More than 100 Edmonton-based soldiers left for Kandahar Friday, as Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan wraps up in about a month. The soldiers will be part of the mission's transition team helping to pack up equipment and gather remaining troops.
The 120 soldiers are headed to Afghanistan Friday in what they call "security inside the wire".
They will focus to bring home what officials call a small city's worth of equipment.
"Imagine trying to pick up Morinville and move it across the ocean, that's in essence what we're trying to do," said chief of staff Col. Dave Anderson.
One soldier says this tour will be different after engaging in a combat role back in 2006.
"I remember being in this hanger about five years ago and being a bit jumpy, but this time I'm a bit more relaxed," said Capt. Greg O'Neil.
The soldiers who deployed today are expected to be in Kandahar within 24 hours. One expert in international relations believes the tear-down is happening too fast. And with allegation of a corrupt government and Canada pulling out in the middle of fighting season, the expert thinks Afghanistan could return to old ways.
"We can have the Taliban simply waiting in the wings to come back. If the Afghan security forces aren't able to protect the Afghan people, then it's a failure," said University of Alberta professor, Andy Knight.
But soldiers who left for the next phase of the mission believe they have done enough and they will be leaving Afghanistan a better place.
"There's a sense of accomplishment for what we've achieved," said Anderson.
The soldiers are due back to Canada by December. The mission to train the Afghan army wraps up in the summer of 2014.
With files from Jessica Earle
