David Fraser (military officer)

Fraser studied political science and psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts. He graduated from the Canadian Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto in 1990 and earned a Master of Management and Policy from the Royal Military College and Queen's University in 2001. He completed the American Capstone program and trained at the Ivey Business School, where he currently acts as a mentor.[3]

Fraser joined the Canadian Armed Forces after graduating from Carleton University in 1980. His responsibilities and positions over the next 19 years were varied, including acting as chief of staff for the Alberta District, working as a Canadian officer responsible for domestic and international planning, and commanding Infantry Battalion in Canada and Bosnia. Fraser then worked as director of the Canadian Army Reserve Restructure in Ottawa from 2001 to 2003 and as co-director of the Bi-National Planning Group in Colorado Springs from 2003 to 2005. He deployed to Afghanistan in January 2006, where, as a Brigadier-General, he commanded thousands of NATO troops. One of his main responsibilities there was to lead Operation Medusa in southern Afghanistan that September. Fraser subsequently acted as commandant of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto from 2007 to 2009 and led the Joint Headquarters Renewal Project in 2009 and 2010. He directed the Land Force Doctrine and Training System, and the 1st Canadian Division until 2011, retiring from military service that year.

Fraser’s first appointment in the private sector was as chief operating officer of Blue Goose Pure Foods, a retailer of organic meats headquartered in Toronto. He took up the same position at INKAS, a national manufacturing company specializing in armoured vehicles, until June 2016. Fraser has since worked professionally as a public speaker.[4] In 2016, he delivered the keynote address at the FABTECH Canada conference, focusing his remarks on the nature of effective teamwork and leadership.[5]

Operation Medusa, which took place from September 1 to 17, 2006 during the second Battle of Panjwaii,[6] was a seminal moment in Canada’s involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan. Intended to secure the authority of the democratic government of Afghanistan in the south of the country,[7] the Canada-led offensive was the largest battle fought by Canadian troops since the country’s involvement in the Korean War.[8]

Fraser was sent to the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, where, as Commander of Regional Command South, he controlled thousands of NATO troops in the southern Afghan provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Daikundi and Nimroz.[9] The battle spanned a stretch of the Arghandab River valley west of the city of Kandahar. The Taliban amassed on the north side as NATO forces pushed forward from the southern bank.[10] The operation was generally considered successful as it maintained NATO’s credibility within the region and overwhelmed the Taliban forces, which suffered heavy losses.

These successes of Operation Medusa came at the cost of six Canadian and twelve British lives.[11] Then General and Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier commented afterward on the toll of the first two days of the operation, underscoring the loss of life.[12] Charles Company of the Royal Canadian Regiment was hit particularly hard. On September 4, an American A10 warthog aircraft mistakenly strafed the company as it was preparing to attack a Taliban position, resulting in one death and thirty injuries.[13][14] Despite this and other unforeseen difficulties such as running out of ammunition,[15] the Canadians prevented further advance of the Taliban within Afghanistan.[16] In his book Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban, Fraser assessed the effect of the operation, calling it a costly yet necessary fight that enabled Afghanistan to continue as a democracy.[17] The efforts of the Canadians and their allies were instrumental in enabling Afghan leaders to develop a new constitution, to ensure free and democratic elections, to make it possible for more girls to go to school, and to initiate reform in defence, justice and finance structures within the country.[18]

Fraser received numerous awards during his tenure in the Canadian Armed Forces. The United States government presented him with the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He was also awarded several Canadian honours, such as the Commander of Military Merit award, the Meritorious Service Cross, the Vimy Award, the Atlantic Council of Canada Award and the Meritorious Service Medal.