Operation ATHENA

"Operation ATHENA" is the Canadian Forces contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Phase 1 of "Operation ATHENA" consisted of the deployment of a force called Task Force Kabul, at its peak it had about 1,900 personnel (1,700 within Kabul). Their duties included patrols within the Canadian area, digging wells, and building repair. It cost approximately 840 million dollars and it was followed by "Operation ARCHER" from February 2006.

With the transfer of authority in ISAF Regional Command (South), in August 2006, from Operation "Enduring Freedom" to ISAF, the Canadian Task Force in Kandahar once again came under the umbrella of "Operation ATHENA".

Current Forces

Overall, 2,500 CF personnel support the ISAF mission as a part of Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg). Headquartered at Kandahar Airfield, JTF-Afg is a deployed formation consisting of all Canadian military assets in Afghanistan. The JTF-Afg currently has the following makeup:

Joint Task Force Afghanistan

Commanding Officer (CO): Brigadier-General Denis Thompson

Kandahar Airfield
* A battle group attached to the Multi-National Brigade in ISAF Regional Command South,
* The National Support Element (NSE),
* An Operational Mentor and Liason Team,
* A Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit, and
* A Health Services Support Company;Camp Nathan Smith (Kandahar City)
* The Provincial Reconstruction Team;Persian Gulf Region
* The Theatre Support Element;

Kandahar Battle Group

Battle group deployments since the commencement of phase two of "Operation ATHENA" have been six months in duration and have run on a February-August, August-February operational time frame. Battle groups are organized around and named after the infantry battalion that is on current deployment with the operation. These infantry battalions are selected from one of Canada's three regular force infantry regiments, namely (in order of precedence), The Royal Canadian Regiment, The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and The Royal 22e Régiment. Battle groups are formed in Canada prior to operational deployment to Afghanistan where comprising members and units receive months of individual and joint training specific to the requirements of the operation. Each rotation of these individual battle group deployments is known as a "Roto" in operational parlance. The current Roto to "Operation ATHENA", Roto 5, consists of the following order of battle (all figures are approximate):

2 PPCLI Battle Group

Commanding Officer (CO): Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon David Corbould

* From the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Shilo, Manitoba:
** Battle Group Headquarters,
** Bravo Company,
** Charlie Company, and
** Recce Platoon;
* Elements of A Coy from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, Alberta;
* From the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Shilo:
** B Battery, armed with the 155-mm M777 howitzer, and
** two Surveillance and Target Acquisition Troops;
* B Squadron from Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Edmonton, mounted in Leopard C2 tanks;
* D Squadron from the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, mounted in Coyote armoured reconnaissance vehicles; and
*12 Field Squadron and the Armoured Engineer Troop from 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton.

National Support Element

Commanding Officer (CO): Lieutenant-Colonel Kerry Horlock

Operational Mentor and Liason Team

Commanding Officer (CO): Colonel Jean-François Riffou

Mentoring the Afghan National Army

Mentoring the Afghan National Police

Combined Quick Reaction Force

Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team

Commanding Officer (CO): Lieutenant-Colonel Dana Woodworth

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehical Unit

Health Services Support Company

Theatre Support Element

ee also

* Canadian Forces
* Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
* List of Canadian military operations
* Military of Canada
* Operation Accius
* Operation Altair

External links

* [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/afghanistan2003/index.html CBC.ca In Depth: Operation Athena]
* [http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/operations/Athena/index_e.asp Department of National Defence Canada - "Operation ATHENA"]
* [http://www.mapleleafweb.com/education/spotlight/issue_43/military-contribution.html Canada's Military Contribution in Afghanistan]
* [http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Feature_Story/2005/04/28_f_e.asp Commander of the Army visits "Operation ATHENA" | by Captain Mark Gough ]
* [http://www.dnd.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=2596 Backgrounder for Rotation 5 of "Operation ATHENA"]

References