Inuvik (Mar 10/06) - This weekend, Inuvik RCMP Staff Sgt. Al McCambridge packed his bags for Afghanistan, where he will spend a year working with the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khandahar.

As District Commander for the Northern RCMP Detachment, Staff Sgt. Al McCambridge left Inuvik this week for Khandahar, Afghanistan, to assist with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the training of Afghani police. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

"I think it will have its hazards and risks, but I believe in what we're trying to do there," said McCambridge of his mission to "advise, mentor, monitor and train" local Afghani police forces.

For the past 15 years, RCMP officers have assisted with similar missions in war-torn countries such as Sierra Leone, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Haiti and the Republic of Congo.

For McCambridge, who joined the RCMP in 1981, it will not be his first such assignment, but for security reasons, he couldn't comment further.

"While I haven't been involved in other peacekeeping assignments per se, I have done similar missions, but at this point in time I can't speak to them," he said.

With 2,200 Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan fighting remnants of the former Taliban regime and al-Qaeda, McCambridge stresses that his involvement is strictly peacekeeping in nature.

"I'll be joining five other (Canadian) police officers already there and will be stationed and living with the Provincial Reconstruction Team that includes foreign affairs and Canadian Forces personnel," he said. "Germany has the lead with police reform there and we'll be working in partnership with them."

McCambridge says Canadian Forces will provide the six-member police training team with site security and close protection while they are working and travelling in Khandahar.

In nearly 25 years with the RCMP, McCambridge has had a distinguished career.

He is the District Commander of the Northern detachment.

Prior to that McCambridge was a general investigator for many high profile cases in the NWT, including the Giant Mine bombing and Grollier Hall sex abuse scandal.

As well, McCambridge is the "G" Division (NWT RCMP) crisis negotiation team leader and was part of the task force that peacefully resolved the recent armed standoff in Iglulik.

"There were no injuries and no loss of life and that's the main objective," he said of the incident.

As for what he hopes to bring to the Afghanistan mission, McCambridge says working most of his career in the North has taught him some valuable lessons.

"Not respecting local knowledge and culture will result in failure," he said. "And in Afghanistan, what's done in a western timeframe has to be put on the shelf."

After a year, McCambridge says he will return to work with the G-Division.