A Canadian veteran, Matthew Luloff, expressed his outrage at U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments regarding NATO soldiers’ contributions in Afghanistan, describing them as “a great deal of disrespect” towards the soldiers who were killed or injured in combat. In an interview on Fox News, Trump characterized NATO allies' roles in Afghanistan as minimal, suggesting that “we never needed them” and “they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
Luloff, a former soldier who served at a combat outpost in Kandahar during 2008, emphasized the direct combat Canadian soldiers faced against the Taliban. “We fought face to face with the Taliban nearly every single day for eight months,” he recounted, recalling the dangers of his deployment in one of the most perilous regions of the Afghan conflict.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress injury and hearing loss after his service, Luloff insists that he does not regret his time in the army: “I do not regret standing up for what was right in 2008.” However, he expressed deep disappointment over Trump’s dismissive remarks, stating, “it really shows a great deal of disrespect towards my friends that were injured and my friends that were killed.” Luloff, who now serves as an Ottawa city councillor, responded to the perception that Canadian forces played a less significant role in Afghanistan, emphasizing their pivotal front-line contributions.
Since the invocation of Article 5 of NATO following the September 11 attacks, Canada and other NATO partners joined U.S. operations in Afghanistan. Defence Minister David McGuinty reinforced the importance of acknowledging the sacrifices made by Canadian troops during this period, asserting that the nation will never forget their contributions to the alliance.
Between 2001 and 2014, over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in Afghanistan, marking it as the largest Canadian military deployment since World War II. During this conflict, 158 Canadian soldiers lost their lives. Luloff narrated vivid memories of his experiences, including encounters with Taliban forces and the impacts of constant attacks, such as rocket-propelled grenades and mortar fire landing in their encampments.
Another Canadian veteran, Keenan Geiger, who served between October 2009 and May 2010, shared his desensitization to Trump’s comments, suggesting that the U.S. president often speaks without regard for factual accuracy. He described receiving messages of apology from American veteran friends after Trump’s remarks, highlighting the embarrassment felt by many over such statements.
Reflecting on the emotional toll of his service, Geiger recalled the tragic loss of four Canadian soldiers and a journalist in December 2009 due to a roadside bomb blast, a painful memory that marked the beginning of his year. He emphasized the unique and irreplaceable nature of his service experience, believing it was an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a cause he believed in.
Despite the time that has passed since their deployments, both Luloff and Geiger maintain that the memories of their experiences in Afghanistan remain vivid. Luloff recounted harrowing incidents, including surviving close calls during enemy ambushes, which left many veterans haunted long after their return home. “With proper treatment and a lot of hard work, the nightmares are very few and far between now,” he noted, although he acknowledged the prolonged struggle many veterans face regarding mental health.
As part of a larger narrative, Luloff underscored his story as just a small piece of the collective experience shared by thousands of Canadian soldiers, reflecting on the shared sacrifices that characterized their missions in Afghanistan. The comments made by Trump have not only rekindled memories of their service but also their ongoing commitment to raise awareness about the realities faced by those who served alongside them.
