Canadians mentor Afghan Army

Canadian training of Afghans to fight Taliban called 'essential'

The Afghan army has suffered from high desertion rates, as young men join, lose interest and then simply go home — but not in the formation mentored by the Canadians. It has the lowest absentee rate of any unit in the army.

Gen. Khan Mohammad, the Afghan Army commander in Kandahar province, said his soldiers are impressed by the work ethic of the Canadians, and that's rubbing off on his men.