There has been a change in command in the top echelons of Canada's military personnel in Afghanistan.

After nine months as the head of Task Force Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson handed over the job on Thursday to Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance.

"We faced many challenges during the course of our mission, I have seen first-hand the progress being made by Afghan National Security Forces and the determination of the local people to build better lives for themselves and for their children," Thompson said in a new release.

"Our soldiers are proud of this mission, and wholeheartedly believe in what they are doing here. In the end, it's about helping our Afghan friends determine their own destiny."

Thompson has often had the unenviable job of delivering grim news about Canadian soldiers' deaths, sharing details about the fallen soldiers and how they will be remembered, during news briefings at Kandahar Air Field.

That duty will now likely fall to Vance, who suggested he has big boots to fill if the goals of the mission are to be accomplished.

"We will continue to build on the excellent work done to date by Brig.-Gen. Thompson and his team in the hope that Afghans can one day live in peace," said Vance.

"I believe the insurgency is increasingly marginalized, and Afghans will be able to assume greater freedom from the scourge of insurgent activity and follow the destiny they have chosen."

Vance is now in charge of the 2,850 Canadian troops that are based in Kandahar, comprising soldiers, aircrew and support staff.

That contingent is about to be dwarfed by the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, with an expected influx of 17,000 new American troops this year.

From those, a U.S. combat brigade is expected to be deployed to Kandahar province, where much of the fighting has taken place led by the Canadians.

Vance said there is no reason to believe the Canadian troops will be overshadowed by the incoming American presence. Rather, the U.S. troops will likely stick to their own area of Kandahar province, he said.

They are unlikely to be under Canadian command, but are expected to report to NATO's southern command.

Canada has pleaded with NATO allies for more front-line help in Kandahar province, where the Taliban resistance is strongest and most active.

Canada's army battle group is scheduled to come home in 2011.

With files from The Canadian Press