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Northern Ontario veterans 'hurt' by the crisis in Afghanistan

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Following Afghanistan's fall to the Taliban, Canada's decision to end evacuations early and bomb attacks in the country's capital of Kabul, veterans in northeastern Ontario who served in the country are grappling with mixed emotions.

For Thomas Chalmers, who served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan as a gunner on the frontlines in 2010, it's a frustrating situation.

"It definitely hurts me, seeing that," said Chalmers, who recalls engaging with Taliban fighters, watching for hidden explosives and helping locals on his patrols.

"I think about all the people I talked to, children ... and now it's just going to be turned upside down completely."

Those feelings are shared in varying degrees by many veterans who spent time in the country said Algoma Veteran's Association's co-founder, Frank Iezzi.

That includes himself, having spent a six-month tour of the country as a mechanic in 2002. He said there's a feeling amongst some veterans that all of the effort put in to free the country from terrorist rule has gone to waste.

"It kind of feels like we did our job and now it's taken away," Iezzi said.

"I fear for the women and children the most, as well as the interpreters that we had."

With many veterans dealing with mental health issues like PTSD and anxiety, the devolving situation in that country can resurface or worsen those conditions, Iezzi said.

That's why his association has been working to help local veterans through these difficult times by holding sessions where they can think out loud.

"We just try to console each other or talk it through," Iezzi said.

"Basically, we did a job, we got in there, we helped, but now it's not great what's going on over there."

For Chalmers, the part that gnaws at him the most is the fact that the people of Afghanistan are yet again subject to the Taliban's harsh authoritarian rule and that the future is unclear.

He tries to work off the stress with exercise, but most of all, Chalmers said he wants to raise his son with good values and a clearer picture of the world.

"Treat everybody equal, you know what I mean? And just know that there's bad people out there," Chalmers said.

Iezzi welcomes people who want support to reach to him through the Algoma Veteran's Association.

Veteran's Affairs Canada also has a toll-free line to connect veterans and people currently serving to a mental health professional.

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