Canada's soldiers decompress in Cyprus after Afghan tour

Battle-hardened Canadian soldiers are being indulged in the five-star luxury of the holiday island of Cyprus to re-acclimatise them to civilian life after enduring Afghanistan's war zones.

Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan will undergo "decompression" -- military terminology for a programme designed to ease the physical and mental rigours of life in the combat zone.

After completing their six-month tour on the Afghan battlefront, some 2,100 soldiers are under orders to enjoy five days of sun and sea in this eastern Mediterranean holiday playground before they rotate back home.

But it is not just gratuitous pampering. The programme is also about mending the battle-scarred minds of those who may be grappling with the pain of loss.

"Some soldiers have experienced the loss of friends and colleagues, that's why we have mental health staff on hand to deal with such cases," said Major Michel Ouellet, the 47-year-old Montreal native in charge of a 40-person team overseeing the month-long decompression tour.

"A fair amount of soldiers will have been affected by such loss. This was expected and that's why we planned for it," he said.

Since the US-led occupation of Afghanistan was launched in October 2001, 66 Canadian soldiers have been killed there -- 22 of them so far this year.

The most recent fatalities were on July 4, when six Canadian soldiers were killed by a bomb southwest of Kandahar in Canada's highest single-day toll in the country since 2002.

The Cyprus decompression tour is the second within a year. Twelve months ago some 1,700 Canadians were billeted in five hotels in the island's southern coastal town of Larnaca.

"It's just common sense," said Ouellet. "The weather and location of the island are perfect. It's not too far from Afghanistan... it's an ideal place for the troops to relax."

Canada is not skimping on creature comforts meant to keep the pleasure quotient high, which helps soldiers shed battlefield stress and switch off from combat mode.

This time they are enjoying the Azia Resort and Spa near Paphos, a five-star complex of spacious hotel rooms, private bungalows and ultra-exclusive suites commanding daily rates upwards of 2,400 dollars (1,700 euros).

"The people here are very welcoming everywhere you go. It's a million-dollar view. You don't get this often. Everything is impressive," Ouellet said.

The palm tree-ringed resort on the southwest coast has every amenity including a world-class spa that Ouellet said soldiers are encouraged to use.

In fact a spa, pool, nearby airport and easy access to a hospital were among the criteria stipulated in a Canadian Department of National Defence decompression tender. The Azia fits the bill.

"The welfare of the troops comes first, especially to provide the best for them to enjoy and decompress appropriately. We had requested from bidders specific items that they had to have. It's all been factored in," Ouellet said.

Roughly 150 soldiers stay at the hotel in each five-day cycle, translating to a plane-load of soldiers every other day.

The first soldiers have already arrived and the last decompression rotation will depart Cyprus on September 11.

Chartered and military aircraft fly the troops from Kandahar to Paphos airport after a brief stopover at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The first day is spent settling in while days two and three are reserved for debriefings by mental health specialists flown in specifically to help the soldiers come to terms with their experiences.
Ouellet said that if follow-up treatment is deemed necessary, it would take place later back in Canada.

All evenings as well as the fourth day are free for the soldiers to do as they please. The final day is reserved for packing and departure.

"Our assessment is that a five-day stay is ideal. It could be longer, but you also have to weigh that against the soldiers' desire to get home relatively quickly," he said.

All soldiers double up in each room and rank does not confer privileges. Ouellet said a brigadier general is among those scheduled to decompress in Cyprus -- and he will double up just like any other buck private.