Desert Lions: Canadian Forces Mentors in Kandahar

This documentary follows a Canadian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team in the village of Nakhonay, SW of Kandahar City, in the summer of 2010. The OMLT's role is to assist the Afghan National Army by mentoring, advising, and coordinating NATO assets. The documentary was produced by LCol Mike Vernon, a former CBC TV video journalist, for Canadian Army Public Affairs (DAPA) and released in 2011.

[@dudley2112]

Had a couple guys from this as course staff on my BMQ L, remember a bunch of us watching this on course, we definitely had a new respect for our staff after that.

[@oshaughnessyrof5201]

Gagetown?

[@dudley2112]

@@oshaughnessyrof5201 No didnt have that pleasure haha, Meaford

[@oshaughnessyrof5201]

@@dudley2112 Id take gagetown’s mess over meafords any day

[@1970swimmer]

I taught BMQ, and DP1 infantry in Gagetown in 2008. When my section of troops learnt about what we had been through just like my goofy buddy Wade Crooker the newf in the video (you might be eluding to) the troops than seemed to listen to our advice more closely. What the recruits and future infantry members (aka chicken nuggets) don’t understand is how much we want you guys/gals to not die on tours. When I would see news updates about Afghanistan after instructing I always was grateful to know my batch of troops weren’t in the news but still upset knowing a fellow soldier was hurt or killed. I hope you have a great career and stay fit.

[@sayedmohammadghairat1101]

@@1970swimmerhi dear sir are you Darryl chambers? ??

[@nacholibre1962]

34:36 Singularly stupid mistake on the part of the Canadians to put a woman in a Shura as one of the key stakeholders and without her head covered. I have no doubt the elders felt that was very disrespectful. A very bad read of the culture and an astoundingly idiotic blunder and failure.

[@treadheadpete4770]

"Lest we forget" now includes Afghanistan. Thank you for this amazing look at front line service in the Canadian Forces!

[@eziekkiel5876]

Great little documentary. Thank you so much for producing and posting this. As a Canadian (Ottawa...), I love seeing old videos of our boys in Afghanistan. Glad you made it out safe!

[@TheYukonnahanni]

BOYS & GIRLS !!! :))

[@abedlahabassi7514]

@@TheYukonnahanni u

[@sayedmohammadghairat1101]

Hi bro

[@wood2hoz4]

Myself being American 🇺🇸 love watching Allies at work kicking AsS!!!

[@eziekkiel5876]

@@wood2hoz4 Really unfortunate it went out the window, strategically anyway.

[@nicholashanson837]

This was taken down for a while, why is that?

[@mcvernon63]

Good question. I was told someone at Army Public Affairs did it by mistake while cleaning up old postings earlier this year. It had over 200,000 views.

[@mcvernon63]

They also took down Deployed: Canadian Army Reservists Overseas. It's back up again.

[@juicyj3819]

Americans jealous of how cool we are.

[@Jaws10214]

Private Cameron Hurrell! I dont give a shit if you find their culture "primitive"! You're representing Canada over there. Watch your damn tongue! 26:45

[@mikejmardis]

I stand corrected. The sgtmaj is a grounded soldier. That being said, I believe living/working together is the ultimate in respect building.

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Jaxon-cf5gl]

Brian Pinksen was from from Newfoundland

[@quantumhelium]

What a fantastic piece. This video needs way more play.

[@kazkazimierz1742]

I was completely opposed to sending Canadians there when Chretien decided to do so. Some 150 Canadians died and many more came back wounded physically and/or mentally. In the end the Taliban took control. Past history indicates that Afghans will resist foreign occupiers. The Brits and Soviets found that out, and NATO forces are learned it as well.

[@1970swimmer]

One thing I learnt from ANA and Muslims in Afghanistan was they are solid people, there word is there bond, they’re tough people who have been at war forever. The one thing I brought back was all they will wish you I’d love and peace! Extremists are basically a mislead, disillusioned and lost Muslim.

[@canadianboy5578]

Thank you to our brave soldiers 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@hansmueller3029]

It seems the canadians were willing to be sensitive to Islamic culture. Maybe more so than other Coalition forces. But it also seems they are sent to the places, like say... Catholic missionaries are, that nobody else wants to go.

[@Chris_Garman]

Except when they sent in a woman as the senior to a shura.

[@nacholibre1962]

37:26 Russian kid! Lots of them there. All from the Russian occumation of the 80's. Some even had red hair.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

Red hair is actually a lot more common in that part of the world than you think. Certain areas of Afghanistan have high instances of natural red hair(well before the Russians came). That guy could just as easily be Pashtun, an Indo-Iranian group. I've known my fair share of Iranians that could easily pass for Slavic.

[@XDKnoori]

@@kutter_ttl6786 yep

[@russbooth6766]

39:55 the Sergeant Major (god) flexing with the Coy OC to thrash out a good balanced solution. This is great example of what the Canadian and British Armys do very well.

[@russbooth6766]

@@yousafshah9892 I`m not helping you. I was commenting on the video. And you don`t know me, so I am not your "bro".

[@mattyc7]

That tension is so healthy in my opinion. I hate to see NCOs being pushed to obey blindly. They need to be pushing back on their officers - even if the decision doesn't get changed, the officers need to that added info and benefit of their experience as part of the decision making process.

[@beverleybazinet551]

All of our service men and women should never hang there heads. Every time I hear,watch,see anything about our military l personally feel so proud,proud because of everything you do. Watching this,it’s so Canadian,the respect you give,you are pros serious when at work,but still having a great sense of humour.Again thank you so very much

[@danield9182]

All heroes serving Canada 🇨🇦 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@DanMProductionsBois]

"This is a workers comp claim right here " lol.

[@oshaughnessyrof5201]

I should get workers comp for all the CLP I ate

[@andreaquino1114]

Sgt/Major was right, you don't blade someone from the top and expect the working relationship to be the same. We watched over them a few time with the Heron...hope all the best.

[@jay-ham5649]

Thank you to each and everyone for their courage to serve. I’ve applied to the reserves. What an honour it would be to wear the Canadian military combat gear and serve.

[@Kgcottawa]

Have you gotten in yet ?

[@jay-ham5649]

@@Kgcottawa no, unfortunately I’m still awaiting my medical appeal.

[@Kgcottawa]

@@jay-ham5649 roger. Good luck and ask for a Medical waiver to be staffed up to DPGR thru CFRG. the recruiter will / should know what this means.

[@djpd6499]

Very good video! Thank you!

[@TheGhjgjgjgjgjg]

Ricky supports the troops

[@djpd6499]

TheGhjgjgjgjgjg Sunnyvale loves the Troops!

[@mikejmardis]

I’m with the Capt. you don’t have to “shred” armor/what’s positive to live with locals. Gain their respect and hopefully they I’ll get kitted to the same.

[@davidmcrae4791]

wow an amazing display of the frustrations and how to deal with them.

[@roshanpk7073]

By the way no one can mentor Afghan lions ever. They know very well what they are upto. Americans , Canadians or all those allies have realized this fact very well...

[@michellestockal8245]

Very well produced - thank you for the insight into the lives of our soldiers

[@emanuelruiz6676]

Afghan,iraqi, Iranians...they all look untrustworthy...just some are not

[@mrnic3058]

24:48 hmmm I wonder why the Afghans like working with the Canadians more

[@whiteprivilege4469]

Being tough on the Afghans has its pros sometimes. We were too nice in retrospect. They respected American upfrontness and would often lie and decieve us canadians to even a fatal degree in some cases. You also dont see how frustrated we were with afghan troops and off the record i can tell you it came to fisticuffs and even guns being drawn between us. The Americans understand war. Its a tough reality but its true.

[@b062838868]

Great watch!

[@AbruzzoPride]

Man not gonna lie when the word got back that the kid from NF lost his life I was cranked up for them i would want that guy whose house was around the corner asap idn why they waited for ANA to go and do a soft knock screw that you had 2 soldiers blewn up and a 3rd COULD have been. They should have went and booted his door in and got him before he ran. IMO

[@ill-fatedgamer]

His name is Brian Pinksen from Corner Brook.

[@tg13fire]

Ford fucking ranger

[@Dra741]

I'm proud of the Canadian humanitarian role and also combat role in Afghanistan, that do an exceptional job

[@mikeylejan8849]

Huge respect to the Canadian armed forces

[@neildavid10]

This is great content that u literally can’t find elsewhere. Quick question that American army major was a green beret wasn’t he?? Or some SOF.

[@mrnic3058]

yea im sure he was some sort of SOF dont think regulars US soldiers are allowed to have beards

[@jmn194]

Dar was (one of) my recruiters.

[@jay_kay709]

Thanks to .... Taliban and their 85 Billion worth of USA arms. whatta fucking slap.

[@trooper744]

CHIMO my fellow Sappers

[@claytonmann7375]

RIP Goudreu and sapper Collier

[@zeezeez7943]

8:00 is going to be evidence of “service related injury” guaranteed

[@BucyKalman]

The Canadian Army looks very undisciplined in this movie. The officers seem to have no authority with the NCOs.

[@randomassname445]

What a fantastically done documentary

[@michaeljoudrey5834]

Tsk tsk. Another documentary about the wrong people. Shouldve talked more to the guys that actually did the patrols

[@nolanyoung8786]

The Canadian Platoon protecting the Marijuana Crop. Of course lol

[@chuckd5877]

Marijuana crop? Like the afghanis or Americans/Canadians are shipping marijuana across the world? We grow that shit at home dude. You’re an idiot

[@nolanyoung8786]

@@chuckd5877 10:32 the narrator explicitly says that every patrol starts with walking past "The local landmark. A Marijuana crop". Afghani Marijuana would more likely be smuggled into Russia by border crossing or to Europe through the Middle East because you're right, we grow that shit at home.

[@Brunte81]

Seem to be a little gay here and there haha

[@asmatniazi7942]

Beautiful memories never come back love you brother

[@nervouswreck392]

GRATE‼️

[@andrejapaunic4761]

10:45 better that than on a donkey trust me no matter how hungry you are you are not touching that food until they literally order you to eat it because you are about to faint from hunger and you cant eat it because it stinks so much it cant be described

[@kindcanadian5825]

yah sending a women in to try and voice in leadership meetings definitely isn't the way to go about it with their culture.

[@PenieWenie]

why do we have women doing the negotiation, wouldn't the elders not respect them?

[@Kentuckyfrieddish]

43:58 why’s this lardass allowed in the military

[@sarajohansson569]

Very good done. Brave :-)

[@inquilabzindabad562]

This was 2010. Come 2021 the Canadian Troops are back home, Some working in Barber shops and Bars. The Afghan Soldiers who are left behind are running for their lives.

[@duuub227]

They are still fighting the taliban. This war can last forever

[@inquilabzindabad562]

@@duuub227 It is not going to last forever. There is always a winner and loser the War eventually ends.

[@n00fer]

@@inquilabzindabad562 people have e been fighting in this area of the world for thousands of years man, this shit is never going to end. Especially when you have guys like Ahmed, the front gate sentry who doesn't even bring his rifle with him and looks like he's high as fuck on drugs the way his head bobs back and forth

[@brianvandenbussche-r9e]

Because the canadian goverment are cheap.

[@hishkhamosh3013]

Don't get far over soldiers....

[@andrej1659]

Jesus is King of kings

[@ikm1796]

No he was just a human

[@andrej1659]

@@ikm1796 says who

[@ikm1796]

@@andrej1659 the Bible

[@andrej1659]

@@ikm1796 usually men aren’t born of a virgin

[@ikm1796]

@@andrej1659 I agree so what about Adam then he was born without a mother or a father

[@yunassaxer7119]

great! please stay!

[@AyyanGoats]

Epic...

[@billybombay6189]

These guys smoked a joint for sure

[@Awselmakayed]

Can’t wait!

[@ULTRAINFINITEJUSTICE]

cpt pete fucking cursed his cpl

[@YasirKhan-jh3lu]

Where are you guys now?😂😂

[@noeschmoe9927]

I was the Chaplain at Camp Stone 2006/7 and I mentored 17 ANA Korengi/Afghan "chaplains". I brought my translator back and he is now a multi-degree American citizen who works for NATO throughout he world. For everyone who gets credit there are 100 guys like me and him whom histroy never acknowledges. Who gives a fuck? No one. Wart is fucked ans most unfair. Wish I had died over there... No one really gives a shit...

[@nawabpundit4072]

Where are these kids now?

[@susansmall6992]

Very well done understand what's really going on there.

[@cheeta8928]

Desert jackals who fled away in the middle of nights these so called super Armies LION are the TALIBAAN who defeated you like a women...😆😅🤣😆

[@cheeta8928]

Desert jackals who fled away in the middle of nights these so called super Armies LION are the TALIBAAN who defeated you like a women...😆😅🤣😆

[@marianchambers1588]

The sneaky hubcap partly step because relative definitely squeal like a fuzzy patient. disagreeable, wanting missile

[@nanaadwoasika6978]

Upon all this while world super powers troop's maintain Afghanistan security situation ..but unfortunately Taliban's took over again 🤭

[@MrPagandog]

Great video. Thank you for sharing this.

[@juicyj3819]

🇨🇦 ✊🏻

[@Brentaubrey]

All they really accomplished was to leave advanced weapons for the taliban. Why didn't the Afghan men fight for their country? Waste of effort, lives and money.

[@Mr.CanCan]

really amazing documentary man. great shots and story and editing

[@charliewilliams1590]

The brave crime positionally pull because sushi ultimately trace inside a little insulation. unkempt, pushy delivery

[@tiongnam1456]

The glistening glorious lettuce secondarily whistle because soil disappointingly succeed from a uptight susan. condemned, jumpy hall

[@dubNrun]

KEK, giving our soldiers new found sympathy for the enemy that has blue on blued hundreds of them. Yes, great people the ANA.....

[@johndoraziosr1202]

!!!!!!!!!!!! HEY > I DO NOT HEAR ANY >> "EH" >> FROM ANY OF THE CANADIANS !?!?!? HAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!! HHOOAAHH !!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE & RIP TO ALL WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Onix.556]

Assessment: if you had the ANA doing unsupervised security, talking on phones, without one Canadian awake.....I bet one or more of them new and allowed the IED to be planted, while you were all sleeping. The ANA that was relieved of duty could have known or they were worried an ANA would leak the info to him then to you, so they eliminated that worry. Personally, I think the entire Canadian unit got to complacent and allowed things they normally wouldn't. Example before you deployed did any of you think you would all go to sleep while ANA guard you? I fully understand building trust but don't put all your trust in ANA, especially when you're the responsible party of all your men safety. I hope i misunderstood something here.

[@timf5479]

Yes, you have misunderstood. You are welcome.

[@jakethunderbird8735]

I agree. I would have exercised ALOT of caution around the ANA, especially after the first IED. They are very easy to manipulate plus they know the word and layout around town, almost impossible for not at least one knowing that a bomb was going to happen . A level have trust just HAS to be there, because of the language barrier, the post not being all Canadian, etc. but putting ALL your trust into them is a terrible idea.

[@ballinkingston]

Mike, I appreciate the insight.

[@dougwestacott7940]

Sad to saw the results of all of this mentor trianing by the mentor teams was nil . TYhe taliban took over the country in less that two weeks.

[@savagex466-qt1io]

Has a shirt saying " The Great Crusade " thats awsome.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Fired a flair across the compound?! That could be either a case of boredom or incompetence!

[@zxrcanada]

great documentary! not enough works like this about canadian operations in afghanistan!

[@davidmcrae4791]

i bet all those boxes were candy or something

[@David-pq4of]

so in a nutshell a complete waste of time,money and lives,thanks too the yanks.

[@roshanpk7073]

22:25 what kind of soldiers they are who are concerned about their own security?

[@mn_lazy6816]

Lol they just seem like they look to have fun and joke around lol 😂

[@christianaguirre3113]

Great doc!

[@westyinzer4607]

I wonder how having a female officer in the shura went over with those elders.

[@DrHogfather]

Awesome documentary. I could watch stuff like this exclusively.

[@mix1426]

Are you have Lots and variety of food in Canadian army??

[@paulusmpeter5034]

All right 💧 Iban 🥀🌡️😈

[@alexp2608]

Fools the Canadians always have Johnn deer gators

[@antnewbon2673]

Its a bit worrying when the boss is bricking it, firing a flair.

[@jondenmark9577]

Dont forget about the British army who were there by there side

[@vtek8383]

WoW merci j'ai bien aimer votres video

[@qadimachakzai2405]

anyone knows about KAF bazzar?

[@bm-tn7uw]

Les soldats canadiens les meilleurs aux monde même si mal équipés

[@MassihJawad]

Nice documentary.

[@alisinabayat1683]

Going to war while you are fasting, means no eat, and drink for the whole day. That's impressive Afghan National Army.

[@ilwa324fg6]

What's impressive is Taliban fasting and fighting

[@zombiedreams3825]

Not 10 months old its is super old

[@YasirKhan-jh3lu]

The power fullll only my god 💪

[@HowlingWo1f]

20 years in Afghanistan is enough..It’s time to bring our troops & our allies home.

[@newsinatra4178]

Canada hasnt been in afghanistan since 2014