Canada's longest war and its first significant combat engagement since the Korean War (1950-1953) was in Afghanistan from 2001-20014.

After the 2001 terror attacks on the United States, Canada joined an international coalition to dismantle the al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban regime that sheltered it in Afghanistan.

Although the Taliban rulers were removed from power until 2021 and the al-Qaeda network was disrupted, Canada and its allies failed to eradicate either group and were unable to secure and stabilize Afghanistan.

More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the 12-year campaign. The war killed 165 Canadians - 158 soldiers and 7 civilians.

Many Canadian veterans of the war in Afghanistan suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to an investigation by the Globe and Mail, more than 70 Canadian soldiers and veterans who were deployed to Afghanistan had committed suicide by December 2017. “Many had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues related to their military work, along with personal problems such as relationship breakdowns and financial stress.” 

If you are a veteran affected by PTSD or other OSI (Operational Stress Injury) please feel free to reach out to our Service Officer John Vanderelst or see the list of resources on our Veterans pages.