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Personality conflict triggers Canadian general's recall from Afghanistan
By Matthew Fisher, Canwest News ServiceNovember 30, 2009 4:03 PM
KABUL — A Canadian general has abruptly returned home from Kandahar, not halfway through what was to have been a 12-month tour with NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Brig.-Gen. Gerry Champagne left Kandahar for Canada late last week. He had been the chief planner for ISAF's Regional Command South — the headquarters that runs the war against the Taliban in six provinces that are at the heart of the conflict — until a serious rift apparently developed between him and RC South's new commander, Maj.-Gen. Nick Carter of Britain.
"A sharp personality conflict" between the two generals, had triggered Champagne's departure, according to sources in Kabul and Kandahar. Champagne was not fired, but he and his superiors in Ottawa decided that it would be for the best if he withdrew from the position, these sources said.
"We confirm that the Canadian general officer serving with RC South headquarters, currently under British Command, has shortened his deployment and that his replacement will be posted to the headquarters in the near term," Lt.-Col. Christian Lemay of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command said in a statement issued Monday in Ottawa.
"The reason for (Champagne's) early return is the desire by both Canada and NATO to find the best fit in terms of the different command structure under the British, who recently took over command of RC South from the Dutch. Discussions between Canada and NATO over finding the best fit began very soon after the British assumed command of RC South."
The announcement comes 12 days after a speech at Kandahar Airfield, in which Carter told a group of Canadian colonels and generals, including Champagne, that "it is a great honour having Canadians in Regional Command South and long may it last."
Champagne had become the chief of staff to Maj.-Gen. Mart de Kruif, the old RC South commander in June, but Carter shifted him to planning when the British general arrived with a team of staff officers that he had trained with before deploying. As the military view such things, Champagne's new job as planner could have been seen as a demotion.
Champagne's replacement is to be Brig.-Gen. Craig King of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He is to be rushed from Canada to take up his new duties within the next two weeks, according to sources in Afghanistan.
The switch of Canadian generals comes at a crucial juncture as the 40,000 NATO troops now fighting in the South are about to be augmented by thousands of additional forces that U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce in a nationally televised speech on Tuesday.
Only five months into what was to have been a 12-month tour, Champagne had spoken several weeks ago with great enthusiasm to Canwest News Service about what lay ahead after Obama announced the troop surge and a renewed focus on the war in the South.
"Obviously, whatever resources we can apply to this would make a big difference," the 52-year old former commander of Canada's infantry school said at the time.
Champagne's sudden departure from Afghanistan was the second such incident involving a senior ISAF officer this year. Gen. David McKiernan lost his job as the force commander this June when Obama chose to replace him with Gen. Stanley McChrystal whose experience as a Special Forces commando was considered to be better suited for devising a strategy to defeat the Taliban.
Despite Champagne's unexpected departure, Canada continues to hold an unusually high number of positions in the ISAF command structure. As Champagne is to be replaced by King, six of Canada's 13 army brigadier-generals are presently in Afghanistan.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
By Matthew Fisher, Canwest News ServiceNovember 30, 2009 4:03 PM
KABUL — A Canadian general has abruptly returned home from Kandahar, not halfway through what was to have been a 12-month tour with NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Brig.-Gen. Gerry Champagne left Kandahar for Canada late last week. He had been the chief planner for ISAF's Regional Command South — the headquarters that runs the war against the Taliban in six provinces that are at the heart of the conflict — until a serious rift apparently developed between him and RC South's new commander, Maj.-Gen. Nick Carter of Britain.
"A sharp personality conflict" between the two generals, had triggered Champagne's departure, according to sources in Kabul and Kandahar. Champagne was not fired, but he and his superiors in Ottawa decided that it would be for the best if he withdrew from the position, these sources said.
"We confirm that the Canadian general officer serving with RC South headquarters, currently under British Command, has shortened his deployment and that his replacement will be posted to the headquarters in the near term," Lt.-Col. Christian Lemay of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command said in a statement issued Monday in Ottawa.
"The reason for (Champagne's) early return is the desire by both Canada and NATO to find the best fit in terms of the different command structure under the British, who recently took over command of RC South from the Dutch. Discussions between Canada and NATO over finding the best fit began very soon after the British assumed command of RC South."
The announcement comes 12 days after a speech at Kandahar Airfield, in which Carter told a group of Canadian colonels and generals, including Champagne, that "it is a great honour having Canadians in Regional Command South and long may it last."
Champagne had become the chief of staff to Maj.-Gen. Mart de Kruif, the old RC South commander in June, but Carter shifted him to planning when the British general arrived with a team of staff officers that he had trained with before deploying. As the military view such things, Champagne's new job as planner could have been seen as a demotion.
Champagne's replacement is to be Brig.-Gen. Craig King of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He is to be rushed from Canada to take up his new duties within the next two weeks, according to sources in Afghanistan.
The switch of Canadian generals comes at a crucial juncture as the 40,000 NATO troops now fighting in the South are about to be augmented by thousands of additional forces that U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce in a nationally televised speech on Tuesday.
Only five months into what was to have been a 12-month tour, Champagne had spoken several weeks ago with great enthusiasm to Canwest News Service about what lay ahead after Obama announced the troop surge and a renewed focus on the war in the South.
"Obviously, whatever resources we can apply to this would make a big difference," the 52-year old former commander of Canada's infantry school said at the time.
Champagne's sudden departure from Afghanistan was the second such incident involving a senior ISAF officer this year. Gen. David McKiernan lost his job as the force commander this June when Obama chose to replace him with Gen. Stanley McChrystal whose experience as a Special Forces commando was considered to be better suited for devising a strategy to defeat the Taliban.
Despite Champagne's unexpected departure, Canada continues to hold an unusually high number of positions in the ISAF command structure. As Champagne is to be replaced by King, six of Canada's 13 army brigadier-generals are presently in Afghanistan.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
