Message from the Acting Chief of the Defence Staff to the CAF on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

September 13, 2021 - Defence Stories

Twenty years have passed since the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001—heinous acts that changed the trajectory of world history, and certainly that of the Canadian Armed Forces of the past two decades.

As we remember the loss of the nearly 3,000 victims on that day, including 24 Canadians, we also have reason to pause and reflect on our own military service over the past 20 years.

I know that many of you were not yet serving, and some of you were not even born. Yet everyone old enough remembers exactly where they were on that fateful day. We recall the shock, the fear, the uncertainty, the sadness, and also the steely-eyed resolve to stand with our allies to confront this scourge.

In the aftermath, the CAF was quick to react with Operation Yellow Ribbon, diverting U.S. flights to Gander, N.L.; a testament to the partnership between our countries.

Canada also joined a U.S.-led multinational coalition of the willing—to fight global terror.

Ships and sailors from the Royal Canadian Navy were re-assigned and began steaming to the Arabian Sea, while soldiers, special forces operators, and aviators from the Canadian Army, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, and the Royal Canadian Air Force commenced a 13-year mission within weeks aimed at eradicating terror, and improving life for millions of Afghans.

Our personnel were joined by Canadian diplomats, public service employees, contractors, and journalists, all of whom were supported by personal support networks that remind us that those who served were parents, siblings, extended family members, and dear friends.

While Afghanistan was the initial and primary focus, the call of service expanded to confront the wickedness of international violent extremist organizations and help build regional stability and capacity, including in such places as Iraq and Mali.

As we reflect on where our service has taken us over the past two decades, we cannot help but be consumed with agony over recent events in Afghanistan. What we feel is shared by tens of thousands of allied service members around the world who, like us, answered the call and gave part of ourselves to the fight.

We must work to reconcile the pain with the positive difference made in so many lives, of showing what a brighter future could be, of saving those that we did through herculean efforts. 

We must be clear-eyed in knowing that most events are beyond our control, and that when called upon over the last two decades, our members served with courage, honour, and distinction, and did what our country and government asked. 

Those asks will continue. The world is more dangerous now than it was on September 10^th, 2001. Canada enjoys nowhere near as much splendid isolation as it did then, as threats and challenges multiply. We must embrace the fact that our country will need its CAF more than ever, even if this harsh reality is not appreciated by all. 

There is an urgency in getting ourselves ready for a future fraught with many more threats. As we reconstitute our CAF, I ask you to work every day to be better prepared to confront them. Our nation will demand it.

In doing so, we must never forget the honour and sacrifice of all who served around the world and gave so much over the last 20 years, especially our Fallen as well as the Canadian civilians who lost their lives contributing to the mission, their families, veterans and the more than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have served in Afghanistan, including most recently – all as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Going forward, the way we live our lives and serve our country must keep faith with that honour and sacrifice.

General Wayne Eyre
Acting Chief of the Defence Staff