Operation Athena

Operation Athena was the Canadian Forces' contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The operation was divided in two phases: the first one took place from July 2003 to July 2005 in the Kabul region and the second one from August 2005 to December 2011 in the Kandahar area. The operation's main objective was to improve Afghanistan's security and governance. Operation Athena in Kandahar constituted the longest combat mission in the history of Canadian Forces.[1] With over 40,000 Canadian military units that, at some point, entered the country—often several times—this operation constitutes the largest military deployment of the Canadian Forces since World War II.[2]

Context

Following the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in New York City, the United States started a military campaign against the Taliban regime and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Canada officially joined this campaign on October 9, 2001.[3]

Operation Athena followed Operation Apollo, codename for the initial deployment of Canadian Force troops in Afghanistan from October 2001 to October 2003.[4] Operation Athena was an integral part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan created by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 on December 13, 2001[1] · .[5] Thereafter, other United Nations Security Council Resolutions have extended the ISAF's mandate.[1]

The military operation in Afghanistan was part of a government-wide effort; indeed, Canada is one of the main international donors in Afghanistan and several other ministries were involved along with the Canadian Department of National Defence.[6]

Purpose

Operation Athena's objective was to assist the Afghan government in order to help it govern better in a more stable environment.[1] Its purpose was to deploy 5300 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, within a coalition of about forty countries.[3] · [7] In this context, the ISAF was in charge of fighting the insurgents, and on a wider scale, was also responsible of the development and maintenance of security; Canada was, in terms of number of troops provided to the ISAF, the fifth country after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.[7]

The Kandahar Province provincial reconstruction team (PRT) aims to help the Afghan government to rebuild the country with the help of developmental projects, but also to extend its authority and to provide services to the citizens. The PRT – one of the 27 in Afghanistan – was under Canadian responsibility during Phase Two of Operation Athena. The Kandahar PRT was composed of diplomats, engineers, policemen, correctional officials and soldiers.[8] It represented the Afghan government before the Province's local authorities.[1]

Phases of the Operation

Phase One

Operation Athena began on 17 July 2003 with the installation of Brigadier-General Peter Devlin as commander of the ISAF's Kabul Multi-National Brigade. Two days later, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment began deploying as the first rotation of Task Force Kabul.[1] The operation evolved into a 1,900 personnel task force which provided assistance to civilian infrastructure such as well-digging and repair of local buildings.[1] ISAF's primary objective in 2004 was ensuring the safe conduct of Afghanistan's first democratic election, which was held on 9 October 2004. Hamid Karzai was declared the winner, and on 9 December 2004 he was inaugurated President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Phase one of Operation Athena ended in July 2005.[1]

Phase Two

In 2005, ISAF began to extend its operations beyond Kabul to support the development and growth of Afghanistan's governmental institutions, especially its national security forces. In August 2005, the second phase of Operation Athena began with the Canadian Forces assuming command of Kandahar Province from a United States Army task force deployed under Operation Enduring Freedom.[1]

History

Operation Athena started on July 17, 2003, in the Kabul region when Brigadier General Peter Devlin was assigned to the commandment of the multinational ISAF brigade, the troops' deployment was scheduled to effectively start on July 19, with a battlegroup composed of the 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment Battalion.[1] The ISAF became a coalition directed by the NATO on August 11, 2003.[9] The very same day, Major General Andrew Leslie was appointed second in command of the ISAF.[1] The Canadian embassy in Kabul opened in August 2003.[10]
The ISAF's main role in 2003 was to establish and to maintain security in Kabul when the new constitution was being written by the Loya Jirga, symbolizing the end of the Taliban regime[1] · .[3] On February 9, 2004, Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier was appointed Commander of the ISAF.[1] At this time, the Canadian military represented 40% of the ISAF.[3] The year 2004 held the first 2004 Afghan presidential election on October 9, 2004, and it was of ISAF's responsibility to ensure that they were properly conducted.[3]
In 2005, the ISAF's efforts started to extend to the outside of Kabul. The second phase of Operation Athena started with the deployment of a battlegroup composed of the 2nd Royal Canadian Regiment Battalion in Kandahar in August 2005. This battlegroup constituted the Kandahar – Task Force, taking over the American task force deployed in this region during Operation Enduring Freedom[1] · .[11] Thus, the Canadian Forces played an important role in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous regions.[12] This second phase constituted the Canadian Forces' first participation to an oversea operation as an actor of a government-wide deployment.[1]

Rotations

The battle groups were composed of a battalion of regular force of infantry which would normally remain in Afghanistan for about six months.

Operation Athena's rotations[1]
Rotation Unit Dates
Kabul
03rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentAugust 2003 to February 2004
13rd Battalion, Royal 22e RégimentFebruary 2004 to August 2004
21st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, with Reconnaissance Squadron, Lord Strathcona's HorseAugust 2004 to February 2005
31st Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentFebruary 2005 to July 2005
Kandahar
02nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentAugust 2005 to February 2006
11st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryFebruary 2006 to July 2006
21st Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentAugust 2006 to February 2007
32nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentFebruary 2007 to August 2007
43rd Battalion, Royal 22e RégimentAugust 2007 to February 2008
52nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryFebruary 2008 to August 2008
63rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentAugust 2008 To February 2009
72nd Battalion, Royal 22e RégimentFebruary 2009 to August 2009
81st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryAugust 2009 to February 2010
91st Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentFebruary 2010 to October 2010
101st Battalion, Royal 22e RégimentOctober 2010 to July 2011
11Transition mission's task forces essentially coming from the Land Force Western AreaJuly 2011 to December 2011

See also

References
  1. Operation Athena Archived 2011-08-27 at the Wayback Machine on the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command website, Page consulted on January 4th, 2012
  2. Lee Berthiaume, End of Afghan mission leaves vets grappling with their return to Canada, National Post, February 27th, 2012, Page consulted on October 8th, 2012
  3. Afghanistan: Operation Athena Archived 2013-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Radio-Canada, January 29th, 2004, consulted online on January 12th, 2012
  4. Operation Apollo on the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command website, Page consulted on January 4th, 2012,
  5. UN Security Counsel, Resolution 1386 (2001), document consulted online on January 4th, 2012
  6. Developmental Projects Archived 2012-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Canadian involvement in Afghanistan website, Page consulted on January 8th, 2011
  7. Canadian Involvement, Radio-Canada, October 31st, 2008, Page consulted on the January 12th, 2012
  8. Provincial Reconstruction Teams Archived 2013-01-07 at the Wayback Machine on the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan website, page consulted on January 5th, 2012
  9. History Archived 2012-03-03 at the Wayback Machineon the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan website, page consulted on January 4th, 2012
  10. History of our intervention Chronology of Canada's intervention in Afghanistan 2001–2011 Archived 2014-02-16 at the Wayback Machine on the website of the Canadian intervention in Afghanistan, page consulted on January 9th, 2011
  11. Joint Task Forces in Afghanistan on the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command website, page consulted on January 5th, 2012
  12. Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, CBC, 10 mai 2011, Page consulted on October 8th, 2012
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