Chief of the Defence Staff visits Canadian Armed Forces members on peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula

News Release

May 18, 2015

OTTAWA — General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, today conducted a visit with Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel deployed on Operation CALUMET, Canada's participation in the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula.

Operation CALUMET consists of approximately 70 CAF personnel based at the MFO North Camp in El Gorah, Egypt. The Canadian contingent provides the MFO with key members of its headquarters staff and recently expanded its contribution by approximately 30 Military Police and support personnel.

Quick Facts

The Force and Observers Military Police Unit (FMPU) is the Multinational Force and Observers’ (MFO) policing force and provides police services to the approximately 1,700 multinational military and civilian personnel and approximately 500 Egyptian and other nationals working within the MFO camps.
Canada has maintained a contingent in the MFO since September 1, 1985.
Since March 2014, the MFO Force Commander has been Major-General Denis Thompson, the second time a CAF General Officer has held this appointment. Major-General Robert Meating served as the MFO Force Commander from March 2001 to March 2004.
As part of the FMPU, Canadian Forces Military Police perform traffic control duties and conduct patrols, investigations, inspections, and searches. They are also responsible for crime prevention programs and general security within the MFO North and South camps.
The Canadian Forces Military Police Group has a worldwide reputation for excellence, professionalism, integrity, and transparency.
The MFO is an independent international organization with peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai. It was established in 1981 by the United States with Egypt and Israel, and is responsible for supervising implementation of Annex I (the “Security Annex”) of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace.
Operation CALUMET includes experts in fields such as logistics, engineering and training, and a flight-following unit. The flight-following service involves receiving regular position reports from Multinational MFO aircraft, issuing traffic advisories and weather reports, and transmitting flight plans. The MFO's observer group uses helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft for extensive travel through the mission area, so the Canadian flight-followers provide mission-critical support.

Quotes

“Canadians can be proud of the work that their Canadian Armed Forces members are doing on Operation CALUMET, and of the significant contributions they are making to peacekeeping operations in the Sinai Peninsula. Through their efforts, they are demonstrating Canada’s continued commitment to working with our partners and allies in support of peace and security efforts in the Middle East.”
General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff

“It is an honour to have the Chief of the Defence Staff visit our service personnel in Sinai, in the context of Operation CALUMET. His time with us is an opportunity to show the value that Canadian Armed Forces members bring to the Multinational Force and Observers in our support for this multinational peacekeeping mission.”
Colonel Stéphane Boivin, Commander of Task Force El Gorah

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Chief of the Defence Staff visits Canadian Armed Forces members on peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula

News Release

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