Paquet, Charles Pierre: my Canadian Forces recollections (March 27, 2012)
PublicInterviewer: Conquist, Stefan
An interview/narrative of Bombardier Charles Paquet's experiences whilst serving with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Interview took place on March 27, 2012.
Rank: Bombardier. Medals and Honours: General Campaign Star
ABSTRACT: Charles Paquet, a Reservist with the rank of Bombardier, joined the 5th Field Regiment in 2007 and volunteered in 2009 for OP ATHENA ROTO 10 (tour date Nov 2010 – Jun 2011). He performed workup training as part of the TAC P (tactical air control party) in a French-Canadian battlegroup headed by the Royal 22e Regiment. His task was to maintain a variety of technical devices used to coordinate and designate air strikes by fixed-wing and rotorcraft in-country. His training, with the 1st Battalion, was conducted largely in Valcartier but also included field time in Wainwright. Paquet was deployed to KAF and immediately moved to FOB Zangabad in the west of Kandahar's Panjwayi district. Mounted in Coyote armored vehicles, he assisted the battlegroup as part of the FOO (Forward Observation Officer) and FAC (Forward Air Controller) team during combat with the enemy. He describes the air attacks from various allied aircraft, largely American, and later covers other kinds of assets such as unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters. Part way through the tour, Paquet took his HLTA leave to France. Afterwards, building new paved infrastructure in Kandahar is discussed. There's also a review of the workup training compared to the actual operations. After further discussion of fire support assets – fast aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and artillery – Paquet talks about the handover to American forces at the end of his tour. Decompression was in Cyprus and he returned home to Victoria, Canada, in 2011. 0:42 – 02:04 – Becoming a reservist, description of artillery, training with 5th Fd Regt. 02:15 – 05:04 – Predeployment training with R22e regiment in Alberta and Quebec 05:09 – 06:37 – Description of duties as a TAC P (Tactical Air Control Party) 06:44 – 09:50 – Landing in KAF, initial deployment, activities as part of the Battlegroup 09:57 – 13:55 – Working with American allied air assets, TAC P equipment 14:04 – 15:08 – Home Leave Travel Assistance in France, length of tour 15:09 – 17:08 – Repaving Route Hyena to PBSG, workup training review 17:26 – 20:00 – Allied fixed-wing aircraft in theatre 20:16 – 26:43 – Operations with the forward observation party, helicopters/UAVs 26:55 – 29:01 – Handover to the Americans, departure from Kandahar, decompression 29:03 – 30:55 – Return to Canada
Interviewee: Paquet, Charles Pierre, b. 1991
- In Collection:
- Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001-
- Multinational armed forces
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Field Regiment, 5th
- Military engineering
- Operation Athena (2003-2011)
- Taliban
- Basic training (Military education)
- Military helicopters
- Drone aircraft
- Canada--Canadian Forces Base (Valcartier, Que?bec)
- Paquet, Charles Pierre, 1991- -- Interviews
- Civil-military relations--Afghanistan
- Operational readiness (Military science)
- Military education
- Bombing, Aerial
- Communications, Military
- Afghan War, 2001- --Aerial operations, Canadian
- Operation Archer (2005-)
- Coyote (Armored military vehicle)
- United States--Army
- Combat--Psychological aspects
- Afghanistan--Politics and government--2001-
- Kandaha?r (Afghanistan)
- Route Hyena (Afghanistan : Panjwaii (District))
- United States--Combined Joint Task Force-82
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Battle Group TF 3-10 (Operation Athena Rotation 10)
- Soldiers--Recreation
- United States--Air Force
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Personal narratives
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Equipment
- Chinook (Military transport helicopter)
- Panjwa?ii (Afghanistan : District)
- Tanks (Military science)
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Operational readiness
- Kandahar Airfield (Afghanistan)
- Afghan War, 2001- --Personal narratives, Canadian
- Zangabad (Afghanistan : Forward Operating Base)
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Leaves and furloughs
- Afghanistan--History--2001-
- Kandaha?r (Afghanistan : Province)
- Canada--Canadian Forces Base (Wainwright, Alta.)
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Reserves
- Afghan War, 2001- --Reconnaissance operations, Canadian
- Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
- Afghanistan--Roads--Design and construction
- Improvised explosive device
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
- Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Royal Regiment, 22e--Battalion, 1st
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Airplanes, Military
- Tank warfare
- Combat
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 60.10867, -113.64258
- 39.76, -98.5
- Original sound recording (WMA) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- PC_710
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- March 27, 2012
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 22 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2012. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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Paquet_C_0710_01.mp3 | Public |
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