INDEPTH: A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Camp Warehouse
CBC News Online | February 18, 2004
Reporter: Peter Mansbridge
Camp Julien isn't the only base for Canada's soldiers. About 300 live at Camp Warehouse. It's about half an hour from here on the other side of Kabul. Camp Warehouse is the operations centre for the multinational force in Kabul. The camp has soldiers and equipment from dozens of countries. People here help tie the operation together. Among the 300 Canadians stationed at the camp are those who run the Signal Operations Centre, helping to keep the aircraft and vehicles of the NATO forces talking to each other.
Major Luc Lafrenière (Canadian Forces):
The general will tell you that if he doesn't have any communications, he cannot control or command his brigade. So our job is very important. It's not that glamorous, but it's extremely important, and these young soldiers are doing a stellar job right now.
Peter Mansbridge:
Camp Warehouse is also headquarters to another of Kabul's Canadian commanders: General Jocelyn Lacroix is in charge of the Kabul multinational brigade. Today he's meeting the chief of the Kabul police force.
Brig.-Gen. Jocelyn Lacroix:
This is a very complex place, lots of different ethnicity. And Canada has a history of tolerance and a history of patience, and an open mind to dialogue. When you put these three things together, it's a good formula for this complex environment. So as a matter of fact, I think it helps that at this time in the building of this country that all of a sudden Canada just came in.
Peter Mansbridge:
One small group of Canadians attached to Camp Warehouse has a very special job. High above Kabul on the summit of what is known as TV Hill... The small group operates and guards some of the communication towers for the ISAF force.
Sgt. Richard Trudel:
To me, being here with the group, it builds a bigger family sense. We kind of have a feeling to being part of a group instead of being with 12 or 1,500 people where you feel alone. Here you feel part of the team. Personally, that's the way I prefer to be. That's the way I prefer to live.
Peter Mansbridge:
The building they're housed in was built as a restaurant. But with the Russian invasion, it never opened. The hill was passed from the Russians to the Taliban and one day will be home to the Afghan army. For the moment, though, these Canadian soldiers have this spectacular view to themselves.
Sgt. Richard Trudel:
We are 21 people here on the mountain, and we kind of feel that we are the kings of the hill, because we're alone and this is our home for the next six months. So we are really the kings of the hill.
Peter Mansbridge:
Well, lots of comings and goings at Camp Julien, on the base right now at a time like this in the morning, things are just getting started. One of the Iltis patrols heading out right now. We're going to talk to a couple of the fellows who are heading out. First of all, your name and hometown.
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
I'm from Abitibi.
Sgt. Grant:
My name is Sergeant Grant from Montreal.
Capt. Lapointe:
My name is Lapointe and I come from Quebec City.
Peter Mansbridge:
And you're all with the Vandoos obviously. Give us a sense of... I know you can't be specific about what you'll be doing on this patrol, but give us a sense of where you'll be going and what you'll be doing.
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
Today we'll be heading out to our respective police district, which is police district number five, and what we'll be doing is talking to people, getting a bit of information on what the security level is like out there, if there's any crime, and et cetera, et cetera.
Peter Mansbridge:
Now, I know you've only been here for a couple of weeks, but you've managed to do a number of patrols already. When you're meeting the people, what's the impression they're leaving with you?
Sgt. Grant:
They look happy to see us, and I think they want us to stay because it is more secure because we are here, but there's some people from outside and the other people do things to... I don't speak English well.
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
There are outsiders that are here to make hits against ISAF members. So that's what the local population, they're a bit afraid of that, of the outsiders.
Peter Mansbridge:
What do you think of Afghanistan so far? Is it what you expected it would be like? Because you had a lot of training.
Sgt. Grant:
It's what we trained for.
Peter Mansbridge:
But the countryside, the people, it's what you thought? No surprises so far?
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
So far, no surprises. Yeah, it's exactly like some of our counterparts told us how it is. People, the local people, the country, the temperature and all that.
Peter Mansbridge:
Now, you're on patrol in the Iltis. It's had a certain controversy to it obviously, and I know you fellows certainly don't want to get into that controversy, but one of the big pluses is the ability to really see the people as opposed to some of the other vehicles I was in earlier this week, in a Bison and an LAV, and you don't really get out to see too much when you're in those.
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
In the Iltis, we're in direct contact with the population. If we're in a heavily populated area with a lot of people, the civilians are exactly where I'm standing right now, they're right beside the vehicle. So that's one of the aspects we have to watch for, but so far, the Iltis has taken us from point A to point B and back to camp. It's doing the job.
Peter Mansbridge:
What do you think of the camp facilities here? It's pretty amazing.
Sgt. Grant:
It's the biggest camp I've ever seen and with a lot of facilities. It's better and better every year we do a tour.
Peter Mansbridge:
Were you chaps in Bosnia as well?
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
I was in Bosnia in 2001, and, yeah, I was there for a month because I was over with mortars back then. But Sergeant Grant, he was there for the entire tour.
Peter Mansbridge:
At a time like this, tour just starting, still six months to go, you must have mixed feelings missing family and everything, but how does it feel now that you've finally got started?
Sgt. Émile Deschamps:
Well, for now, the loneliness part is not yet here because we're always working so hard and waiting until everybody gets here, so we're always on long shifts. We have to fill in the spots of people who aren't here yet, so in about a month, we'll start worrying about home and being lonely a bit. For now, we don't have time.
Sgt. Grant:
We don't have time.
Peter Mansbridge:
Listen, I know you've got to get going. Stay safe out there. Thanks very much for talking to us before you head out today.
Sgt. Grant:
No problem, sir.
Peter Mansbridge:
Thanks, bye-bye.
^TOP
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