Afghanistan.

At 12 years and three months, it was Canada’s longest war—a protracted conflict that ended in defeat. The last Canadian troops withdrew from the embattled country 10 years ago, in March 2014. But the fighting continued for another 7½ years, until August 2021 when the last coalition forces left and Taliban fighters swept into the capital, Kabul. The Sunni Islamist nationalists promptly undid 20 years of progressive reforms. For retired major Alex Watson and many other Canadians who invested so much in Afghanistan, it was a decidedly unsatisfactory conclusion to years of effort and sacrifice. More than 40,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew served in the country. At least 158 are known to have been killed in action, along with a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist. Thousands of other Canadians were wounded and dozens of tormented veterans have since died by suicide.

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