A Ladner man is helping with Canada's current mission in Afghanistan. Col. Bryan Gagne, 46, is the senior advisor to Afghanistan's vice chief of defense, Lieutenant General Mohammad Akrm.
He's involved in the dayto-day functionality of the vice chief 's office and helps steer the staff through very tight timelines.
"It's a pretty all encompassing position," said Gagne, a reservist with the Canadian Forces for over 25 years.
Gagne, who owns an appraisals company in Ladner, has been in Afghanistan for five months.
He explained this is the third rotation in Canada's training mission, having transitioned from the combat mission in Kandahar, to a training and mentorship mission centered in Kabul.
He was one of a contingent of support personnel, mentors and advisors who deployed last summer to assist with "institutional capacity building."
Gagne described the vice chief as a former governor and weathered soldier who certainly knows how to administer an army. He was governor of Kandahar when Canadians were fighting the insurgency in the province.
Gagne said the vice chief oversees the Afghan National Army budget, oversees the logistical supply chain of the army, looks at the overall readiness, both of personnel and equipment, and also deals with infrastructure and facilities management.
Asked about any achievements he's made or any challenges he's faced during his time in Afghanistan, Gagne mentioned being able to synchronize in a culturally diverse office and help the vice chief tackle attrition in the Afghan National Army as accomplishments.
Gagne will be coming home in mid-March, he said.
"When you come from a relatively high stress environment, the down cycle can sometimes be a journey. They've got the right mechanisms in place for us to transition back."
