Sunday, May 02, 2010

Current RCR roto to Kandahar last full battle group?

Earlier:
Afstan: More on next roto, current operational approach
Now this:
...There will be about 2,800 soldiers from Petawawa in Afghanistan by the time all of the staggered departures [for this roto] are done.

They’ll be there until this fall — the last full-size battle group from Canada. DND isn’t saying yet where the next two deployments will come from, only that the one this fall will be smaller and the last, smaller still — basically a tear-down crew...
Actually it's clear the next roto--3-10--will be Van Doos, and it would seem a true battle group has been planned (photo posted April 23, 2010):
Members of the Battle Group (BG) of Task Force 3-10 (TF 3-10) participate in exercise "Wolverine Defender" which runs from April 18 to 22, 2010 [emphasis added] in the training area of CFB Valcartier. The exercise covers the RPC (Road Clearing Package) for combat and the establishment of a defensive position, followed withdrawl under fire. Many members of the 12th Regiment Blinde du Canada (12 RBC), 1st Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment (R22R 1) and the 5th Regiment of Combat engineering (5 RGC) and Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) and Leopard I tanks are used during the exercise. Photo by Cpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Imaging Division, Valcartier Garrison www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca Hires...
And it's just about a lead-pipe cinch the final, clean-out roto in 2011 will be Princess Patricias. This was the plan in as of latter 2009:
...
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 [i.e. Van Doos] – in planning stages
TF 1-11 – LFWA-led [i.e. Princess Pats] 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...
As things now stand TF 1-11 will not be a "battle group" as in the past. But as for the Van Doos' TF 3-10 roto, the following from then Chief of the Land Staff Lt.-Gen. Leslie in early February is, er, thought-provoking:
...
Leslie confirmed that the Quebec-based 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, most of which is now in Haiti, was needed "back in Canada by the end of March, early April, so that they can start their training because they are on deck to go to Afghanistan in December" where they are to be the core element of a team of military trainers that mentors the Afghan army in Kandahar [emphasis added, note focus of the deployment].

"If I have to replace 3 Van Doo with other folks, the government of Canada will let me know," Leslie said, adding that until now, the Canadian Forces have not received any new direction about this from the government [emphasis added]...
So. A full battle group or not?

Update thought: Most curious how little info there is on the web about Task Force 3-10 (or Force opérationnelle 3-10).

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