KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Canadian soldiers soared into western Zhari District Saturday to disrupt suspected Taliban compounds, the first air-assault mission done with Canadian helicopters in the country's military history.
"It was the experience of a lifetime," said Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, of November Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, based out of Petawawa, Ont. "Landing combat with the Chinooks was pretty good; pretty cool. It's for sure something we can tell our friends and family back home."
The mission netted a small cache of weapons and bomb-making materials, but Canadians say the ability to quickly drop dozens of soldiers deep into Taliban territory is an important new tool here.
The 11-hour day began at dawn, with a Canadian Chinook helicopter joining two British CH-47s on the ramp to pick more than 200 soldiers. After a roughly 20-minute flight, the soldiers stood in unison when the helicopter's wheels touched down on the spongy ground. They disembarked and less than two minutes later the helicopter was back in the air.
The area was thought to be a hub for bomb-making supplies and other materials shipped across the Registan Desert from Pakistan. Canadians spent the day methodically searching compounds and grape huts in the area. Afghan men of fighting age watched the soldiers from the hills nearby, but never engaged the troops. Canadians took the lack of fighting as a sign they startled the insurgents.
The flight's pilot, Maj. Jonathan Knaul, said it was pretty special seeing Canadian soldiers in the back of the helicopter. "We made a major Canadian milestone for our troops here and for Canadian aviation in general," Knaul said. "I felt a great deal of pride to have been a part of that, so have been the one commanding the Canadian Chinook."
Canada has been flying six Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and eight Griffon helicopters in Afghanistan for more than two months now, but this is the first time they have been used to ferry troops on a combat mission. Canada had done similar assaults in the past, but relied on NATO helicopters.
Improving air support in Afghanistan was a key recommendation of last year's report to Parliament by former MP John Manley. The battle group commander, Lt.-Col Roger Barrett says the helicopters give soldiers here one more tool to use against the insurgency. "It allowed us to strike deep into this territory quickly, efficiently and extract out quickly and efficiently."