Afstan: Only two more rotos to go/Scoop Update

Now that battle group tours have been extended (eight, then nine, months), that means that the next such roto, Task Force 1-10, will complete its tour around March 2011, leaving only one further roto before the CF's military mission at Kandahar is scheduled to end, starting in July 2011, more here.

Not having to do detailed planning for a further roto (which would have been necessary had these two tours not been extended) unless directed to do so by the government avoids any post-2011 "gotcha!" stuff from opposition parties or the media. And also mean the Army can begin seriously planning broader, non-Afstan specific, training etc. Training which has been adversely affected by the needs of the mission.

Update: It does seem we have rather a scoop. Someone well-informed has confirmed the above are the last two planned battle group rotos--a further one by the PPCLI (regiment's battalions listed at left here) scheduled for spring 2011 is no longer in the works. The final will now be largely Van Doos. Below is from an unclassified briefing from Land Force Western Area earlier this year, page titled "Current and Future Deployments":

HQ 5-09 – Task Force (TF) Head Quarters (HQ) in Afghanistan – 195 deployed
TF 1-09 – Quebec-led TF in Afghanistan (includes LFWA tank squadron and engineers) – 79 deployed
TF 3-09 – LFWA-led TF for Afghanistan – 1900 deploying [more here]
Op PODIUM – LFWA-led land component for Vancouver Olympics – 1500 in training
TF 1-10 – Ontario-led TF – 2100 currently training [see first para above]
TF 3-10 – Quebec-led TF – in planning stages
TF 1-11 – LFWA-led TF for Afghanistan – in planning stages and awaiting Government direction
HQ 5-11 – LFWA-led HQ for Afghanistan – in planning stages and awaiting Government direction

So presumably Quebec-led "TF 3-10" above will become TF 1-11 and the LFWA "TF 1-11" above is no more. Unless there are directions from the government.

Upperdate: To clarify: though not a battle group it seems there will be a final LFWA/PPCLI infantry roto in the second part of 2011 to look after things generally as the mission is wound down.