Jul 01, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Crystal Crimi

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DURHAM -- For Corporal Jose Ramirez, the Canadian flag his platoon officer brought everywhere evoked his national pride while in Afghanistan.

For Corporal Mitchell Allems, seeing the Canadian flag on a well or school donated by Canadian organizations made him proud.

And for Master Corporal Rory Feeley, the sight of people standing on highway overpasses during repatriation ceremonies for soldiers killed in combat or viewing 'We Support Our Troops' bumper stickers after returning home, made him feel good about his country.

The group of reservists recently came back to Canada after a fall-to-spring stint in Afghanistan.

While sitting in the Junior Ranks Mess room inside the McLaughlin Armoury in Oshawa, the men spoke about their mission and their feelings about Canada Day and their country.

"I always thought (Canada) was great, but now I have a greater appreciation," Master Cpl. Feeley said.

Cpl. Allems, just 20 and from Oshawa, definitely feels different about Canada Day now. He just can't put his finger on how, he said.

"It's nice to see people appreciate what we have," Cpl. Ramirez said.

Master Cpl. Feeley would happily go overseas again to ensure Canadians can keep what they have here. "So you can wake up on Saturday and cut your grass," he said. "(Canada has) the best status quo in the world."

At age 28, the Ajax resident has been to Afghanistan twice now. He also did a tour of Bosnia in 2001 and Kabul in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005. During his recent stint, he and Cpl. Ramirez were in the same unit providing convoy security for deliveries.

Cpl. Allems, who joined the military with Cpl. Ramirez, was a driver with the civil military co-operation.

"You miss greenery and the water," said Cpl. Ramirez, 21, an Ajax resident.

"Because it's all very desolate," added Master Cpl. Feeley. He missed just being able to cook up a steak.

Sometimes, things were pretty routine in Afghanistan, Master Cpl. Feeley said.

Their day often started at 4 a.m. with making sure they had their gear and clothes gathered and stowed away, preparing ammunition and making sure their vehicle was sound, then receiving their route orders, which included everything from who and what they were picking up, to the weather and any threats they could face. They'd also be told which position their vehicle would be in. Each spot plays a different role, such as looking for bombs or carrying medical personnel or interpreters, Master Cpl. Feeley said.

Some days were boring, but others included explosions en route or other obstacles they would face.

"You just have to stop and deal with everything as you go along," Master Cpl. Feeley said.

They also had to do vehicle and weapon maintenance. Sometimes they had free time to go to the gym, write letters, or play cards.

Sometimes Master Cpl. Feeley and Cpl. Ramirez would run into Cpl. Allems while on the road at campers. His days were similar to theirs.

"I'd do two to three patrols a day," Cpl. Allems said. For patrols, he'd drop people off who worked on instructing Afghans on proper governance and policing.

Now at home, Cpl. Ramirez sometimes hears people his age complaining about how hard things are, but going to Afghanistan was a real eye opener for him.

"You can really see some true hardships overseas," Cpl. Ramirez said. "Be glad of what you have."

Canada is one of the best countries in the world, he added.

"I love this area now," Cpl. Ramirez said. "I love this country, I want to take full advantage of everything it has. I'll never leave. You can't get any better than this."