KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Most Canadians associate medals with old soldiers and wars long past, but that stereotype now clearly belongs to history as hundreds of young men began leaving the battlefields of southern Afghanistan this weekend, joining comrades on their long journey home.

The "citizen soldiers" of Charles Company, 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, received their campaign stars Saturday in a modest rain soaked ceremony in front their fighting vehicles at Kandahar Airfield.

In pinning the medals on 14 reservists, Brig.-Gen Tim Grant asked them to reflect when they get home on what the last six months has meant to them, their country and the people of Afghanistan.

"You're the ones who've made the unit proud, this task force proud and the country proud," he said.

"You have been significant in maintaining the reputation of NATO because last summer the Taliban said they were going to send NATO packing out of this country. You made sure that didn't happen."

Thrown into battle in late August and early September, Charles Company saw some of the battalion's fiercest firefights, its heaviest casualties and perhaps, the worst luck. The unit not only lost four members in one action, but were strafed by a U.S. warplane the following day, killing one and injuring 30.

Campaign medals - gold stars hung on a red, white and green symbolizing Afghanistan - will be pinned on regular army members at a huge ceremony planned for late April at their home base outside of Ottawa. The idea of holding a separate presentation is to allow the families of the soldiers see them receive their decorations.

In addition to the medals handed out Saturday, which all soldiers in theatre are entitled to wear, Grant presented wound stripes to soldiers injured in the accidental strafing at Ma'sum Ghar last September.

The Canadian Forces is currently looking at the idea of replacing the wound stripe, which soldiers can choose to wear or not, with an actual medal, similar to the Purple Heart, granted to injured U.S. soldiers.

None of the reservists wanted to be interviewed following the ceremony, but Grant said the recognition means a lot to them as they return to their jobs and lives back home.

"A lot of people will wear that medal," he told reporters. "But the fact they're wearing it, and they know how they earned it, will make it special to them."

"These are citizen soldiers. In the real world you wouldn't call them professional soldiers, but they have been very professional in what they've done and they volunteered. They came over to serve their country and get a life experience and they got more than what they asked for."

Not long after the ceremony, the Taliban issued a reminder of the dangers of the Afghan mission when a suicide car bomber attacked a Canadian patrol east of Kandahar city.

The driver detonated his high explosive payload early, killing only himself and causing just minor damage to one military vehicle.

No Canadians were injured in the attack, although the blast was large enough to be heard several kilometres away at Kandahar Airfield.

In October, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean announced that four soldiers who served on the first battle group rotation last spring will be presented with the Star of Military Valour and the Medal of Military Valour - the first recipients since the honours were created in 1993 - during Apri's ceremony.

Sgt. Patrick Tower will receive the star of valour, while Sgt. Michael Thomas Denine, Master Cpl. Collin Ryan Fitzgerald and Pte. Jason Lamont receive the medal of military valour.

Grant said he intends to recommend a number of soldiers from this latest rotation for individual bravery honours.