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LCol Ian Hope  –  Task Force Orion  –  Southern Afghanistan  –  Summer 2006

Lieutenant-Colonel  Ian  Hope  –  Commanding Officer Canadian Battle Group (Task Force Orion)  –  Biography

Reproduced  from  the  website  of  the  Department  of  National  Defence
Lieutenant-Colonel Hope was born the son of an  Artillery Non - Commissioned  Officer  and  joined  the  Infantry  as soon as  he was safely  away  from  home.  He  first served
in the  ranks  in  the West  Nova  Scotia  Regiment and  for
a  year  with  the  British  Army.

He was commissioned  in  the  'West Novies'  in  1981, and subsequently  sought  and  secured a  transfer to Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in 1985,  serving initially as a platoon commander  with the 1st Battalion  in Calgary.

He  then  commanded  platoons  in  the  2nd  Battalion  [PPCLI]  in  Germany  and in  the Canadian  Airborne  Regiment  in  Petawawa,  Ontario.

As the  exchange  officer to the  Parachute  Regiment in the  United  Kingdom,  he served in the capacity of company second-in-command and company commander.

In 1995,  he joined the 2nd Battalion  in Winnipeg, serving  as  Operations  Officer, Rifle Company Commander,  and Officer Commanding  Combat Support Company.

From  1998  to  2000,  Lieutenant - Colonel  Hope  completed  studies  at  the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, followed by the United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies.

For four years he was employed as a staff officer  of  training  and  doctrine, and
as a strategic planner in Land Forces Training and Doctrine System in Kingston.

He  has  been  on  operations  in  Europe,  the  Balkans,  and  Africa.

After  the  attacks  of  September  11th,  2001,  he  was  seconded  to  the  United States  European  Command  to conduct  strategic  counter - terrorist  operations planning.  In May 2004,  he deployed to the Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force [ISAF] Afghanistan to formulate an Afghan  national strategy.

On 29 September 2004,  LCol  Hope  took  command  of  the  1st  Battalion  PPCLI.

Preparations  for  the  current  operation  in  Afghanistan  began  in  earnest  in October  2004.

Among  his  academic  achievements,  Lieutenant - Colonel  Hope:
     • has a  Bachelor of  History  (Honours)  degree  from  Acadia
     • earned a  Masters of  Military  Arts  and  Science  from  the
       United  States  Army  Command  and  General  Staff  College
     • is  currently  working  on  his  PhD  in  History  with  Queen’s