Canadian Soldiers return from Afghan mission

Canada’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan came to an end Tuesday morning when troops arrived home in a military plane escorted to the Canada Reception Centre by two CF18 fighter jets.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. David Johnston and military officials greeted the military families before the emotional reunion with their loved ones.

The Canadians formally lowered their flag in Kabul last week, marking the end of a mission that began with the deployment of a handful of special forces soldiers in late 2001. Since then, thousands of Canadian soldiers rotated through Afghanistan in what Harper called “the longest active military engagement in Canadian history.”

They fought pitched battles against the Taliban and braved the ever-present threat of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, while trying to build schools, roads and other infrastructure in the perilous southern province of Kandahar.

Following the end of the combat mission in 2011, a contingent of Canadian soldiers were assigned to the capital city of Kabul to assist in training members of the Afghan military.

In addition to the 158 members of the Canadian military who died, a Canadian diplomat, a journalist and two civilian contractors were also killed over the course of the mission.

Agencies/Canadajournal