Boarding parties in the Persian Gulf

An item from the Legion Magazine.

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Boarding parties in the Persian Gulf
Story by Stephen J. Thorne

Canadian sailors had limited to no experience in boarding potentially hostile ships at sea when they embarked on their mission to the Persian Gulf in August 1990. Yet this was to be one of their primary roles.

Their British and American allies had marines and others specially armed for and trained in hailing foreign vessels and boarding them.

Operation Moshtarak

Story by Sharon Adams

In mid-February 2010, Canadian troops and helicopters were involved in launching the largest NATO attack to that date on the Taliban. It was called Operation Moshtarak, which means ‘together’ in the Dari language.

More than 15,000 coalition soldiers and 50 helicopters converged on the small city of Marjah and surrounding farmland, a hub for the Taliban and the opium poppy production that supports them.