Canadian Commander In Iraq

[Avary]

Iraq commander is Canadian, eh?
By PETER WORTHINGTON
Toronto Sun

While it's not exactly a secret, not many Canadians know that the second top-ranking soldier fighting "insurgents" in Iraq is a general in the Canadian army.

Maj. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, once Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, is now deputy commander of the U.S. Army's III Corps in Iraq.

The corps, at 138,000 troops, is roughly seven times as large as the whole Canadian army. No Canadian general since WWII has commanded so many troops in a combat zone.

Yet here is Natynczyk, comfortable in the field and involved in operations -- with the approval of the Martin government and supported by Chief of Defence Staff, General Ray Henault.

How did this come to be?

Until ordered to Iraq, III Corps was based at Fort Hood, Texas -- one of the largest army bases in the world. It was responsible for North American defence, if such was needed, and traditionally a Canadian general has been deputy commander, along with a U.S. general as deputy commander.

A high command role in Iraq is an odd role for a Canadian general -- not because he's ill-trained or unqualified, but because his country, Canada, has opposed U.S. policy in Iraq. And that's putting it mildly.

In fact, there may be 20 or 30 Canadian soldiers involved in the Iraq war and its vicious aftermath -- soldiers attached to British or American units who've stayed with these units. At least one officer has been wounded.

A Canadian general as deputy commander of a legendary body like III Corps is also a considerable honour.

Formed in WWI, III Corps was then known as the "Phantom Corps" for its surprise attacks and liberation of 100 French towns and villages while taking 225,000 German prisoners.

During the Korean and Vietnam wars, III Corps trained more than 150 units.

Winnipeg-born Gen. Natynczyk was in the news recently, hammering a symbolic gold spike in the new 1,000 km paved highway through Iraq from the Turkish border to the Persian Gulf.

Today, III Corps is officially a multinational corps, comprising the military coalition trying to bring peace and order to Iraq, and working with the new Iraqi military and police.

Still, it's unusual that the Americans would trust a foreign national with the responsibility of deputy commander.

When one looks at the organizational structure of III Corps, it's intimidating, even for an experienced Canadian tank soldier. Apart from support "battalions" of military police, signals, medical and intelligence units, the corps includes the 1st Cavalry Division, artillery and engineer battalions, the 4th Infantry Division, an armoured division and several mechanized brigades.

No Canadian general has dealt with anything near the command structure that Natynczyk accepts as routine.

He joined up in 1975, attended Royal Roads and College Militaire de St. Jean, and served in Germany as a leopard tank troop leader in the Royal Canadian Dragoons -- the unit he later commanded in 1995.

As a brigadier-general, Natynczyk commanded the Canadian contingent in Bosnia, 1998-99, and before that had various command and liaison appointments, including a tour of peacekeeping in Cyprus. In the Balkans he was a sector chief of operations, in Bosnia and later in Croatia. After graduating from the U.S. Army War College in 2002, he was appointed deputy commanding general of III Corps.

With this background, and especially in the combat zone of Iraq, Natynczyk seems likely to vault over rivals to be appointed Canada's Chief of Defence Staff when Gen. Ray Henault takes up his new post in NATO -- especially if the Martin government wants to restore credible as well as cordial relations with the U.S.

On the other hand, to anti-Ameriks, this close relationship may argue against Natynczyk.

The U.S. and Canadian armed forces have a closer bond than exists in politics, but Natynczyk's experience commanding large numbers of troops in the field has to make him an attractive choice for CDS.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

What else can one say?

 

[Baloo]

Interesting. That is a very high position, and I must say he seems to be doing a great job. Keep serving well, sir. 

 

[George Wallace]

Peter Worthington may be biting of a bit much there when he says that MGen Natynczyk will be a good candidate for CDS.  There are numerous LGen officers outranking him.  

He is the third of my CO's who have filled that position down in Ft Hood.  The previous two were Generals Rick Hillier and Matt Macdonald.

GW

 

[Big Foot]

Wow, it's nice to see the Americans still trust us, even to this extent.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I would be interested in knowing how III Corps came about having a Canadian officer as deputy commander.

 

[Acorn]

The article indicates that III Corps was, until recently, tasked with continental defence, and as such a US Staff College-trained Canadian MGen has traditionally been one of the two deputy comd of the corps for some time.

Acorn

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

But why have a foreign deputy commander froma country that provides no forces under the control of III Corps?

 

[Acorn]

There is a great deal of co-operation between Canada and the US. As a swabbie you are probably more plugged into that net than anyone wearing relish. However, I would have to ask the Yanks why they think it's a good idea. I suspect it's all in the interest of co-operation. If we had anything worthy of a US MGen to be DComd of, i would guess there would be one here.

Perhaps we shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth?

Acorn

 

[jrhume]

I salute the general and all other Canadians who put their lives on the line in the effort to free millions from subjugation, wherever they may serve.  The men and women of the CF protect Canadian citizens from real evil, whether those protected realize it or not.

The author of the article makes an important and too often overlooked point.  The lack of good will between American and Canada is a political issue, not rooted in the military of either country.

Jim

 

[Armymedic]

Another point to note, the Corps in which he is the deputy commander, is in itself larger then the Regular CF. Such experience in management, command and control of such an org cannot be reproduced here for a long time. If we are to have more people like the CDS aspire for NATO positions, they need this experience.

 

[pbi]

I can certainly echo that from my past and present experience with US military types: those who actually get to know us seem to think pretty highly of us. When I arrived here at CJTF76, one of the Deputy Comds said to me that "..at least when the Canadians were running ISAF we knew it had a backbone...".  The OC of a  US Army Inf Coy stationed at Camp Julien during the Presidential Election was full of praise for his TFK hosts and said he would come back to work with Canadians any time.

We love to bash ourselves on the head, but once you get out in the world a bit and see a few other armies, you realize that we are at or very near the top of the heap in a number of important areas. It is really dismal to see what a shambles so many of these other forces are. (I don't mean US or UK...) Cheers.

 

[Recce41]

OLD NEWS. I wish it was the Brits. Like before, we got cheap.

 

[pbi]

OLD NEWS. I wish it was the Brits. Like before, we got cheap.

What do you mean by that?

Cheers

 

[Recce41]

PBI
I had read the story a few months ago. As for cheap. During the 80s, there were posting to Britain. For all ranks. Now the only postings are for Majs and above. And the only posting I know of is the one our CIs going to.
The rest are to the US, officers only also. I have been snooping and there is no good postings for NCOs.

 

[tomahawk6]

One of III Corps' missions was to support our deployments to the Balkins. With the Canadian Army's experience in peacekeeping Ottawa
seconded a BG to III Corps to help prepare US troops deploying to the Balkins. As a result every 2 years a Canadian BG has served with III Corps. With the Balkins operation at an end it will be interesting to see if MG Natynczyk is replaced when his tour with III Corps is completed.

 

[pbi]

PBI
I had read the story a few months ago. As for cheap. During the 80s, there were posting to Britain. For all ranks. Now the only postings are for Majs and above. And the only posting I know of is the one our CIs going to.
The rest are to the US, officers only also. I have been snooping and there is no good postings for NCOs.

Really? Contact CWO Brown, RSM 2PPCLI, and ask him about that. He was an instructor at the US Army Sgt Major Academy, returning to Canada to become RSM. I think that we also have NCOs on exchange with several of the US Army Schools. As well I am pretty sure that the Air Force posts WOs/NCOs to the US in NORAD and other jobs. Cheers.

 

[George Wallace]

Recce 41

Have all the Armour Exchanges to Ft Knox and Washington dried up?  Lots of NCO's and Offrs were usually on exchange as Instructors at their schools, as we still find them (Brit, Irish, Aussie, and American) up in CTC Gagetown

GW

 

[Recce41]

George
We only have a Maj now, in Knox. We cannot even send Officers and NCO down to Knox for Scout training. Others and myself have brought up Scout School in Knox/ Recce Train in Britain and in Germany.
PBI
As for CWO Brown? I was taking about non support trades. There is a Brit Maj and US SMaj at Tactics School, a US Capt at the Arty, and a Brit Capt at the Inf school. Besides looking though CFTPO, Career Manager, etc. Most were listed as for Maj+.  The only NCO postings for a NCO crewman is in Brussels. As a coffee boy. There are alot of posting for support trades. I should have put alil more detail. I knew about NORAD and the Navy. Sorry.

 

[pbi]

As for CWO Brown? I was taking about non support trades

I'm not quite following you here. Inf is a "non-support trade". Cheers.