Red Friday

(Image courtesy Canadian Forces Combat Camera)
22 July 2011
A CH149 Chinook flys over Kandahar Province with members of the Mission Transition Task Force Command Team and take a familiarity flight over the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan to see the different projects that have been completed by Canadian Forces members over the years including road construction and the Dala Dam project.

 The Mission Transition Task Force is comprised of approximately 1,000 personnel of all ranks that will be responsible to conduct mission closure of Operation ATHENA in order to enable the Canadian Forces to transition to subsequent operations as directed by the Government of Canada.

Photos by: MCpl Dan Shouinard, Senior Imagery Technician, Mission Transition Task Force © 2011 DND-MND Canada

I know a number of the soldiers I have talked to feel sad about Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan ending ~ they feel like they have left a job undone, failed their promise to the people of Afghanistan, and failed their fallen brothers and sisters.  They are under no delusion that the "Training Mission" we are still engaged in will continue to put Canadians in harm's way, and require "combat"; but they feel we have failed to complete what we set out to do, because they were called home before they have a chance to finnish the job.  Most I have spoken to want to return, to do what they had originally set out to do.

Support takes many forms.

"A ship in harbor is safe;

but that's not what ships are built for"

John A Shedd