GUELPH -- Terrifying and eye-opening.
That’s how Lt.-Col. Richard Moyer remembered his first night during his 2010 mission in Afghanistan.
“I remember offloading this truck and going into temporary quarters. And at one point I was taking my second bag out and I heard this siren,” recalled Moyer.
“I saw these two British soldiers walking toward me dive into this ditch. I didn’t know what it was. But I knew enough to do what they were doing.”
“I immediately dove into a ditch, which was then followed by a ‘whoof’ of rockets hitting the base. It didn’t take long to become aware of the fact that you were in a dangerous place.”
Moyer said he arrived in Afghanistan at the height of the war, when the U.S. and allied countries delivered more aid and military power to fend off extremist groups.
“It was a busy time of the war,” said Moyer during a virtual interview with CTV.
“The allies were trying to push back the Taliban and clear them from some of the last strongholds.”
“We put a lot of effort and time and gave it a significant amount of sacrifice. Not to mention of course the sacrifice of those who gave their lives over there,” said Moyer.
He said watching the recent events in Afghanistan, and the Taliban take back control, is difficult.
“To see the Afghan military sort of collapse in fairly short order was disheartening to say the least.”
The 57-year-old reservist lives in the Guelph area, and is a commanding officer of the 25 Field Ambulance in Toronto.
His troops commemorated Remembrance Day on Sunday at the Sunnybrook cenotaph.
Moyer said this year’s Remembrance Day has felt extra poignant with more friends, family and colleagues having reached out to him because of his time in Afghanistan.
“They were concerned. They wanted to know if I was okay. So there’s a really strong community of support of the Canadian military and their efforts,” noted Moyer.
Moyer’s most recent effort was in a mission in Iraq. He returned to Canada this past summer.
“There are very much still threats, ongoing threats, in a lot of places in the world,” said Moyer.
Moyer just celebrated 30 years of being with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Moyer plans to serve for as long as he can, knowing the sacrifices he and his fellow soldiers have made have not gone unnoticed.
