NR 11.151 - December 25, 2011
KABUL, Afghanistan - The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, accompanied by His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff, has concluded a four-day visit with members of the Canadian Forces deployed overseas during the holidays.
Minister MacKay met with the crew of HMCS Vancouver, docked in Rome, Italy, then travelled to Canada’s Intermediate Staging Terminal in Kuwait, and concluded his trip by spending Christmas with CF members training Afghan security forces in Kabul.
While in theatre, Minister MacKay spoke with US General John R. Allen, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
“Canadian Forces members have worked tirelessly, at home and abroad, to save lives, provide security, and promote peace,” said Minister MacKay. “It has been a busy, challenging year. As we celebrate the holidays, we should also take time to think of those who are still deployed throughout the world.”
“The Canadian Forces serve and sacrifice to defend our country and it was an honour for me to spend this special time of year with the men and women who represent Canada to the world,” added MacKay.
Canada ended its UN-mandated, NATO-led combat mission in Kandahar Province in July 2011 and began a non-combat, Kabul-centred training role that will continue until 2014.
Operation Attention, Canada’s participation in the NATO Training Mission–Afghanistan (NTM-A), delivers training and professional development services to the national security forces of Afghanistan, especially the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). Its primary objective is to prepare the Afghan national security forces for a seamless transition of authority by the end of 2014.
Minister MacKay visited many of the 920 CF members deployed on Op Attention at their three Kabul-area training locations, and at the Afghan Armed Forces Academy of Medical Sciences, where a group of Canadian Forces health-care providers serve as advisor-mentors to their Afghan counterparts.
HMCSVancouver joined Operation Active Endeavour, the NATO counter-terrorism effort in the Mediterranean, in November, following a successful deployment on Operation Mobile, the NATO-led mission to protect Libyan civilians from the Gadhafi regime.
HMCS Vancouver and her compliment of approximately 250 sailors and air crew will remain on Operation Active Endeavour until early next year.
The Intermediate Staging Terminal in Kuwait serves as a staging point between Canada and the theatre of operations in Afghanistan, where equipment and personnel are provided safe movement to the next destination. The Canadian Forces currently has 160 personnel in Kuwait.
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