The last Combat Logistics Patrol

By Captain Jeff Watson

The streets are crowded in the markets of Kandahar City. They are alive with activity this morning as one of the final Canadian consolidation patrols makes its way out to pick up some of the few remaining bits of equipment left outside the wire.

The column of vehicles stretches back more than a kilometre and is somewhat of a disruption to the already chaotic driving patterns of the city. Kids are playing in the streets, smiling and waving as the armoured vehicles roll by. Shops are open and it’s business as usual for the people who live here.

The members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry — deployed as Force Protection Company (FP Coy) of the Mission Transition Task Force — have trained for this very situation, and have a huge wealth of experience in combat logistics patrols (CLPs) to draw from.

CLPs are nothing new for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan; a major infantry task, they are a normal way to supply units deployed outside the wire. At one time, CLPs were used to transport everyone from soldiers to dignitaries around the area of operations.

The purpose of CLPs used to be to push equipment, soldiers and necessities out into the Canadian area of operations, but now they go out to gather Canadian gear for consolidation at Kandahar Airfield and transfer to other operations — such as Op ATTENTION in Kabul — or return to Canada.

The MTTF is tasked with closing down Operation ATHENA in Kandahar Province and thus facilitate the CF’s transition to subsequent operations as directed by the government of Canada. FP Coy is now running the last Canadian CLPs in southern Afghanistan.

Depending on the destination and the equipment to be recovered, CLPs vary greatly in number of vehicles and composition, and can involve as few as 30 to as many as 100 military personnel. Each conviy is a mosaic of mission-specific vehicles, and the personnel are selected specifically for their trade skills. Most of the soldiers who go out on patrol have been members of FP Coy since pre-deployment training and have established a good working relationship. For many, this deployment followed more than nine months of hard training.

Kandahar City, which was once dominated by a Canadian task force, is now buzzing with Afghan soldiers and police, and the members of the American task force that took over responsibility for the area. Canadians have apparently made an indelible impression here, and many Afghans and members of other coalition forces say as much.

For some members of the MTTF, this deployment is their first and possibly last glimpse of what will become a point of pride in Canada’s military history. As FP Coy will be the last combat-ready CF element to leave Afghanistan, it seems fitting that Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry — the same regiment that provided the first Canadian battle group that deployed here almost 10 years ago — should also provide the last Canadian soldiers most of the people of Kandahar are likely to see.

Capt Jeff Watson is currently deployed at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan with Force Protection Company of the Mission Transition Task Force.