Canada Will Withdraw All Troops at the end of 2014

Canada has decided that handing over responsibility for Afghanistan to Afghan Security Forces means just that.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced, as the NATO Summit wound up, that Canada would withdraw all of its troops by the end of 2014. 

The Prime Minister said that withdrawing the troops was not abandoning the war torn country, but a transfer of responsibility to the Afghan people.  While no Canadian troops will remain in Afghanistan, Harper said that Canada would continue to support the Afghan Army by pledging $110 Million for the next three years.

Canada had been asked earlier by the United States and NATO to extend its present training contingent.  There has also been discussion as to maintaining Joint Task Forces 2 special operations troops in Afghanistan.  While the Prime Minister did not address JTF 2, it is clear that the 950 strong contingent of trainers will be coming home at the end of 2014.

NATO issued a declaration overnight stating that it would responsibly draw down its combat troops by December 31st, 2014.

"We are gradually and responsibly drawing down our forces to complete the ISAF mission by 31 December 2014. By the end of 2014, when the Afghan Authorities will have full security responsibility, the NATO-led combat mission will end."

 The United Kingdom had 414 of its soldiers killed in action, Canada 158, France 82, Germany 53, Italy 46, Denmark 42, Poland 35, Spain 34 and Australia 32, just to name a few.  Overall 3006 NATO soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.  Add to that those wounded and psychologically damaged, one must ask the question if the cost was worth it.  Read More here 

President Obama announced that US troops would end their combat mission by mid 2013 and during a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that the war in Afghanistan, as we know it, has ended.

During the NATO summit it became clear that all 28 NATO leaders were looking for a way out of the war torn country and that the leaders have recognized that the war is at a stalemate.  You won't, of course, not hear any of the leaders say this.  According to them there has been enough progress that assures that Afghan Security forces can take over and keep the Taliban at bay.

According to the NATO leaders, the Afghan Forces will be in a position to take on much of that role next year, permitting the exit of NATO combat forces.  NATO, however is committed to support and training of Afghan forces.  The bill is estimated to be $4.2 Billion a year.

Canada has been in Afghanistan since 2002 and ended its combat mission in July of 2011, but maintained a contingent of 950 trainers, with a commitment to 2014.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that Canada has carried enough of the load in Afghanistan.  158 Canadian soldier lost their life.  If the trainers leave in 2014, Canada will have done that mission for three years. 

One can only hope that no more Canadians die on that mission.  

 

PTSD and the Case of Corporal Stuart Langbridge

Twenty Canadian Forces soldiers committed suicide during 2011.  None of these suicides were as publicized as the suicide of Corporal Stuart Langbridge.  Corporal Langbridge committed suicide in 2008 in what the military claimed had nothing to do with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  The military suggested that Langbridge succumb to his addiction of drugs and alcohol.

A veteran of the war in Bosnia and Afghanistan, Langbridge hanged himself, after efforts to help him with hospital treatment for drug and alcohol addiction had failed says the military.  Doctors and his superiors testified at a Military Police Complaints commission that they did all they could do for Stuart.  They say they went to the wall for Stuart.

His parents, Sheila Fynes and stepfather Shaun beg to differ.  They contend that their son was suffering from PTSD, which, for the most part, was ignored by the military.  They filed a series of complaints against the military’s National Investigation Service (NIS) claiming that three investigations into their son’s death were compromised, biased and concerned only with protecting the military’s reputation.

Corporal Langbridge  had left a suicide not for his parents in which he requested a simple family funeral.  The note was never given to the parents and not knowing of his request, agreed to a military funeral.  The last weeks of his life were spend doing menial jobs, where according to his parents, he was subjected to a rigorous workload he was in too fragile a state to handle.  The suicide note was never given to the parents until a year after his death.  The military never apologized.

The decisions on Langbridge were made by an estranged girlfriend, Rebecca Starr, who the military considered his common-law wife and had designated his next of kin.  Corporal Langbridge had lived common law with Rebecca for about one year.

The military requires soldiers to fill out a "Personal Emergency Notification," which list the soldiers Primary and Secondary Next of Kin.  There is also a designation of a beneficiary for the Supplementary Death Benefit.  Chances are that Corporal Langbridge also had a Statutory Declaration formalizing the common law relationship with Rebecca Star.

The military would have to follow those two declarations on who to notify after the soldier's death.  That doesn't explain why the suicide note, addressed to the parents was not presented to them.  In this case, it may have been prudent to contact the parents, tell them who the soldier designated and at the very least present a copy of the suicide note to make the parents aware of his wishes.

Despite the note the military went ahead and had Sheila Fynes agree to a military funeral.  If not by rules, out of courtesy the parents should have been contacted.  Instead he Fyne's went through several years of misery and ended up fighting the military, which she claims, is now acting to protect its reputation.

Without medical  records it is hard to say whether or not the military mishandled Langbridge, but one can assume that tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan should have raised a red flag about PTSD.  It is far too often that soldiers turn to drugs and alcohol to fight the inner demons caused by PTSD.

An Assisting Officer, assigned to the Fynes for over one year said,  In the "old days" soldiers were given one chance at suicide and then ordered to a mental-health facility for treatment, said Parkinson.

Changes in law no longer allows the military that right.

"He tried to commit suicide five times and was still walking the streets and not getting treatment," he said.

Parkinson wrote to his superiors at one point that Langridge's parents had been "deceived, misled and marginalized" by the system.

Sheila Fynes and her husband Shaun are not interested in a public inquiry, nor are they interested in a monetary reward.  They simply hope that people have heard what they had to say and what really hurt them.

“Hopefully people heard what I was saying — about what really has hurt us,” she said. “It isn’t about whether Stuart doing drugs or how sick he was, it’s about people not doing the right thing.”

How can you argue with that? 

Canadian Forces Suicide Numbers Rise in 2011

The Canadian Forces reported that 19 men and one woman had committed suicide during 2011.  The number, although higher than the previous year, 12, is still well below the national average.

Canadian Forces have been deployed to Afghanistan since 2011.  Canada's combat role was terminated in July 2011 and Canada presently has approximately 950 trainers in Afghanistan.

Since 1996, the military has recorded 187 suicides among its members.  The causes for suicides can of course be a number of things, but many can now be attributed to service in Afghanistan and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  There have been several high profile cases, but many have not in the public eye.

The military has gotten much better in dealing with PTSD, especially since deployment to the former Yugoslavia, when lip service was still paid to it.  During the Bosnian war, debriefing teams of professionals were deployed to counsel troops and provide a means for debriefing them after actions.

After the initial deployment to Afghanistan the decision was reached to send troops for a week long debrief to Cyprus, prior to returning to Canada.  In the meantime education was provided to commanders and troops in the recognition of symptoms of PTSD.  This education is being extended to military spouses.

Private focus groups have also provided a means for troops to educate themselves.  Much of the problems had to do with the military culture where troops, especially combat troops, are hesitant to report any problems they may be dealing with.  Often a soldier withdraws and in the worst case they commit suicide.

The problem becomes larger with the number of reserve soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and don't  have the unit support structure available to regular troops.  The good news is that efforts have been made to recognize and deal with the problems.  Support groups seem to be one of the best approaches, but those are not readily available to soldiers living in remote areas or outside of the urban centres.

Mental health screening has also been increased since 2009 and soldiers must attend post deployment sessions with mental health staff.

Chief of Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk told a Senate committee on Monday that even with the gold standard of recruitment and all of the screening techniques available, it is impossible to identify every vulnerable soldier.

Canada has lost 158 soldiers in Afghanistan, many of them victims of Improvised Explosive Devices, where their fellow soldier were involved in securing the area and picking up the pieces.  All things considered, although one suicide is too many, overall with thousands of troops having served in Afghanistan, it could have been much worse.

It is up to the Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs and Canadians to ensure our emotionally wounded warriors are taken care of.