Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT)

Transcript of video

Joint Task Force Afghanistan
Operation ATHENA, Rotation 3

July–August 2007
Kandahar, Afghanistan

Major-General Timothy Grant, Commander, Joint Task Force Afghanistan

The OMLT (“omelette”) and the Afghan National Army are a true success story. We have some tremendously dedicated Canadians who are working daily with the Afghan army. They live with them, they train with them and they fight with them, and we are seeing a tremendous increase in the professionalism of the Afghans, from private soldiers through to the brigade commander and the brigade commander’s staff. This is something that all members of the task force are tremendously proud of. We have gone from having one OMLT to five OMLTs. We are engaged from the brigade headquarters through infantry kandaks down to logistics kandaks. This is a success story that we’re all very proud of.

Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne Eyre, Commanding officer, Canadian Special Operations Regiment

Counter-insurgency is a new type of warfare for Canada, and it’s been said by the Afghans themselves that the only way we’re going to get enduring security for Afghanistan is to have Afghans do it. So, by developing them, by increasing their proficiency, we’re increasing the security of Afghanistan and thus allowing us to draw down our forces.

[Sound of small-arms fire]

We focus on two things: the short-term operational employment of the Afghan National Army, and their long-term development. And over the course of the next year, 18 months, we’re going to see a transition from coalition-led operations where the Afghan National Army has been basically in support, to having the Afghan National Army in the leading position where we support. They’re making great progress in proficiency development; they’re getting better and better all the time.

Will it ever be the same as our army? No, cause we’re not trying to make it into our army, we’re not trying to make a mirror image of what we are, because that will not work, and that will not be sustainable.

Captain Stephen Good, Team Mentor, 3rd Company, 2nd Kandak

Early on in the tour, the first couple months, the operations we were going on were pretty much all dry holes. You could tell the ANA, after about four hours, and it’s like … gettin’ listless. They were still watchin’ their arcs, but I mean, weapons across the shoulder, helmets off, strapped to their butt-pack. Now, when we go on on op, helmets are buckled up, they’re ready, two hands on the weapons. The operations have been rewarding. The ANA are warriors; they like to fight, and just being able to be with them and learn, actually, from them as well as they learn from us.

Sergeant from the Afghan National Army, 2nd Company, 3rd Kandak (Interpreted in theatre)

[Voice of interpreter speaking English covers the sergeant’s voice speaking Pashto]

I’m very happy from the coalition forces that they’re working together with the Afghan ANA, and also in operations, and also in any time, they’re ready to help the ANA, and I am very happy, and I appreciate their help.

Major Dave Quick, Officer Commanding,
India Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group

Today’s operation … The purpose of the operation was to conduct a joint ANSF and ISAF disruptive operation in the Sangasar area, which is part of Zhari. The operation itself was joint-planned, and conducted by both night and day. We used the ISAF troops — Canadian soldiers — to do a covert insertion to provide a block and a patrol base location where we then linked up with the Afghan National Army and conducted our clearance task. It was only Taliban in the area, so we engaged in kinetic operations.

The kinetic operations were very well orchestrated, and certainly there was no casualties to ISAF or ANSF at all. We did inflict several injuries — casualties — to the Taliban,and we’ve since extracted two of the Talibans’ injured back to our Role 3 in Kandahar Airfield.

[Sound of helicopter]

MGen Timothy Grant

On the army front we’ve had tremendous success. When I first got here, we had one infantry kandak. That kandak now is at a level where it’s able to take on planning and conduct of operations on its own, which is tremendous. That’s exactly what we need. But we’re now taking responsibility for two more kandaks, the brigade headquarters, and the logistics kandak. The Afghan army wants to be successful; they’re dedicated, they’re motivated, they’re exceptionally brave, and they will be able to take over the brunt of the fighting from us in the months to come. No doubt about that at all.

***********