Mr. Speaker, I think it has been only three minutes.
As part of the specific mission they secured an area of about 30,000 kilometres, escorted humanitarian convoys, carried out extensive demining operations, destroyed or put under guard vast quantities of weapons. But their condition did not end there.
They also did their best to improve the lives of the local population. Let me give a few examples. At the Medina hospital at Mogadishu the airborne did much the same in Belet Huen. Field engineers fixed machinery, soldiers helped repair the local jail, doctors and nurses from the battle group surgical team assisted the staff at the international medical corps hospital. This is the side of the story that does not get told.
They were awarded commendations by the Americans for executing their job in a very professional manner as the best operators in the field at that time.