LFCA NR 11.003 - December 15, 2011
OTTAWA – Brigadier-General Charles Lamarre, Commander of the Mission Transition Task Force (MTTF) in Afghanistan, and members of his team returned home from Afghanistan this afternoon.
Meeting them at the Ottawa International Airport were friends and family of the returning members, in addition to the Honourable Peter MacKay, the Minister of National Defence, General Walt Natynczyk, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin, Commander Canadian Army.
“The return of Brig.-Gen. Lamarre and his troops signifies the successful close out of military operations in southern Afghanistan,” said Minister MacKay. “Canada has made, and continues to make, a profound impact on the security situation in Afghanistan. I couldn't be more proud of our work in southern Afghanistan and the work of Brigadier-General Lamarre and his team. They have ensured a seamless transition to Canada’s training mission that is now focused in Kabul and have returned home on schedule to spend the holidays with their families.”
The MTTF was the last rotation of troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan. They were responsible for closing down military operations conducted in Kandahar Province and were deployed from July to December 2011. The MTTF was comprised of approx. 1,500 Canadian Forces members from across Canada.
"I am extremely appreciative and proud of the work done by Brigadier-General Lamarre and his team in Southern Afghanistan. They achieved the monumental task of closing-out our mission in Kandahar by packing, and shipping or disposing of our kit," said General Natynczyk. "I want to thank the men and women of the Transition Task Force for their dedication to their mission. I also thank their families for all the support they gave their loved ones during the tour. It's great to have families reunited in time for the holidays."
Brig.-Gen. Lamarre took over command of the MTTF in Afghanistan on July 17, 2011, and was responsible for concluding all aspects of the Canadian military mission in Kandahar Province by December 2011.
