Fowler - Combat mission Kandahar: the Canadian experience in Afghanistan

Copyright T. Robert Fowler, 2016

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Editor: Michael Carroll

Design: Jennifer Gallinger

Cover design: Sarah Beaudin

Cover image: David Strachan, George Metcalf Archival Collection, Canadian War Museum

Maps: Mike Bechthold

Epub Design: Carmen Giraudy

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Fowler, T. Robert, author

Combat mission Kandahar : the Canadian experience in Afghanistan / T. Robert Fowler ; foreword by Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-4597-3516-3 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3517-0 (pdf).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3518-7 (epub)

1. Afghan War, 2001- --Participation, Canadian. 2. Afghan War, 2001- --Campaigns--Afghanistan--Kandahr. 3. Afghan War , 2001- --Regimental histories--Canada. I. Title.

DS371.412.F69 2016 958.1047 C2016-902737-6

C2016-902738-4

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and Livres Canada Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

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C anada s military involvement in Afghanistan was a significant period for the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole, but particularly for the Canadian Army. Our participation spanned a decade and involved thousands of officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, many of whom deployed multiple times. It left a lasting mark on Canadians who were either directly involved in the conflict or supported those who were overseas. Consequently, in order to truly comprehend the impact of our operations in Afghanistan on those who were there, it is necessary to understand their stories.

Combat Mission Kandahar elaborates on a number of individual experiences across the duration of our armys participation in the combat mission in southern Afghanistan from 2006 to 2011. While it does not encapsulate the totality of our national contribution, the strength of this work is that it does provide one with an idea of the diversity of Canadian involvement in the conflicted area and the effect of the fighting on those who were deployed to that region.

While a comprehensive history of Canadas activities in Afghanistan remains to be published, the separate stories of those involved stand on their own merits. Each member of the Canadian Armed Forces who was part of our mission, myself included, has a tale to tell. This grouping represents a few of those from the Canadian Army. I commend one to read them and reflect on the individual experiences contained within the covers of this book. Also, while reading these stories, I ask that the reader remember all those who were part of Canadas involvement in Afghanistan, as well as their families and friends. It is by remembering and acknowledging their vast contributions that we continue to honour their sacrifices.

Vigilamus pro Te (We stand on guard for thee).

Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse

Chief of the Army Staff and Commander of the Canadian Army