Task Force Kandahar (TFK) was the formation conducting the

International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...

(ISAF) mission in Kandahar Province under ISAF

Regional Command South In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. When it concluded its mission in summer 2011, the formation included a

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

battle group, three U.S. Army battalions (two of infantry and one of military police), an engineer regiment, a signal squadron, Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLTs), and contributions to Operational Mentor and Advisory Teams (OMATs) and the Police Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (P-OMLT).

Origin

Move from Kabul

On 29 November 2005, the Canadian base

Camp Julien Camp Julien was the main base for the Canada's role in the Afghanistan War, Canadian contingent of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. The camp was named after Lance Corporal George Patrick Julien, a Canadian ...

in southwest Kabul officially closed.

(CF) components that were in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

under Operation Athena were relocated to

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

as part of the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism known as

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

(OEF). The Canadian component was initially designated Operation Archer. The Canadian

Provincial Reconstruction Team A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PR ...

(PRT) had already been at Camp Nathan Smith in

since August 2005. The PRT integrated elements from the Canadian Forces (CF),

Foreign Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC; french: Affaires mondiales Canada; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department ...

(FAC), the

Canadian International Development Agency The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a federal Canadian organization that administered foreign aid programs in developing countries. The agency was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the federal governmen ...

(CIDA), and the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

(RCMP).

Task Force Afghanistan

In early 2006, Canada's contribution to Operation Archer increased to approximately 2300 personnel. The then-designated Task Force Afghanistan also included a Canadian-led multinational brigade headquarters, designated Task Force Aegis, and Canadian battle group designated Task Force Orion centred on 1st Battalion

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

(1 PPCLI). This time frame also saw the introduction of the

M777 howitzer The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the US ...

as part of the task force in February 2006. The period was highlighted by Operation Mountain Thrust and Operation Zahara (also designated the First Battle of Panjwaii). 1 PPCLI was given the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation from the

Governor-General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...

for "exceptional determination and courage during relentless combat in Afghanistan, from January to August 2006". On 31 July 2006, with the expansion of the

(ISAF) mandate, US-led Coalition forces handed command of the southern region of Afghanistan to

. With the transfer of command authority, the majority of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

came again under Operation Athena.

Evolution of Task Force Kandahar

Task Force 3-06 (Operation Athena Rotation 2)

On 19 August 2006, the 1st Battalion

The Royal Canadian Regiment , colors = , identification_symbol_2 = Maple Leaf (2nd Bn pipes and drums) , identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol_4 = The RCR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , mar ...

Battle Group (1RCR BG) assumed command of the

Kandahar Province Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzga ...

area of operations from Task Force Orion. In early September 2006 the task force lead

Operation Medusa Operation Medusa (September 2–17, 2006) was a Canadian-led offensive during the second Battle of Panjwaii of the War in Afghanistan. The operation was fought primarily by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group and other e ...

with the aim to clear

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

insurgents from a fortified position in Pashmul. For the operation, the battle group was partnered with forces from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

and

. The Battle of Pashmul marked the first time NATO had engaged in combat operations at the battle group-level. In the citation for the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation, the battle group had succeeded "where larger forces had failed, they prevented the enemy from realizing their goals of capturing the city and weakening international resolve and cohesion". An

Operational Mentor and Liaison Team Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were the NATO equivalent of the United States' Embedded Training Teams and were active in Afghanistan. Countries Teams from several countries provided training and operational support to the A ...

(OMLT) was formed to work with the 1st Brigade of the 205 ''Atul'' (Hero) Corps (1/250 Corps), based in

. This surge, along with the deployment of a squadron of

Leopard 1 The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were though ...

tanks from

Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH C is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Army and is Canada’s only tank regiment. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 1 Canadian Mechanize ...

CFB Edmonton CFB Edmonton (also called 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton) is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks". His ...

, increased the number Canadian Forces in Afghanistan to 2500. With Brigadier-General Timothy Grant assuming command of the Canadian elements in Kandahar in November 2006 and the construction of Provincial Operations Centre at

Kandahar Airfield Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport ( ps, د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر) and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF) , is located about south-east of the city K ...

, the framework for Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) was in place.

Task Force 1-07 (Operation Athena Rotation 3)

Although the battle group for TF 1-07 was based on 2nd Battalion

(2RCR) from

CFB Gagetown 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Gagetown, is a large Canadian Forces Base covering an area over , located in southwestern New Brunswick. Construction of the base At the ...

, the headquarters for Task Force Kandahar was primarily force generated from

Land Force Atlantic Area The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some uni ...

, taking on a greater responsibility than previously rotations' Nation Command Elements. The commander for Task Force Kandahar was also designated Commander Joint Task Force Afghanistan, ultimately responsible for all Canadian Forces personnel and assets deployed in southwest Asia. The task force contributed to

Operation Achilles Operation Achilles was a NATO operation, part of the War in Afghanistan. Its objective was to clear Helmand province of the Taliban. The operation began on March 6, 2007. The offensive is the largest NATO-based operation in Afghanistan to date ...

mid-April to mid-March 2007, the clearing of Taliban fighters from

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

. This offensive action was the largest

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

operation in Afghanistan up to this point. On 15 May 2007, the Canadian OMLT took over full responsibility for the mentoring of 1/250 Corps from the United States Army. In July 2007, the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-i ...

increased its diplomatic presence in Kandahar by appointing Michel de Salaberry as the Representative of Canada Kandahar (RoCK).

Task Force 3-07 (Operation Athena Rotation 4)

Both the headquarters and the battle group were generated from

5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (french: 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada) (5 CMBG) is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of 2nd Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. It is based at CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City, Quebec. ...

(5 CMBG) with Brigadier-General

Guy Laroche Guy Laroche () (16 July 1921 – 17 February 1989) was a French fashion designer and founder of the eponymous company. Biography Laroche was born in La Rochelle, and began his career in millinery. From 1949, Laroche worked for Jean Dess� ...

as the commander. This rotation of the headquarters saw the "digitizing" of the task force, modernizing the command and control information systems within the task force and the standing up of Task Force Kandahar Signal Squadron. The 3rd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group (3 R22^eR BG), which was awarded the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation, was "instrumental in dismantling improvised explosive device networks, re-capturing checkpoints and returning them to Afghan control, enhancing the capacity of Afghan forces and providing guidance on community building and local governance." On 16 October 2007, the Government of Canada indicated the current mission was to end in 2011.

Task Force 1-08 (Operation Athena Rotation 5)

* Battle group – 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group * Provincial Reconstruction Team – B Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry * Task Force Kandahar – Rotation 4 Task Force Kandahar headquarters remained (9-month tour) * National Support Element(NSE), Supply and Transportation Company, 1 Service Battalion. * Dates – February 2008 – September 2008

Task Force 5-08

Based on headquarters from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, TF 5-08 was also part of Operation Athena Rotation 5, but as the headquarters were on nine-month tours instead of the standard six, the headquarters were no longer in sync with their respective rotation. The headquarters, although it was involved with force-generation exercises with both Rotation 5 and 6, the Commander, Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, referred to the headquarters as "Rotation 5.5". On the evening of 13 June 2008, Taliban fighters executed a raid on Kandahar’s

Sarposa Prison Kandahar Central Jail, also known as Sarpuza Prison or Sarposa Prison, is a minimum security prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It has been historically used for the incarceration of common criminals of Kandahar Province. In the last two decades, the ...

, freeing as many as 1100 prisoners (approximately 400 Taliban). * Battle of Arghandab * 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment (United States) comes under operational command of TFK for operations in Maywand.

Task Force 3-08 (Operation Athena Rotation 6)

* Battle Group – 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group * Operation Shahi Tandar * Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing stands up 6 December 2008 * Dates – August 2008 – February 2009 * A-SQN Lord Strathcona’s Horse Royal Canadians (LdSH RC)

Task Force 5-09

* Task Force Kandahar – Headquarters rotation only. Based on headquarters from

1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG; French: '')'' is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of the 3rd Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. Originally headquartered at CFB Calgary, it is currently based in CFB Edmonton ...

. * Commander – Brigadier-General

Jonathan Vance General Jonathan Holbert Vance (born January 3, 1964) is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as a general in the Canadian Army. Vance was the chief of the Defence Staff from 2015 to 2021. In July 2021, Vance was charged with one co ...

* Transfer of command authority 19 February 2009

Task Force 1-09 (Operation Athena Rotation 7)

* Battle group – 2nd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group * Dates – March 2009 – November 2009

Task Force 3-09 (Operation Athena Rotation 8)

* Battle group – 1st Battalion

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patri ...

Battle Group * Dates – November 2009 – May 2010

Task Force 6-09

* Task Force Kandahar – Headquarters rotation only. Based on headquarters from

. * Commander – Brigadier-General Daniel Ménard. Relieved from his position, and Colonel Simon Hetherington was designated as acting commander in the interim. Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance returns in until TF 5-10. * At the beginning of July 2010, Canadians transferred command responsibility for

, Arghandab and

Zhari Zhari ( ps, ژړۍ, fa, ولسوالی ژری) is a district in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Zheley (due to transliteration from Pashto), Zharey, Zharay, Zheri, or Zheray. The district was created in 2004 from l ...

to U.S. forces and control for the Horn of Panjwaii directly to

Task Force 1-10 (Operation Athena Rotation 9)