Interview with Chris Kilford

Narrator: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kilford, 1961- Interviewer: Interviewed by Matthew Bacon Interview Date and Location: 07 March 2025, Victoria, BC. Synopsis: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kilford discusses his experiences with the Canadian Armed Forces, with a particular focus on his time working with and alongside NATO organizations. The first 15 minutes of the interview are dedicated to understanding Kilford's upbringing as well as his early deployment history with the military up until approximately 2001. From 14:37 to 34:29, the discussion shifts to focus on his experiences at the Canadian Forces College. In this section, we discuss the thinking within the college before the events of September 11th, 2001, specifically the focus on the Canadian military’s failures in Rwanda and Somalia. Furthermore, following the events of 9/11, Kilford examines his personal experiences with the shifting dynamic of warfare and doctrine during the War on Terror. From 34:29 to 54:43, Kilford discusses his experiences with the Chief Force Development (CFD), Acting Director of Future Security Analysis, Deputy Director of the Canada First Defence Strategy team, and as a Military Liaison Officer between the Department of National Defence and the Standing Senate Committee on National Defence. This section largely covers Kilford’s transition into the political aspects of NATO. From 54:43 to 01:55:46, Kilford discusses his experiences as a Deputy Canadian Defence Attache at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (2009-2010) and as the Canadian Defence Attache at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey (2011-2014). Kilford’s experiences at the Afghan and Turkish embassies are the heart of this interview, delving deep into his time working with and alongside NATO organizations. Specifically, his experience during this time focuses on the discussion regarding the ‘ground truth’ or reality of the situation on the ground. Finally, the last 15 minutes of the interview focus on Kilford’s experiences outside of the Canadian Armed Forces, specifically his visits to the Canadian Battlegroup in Latvia. 00:00-00:53—Introduction. 00:53-03:50—Background Information. 03:50-14:37—Early Service Record. 14:37-34:29—Canadian Forces College, 2001-2004. 34:29-52:10—Chief Force Development (CFD), Acting Director of Future Security Analysis, Deputy Director of the Canada First Defence Strategy team, 2004-2008. 52:10-54:43—Military Liaison Officer between the Department of National Defence and the Standing Senate Committee on National Defence, 2008-2009. 54:43-01:20:05—Deputy Canadian Defence Attache at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2009-2010. 01:20:05-01:55:46—Canadian Defence Attache at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, with the responsibility for military relations between Canada and Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, 2011-2014. 01:55:46-02:06:44—Additional Questions. 02:06:44-02:08:06—Closing Remarks.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Bacon, Matthew
• Kilford, Chris, 1961-

Subject

• War on Terrorism (2001-2009)
• Military history
• Canada. Canadian Armed Forces
• September 11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)
• Diplomatic and consular service
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Military education

Language

• eng

Identifier

• Interview #SC141_KC_933

Keyword

• Partnership for Peace, PFP
• Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan
• Canada in Latvia
• Arab Spring
• NATO Partner Nation
• War on Terror
• Latvia
• Canada
• Canadian Battlegroup in Latvia
• International Security Assistance Force, ISAF
• 9/11
• Canadian Forces College
• Afghanistan
• Canadian Embassy in Turkey
• Syria
• Military Attache, Canadian Military Attache
• Syrian Civil War
• Turkey
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO

Date created

• March 7, 2025

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews (HIST 426, 2025).

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 02:08:06

Alternative title

• The Scholarly Obsession with Canadian Influence: Exploring the Historical and Contemporary Literature Regarding Canada in NATO

Geographic Coverage

• Turkey--Ankara
• Afghanistan--Kabul
• Latvia

Coordinates

• 57, 25
• 34.52813, 69.17233
• 39.91987, 32.85427

Physical Repository

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

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

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

Genre

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

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2026-0008; Series: II; Item: 933

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• 2025

Technical note

• Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in Spring 2025. 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/10.58066/4v5e-e077