Friendly fire incident reveals training gap: commander
Canadian troops shot Afghan policeman in nighttime encounter in February
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EDMONTON - When his soldiers gunned down and killed an Afghan policeman during a confused and violent night encounter on Sunday, Feb. 18, Canada's military commander in Kandahar realized there was something wrong with their training.
"What became evident fairly quickly was that some of the troops had a training delta (gap), that I was able to identify," Brig.-Gen. Tim Grant said this week. "We were able to put together a new training regime on fairly short notice."
Until that training was complete, the soldiers involved in the friendly fire incident weren't allowed back on the road.
"That weekend was perhaps the longest weekend I have served in Afghanistan," Grant told the Edmonton Journal's editorial board this week as he made a brief visit to his home base.
"It was just one thing after another."
By this time next week, Grant will be on his way back to Kandahar where he commands 2,500 troops drawn from bases across Canada. Members of one those Canadian contingents -- 2 Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment -- were found wanting last month when they were apparently attacked twice while travelling through Kandahar's darkened streets.
At least they thought they'd been attacked twice. For some, apparently only the first attack was real, Grant said.
"We had vehicles that were attacked in one location, but they didn't break down until they were two or three kilometres away and in one case they broke down in front of the governor's palace," said Grant. "It was probably the most secure location in Kandahar city."
What happened next was a confusing shambles. It is now a matter for the military's National Investigation Service so Grant can't divulge most of the details. He will only say that what happened shouldn't have happened.
When the vehicles came to a stop, some Afghan policemen posted to the governor's palace came out of the palace grounds.
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Canadian troops shot Afghan policeman in nighttime encounter in February
Article Link
EDMONTON - When his soldiers gunned down and killed an Afghan policeman during a confused and violent night encounter on Sunday, Feb. 18, Canada's military commander in Kandahar realized there was something wrong with their training.
"What became evident fairly quickly was that some of the troops had a training delta (gap), that I was able to identify," Brig.-Gen. Tim Grant said this week. "We were able to put together a new training regime on fairly short notice."
Until that training was complete, the soldiers involved in the friendly fire incident weren't allowed back on the road.
"That weekend was perhaps the longest weekend I have served in Afghanistan," Grant told the Edmonton Journal's editorial board this week as he made a brief visit to his home base.
"It was just one thing after another."
By this time next week, Grant will be on his way back to Kandahar where he commands 2,500 troops drawn from bases across Canada. Members of one those Canadian contingents -- 2 Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment -- were found wanting last month when they were apparently attacked twice while travelling through Kandahar's darkened streets.
At least they thought they'd been attacked twice. For some, apparently only the first attack was real, Grant said.
"We had vehicles that were attacked in one location, but they didn't break down until they were two or three kilometres away and in one case they broke down in front of the governor's palace," said Grant. "It was probably the most secure location in Kandahar city."
What happened next was a confusing shambles. It is now a matter for the military's National Investigation Service so Grant can't divulge most of the details. He will only say that what happened shouldn't have happened.
When the vehicles came to a stop, some Afghan policemen posted to the governor's palace came out of the palace grounds.
More on link
