In action with Stab A

By Sergeant Rémi Dubé

March 20, 2009, marked the long-awaited outcome of more than a year of training for members of the 1^st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, when they deployed to serve with Stabilization Company A (Stab) of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT). This day was a big step for most of the soldiers, who were facing their first tour.

Operating mostly in Kandahar City, these troops were given the task of supporting the reconstruction effort in Kandahar Province by protecting the engineers, civilian police, Correctional Service of Canada officers and other members of the “whole of government” team who run the various programs. On top of these protection tasks, StabA received a mandate to maintain security in the city with the Afghan national security forces by patrolling every neighbourhood by day and by night.

This job was never going to be simple. Many aspects of life here are hugely different from Canadian reality. If the platoon had gone to the moon, the mission couldn’t have been more complex. When I was a kid, my parents didn’t teach me either English or Pashto, unfortunately; what luck that we have such good Afghan interpreters! As well, the religious differences that are so much more evident here than at home require constant adaptation in our schedule of activities and our dealings with civilians. This very patriarchal society is organized so that it is very rare for us to have any thing to do with the women of the country. There is also the extreme heat that forces every soldier to drink several litres of water during a patrol of only two or three hours — even on a cool day. I will spare you the details of the little illnesses that run through the camp; most of us come down with something at least once during a tour. Combine all that with the risk associated with the constant patrolling, and you understand the pride the soldiers of StabA take in their mission, which is rapidly coming to an end.

Despite the challenges they have to overcome, the members of Stab A and the rest of the KPRT can be very proud of the work they have done in Afghanistan in such a short time. When we leave this place, we will be certain that we have succeeded in our mission, and made a positive difference to the people of Kandahar.

Sgt Rémi Dubé is a section leader in Stabilizaton Company A of the KPRT.