OTTAWA, Ontario — "The air is humid, chilly. It is 0820 hrs. The sun is already high above the mountaintops.
Their senses alert, the patrol marches in line through a tiny mountain village in Afghanistan. Makeshift shanties provide shelter to fewer than a hundred families. The sound of boots on the still frozen earth breaks the monotony of the task undertaken by our section.
Has something changed? Imperceptible at first but extremely significant, the small signs become more apparent on each new patrol. The children no longer hide, the adults nod their heads, welcoming the passing troops.
The sergeant stops and shakes the hand of an aged man, his face etched by thirty years of war. I think to myself that he's probably never thought about shaking the hand of an armed stranger who is patrolling his land on his behalf. For this mountain dweller, from a warlike people who defeated the British and Russians, who suffered under the yoke of the Taliban and the American carpet-bombing, the act of shaking the hand of a soldier seems beyond belief.
It's when he's asked what can be done to improve his people's lot that a smile comes to his face. This is probably the first time that a stranger has asked him what he would like to have done for his people rather than being told what to do. This is neither war.... nor peace. Today the chief smiled; we are gaining his trust. But my job is to monitor, to survey the surroundings, to catch any movement that might indicate that something is wrong, that an enemy has crept up to disturb his peace, our peace, the peace that we have come to bring to people who until now have had no future, or even a hope of surviving.
The wind is fresh, a mule brays, and I have a lot of things to e-mail back home about this evening, to my loved ones who are wondering what the hell I'm doing in this wretched place."
On April 22 and 23, to mark the first anniversary of its new building, the Canadian War Museum will honour the contributions of the men and women who make up today's army.
You are invited to come and talk to them, to hear their stories and to learn about the equipment and services they use. The program is posted on the Army Internet, at www.armee.gc.ca, and offers a list of free concerts and activities. Making the most of these activities will highlight the best part of our army…you!
For those of you interested in attending, access to the museum is free to serving and former members on presentation of ID. For others, the price of entry ranges from $10 on Saturday to $5 on Sunday.
We're expecting you!
For more information on the Canadian War Museum, you are invited to visit the following Websites: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/cwme.asp http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Feature_Story/2005/02/warm_f_e.asp
Article by Captain Sylvain Chalifour Photos by Corporal Robert Mugridge and courtesy of the Canadian War Museum
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