Canada AM Goes Inside CFB Petawawa as Our Soldiers Prepare for Duty in Afghanistan

CTV Program Alert - August 13, 2008

CTV's Canada AM broadcasts live from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa on Friday, August 15, as Canadian troops prepare for their upcoming tour of duty in Afghanistan - 2,500 soldiers from CFB Petawawa will be deployed to Kandahar over the next few weeks. Canada AM's Beverly Thomson, Seamus O'Regan and Jeff Hutcheson will be live on the base for a first-hand look at how the troops prepare themselves physically - and emotionally - for the demands of serving in a war zone.

Soldiers and their commanding officers will discuss their upcoming mission - including the goals of the provincial reconstruction team and the mentoring of Afghan troops. Beverly will speak to a soldier and his family who are preparing for his first tour of duty, while Seamus will outline a program used to help explain a parent's overseas deployment to a young child.

They will also speak with military officials concerning the progress of Canada's mission, and the impact our troops are making in Afghanistan.

Jeff will personally test a LAV III - a state-of-the-art combat vehicle designed to transport infantry on the battlefields, and will get a taste of the rigorous training our soldiers and reservists undertake to get them ready for Afghanistan.

Canada AM airs weekday mornings between 6 and 9 a.m. on CTV.

About Canada AM

Wake up to the world of Canada AM, television's morning star and Canada's most watched national morning newsmagazine. Co-hosts Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan along with Jeff Hutcheson and Marci Ien bring Canadians a unique blend of hard news and lifestyle stories featuring in-depth interviews with top newsmakers, celebrities and musical stars. Lis Travers is the Vice-President and Executive Producer for Canada AM and Robert Hurst is President of CTV News.