Media advisory - From Kandahar to Quebec City Commander of the Operational
Mentor and Liaison Team to return home

VALCARTIER GARRISON, QC, Oct. 21 /CNW Telbec/ - Media representatives are invited to be present for the return from Afghanistan of Colonel Gregory D. Burt , Commander of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT), accompanied by approximately 115 other soldiers based in Valcartier, this Thursday, October 22 .

    
    Who:   Colonel Gregory D. Burt, Commander of the OMLT

    When:  Thursday, October 22, 2009, at 5:30 pm (flight scheduled to land
           at 6:15 pm)

    Where: Jean-Lesage International Airport, Quebec City
    

In compliance with airport regulations, no media representatives will be allowed in secure areas or on the apron. However, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to the families before the soldiers' arrival, and to Colonel Burt and the other soldiers after they have cleared customs. Soldiers and their families will not travel to Valcartier Garrison after leaving the airport.

The Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) was formed in August 2006 to work with the 1st Brigade of the Afghan National Army's 205 Corps, based in Kandahar Province. 1st Brigade consists of a headquarters, three infantry kandaks, one combat support kandak and one logistics kandak. (A kandak is about the size of a Canadian infantry battalion.) In Rotation 7, the OMLT consists of 160 soldiers from a wide range of occupations and units across Canada . Most of them are experienced officers and senior non-commissioned members.

This group of about 115 soldiers is the fourteenth from a contingent of approximately 1,640 troops from Valcartier, all of whom are scheduled to return home by mid-November 2009. They have been participating in the Canadian mission in Afghanistan since mid-March 2009.

Media representatives who would like to attend this returning flight on October 22 are requested to contact 5 CMBG Public Affairs at their earliest convenience.

Note: No interviews will be given by soldiers during their post-deployment leave. Requests for interviews will be considered only after the soldiers return to work in mid-January 2010. This will allow the soldiers to fully enjoy a well-deserved rest and spend as much time as possible with their loved ones.

For further information: Captain Lyne Poirier, 5 CMBG Public Affairs Officer, [phone], ext 4688, Pager: [phone]; Information about return flights: [phone], ext 4429