lol do you really need cf-18's for "peacekeeping"???

Sure. Peacekeepers ARE armed, dude.

It's not like they're prancing around Kosovo or Chechnya handing out daisies and playing James Taylor tunes on the harpsichord.

Wha..??????????????

Office Depot shut up.

Every modern first world country has an Air Force. Canada has its own land to protect. The second largest country in the world. Most Canadians do not want American Jets flying over our cities, we'd much rather have our own. Canada is an integral part of NORAD, and during the cold war was basically the first line of defense against a Russian attack. Canadian Jets had to be ready to go on a moments notice.

Granted that is the past, Our airforce has been used in the First Gulf War where a squad helped to bomb the shit out of the Iraq army. More recently in Kosovo in '99 our jets were deployed under the UN.

Canada has also vigerously supported the war on terror with Ships in the Persian gulf transport planes in the air and combat personelle on the ground last year consiting of 3PPCLI. In August 1800 troops from 1RCR will be going back to Afghanistan under the UN. Not to mention 2000 troops in Bosnia, which we just had a bunch of guys from my unit come back from after a 6 month tour.

We don't use our military to fight off invaders. Neither do you. Were not surrounded by countries wishing to kill us. But we have an obligation to the international community as an industralized country to provide support for those countries in trouble through the Un and also combat roles in cases like Terrorism. I don't see anyone invading the US, besides the planes into the WTC. But even the US military couldn't stop that. There are things we can not forsee, and for this we must be ready.

And to be honest, the US cannot support Canada. You guys are pretty stretched out with Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, and possible conflicts in N Korea, Iran, S. Arabia. So if you don't mind, sit down and shut up.