The Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan

CANADA REMEMBERS THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN

The chain of events that would bring Canadian and supported international terrorist groups, soldiers into the desolate and dangerous terrain of including al-Qaeda (the group which was behind Afghanistan began on September 11, 2001. On that the attacks in the United States). In the wake of day, four airliners were hijacked in the skies over September 11, the United States and the world took the eastern United States; two were deliberately action through the United Nations (UN) and the crashed into the World Trade Center towers and one North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). into the Pentagon, resulting in the death of nearly 3,000 people. These horrific attacks shocked and CANADA AND THE WORLD RESPOND galvanized the United States and much of the world. The first Canadian Armed Forces contribution to the Canada would soon play a role in the ensuing campaign against terrorism in Southwest Asia came international efforts to battle terrorism and help at sea. Beginning in October 2001, Canadian ships bring democracy to Afghanistan. would see ongoing duty in the waters off the region, supporting and defending the international fleet AFGHANISTAN operating there as well as locating and searching ndahar Province. October 2010. Ka ndahar Province. Afghanistan is a rugged country in Southwest Asia, unknown boats looking for illegal activity. located between Pakistan and Iran. This ancient, Dis trict of ai mountainous land is about the size of Saskatchewan The Aurora patrol aircraft and Hercules and Polaris nj w and has a population of approximately 30 million transport planes of the Canadian Armed Forces Air people. The various ethnic groups and factions Command would also be active in Afghanistan and that have made the country home over the the waters off Southwest Asia, filling important n patrol in the Pa centuries have given Afghanistan a rich heritage roles in marine surveillance, transporting supplies

Group o and diversity, but have also helped make peace and and personnel, and evacuating casualties. Canadian stability difficult to achieve. helicopters also provided important service in identifying merchant vessels and offering valuable en ce IS201 0- 3031-2 5 The civil war that broke out after the former Soviet transport support over the years.

ional D ef Union withdrew from its military occupation of Canadi an Regim en t Battl e

of Na t Afghanistan in the 1980s would see the Taliban Canadian soldiers soon travelled to Afghanistan as en t Royal he Royal regime gain control of the country. This extreme well. The first were commandoes from the elite

fr om t fundamentalist regime severely limited civil rights Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2) in December 2001, er s o: DepartmPh ot o: Sol di

veterans.gc.ca followed by other Canadian soldiers in January and win the hearts and minds of the people of 2002 who were initially based in Kandahar. There Afghanistan was an important goal. In addition to they joined American and British troops already their military activities, Canadian Armed Forces fighting to topple the Taliban regime, eliminate members engaged in many humanitarian efforts like terrorist operations and establish the basis for digging wells, rebuilding schools and distributing lasting peace in the troubled country. medical and relief supplies, both as part of their official mission and on a volunteer basis. With the eventual fall from power of the Taliban, attention turned to stabilizing the country and FACTS AND FIGURES helping establish a new Afghan government. The I More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces UN authorized a NATO-led International Security members served in the Afghanistan theatre of Assistance Force (ISAF) to take on this challenge. operations between 2001 and 2014. These brave The initial Canadian contribution to the ISAF in the men and women are eligible to receive the summer of 2003 consisted of more than 700 General Campaign Star-Southwest Asia. Canadian Armed Forces members stationed in I Afghanistan is a very poor country and its climate Kabul, the country’s capital, with 200 more can be extreme. Summer temperatures of 50° C providing support from elsewhere in Southwest are common and huge dust storms can sweep Asia. In Kabul, the Canadians patrolled the western across its arid deserts. sector of the city, helped operate the airport and I Camp Nathan Smith was a base for Canadian assisted in rebuilding the Afghan National Army. operations in Kandahar for several years. It was named in honour of a soldier from Nova Scotia In 2005, the Canadian Armed Forces’ role evolved who was killed there in 2002. again when they began to shift back to the volatile I Operation Medusa was a September 2006 Kandahar region. While the Taliban government offensive in Kandahar province that involved had been toppled, the group remained a strong more than 1,000 Canadian Armed Forces presence in some areas of the country. Indeed, members, making it our country’s largest combat Canada’s return to Kandahar coincided with a operation in more than 50 years. The heavy resurgence in Taliban activity and our soldiers fighting in Operation Medusa tragically saw the quickly found themselves the targets of attack. loss of 12 Canadians, but the Taliban were pushed from the Panjwai district. The numbers of Canadian soldiers soon swelled to approximately 2,300 to help deal with the enemy KAZAKHSTAN and support the Provincial Reconstruction Team operating there. Canadian tanks, artillery and infantry soldiers all took part in many ground operations in Kandahar, including large-scale CHINA offensives against massed Taliban forces. This chapter of Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan was the Kabul most perilous. Anytime Canadian soldiers left the AFGHANISTAN relative safety of their main camps to go “outside IRAN Kandahar the wire,” the danger was very real.

PAKISTAN Canada’s combat role in the country ended in 2011 when the focus shifted to training Afghanistan’s army and police force and the last of our service INDIA members left the country in March 2014. But SAUDI ARABIAN ARABIA Canada’s efforts in the troubled country have been SEA numerous. Reaching out in an attempt to build trust Canadian Armed Forces members help a young Afghan girl su ering from a burn at a free medical clinic. January 2008. Photo: Department of National Defence AR2008-Z103-19 HEROE C

Canada S of d

t c cau a f f

h i i g o l

A r r a

f r ain Afg n C F A e e V h C t s 2 k f dut i lea u t f n eat o h n o h CRIF e s f

e s elico 0 illed lig n alo a apt many i a i e e

r r t at n r n A 0 d g d n a v

d e

d y

u i c ciden D h 6 e h o ian n h a n i

n u

u a v o m t n r t a ’ . t f w d t t ce, i

g h

h s i

s r alou

S Afg n g p s

h i ian n r L I , s b

u e h e s n r ting

e i w C i

uici eavy

o e

a w s

sk. i s e e

A N

o f e dem m e b a r t t E tan u g ith r for n

t x

s i

u h A

i u r N r 2 h e o t

o r f

c .

t u tena a

t h d t t . e I i 0 e r f r c

h s h o

t D r n i

m actio t

e m s r The t h 0 t s o o attack s e e B h o C o h i

a h 6

n u p C f s

p attac e l i k e i r p f a B i v a n tan e n

s s n e

r itai d o g

a n w p e

t e d o

the r t R t G A

r n h h r adia

n f n l r i

v w h C ate y l i e y adia t A a . F e o o f s r n

i o . e k a

s ’

H h g o a s m s lyi

d m V ’ l n s r s

r b f e t r s r h n i d come ata c

n d

n v d y i e d

s E i a a w h a

e n s R n e a r s s . M g e y e

n s e e

R a d r s e g

p a c s L H r o o

w c d d

i r i x eat

mem ay lat o Y b a s o n y tille a t a C o

p h tan h r r n b r S n s d n a f s e o ave r l o e o d u ecame

l s

d l e o 1 o o a b

j - altie A r m S s 7

s s r u d u u m h r r g h b n y ive e s , , ave t g d n s s i r igh

ean i

a e

a r

r b

ide a t 2 n f t

d o v v s

r r

r enemy h o u

F 0 e s s

e o

b eat e C e t a o d r

r o s e . s 0 r o l o t d s

y t h a

f e d s m

m T h b pilo 6 e r

a f

t nad e v h d c i i e i M o r time an . h n

c e n a e a r s v d ice e a ie

m o e d e rs d f

t , d e eco ilita examp and r i r

s t

e b ian r r f i r

ick f i e i t s come n w s

i ecei n n r . s

a w r

t i w

g comb

( T e r

J hile

w r I

ati a

u n y T e h E e t d s a o l r dly v

m o e

Ds) y

e s o l

n a d a s

e l

r t

T r

Cana o T C a A t d Cana f acti T o Cana F 1 s vehicle c

h u e t b

o f u v - o h O h A r

f o q

t 8 w w o C C V u r e ain f lea i p e u s u s i R 6 a N u r v l

e eace and n a a r w w e

e Can i 6 t e itie p t

t d d n n d rs

g A takea s e h M - w w w

r u t of i i a a a

t g 5 r h n e a a time

. b D d dian

. . a C h e acci 2 s W e

n a c ns

O ada Remembe lication a n y m s o n

mhg a A f

t ’ s e A s e

R e e g h - n s o h a

r t a 2 r

b A h

s at a r o v E d c r a REM

ation E rs, M 1 med

heavy d e a

r i e v o s f f

b n 2 n i

. a f w r n I ite at n e f f a g i

ecome in a g e N 2 g in

p lita ice t i

b e ill c w i e s a s s toll

lea r n F i o . e d s , t g F s c s a E

a . c u r O s o ill C eme r h

a r

o v

a o n

MBER a y s s t m and v elp a r

R e e u n vailab u n

. a Can f c e n H gc.c d

r d c r e n M e t v i d e a —an n r h s

era i a s i p

l s e g s s t vol adi s mem

ach d i A peace.

A t . r e ada f e it P i a o a e e s n s T f n r : r S s l -

t v

o e y a d I i all Can e l A h s v

’ e f e o O h

n g

r contin . P s e f i e G g v f d ve th ng b a n d r

t g N ROG r c ement c am V

n e

era

a A i ole h othe the . u n r i ete t c toll. a s s e lt s

a tan

n r w

o e d n w

ememb adian e i i r o p f i u i n s a s a R r n r

e ell, r s

s tan . e . y

V n legac S v cal g d f y A p madeby

: orm s ete t i adl c inth c eace o

r M A : . h onment s it in c

l t s olo r f a y r e a a f o , ance y a r n 1 t lea e cau e ve— v s

i gical s for r f

5 ite

s f u 8 o

p r

r s n a o t

l s n s e