of the Afghan mission.

Of the 2,500 Canadian soldiers involved in the latest rotation, about 650 are based at Gagetown. They were part of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment battle group.

"This particular rotation of Canadian soldiers in Kandahar has a lot to be proud of," said Lee Windsor, who specializes in Canadian army history at the University of New Brunswick.

"This is the third batch of Canadians we've sent into southern Afghanistan as part of the third round of NATO expansion and they accomplished a great deal. In fact, this has been a very historic six-month period in Canadian military history."

Windsor said the latest group was able to deliver on promises to rebuild parts of Afghanistan and bring aid to the residents of Kandahar province...

Lt. Brian Owens, a spokesman for the base, said while only a handful of soldiers were expected Tuesday night, subsequent flights will arrive in Fredericton every second day until September.

"We have to stage this over a number of weeks because we're actually moving 5,000 people," said Owens.

More than 2,000 soldiers from the Royal 22nd Regiment, also known as the Van Doos, are currently making their way to Kandahar. The new rotation of troops assumes official command next month...