'Lo!

This isn't aviation related but it has a great deal of personal signifigance; I thought I'd share it with you.

These are two short videos of 2 plt., A coy, 1 PPCLI (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) in Afghanistan. They're Youtube clips, I hope that's acceptable.

In July 2006, embedded American journalist Scott Kesterson tagged along with 2 Platoon while they conducted anti-insurgent ops in Helmand Province.

The idea of 'nice, underfunded Canadian soldiers' is one of the biggest military myths; and the Taliban expected easy actions against the 'pacifist' Canadians. They ran face-first into one of the most experienced combat regiments on Earth - the PPCLI; the best damn fighting foot anywhere!

The first clip covers a dawn raid on a Taliban compound. They'd been using this site as a base for launching a number of ambush and IED attacks on Canadian troops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_S9P1kMNuM&mode=related&search=
The attack went in fast and hard. They met stiff resistance, but disorganized, thanks to the speed of the initial assault. Results: 2 Canadians wounded; one serious enough to require evec. No Taliban survivors.

3 days later during mopping-up operations, the same platoon was ambushed by Taliban insurgents. The insurgents tried their usual tactic - attack from long range (approx. 150m.) with Kalashnikovs and RPG's. Fortunately, they ran into position before firing giving the lads just enough time - about a second - to break the ambush. The fight was long and predictable. 2 Plt. split into sections and counterattacked along two lanes with 3 Section providing fire support. The battle lasted approximately two hours while 2 Plt. closed with the Taliban and wiped them out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?search=&mode=related&v=qaC-w2dIxZc

Maybe not appropriate for this forum; but these are my boys - the kids I fought with and trained in Bosnia and Croatia are leaders now, with little lads of their own to protect. My war is long over thankfully, but I can't help but shed the occasional tear watching these vids and wishing I was over there with 'em to yell "Get yer f**kin' head down, you idiot!!"