By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

11 Days of Remembrance: Canada’s Peacekeeping In Afghanistan

Nov 10, 2016 | 5:17 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Canada played an active role in Afghanistan, from both a military and development perspective, since the United States-headed removal of the Taliban regime in October 2001.

First, Canadian ships were stationed for duty in the waters off the region, assisting and defending international fleet operations and watching for illegal activity.

Next, Canadian military personnel from the elite Joint Task Force 2 joined American and British troops already fighting to overthrow the Taliban regime and arrived in the rugged country followed by other Canadian soldiers in January 2002 and were originally based in Kandahar.

Canadians would gradually play a bigger role and peacekeeping forces were required to perform rapid tactical transitions. With mission-specific training Canadian soldiers were fully trained and equipped for combat just as much as they were for peacekeeping.

Kisha Potts, 20th Independent Field Battery Corporal from the Blood Reserve, articulated to Lethbridge News Now that despite being fully trained many soldiers are not mentally prepared to deal with the horrors of war.

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“The hardest part of going to Kandahar was coming home. There is a lot of us and even myself included I don’t want to go for the disability benefits because I am okay for the most part .I’d like to see more happen for those who are too proud and shy to get the resources they need. It is a system that needs a lot of improvement.”

Corporal Potts, who served to her first tour in Kandahar in 2006 at just 19-years-of-age and then a second tour in 2008, noted that during her time spent overseas she reflected on those who served the country long before her.

“It felt surreal remembering that the vets from WW1 and WW2 went over and fought without knowing how long they would be there and they fought there for years. We had a general idea of how long we would be there; it makes me appreciate what they went through.”

Canada’s contribution to Afghanistan was controversial for the public and the political landscape. In August 2006, New Democrat leader Jack Layton called for the withdrawal of Canadian troops from the south of Afghanistan, and immediate peace negotiations with Taliban insurgents.

Canada’s combat role in Afghanistan ended in 2011 as focus shifted to training the nation’s army and police. Canada stayed for three more years to help with the training of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the Afghanistan theatre of operations between 2001 and 2014.