Conference of Defence Associations meeting, Feb. 21-22
Here's the agenda--CPAC video of the whole meeting is here and here, first and second days respectively. Following are some highlights from my notes (any errors of fact or interpretation are completely my responsibility; I'm not covering everything to keep length within reason):
Panel I – Afghanistan: the Whole of Government Approach
Moderator: Mr. Mel Cappe, President, Institute for Research on Public Policy
Panelists:
1) Mr. David Mulroney, Deputy Minister, Afghanistan Task Force [PCO now]
2) Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, Commander, CEFCOM
3) Mr. Stephen Wallace, Vice President CIDA, Afghanistan Task Force
Mr Mulroney: The key problem is coordinating security and development. The are problems multilaterally, within our partner's efforts, and between Canadian organizations. The Whole of Government approach is coordinated much more effectively from the Privy Council Office than Foreign Affairs.
The Afghans do want a more direct Canadian aid impact at Kandahar, especially for immediate and short-term needs. There are now 29 Canadian government civilians at Kandahar. We are looking to establish a few key metrics/targets.
Lt.-Gen. Gauthier: When the CF arrived at Kandahar in February 2006 there was only one Operation Enduring Freedom battalion [American] in the whole of Regional Command South (Day Kundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces). In August that year the Taliban took on ISAF in conventional operations [and were soundly defeated - MC]. They are less and less willing to take on the CF--or the Afghan National Army (ANA) head-on. Our greatest progress has been in building and working with the ANA who are now holding terrain.
Over time the Strategic Advisory Team in Kabul should transition from military to civilian leadership, with majority civilian composition.
Our Afghan intervention is very different from previous overseas missions; we are there to win, to achieve a particular outcome. The CF are constantly seized with learning, training, and developing and altering doctrine. Civilian departments are quite different in this respect. Civilian agencies tend to recruit previously trained personnel and find it hard to carry out on-going training. They are especially weak in conducting field operations as these departments are traditionally bureaucratic. Civilians might be able to take advantage of coursed offered at the Canadian Forces College, Toronto; perhaps the faculty there might be broadened.
Mr. Stephen Wallace: There are now 50 Canadian government civilians in Kandahar and Kabul. The challenge now is to institute "quick impact" projects to have a direct, beneficial effect on the populace. Our PRT now numbers more than 300: CF, Foreign Affairs, CIDA, RCMP, CSC. The PRT has so far helped train over 600 Afghan police.
The aid program for Afghanistan is our largest ever; we are the third or fourth largest donor overall. But there is inherently tension between quick impact projects and long-term development programmes. John Hopkins University says the Kandahar hospital ranks 3rd out of 30 in Afghanistan.
Three steps in particular should be taken:
1) Pre-position emergency supplies, equipment, e.g. at Kandahar
2) Decentralize decision-making from Ottawa to Kandahar
3) Coordinate better the Whole of Government elements on the ground.
Our civilian departments need a force generation capacity, an ability to see ahead for the longer term and better training. One cannot simply rely on regular postings as in the past. Lots of good people are applying to serve in Afghanistan. More exchange of personnel is needed between civilian organizations themselves and with the CF.
Keynote Address – The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
I'll just say it was mostly the usual warm and fuzzy, UN-centric stuff with almost no mention of national interest or terrorism (the speech is here). Very conciliatory and non-partisan. It was very sober and pitched to the Canadian Weltanschauung and our prejudices. He did say:
Introductory Address: The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence (video presentation)
Boilerplate.
Mr. Laurie Hawn, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr Hawn's speech is not at his website. In my view the straightest presentation of the three politicians, but that's probably just my prejudices showing. He gave three main reasons to be in Afghanistan:
1) Defending our national interest (fighting terrorism, even economic--remember the immediate fall-out from 9/11).
2) Upholding our values.
3) Keeping trust with the Afghans (and how we do that will affect the attitude of others in the future)--"The Taliban bring a new level of evil..."
Mr Hawn highlighted the UN Secretary General's recent strong defence of international actions in Afghanistan. When asked when the "Canada First Defence Strategy" would be released, he replied "soon".
Special Address: General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff (his speech also not online; most recent one by a CDS is Nov. 30, 2004!!!)
For the first time since World War II our forces are receiving the credit, respect and appreciation from the country that they deserve. A major current focus is support for family members. As Chief of the Air Staff Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt has said "We recruit airmen and women; we retain families."
21,000 regulars have been recruited over the last three years. The CF were 61,000 three years ago; they are 66,000 now and still growing. All recruiting goals are being met, but not enough minorities are joining. Eighty percent of recruits are aged 18-29. There have been revolutionary changes in the speed of enrolling recruits.
The equipment acquisition process has undergone dramatic change--"faster is better" [though it still isn't a fast as it should be - MC]. Gen. Hillier gave his personal thanks to USAF Chief of Staff "Buzz" Mosely for his help in our getting the C-17s so rapidly and in the C-130J acquisition.
Afghanistan (earlier post here, won't go over the same ground): We have to knock the Taliban off balance to provide the security to enable development.
Things that could be done to help the CF:
*Some 25% of members can't find family doctors when they re-locate.
*Private industry could give preference to hiring CF spouses when re-located [good luck if someone complains to a human rights commission].
The CDS made a point of bringing up to the podium a non-commissioned member of each service (with a family member) to recognize examples of distinguished service. And he spoke on a speaker phone link to a ceremony at Valcartier where an Army private who had lost a foot in Afghanistan was being promoted to corporal. Gen. Hillier promised the soldier he could stay in the CF if he wished.
He said the speech was probably his last to the CDA as CDS--especially if he gets an offer to be the Maple Leaf's general manager [a joke with a message, I think].
Special Address – General Ray Henault, Chair of the Military Committee, NATO
Gen. Henault stressed he was speaking from a NATO perspective. It was he who had made the military recommendation to the government of Prime Minister Martin to deploy to Kandahar. Kosovo is NATO's other priority [and I'll bet first for many European members - MC].
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) are SACEUR's top force generation priority; there are 27 under ISAF but more are needed. Gen. Henault was confident NATO will find the 1,000 additional troops for Kandahar that Canada is insisting on.
The counter-terrorism efforts of those forces--some 16,000--under US-led Operation Enduring Freedom are very effective at eliminating senior and mid-level Taliban commanders, and at sowing division and discord. For the years 2006 and 2007 70% of hostile events took place in 10% of the country's districts. The ANA now numbers around 50,000. They are planning and leading (with ISAF support) some operations. A very important example was at Musa Qala in Helmand. Reconstruction and development efforts began there right after the battle.
The Afghan National Police (ANP) are 18 months behind the ANA. The ANP are the key to local and municipal security. The EU police training mission is just arriving [!!!] and joining various PRTs.
NATO's strategic communications [with publics] are a major concern. A NATO strategic plan is to be considered at the early April Bucharest summit.
Panel I – The Impact on the Army and on Canada’s Reserve Forces
Moderator: Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Michel Maisonneuve, Academic Director,
Royal Military College Saint-Jean
Panelists:
1) Chief of the Land Staff: Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie
2) Director General Land Reserve: Brigadier-General Gary O’Brien
Lt.-Gen Leslie: The lessons learned from Afghanistan have been rapidly incorporated into training. Troops are blunt and outspoken about what they think is needed and what should be done. The Canadian Army is one of the most digitally-advanced in the world; many of the ideas to achieve this come from the ranks. The KAF command centre looks like the control centre of Navy ships. And CFB Wainwright now has the most advanced digitized training centre in the world.
Regular and reserve elements have never been closer. The reserve response has been magnificent. Civilians working at bases in Canada are doing a great and enthusiastic job. Basic training of soldiers has not much changed; it's the mission-specific training that has changed and advanced. Rifle companies now number 150 (18 reservists) compared to 100 during the Cold War.
Afghanistan is a marathon, not a sprint. Things must be done in a sustainable manner.
Brigadier-General Gary O’Brien: Afghanistan has been a catalyst for culture change among both reserves and regulars. All reserves train to the same standard as regulars during pre-deployment. Our Army is the best trained in the world.
Ten percent of effective reserves are now combat veterans--2,000 reserves have served in Afghanistan so far. The nature of reserve units is changing as a result of those veterans coming back.
The Canadian Army is in transition: "One Army, One Team, One Vision". Under new doctrine one must get out amongst the local population--which is dangerous. The tank's objective is to protect dismounted infantry and clear routes. Over the next twenty years the Army expects to do essentially what it is doing now, more or less [I expect future governments will favour the less - MC]. Training locals is an important skill. More explosive-protected vehicles are needed for both fighting and support. And the forthcoming helicopters and UAVs are certainly needed.
Panel II – The Impact on the Navy and the Air Force
Moderator: Brigadier-General (Ret’d) Don Macnamara, Past President CDAI
Panelists:
1) Chief of the Maritime Staff: Vice-Admiral Drew Robertson
2) Chief of the Air Staff: Lieutenant-General Angus Watt
Vice-Admiral Robertson: The admiral gave a Powerpoint presentation full of naval theory that amounted to an exercise in self-justification for the the service.
Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt: The main burden of Afghanistan of course falls on the Army. Nonetheless there are some 300 Air Force personnel with each rotation, with 300 more running Camp Mirage. One C-130 is stationed at KAF, with 75 flying hours per month allocated to ISAF. The crew is the best trained in ISAF [an earlier illustration of flying skills at immediately preceding link]. The Air Force would be glad to step up its contribution if the government wants or permits, i.e. Griffons, Hornets; uprated CF-18s are ready for Afghan service. Air Force personnel need basic soldiering skills for Afghanistan--they do go outside the wire. The Air Force is in a sense jealous of the combat experience so many in the Army are gaining.
Lessons: Air/land integrations needs improvement. JTACs (Forward Air Controllers) have a crucial role. We need the Chinooks and the Air Force is not trying to "gold-plate" them. If attack technology is not precise, don't show up. The best close air support platform is the B-1B with JDAMS. Overall in Afghanistan combined operations and strategic coherence are hard.
Netcentric warfare is the wave of the future--the Army in Afghanistan is a "wonder to behold". The Air Force needs to do the same. As for counterinsurgency, the Air Force has not done a good job on doctrine development and on how to be used other than as flying artillery. Professional military education in critical.
Writing a post like this reminds me of my days as a federal bureaucrat. Hope it's not too painful to read.
Panel I – Afghanistan: the Whole of Government Approach
Moderator: Mr. Mel Cappe, President, Institute for Research on Public Policy
Panelists:
1) Mr. David Mulroney, Deputy Minister, Afghanistan Task Force [PCO now]
2) Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, Commander, CEFCOM
3) Mr. Stephen Wallace, Vice President CIDA, Afghanistan Task Force
Mr Mulroney: The key problem is coordinating security and development. The are problems multilaterally, within our partner's efforts, and between Canadian organizations. The Whole of Government approach is coordinated much more effectively from the Privy Council Office than Foreign Affairs.
The Afghans do want a more direct Canadian aid impact at Kandahar, especially for immediate and short-term needs. There are now 29 Canadian government civilians at Kandahar. We are looking to establish a few key metrics/targets.
Lt.-Gen. Gauthier: When the CF arrived at Kandahar in February 2006 there was only one Operation Enduring Freedom battalion [American] in the whole of Regional Command South (Day Kundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces). In August that year the Taliban took on ISAF in conventional operations [and were soundly defeated - MC]. They are less and less willing to take on the CF--or the Afghan National Army (ANA) head-on. Our greatest progress has been in building and working with the ANA who are now holding terrain.
Over time the Strategic Advisory Team in Kabul should transition from military to civilian leadership, with majority civilian composition.
Our Afghan intervention is very different from previous overseas missions; we are there to win, to achieve a particular outcome. The CF are constantly seized with learning, training, and developing and altering doctrine. Civilian departments are quite different in this respect. Civilian agencies tend to recruit previously trained personnel and find it hard to carry out on-going training. They are especially weak in conducting field operations as these departments are traditionally bureaucratic. Civilians might be able to take advantage of coursed offered at the Canadian Forces College, Toronto; perhaps the faculty there might be broadened.
Mr. Stephen Wallace: There are now 50 Canadian government civilians in Kandahar and Kabul. The challenge now is to institute "quick impact" projects to have a direct, beneficial effect on the populace. Our PRT now numbers more than 300: CF, Foreign Affairs, CIDA, RCMP, CSC. The PRT has so far helped train over 600 Afghan police.
The aid program for Afghanistan is our largest ever; we are the third or fourth largest donor overall. But there is inherently tension between quick impact projects and long-term development programmes. John Hopkins University says the Kandahar hospital ranks 3rd out of 30 in Afghanistan.
Three steps in particular should be taken:
1) Pre-position emergency supplies, equipment, e.g. at Kandahar
2) Decentralize decision-making from Ottawa to Kandahar
3) Coordinate better the Whole of Government elements on the ground.
Our civilian departments need a force generation capacity, an ability to see ahead for the longer term and better training. One cannot simply rely on regular postings as in the past. Lots of good people are applying to serve in Afghanistan. More exchange of personnel is needed between civilian organizations themselves and with the CF.
Keynote Address – The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
I'll just say it was mostly the usual warm and fuzzy, UN-centric stuff with almost no mention of national interest or terrorism (the speech is here). Very conciliatory and non-partisan. It was very sober and pitched to the Canadian Weltanschauung and our prejudices. He did say:
...Day II
And we are demonstrating to our enemies and our allies that Canada is a reliable and resolute partner in the quest for global security and the fight against terrorism...
The successful pursuit of all of Canada’s interests around the world – trade, investment, diplomatic and humanitarian – ultimately depends on security, on the willingness of some of our fellow citizens to put their own lives on the line...
You understand that countries that cannot or will not make real contributions to global security are not regarded as serious players.
They may be liked by everybody; they may be pleasantly acknowledged by everybody...
Introductory Address: The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence (video presentation)
Boilerplate.
Mr. Laurie Hawn, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr Hawn's speech is not at his website. In my view the straightest presentation of the three politicians, but that's probably just my prejudices showing. He gave three main reasons to be in Afghanistan:
1) Defending our national interest (fighting terrorism, even economic--remember the immediate fall-out from 9/11).
2) Upholding our values.
3) Keeping trust with the Afghans (and how we do that will affect the attitude of others in the future)--"The Taliban bring a new level of evil..."
Mr Hawn highlighted the UN Secretary General's recent strong defence of international actions in Afghanistan. When asked when the "Canada First Defence Strategy" would be released, he replied "soon".
Special Address: General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff (his speech also not online; most recent one by a CDS is Nov. 30, 2004!!!)
For the first time since World War II our forces are receiving the credit, respect and appreciation from the country that they deserve. A major current focus is support for family members. As Chief of the Air Staff Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt has said "We recruit airmen and women; we retain families."
21,000 regulars have been recruited over the last three years. The CF were 61,000 three years ago; they are 66,000 now and still growing. All recruiting goals are being met, but not enough minorities are joining. Eighty percent of recruits are aged 18-29. There have been revolutionary changes in the speed of enrolling recruits.
The equipment acquisition process has undergone dramatic change--"faster is better" [though it still isn't a fast as it should be - MC]. Gen. Hillier gave his personal thanks to USAF Chief of Staff "Buzz" Mosely for his help in our getting the C-17s so rapidly and in the C-130J acquisition.
Afghanistan (earlier post here, won't go over the same ground): We have to knock the Taliban off balance to provide the security to enable development.
Things that could be done to help the CF:
*Some 25% of members can't find family doctors when they re-locate.
*Private industry could give preference to hiring CF spouses when re-located [good luck if someone complains to a human rights commission].
The CDS made a point of bringing up to the podium a non-commissioned member of each service (with a family member) to recognize examples of distinguished service. And he spoke on a speaker phone link to a ceremony at Valcartier where an Army private who had lost a foot in Afghanistan was being promoted to corporal. Gen. Hillier promised the soldier he could stay in the CF if he wished.
He said the speech was probably his last to the CDA as CDS--especially if he gets an offer to be the Maple Leaf's general manager [a joke with a message, I think].
Special Address – General Ray Henault, Chair of the Military Committee, NATO
Gen. Henault stressed he was speaking from a NATO perspective. It was he who had made the military recommendation to the government of Prime Minister Martin to deploy to Kandahar. Kosovo is NATO's other priority [and I'll bet first for many European members - MC].
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) are SACEUR's top force generation priority; there are 27 under ISAF but more are needed. Gen. Henault was confident NATO will find the 1,000 additional troops for Kandahar that Canada is insisting on.
The counter-terrorism efforts of those forces--some 16,000--under US-led Operation Enduring Freedom are very effective at eliminating senior and mid-level Taliban commanders, and at sowing division and discord. For the years 2006 and 2007 70% of hostile events took place in 10% of the country's districts. The ANA now numbers around 50,000. They are planning and leading (with ISAF support) some operations. A very important example was at Musa Qala in Helmand. Reconstruction and development efforts began there right after the battle.
The Afghan National Police (ANP) are 18 months behind the ANA. The ANP are the key to local and municipal security. The EU police training mission is just arriving [!!!] and joining various PRTs.
NATO's strategic communications [with publics] are a major concern. A NATO strategic plan is to be considered at the early April Bucharest summit.
Panel I – The Impact on the Army and on Canada’s Reserve Forces
Moderator: Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Michel Maisonneuve, Academic Director,
Royal Military College Saint-Jean
Panelists:
1) Chief of the Land Staff: Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie
2) Director General Land Reserve: Brigadier-General Gary O’Brien
Lt.-Gen Leslie: The lessons learned from Afghanistan have been rapidly incorporated into training. Troops are blunt and outspoken about what they think is needed and what should be done. The Canadian Army is one of the most digitally-advanced in the world; many of the ideas to achieve this come from the ranks. The KAF command centre looks like the control centre of Navy ships. And CFB Wainwright now has the most advanced digitized training centre in the world.
Regular and reserve elements have never been closer. The reserve response has been magnificent. Civilians working at bases in Canada are doing a great and enthusiastic job. Basic training of soldiers has not much changed; it's the mission-specific training that has changed and advanced. Rifle companies now number 150 (18 reservists) compared to 100 during the Cold War.
Afghanistan is a marathon, not a sprint. Things must be done in a sustainable manner.
Brigadier-General Gary O’Brien: Afghanistan has been a catalyst for culture change among both reserves and regulars. All reserves train to the same standard as regulars during pre-deployment. Our Army is the best trained in the world.
Ten percent of effective reserves are now combat veterans--2,000 reserves have served in Afghanistan so far. The nature of reserve units is changing as a result of those veterans coming back.
The Canadian Army is in transition: "One Army, One Team, One Vision". Under new doctrine one must get out amongst the local population--which is dangerous. The tank's objective is to protect dismounted infantry and clear routes. Over the next twenty years the Army expects to do essentially what it is doing now, more or less [I expect future governments will favour the less - MC]. Training locals is an important skill. More explosive-protected vehicles are needed for both fighting and support. And the forthcoming helicopters and UAVs are certainly needed.
Panel II – The Impact on the Navy and the Air Force
Moderator: Brigadier-General (Ret’d) Don Macnamara, Past President CDAI
Panelists:
1) Chief of the Maritime Staff: Vice-Admiral Drew Robertson
2) Chief of the Air Staff: Lieutenant-General Angus Watt
Vice-Admiral Robertson: The admiral gave a Powerpoint presentation full of naval theory that amounted to an exercise in self-justification for the the service.
Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt: The main burden of Afghanistan of course falls on the Army. Nonetheless there are some 300 Air Force personnel with each rotation, with 300 more running Camp Mirage. One C-130 is stationed at KAF, with 75 flying hours per month allocated to ISAF. The crew is the best trained in ISAF [an earlier illustration of flying skills at immediately preceding link]. The Air Force would be glad to step up its contribution if the government wants or permits, i.e. Griffons, Hornets; uprated CF-18s are ready for Afghan service. Air Force personnel need basic soldiering skills for Afghanistan--they do go outside the wire. The Air Force is in a sense jealous of the combat experience so many in the Army are gaining.
Lessons: Air/land integrations needs improvement. JTACs (Forward Air Controllers) have a crucial role. We need the Chinooks and the Air Force is not trying to "gold-plate" them. If attack technology is not precise, don't show up. The best close air support platform is the B-1B with JDAMS. Overall in Afghanistan combined operations and strategic coherence are hard.
Netcentric warfare is the wave of the future--the Army in Afghanistan is a "wonder to behold". The Air Force needs to do the same. As for counterinsurgency, the Air Force has not done a good job on doctrine development and on how to be used other than as flying artillery. Professional military education in critical.
Writing a post like this reminds me of my days as a federal bureaucrat. Hope it's not too painful to read.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 2:00 p.m.
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