Interview with Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Kilford

Narrator: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Kilford Interviewer: Interviewed by Callum Thomson Interview Date and Location 10 March 2024, Via Zoom. Synopsis: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Kilford speaks about his Military career with an emphasis on his time in the defence attaché/liaison role with the Canadian Senate in Ottawa as well as Afghanistan and Turkey. The interview covers his time joining the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to becoming an officer in the Royal Canadian Artillery specializing in the anti-aircraft role to his transition to the defence attaché role, after a shift in the operational needs of the CAF during the Global war on terror. He describes the duties and daily life of a defence attaché in Afghanistan (2009-2010) as well as the issues he engaged with in his role and what Canada’s interest where at the time. Kilford also speaks about the issues facing Turkey during his posting (2011-2014) and the surround region during his posting there as Defence attaché, including tensions in Azerbaijan, the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the Syrian Civil war and the ongoing Kurdish insurgency in eastern Turkey. 0:00 - 0:30 – Preamble. 0:30 - 4:09 - Early life and reasons for joining the Canadian armed forces (CAF). Becoming an Officer. 4:09 – 7:47 - Early Royal Canadian artillery Career, Upgrading education while in the CAF. 7:47 – 10:50 - Entering the world of Defence attachés and Liaison role. Being recruited for Turkey, training and summary of responsibilities. 10:50 – 12:11 - reasons for retiring, post retirement work at Canadian forces Collage, Royal Military Collage. 12:11 – 18:39 - Role as Senate Defence Committee Liaison, Changing needs of CAF in the Global war on terror as regards Anti-Air Capability. Leading Defence intelligence cell. 18:39 – 20:21 - Role of Deputy Defence Attaché in Afghanistan June 2009 – June 2010. Life as a Defence attaché in Kabul. 20:21 – 23:15 - Problems Training of Afghan forces, illiteracy, malnourishment. Assessing progress. 23:15 – 24:52 - Daily security in Kabul, perspective on camaraderie of diplomatic staff. 24:52 – 30:19 - Escorting visitors, Military-civil imbalance in Afghan society. Opinion on how effectiveness of coalition mission and current security situation. 30:19 – 32: 47 - Issues in Turkey, Kurdish insurgency, Arab spring, refugees, Syrian civil war. 32:47 – 36:21 - Lecture circuit, diplomacy between foreign delegations, utilizing background in Turkish politics and History. 36:21 – 40:56 - Military cultural similarities between attachés. 40:56 - 45:34 - Interacting with Turkish military and political culture. 45:34 – 50:43 - Relationship with Canadian civilian diplomats. 50:43 – 56:25 - The cross-accreditation system, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan. Cooperation between allied attachés. Reporting on current events. Other duties of an attaché. 56:25 – 1:00:17 - Canada’s interests in Turkey and the middle east. 1:00:17 - 1:00:46 – Conclusion. Suggested Clip(s) for Archive: 18:39 – 30:19 - Role of Deputy Defence Attaché in Afghanistan June 2009 – June 2010. Life as a Defence attaché in Kabul. Details about the secret world that existed for foreign personnel, the problems faced with building Afghan institutions and observations about the fate of Afghanistan and how attachés function in a country at war. 50:43 – 1:00:17 Insights into Canada’s interests in the middle east in the aftermath of the Arab spring, refugees and regional tensions.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Kilford, Chris
• Thomson, Callum

Subject

• Soldiers
• Diplomacy
• Military history
• Armed Forces--Artillery

Language

• eng

Identifier

• Interview #SC141_KC_907

Keyword

• Afghan National Police
• Turkey
• Royal Canadian Artillery
• CAF
• PKK
• ISAF
• Diplomacy
• RCA
• Türkiye
• Attaché
• Defence Attaché
• Anti-aircraft
• ANP
• Azerbaijan
• NATO
• ANA
• Turkmenistan
• Kurdistan
• Diplomat
• Afghanistan
• Kurdistan Workers Party
• GWOT
• Afghan National Army
• Georgia
• Military Diplomacy
• Liaison
• Global War on Terror
• Kurdish Insurgency
• Cross accreditation

Date created

• March 10, 2024

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews (HIST 426, 2024).

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 01:00:46

Alternative title

• Canadian Military Diplomacy: The Role of Defence Attaches, Liaisons and Seconded Personnel

Geographic Coverage

• Turkey
• Afghanistan
• Middle East--Kurdistan

Coordinates

• 33, 66
• 39, 35

Physical Repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• interviews
• reminiscences
• oral histories (literary genre)
• video recordings (physical artifacts)

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2025-002; Series 2; Item: 907

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Technical note

• Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2024. Recorded in digital format by interviewer. Keywords supplied by interviewer. Metadata by KD.

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

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/fx7h-hd81