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| | From:  Lettie011 (Original Message) | Sent: 5/24/2005 4:16 PM |
Joint Task Force Two JTF-2 
It was the type of photo that best captured the shadow war being waged by special operations troops in Afghanistan. The grainy image showed three heavily armed special forces soldiers, clad in black balaclavas, coming off the ramp of a U.S. aircraft at Kandahar with captive al-Qaeda fighters.
The photo, transmitted over news wires around the world in January 2002 identified the men as U.S. commandos returning from a successful mission.
But while the operation may have been successful, the men in the picture were not American. They were from the ultra-secretive Canadian counter-terrorism unit, Joint Task Force Two, whose operators had been assigned to the U.S.-led coalition fighting in Afghanistan .
The photo would spark a political firestorm in Canada where the government's public stance is more aimed at convincing Canadians that its soldiers are "peacekeepers" not warriors. For the first time Canadians, many of whom didn't even know JTF2 existed, were able to see actual evidence of their military in combat.
Unlike the Australian and U.S. governments, who have discussed special operations missions after the fact and in a limited fashion, the Canadian Forces has imposed almost a total blackout on JTF2 information.
Originally formed in 1993, JTF2's main role has been counter-terrorism and hostage rescue. But the unit's officers have long had a goal of turning their organization into a full-fledged special operations force, handling both "black" counter-terrorism missions and what the Canadian military terms "green" or more traditional special forces wartime roles.
Based at the 200-acre Dwyer Hill Training Centre in Ottawa , Ontario , JTF2 started out with around 100 members. Over the years it expanded, reaching a strength of around 300 operators by the time the 911 attacks occurred.
Its soldiers have trained with Britain 's 22nd Regiment Special Air Service, the Australian and New Zealand SAS as well as the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and U.S. Navy SEALS.
Although JTF2 has not been used on an actual hostage rescue mission, it had conducted limited operations overseas before being sent to Afghanistan in December 2001. In December, 1994 a small number of its men were sent to Bosnia to rescue 55 Canadian soldiers being held by the Serb military in retaliation for NATO bombing raids. But that mission never went beyond the planning stages since the hostages were eventually released unharmed. JTF2 snipers also joined their counterparts in the British SAS for reconnaissance missions, as well as counter-sniping work for Canadian units in the former Yugoslavia .
In the summer of 1996 a JTF2 team was sent to Haiti to train the Haitian police SWAT unit and advise on security arrangements for then President Rene Preval. Under JTF2's tutelage, the Haitian tactical squad conducted a series of successful missions to search out arms caches held by anti-government forces through Port au-Prince and the surrounding area.
Several months later another JTF2 team was providing close personal protection for Canadian generals and diplomats who were trying to negotiate an end to the massive refugee crisis in Central Africa that had developed after the civil war in Zaire . In early 1997 members of the unit found themselves in Lima , Peru to observe preparations by Peruvian special forces to rescue hostages being held at the home of Japan 's ambassador by the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement guerrillas.
But it was the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. that would give JTF2 its most high-profile mission yet and provide the unit with an entry into the special forces operations that it always wanted to conduct.
Less than a month after the attacks on New York and Washington, the Canadian government broke its iron-clad secrecy policy concerning JTF2 to briefly announce that the unit would be joining the American-led coalition assembling for a war on terrorism. Some 40 members of JTF2 had been requested by the U.S. military for a war in Afghanistan .
The JTF2 contingent arrived in Afghanistan in late December, 2001, moving in with other special forces operators based at the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar . The Canadians were immediately assigned to Task Force K-Bar, a multi-national special operations group led by U.S. Navy SEAL Capt. Robert Harward.
K-Bar consisted of some 2,800 personnel including support and air staff. Under his command, Harward had SOF from the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force as well as Denmark , Germany , Norway , Australia , Canada , New Zealand and Turkey. Air transport was provided by U.S. Marine helicopters. Inserting JTF2 into Task Force K-Bar was made easier by the fact it had trained previously with several of the units under that command.
Much of Task Force K-Bar's work was either reconnaissance or intelligence gathering operations ,such as checking out the labyrinth of caves and command posts used by al-Qaeda and Taliban, or in "direct action" missions involving calling in airstrikes or capturing enemy leaders for interrogation.
JTF2 and other Task Force K-Bar operators worked directly with FBI agents on the ground who decided which of the prisoners they took would be released and which would be held for further interrogation or sent to the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . The force was supported by a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft outfitted with real-time surveillance systems that allowed K-Bar commanders to assess the situation on the ground as it was happening.
In early January, JTF2 joined their Task Force K-Bar comrades in a series of raids designed to gather intelligence. One operation involved a search-and-destroy mission against a complex of 70 caves near the Pakistan border. Although details of the missions are still classified, JTF2 commanders on the ground were given much leeway to decide whether to proceed with a specific operation. It was only on the more complicated and dangerous tasks, that a "targeting" committee made up of senior Canadian Forces leaders would review mission details.
It was shortly after one of these intelligence-gathering raids, conducted Jan. 20, that an Associated Press photographer snapped the picture of JTF2 operatives disembarking from a U.S. plane at Kandahar airport with three captives.
A week after the photo had run in newspapers, with the mistaken caption identifying the special operations troops as American, the debate over whether al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters should be covered under the Geneva Conventions was raging in that country. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien had claimed that such a debate was hypothetical because Canadian soldiers had not yet taken any captives.
After it became known, however, that JTF2 indeed had been involved in a raid that took al-Qaeda operatives prisoner, the squabbling in Parliament reached a fever pitch with opposition politicians accusing Chretien of misleading the Canadian public and lawmakers.
JTF2 would soon be back in action, this time conducting strategic reconnaissance missions in the Shah- i- kot Valley , an extremely mountainous region west of the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. American intelligence officials had satellite imagery and intercepted radio and satellite phone communications indicating a large buildup of al-Qaeda and Taliban troops in the valley in and around the town of Sherkankel .
U.S. Navy SEALS, JTF2, Australian SAS and other members of the foreign special forces contingent under K-Bar would infiltrate into the mountains in support of Operation Anaconda. That operation would involve using two U.S. battalions (2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division) to conduct an air assault and occupy blocking positions in the Shah- i- kot mountain passes. Once there enemy escape routes towards Pakistan would be sealed off. Afghan soldiers with their special operations advisors, would then move down the valley and push the al-Qaeda and Taliban towards the U.S. battalions.
An estimated 20 to 25 JTF2 took part in Operation Anaconda with most of their surveillance missions taking place at 9,000 to 12,000 feet in the mountains.
The Canadian public and politicians wouldn't have known anything about JTF2's involvement in Anaconda had it not been for a televised news conference on March 4, 2002 in which General Tommy Franks, commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command, credited Canadian and other coalition special operations teams with providing key mission support. Only then, did Canadian military officials reluctantly acknowledge that was the case but again declined to give details.
In fact, most information about JTF2 missions have come from U.S. sources. According to American officers, on May 24, JTF2 conducted a mission at the village of Band Taimore , some 80 kilometers west of Kandahar . A 150-strong force made up of U.S. special operations troops, JTF2, and soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division descended on the village in Chinook helicopters around 1 a.m. Intelligence briefings had indicated the compound was a stronghold for senior Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders.
The raiding party used explosives to blow several six foot-large entry holes into the mud walls surrounding the village and then began to move from building to building in the compound rounding up males and females. One Afghan man was reportedly shot dead after he tried to escape while another, a village guard, was wounded when he opened fire on coalition forces.
Fifty-five of the male villagers were taken into custody and transported to an undisclosed special forces base for interrogation. Fifty were released a short while later after it was determined they had no affiliation with al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Five of the men were kept in custody for further interrogation, with at least one being described by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a Taliban official "below the senior level."
Although the raid created some controversy, since villagers claimed they were mistreated and had no allegiances to al-Qaeda or the Taliban, Pentagon and JTF2 officials maintain the special operations soldiers acted professionally. Force was only used when several people in the compound tried to leave the area and the village guard opened fire on the assault teams. JTF2 officials noted their men were operating in another area in the compound and were not involved in the shootings.
During the six-months that Task Force K-Bar operated in Afghanistan its soldiers killed 115 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters and captured another 107. It took part in 42 reconnaissance and surveillance missions as well as 23 "direct action" operations, mainly raids and ambushes of enemy forces. As well, K-Bar special forces called in 147 air strikes for close air support or to take out targets of opportunity. The task force destroyed an estimated one-half million pounds of enemy explosives and weapons. JTF2's exact contribution to this is not known but its operators found their experience with K-Bar to be highly important in establishing further links to U.S. SOF in particular.
JTF2 continues on in Afghanistan to this day and teams are now in country for Close Personal Protection duties for Canadian officers and diplomatic staff in Kabul .
Closer to home the unit is in the midst of a major expansion. It has received more than $100 million to "double the capacity" of JTF2, although details about numbers are classified. As of 911, JTF2 had around 300 members but it is widely assumed that is in the process of being increased to around 600. Much of the expansion is expected in support staff. JTF2 has two categories of personnel; Category A personnel who are special operations assaulters for the tactical aspects of the unit's missions; and Category B, which includes combat support personnel and special operations coxswains to handle JTF2's zodiac boats.
The new government funding is also going for new equipment. A fleet of Hummers have been purchased, making JTF2 the only unit in the Canadian Forces to be operating such vehicles.
JTF2, which labels itself a "world-class Special Operations Force", has also been on repeated recruiting drives to shore up its numbers. Like all SOF units it has felt a reduction in numbers as operators leave to take more lucrative jobs in private sector security. A number of former JTF2 members have found jobs in Iraq with private security companies. Others have gone into civilian police forces.
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Joint Task Force 2 Until 1993, counter-terrorism in Canada was the responsibility of the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Although the 49-man unit was never deployed, its leadership believed that its mission ran contrary to the professional culture of the Mounties. SERT was disbanded and a new unit for anti-terrorism and hostage rescue was formed by the Canadian Armed Forces. Recruiting from all branches of Canada's armed forces, the new elite unit was established as Joint Task Force 2. Its declared mission is "to respond as a force of last resort to terrorist events or major disturbances of the peace affecting national security." Modelled closely on the British Special Air Service (SAS), JTF2 is operated under an unusual degree of secrecy for Canadian services. Its actual composition, training and its deployment have never been disclosed through official channels. It strength is estimated at 250 to 300 troops with a lieutenant-colonel commanding; plans are in place to double its size by 2007. JTF2 is based on a 200-acre (0.8 km?) compound at Dwyer Hill Training Centre outside of Ottawa, Ontario. JTF2 is commanded by a lieutenant colonel of one of the branches. As a quick reaction force, JTF2 minimizes its reliance on other elements of the Canadian Forces. In its recruitment information, JTF2 identifies three categories of troop requirements: special operations assaulters (ASLTRS); tactical mobility and technical specialists; and service support specialists. JTF2 is rumoured to have deployed to Bosnia when Canadian troops were taken hostage by Bosnian Serb forces in 1995 but, if so, they were not called into action before the troops were released. JTF2 was also sent to Bosnia to hunt down snipers who threatened peacekeeping troops. Other reports claim that JTF2 operated in Kosovo to designate targets for NATO bombers but the Department of National Defense (DND) would not confirm their participation or location at the time. Members of the unit did escort General Maurice Baril across the Rwanda-Zaire border during the aborted plan to rescue Rwandan refugees. Teams provided SWAT training to Haiti and deployed to Peru when guerrillas took Canadians hostage there. JTF2 is known to have provided surveillance and strike teams for "Task Force K-Bar" in the war against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. For its service in Afghanistan, JTF2 was awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation in 2004, making it only the second Canadian unit to be so awarded.
The Canadian Airborne Regiment The Canadian Airborne Regiment traced its origin to two distinguished units formed during World War II, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion (1CanPara) and the 1st Special Service Force (1SSF). In 1947, the Canadian Special Air Service (SAS) company was created with former members of the 1CanPara and 1SSF at its core. The troops endured several reorganizations over the next 20 years, including the "Mobile Strike Force" and the "Defence of Canada Force." In 1968, these troops were brought together as The Canadian Airborne Regiment, based at CFB Edmonton, Alberta. The regiment was founded as an independent brigade command with two infantry commandos, one artillery battery, one engineer field squadron, one signal squadron, and a service company. In the 1970s a mechanized infantry battalion was added to the Regiment as 3 Canadian Mechanized Commando, but this unit was later retasked as 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. At that time, the regiment became the core of the Airborne Battle Group within the new Special Service Force based at CFB Petawawa, Ontario, while its artillery and engineer elements were reassigned to other CF units. The total peacetime strength of the regiment was 750 all ranks. The Airborne deployed twice at home in the 1970s: once in response to the "October Crisis" in Quebec in 1970, then in 1976 to provide counter-terrorist support at the Montreal Olympics. In 1974, the regiment undertook its first peacekeeping mission.. Shortly after its arrival in Cyprus, a coup overthrew the government and, in response, the Turkish army invaded. The Airborne, with British support, took command of the international airport to deny further troop movement, then intervened with patrols to prevent escalation of the conflict. Operating "between the lines", two Airborne troops were killed in action and 30 wounded. The Airborne continued its peacekeeping rotations in Cyprus through the 1980s. In 1991, the regiment was in Western Sahara to monitor the cease-fire and enforce agreements between guerrilla forces and the Moroccan army. In 1992, the Airborne was reorganized again, downsized to battalion strength. It was deployed for the last time in 1993, as part of the United Nations' "peace enforcement" effort protecting humanitarian operations in Somalia. Sadly, the battalion became embroiled in controversy over "the Somalia incident" and questionable hazing conduct, which ultimately led to the disbanding of the Airborne. The final parade of The Canadian Airborne Regiment was held at CFB Petawawa in March of 1995. The honoured traditions of the regiment are carried forward by the independent parachute companies now attached to three of the CF light infantry battalions.
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was Canada's original airborne unit, formed on July 1, 1942. Volunteers completed jump training in England then underwent four months of training at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Parachute Training Wing at Shilo, Manitoba. Part-airman, part commando and part engineer, the paras underwent dangerously realistic exercises to learn demolition and fieldcraft in overcoming obstacles such as barbed wire, bridges and pillboxes. By March, Canada had its elite battalion, which returned to England to join the 6th Airborne Division as a unit of the Britain's 3rd Parachute Brigade. The battalion's service in the European theatre included the airborne invasion on D-Day, a short reinforcement stint in Belgium and the Netherlands, the airborne crossing of the Rhine and the subsequent advance to Wismar where they met the Russians. With victory in Europe and the Pacific War ending in August, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was disbanded. The battalion was perpetuated in the infantry commandos of The Canadian Airborne Regiment, whose colours carried the battle honours: Normandy Landing, Dives Crossing, The Rhine, and North-west Europe 1944 - 1945.
1st Special Service Force The 1st Special Service Force was a unique joint formation of Canadian and American troops assigned to perform sabotage operations in Europe in World War II. Simply named "special forces" to conceal its "commando" or "ranger" purpose, this unit later gained fame as the "Devil's Brigade". Members were handpicked and sent to Helena, Montana for special training. The Canadians wore American uniforms and equivalent ranks to eliminate any questions of command among the troops. Their work-up took place in three phases, with extensive physical training throughout the program. The first phase included parachute training, small unit tactics and weapons handling - all officers and ranks were required to master the full range of infantry weapons from pistols and carbines to bazookas and flame throwers. Next came explosives handling and demolition techniques, then a final phase consisted of skiing, rock climbing, adapting to cold weather, and operation of the Weasel combat vehicle. Exercises in amphibious landings and beach assaults were added later. The first deployment of 1SSF to the Aleutian island of Kiska disappointed the troops when it was found that the Japanese forces expected there had already evacuated, but the exercise was considered good experience. The force was next sent to Italy, where German forces entrenched in two mountains were inflicting heavy casualties on the 5th US Army. The first regiment, 600 men, scaled a 1000-foot cliff by night to surprise the enemy position. Planned as a 3 to 4 day assault, the battle was won in just 2 hours. The force remained for 3 days, packing in supplies for defensive positions and fighting frostbite, then moved on to the second mountain, which was soon overtaken. In the end, 1SSF suffered 511 casualties including 73 dead and 116 exhaustion cases. The commander, Col. Robert Frederick, was wounded twice himself. 1SSF saw continued action throughout the Mediterranean, at Monte Sammucro, Radicosa, and Anzio. For the final advance on Rome, 1SSF was given the honour of being the lead force in the assault and became the first Allied unit to enter the "Eternal City." Their success later continued in Southern France and then at the France-Italian border. Often misused as line troops, the force suffered continuously high casualties until it was finally withdrawn from combat. On the December 5, 1944, in Southern France, the First Special Service Force was disbanded. Its battle honours included Monte Camino, Monte La Difensa, Monte La Remetanea, Monte Majo, Anzio, Rome, Advance to the Tiber, Italy 1943 - 44, Southern France and Northwest Europe. The Canadians rejoined their home units and the Americans were assigned to either Airborne units or the newly formed 474th Infantry Regiment. Col Frederick became the youngest Major-General ever in the American army, at the age of 37, and took command of the 45th Division. The success, esprit and discipline of 1SSF became a template for building modern special forces worldwide. |
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Thank you Lettie,you are a sweetheart and thats forsure.The guys will be pleased, this I know.Now, how about the "Little Black Dress" ? lol.Mike. |
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Elite unit is so secretive soldiers can't get disability benefits: Military refuses to give details on JTF2 troops to Veterans Affairs
The intense secrecy surrounding the Ottawa-based Joint Task Force 2 special forces unit is preventing injured commandos from obtaining disability benefits.
Military officials say they are working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to solve the problem, but it appears the stumbling block is the Canadian Forces' level of secrecy regarding JTF2. At least one of the injured commandos has failed to get a disability pension because the military won't turn over the proper documentation to Veterans Affairs, for security reasons.
Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant says she believes there are a number of cases involving injured special operations soldiers. "Can you believe in all the years JTF2 has existed there has only been one permanently disabled person? (Soldiers) are afraid that by raising the fact they were injured, they would draw attention to their membership in JTF2 and that would be breaching the Official Secrets Act."
Ms. Gallant is aware of the circumstances of the injury of one JTF2 soldier, but declined to discuss those details. She said she fears the individual could face retribution from the Canadian Forces if she reveals too many details.
The military acknowledges there is a problem, but officials say it appears to involve only one member of the unit, based at Dwyer Hill. "Operational security needs of the CF would conflict with Veterans Affairs needs for disclosure of personal records in order to fill out claims," explained spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Kent Penney. "There's been an on-going effort to find a satisfactory balance between those two demands."
Because of privacy regulations, Lt. Cmdr. Penney said the military does not know the details of the case raised by Ms. Gallant. It also doesn't know if the injury occurred during training, a unit-designated sports activity, or in combat.
In the early days of the war in Afghanistan, JTF2 soldiers were assigned to U.S. forces for various missions. In more recent times, JTF2 soldiers have served in Afghanistan as bodyguards for senior Canadian military personnel.
Ms. Gallant noted that intense secrecy was also used to deny disability pensions to Second World War veterans subjected by the military to mustard gas and other chemicals as part of a program to test the effectiveness of those weapons.
The military conducted numerous experiments on troops, exposing them to various toxic mixtures, but those soldiers couldn't receive benefits for their injuries since the military deemed all such records secret.
The federal government agreed to a compensation package only last year after the veterans started a lawsuit and the military ombudsman launched a probe into the matter.
Ms. Gallant, whose riding includes CFB Petawawa, said she doesn't want JTF2 soldiers to go through the same 60-year battle for disability benefits. One JTF2 soldier she knows faces financial ruin because of his injuries, she added.
Mrs. Gallant also noted that shoddy treatment of injured JTF2 members could hurt the unit's recruiting activities.
JTF2 is in the midst of a major expansion, although exact numbers of how many new soldiers are to be added is not known. The boost in unit numbers was ordered shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.
Defence Minister Bill Graham says morale is high in JTF2 and there are no problems in recruiting enough personnel. He says Defence officials will fix the problem of disability benefits for JTF2 soldiers.
Lt. Cmdr. Penney said JTF2's leadership is focused on the welfare of the personnel.
"What's paramount in terms of priorities for the leadership in JTF2 is the people," he added. "That's what the legacy of the unit is built on, that's what all the successes are built on."
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Joint Task Force Two Special Forces duties in Canada are performed by a counter-terrorism unit known as JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2.) Canada's counter-terrorism unit is a highly secretive force about which there is very little verifiable data. The following information is extracted from that provided by the Canadian Forces.  JTF2 Soldiers entering a room  JTF2 Soldiers rappeling onto a balcony  JTF2 Soldiers Camouflaged in the Wilderness
Mission The Joint Task Force Two (JTF 2) of the Canadian Forces is a Special Operations Forces unit that is responsible for federal counter-terrorist operations. The mission of JTF 2 is to provide a force capable of rendering armed assistance in the resolution of an incident that is affecting, or has the potential to affect, the national interest. The primary focus is counter-terrorism (CT), however, the unit can expect to be employed on other high value strategic tasks. All Special Operations Forces units are not identical. There are different groups or tiers within the international Special Operations Forces community, and strategic-level counter-terrorism forces such as JTF 2 normally operate under strict security guidelines. The Canadian Forces also has Army snipers, its Pathfinder courses held at 8 Wing/Canadian Forces Base Trenton, combat divers and the Canadian graduates of the U.S. Army Ranger Course. Each of the three regular force infantry regiments also has a paratrooper company. In other countries these qualifications might be part of their Special Operations Forces units, but in Canada, they are embedded in conventional combat units and are not considered to be of a "special forces" nature.
Unit history
Lineage The JTF2 states that it does NOT perpetuate the Canadian Airborne Regiment although some of its members have come from that now-disbanded unit. Rather it notes that Canadians served with distinction in several types of Allied Special Forces units during the Second World War. One such unit was the legendary U.S. and Canadian combined 1st Special Service Force or, as it was commonly known, "the Devil's Brigade." It achieved a sterling combat record despite overwhelming odds. While tactics, weapons and technology have changed, today's JTF 2 soldiers are perpetuating the basic qualities that define such units.
Creation of JTF2 JTF 2 was created on 1 April 1993, when the Canadian Forces (CF) accepted responsibility for federal counter-terrorism operations from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Since its inception, the unit has continuously evolved to meet modern-day threats, focusing in particular on the "elusive, sophisticated and determined enemy" such as those responsible for the events of 11 September 2001. JTF 2 is continuously developing new capabilities, technologies, and tactics. JTF2 recognizes the year 2001 as an important milestone in its history. The unit was committed to the international Special Operations Forces coalition in Afghanistan, completing its operations there in November 2002. This deployment was the first time JTF 2 was used in a major combat role outside Canada. The unit played a critical role in coalition Special Operations Forces and earned the respect of Canada’s allies for its professionalism.
Unit accountability JTF 2 is a unit of the CF and is subject to exactly the same code of conduct, military discipline and overriding Criminal Code statutes as any other military unit. Due to the strategic nature of its operations, the unit answers directly to the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in the chain of command. Like other units of the CF, JTF 2 follows Rules Of Engagements (ROE) authorized by the Chief of the Defence Staff and are accountable to the military and civilian justice systems. They must follow the same regulations and orders as the rest of the CF. Like any other CF unit, internal oversight bodies such as the Chief of Review Services, the Military Police Complaints Commission, the Pay and Allowances Review Board, the Access to Information Office and the CF Ombudsman all have access to JTF 2, if required, to carry out their duties.
Professionalism JTF 2 is comprised of CF members employed in assaulter and supporter roles. All members are carefully screened for service in the unit but it is the assaulters who undergo a selection and training regime for eventual service in the fighting arm of the unit. Any member of the CF, regular or reserve, can apply to become a member of JTF 2 after completing 2 years of service and meeting other initial entry requirements. Members of JTF 2 are highly motivated, dedicated, mature, mentally robust and physically fit. Potential assaulters are carefully screened to ensure that they meet these criteria and are the type of team-oriented and highly-skilled professional soldier, sailor or airman that can effectively function in this high stress environment. On average, only two in ten candidates that arrive at the unit for final selection will actually become a JTF 2 assaulter. The standards established for selection and employment with the unit are scientifically designed and validated at the CF Dwyer Hill Training Centre in order to ensure that the members selected will be capable of accomplishing all tasks assigned to the unit. These standards include physical abilities, professionalism, integrity, psychological profile, mental aptitude, discipline, and maturity. These standards are required of all unit members, are tested regularly, and are an integral part of the JTF 2 ethos.
Canada's National Counter-Terrorism Plan The Solicitor General of Canada is responsible for the National Counter-Terrorism Plan. The plan establishes lines of communication, policy, the authorities and responsibilities of federal departments and agencies in a counter-terrorism situation, and outlines the legislation, conventions and agreements to which Canada is a party. The procedures for employing a military unit in a counter-terrorism situation are also detailed in the National Counter-Terrorism Plan. The Canadian Forces Armed Assistance Directions (CFAAD) establish the procedures for the request and provision of armed assistance by the CF to the RCMP. CF resources can be positioned close to the site of a disturbance while the situation is developing, and before any armed assistance is authorized. The CFAAD come into play on the basis of a request by either: the Commissioner of the RCMP asking for the pre-positioning of a military force ; or the Solicitor General of Canada submitting to the Minister of National Defence for the provision of such assistance by the CF to the RCMP. CF members engaged in armed assistance activities would be given the status of peace officers.
Security JTF 2 is subject to very stringent security procedures in order to protect the unit and its mission. However, JTF 2 has conducted capability demonstrations for appropriate authorities. The Government has also notified the public about its creation in 1992, its expansion following 11 September 2001, and the JTF 2 commitment to Afghanistan in 2001, as well as by responding to media questions about the unit within the limits of the security policy. However, it says that being open and transparent about certain aspects of the unit could seriously compromise its effectiveness. JTF 2 has established itself as a well-regarded Special Operations Forces unit. This reputation has allowed the unit to develop strong relationships with its allied Special Operations Forces counterparts, relationships built on trust and confidence.
The future The Federal Budget of December 2001 allocated approximately $120 million over six years to expand unit capabilities and double its size (bringing it to an estimated 600), as part of the Government of Canada’s overall plan following the attacks of 11 September 2001. Since then the unit has embarked on a program of expansion and capability enhancement while at the same time maintaining its high operational and training standards. JTF 2 must be ready to respond immediately to any task assigned by the chain of command at home or abroad. The unit maintains the highest operational readiness standards in order to defend Canada against terrorism. On land, at sea and in the air JTF 2 challenges itself to ensure it's ready to defeat a multitude of potential threats. In April 2005, the Canadian government's new defence policy statement was made public. It included a concept of first responders for international tasks consisting of "special forces" (such as an expanded JTF2) supported by one of the light battalions. This concept of operations is similar to US Ranger battalions or the new Ranger battalion of the British Parachute Regiment, both of which support high-level Special Forces units. Ranger skills are considered, in Canada, to be part of the capabilities of a conventional light infantry soldier.
Unconfirmed information JTF2 is modelled closely on the British Special Air Service (SAS). JTF2 is operated under an unusual degree of secrecy for Canadian services. Its actual composition, training and its deployment have never been disclosed through official channels. Its strength is estimated at 250 to 300 troops with a lieutenant-colonel commanding; plans are in place to double its size by 2007. JTF2 is based on a 200-acre (0.8 km²) compound at Dwyer Hill Training Centre outside of Ottawa, Ontario. As a quick reaction force, JTF2 minimizes its reliance on other elements of the Canadian Forces. In its recruitment information, JTF2 identifies three categories of troop requirements: special operations assaulters (ASLTRS); tactical mobility and technical specialists; and service support specialists. JTF2 is rumoured to have deployed to Bosnia when Canadian troops were taken hostage by Bosnian Serb forces in 1995 but, if so, they were not called into action before the hostages were released. JTF2 was also sent to Bosnia to hunt down snipers who threatened peacekeeping troops. Other reports claim that JTF2 operated in Kosovo to designate targets for NATO bombers, but the Department of National Defence would not confirm their participation or location at the time. Members of the unit did escort General Maurice Baril across the Rwanda-Zaire border during the aborted plan to rescue Rwandan refugees. Teams provided Counterterrorism training to Haiti Forces and deployed to Peru when guerrillas took Canadian hostages there. JTF2 is known to have provided surveillance and strike teams for Task Force K-Bar in the war against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. For its service in Afghanistan, Task Force K-Bar, in which JTF2 members took part, was awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation in 2004. These JTF2 operators were not awarded the citation, nor the unit as a whole, due to pressure from the Canadian Federal Government to avoid involving JTF2 in an internationally public recognition.
The Canadian Airborne Regiment is frequently associated with the notion of "special forces". However Canada's special forces (JTF2) do not consider themselves to be an offshoot of this unit. The Canadian Airborne Regiment was throughout its 27-year history a demanding parachutist unit, created and trained for conventional operations similar to those of the British Parachute Regiment, the U.S. Airborne divisions, and other NATO parachute troops. This applies, as well, to its Canadian parachutist and glider-borne predecessors that served in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion of the British 6th Airborne Division in World War II. Moreover, the operational capabilities of the CAR are now perpetuated in the light infantry battalion of each of Canada's three Regular Force infantry regiments. These air-transported battalions include a parachutist company. The anti-terrorism role of JTF2 is significantly different, even in an international context.
1st Special Service Force - Main article: Devil's Brigade
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