[Alex Blair (RIP)]

New Commander at 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
VALCARTIER GARRISON, July 7 /CNW Telbec/ - Colonel Guy Laroche succeeds
today to Colonel Marquis as Commander 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
(5 CMBG). The change of command has been made official this afternoon during a
ceremonial parade that took place at the Valcartier Garrison.
Colonel Hainse officially handed over his powers in the presence of
Brigadier-General Christian Barabé, Commander Land Force Quebec Area. Colonel
Hainse has commanded 5 CMBG since 2 September 2004 and will be serving as
Chief of Staff of Canada Command at the National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ),
in Ottawa. As for Colonel Laroche, he is arriving from NDHQ where he has
served as Senior Operations Officer of Canadian Expeditionary Forces Command.
5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is the largest operational formation
in Quebec and the only francophone brigade in Canada. 5 CMBG is made up of 10
units, of witch 3 offer operational support, with over 3,300 troops and
approximately 2,000 vehicles of all sorts.
Recent years have been very busy for the men and women of 5 CMBG,
especially on the international scene. Lets recall their participation in the
International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2004. It
will also be the case in 2007, when the soldiers of Valcartier will deploy
once again to Afghanistan, this time in Kandahar, in autumn.