[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

A pretty cool story.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terr...654077-cp.html

December 6, 2006

Abundance of youth in Afghanistan mission

By BILL GRAVELAND


MAS'UM GHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - With his clean-cut, boyish looks, Matt Blakewood seems barely old enough to shave, let alone serve as a corporal in the Canadian Forces.

"Actually I haven't shaved for a week," admits Blakewood sheepishly, rubbing what little stubble there is on his chin. Blakewood, 21, from North York, Ont., has heard every joke in the book about his youthful appearance. "The lieutenant is on me all the time, and says, 'One day when you're old enough to join the army, you'll know,' " he chuckles.

Blakewood has been in the reserves since he was 17.

"I would have joined when I was 16 if I could, but because of the co-op program at school you had to be in Grade 11 at the time, so I did it when I was 17," says Blakewood, now working with the Psy Ops (psychological operations) unit of the Canadian Battle Group.

How does one decide to pursue a military career while in high school? It started earlier than that, Blakewood says.

"I just thought it would be something noble to do. When I have kids, they can say, 'My dad's in the military' and they can look at me and respect me . . . hopefully," says Blakewood.

"And I think it was like a childhood thing. I used to watch those black-and-white army movies with my dad and it just seemed like a cool thing to do at the time."

Blakewood drives an RG-31 light armoured vehicle as part of his duties and has been under fire. He eventually hopes to go into a career in law enforcement and has started going to college to obtain his diploma.

The one concern he had in accepting his Afghanistan tour was leaving his two younger sisters and mother at home - especially at Christmas.

"I'm very close to my mom. She's done an incredible job in raising us. I don't talk to my dad very often," he says.

"I feel really bad being away from her at Christmas and it's going to be a hard time for her," Blakewood says, brushing away a tear.

His unit mate, Cpl. Kris Downie, 21, of Hamilton, is a month younger than Blakewood but has been in the forces a year longer.

"I hadn't secured a summer job, to be honest with you, so I went down to the recruiting centre and got all the information I could. I tried to join right there but I was still 15," says Downie.

"When I turned 16, the recruiting officer said 'Happy birthday, you're in the Canadian Army," he recalls.

Downie isn't looking at the military has a permanent career but has learned a lifetime of experience already.

"How many 21-year-olds can say they've been shot at and blown up. It's not that it's a great experience, but it's stories to tell your kids," says Downie, who has completed a law-enforcement course but is considering going back to school.

"Even going out camping - all my civilian friends are complaining about being wet and I say, 'Dude, you have no idea. Try sitting in a swamp for a week straight.' "

A tour in Afghanistan isn't something Downie's parents had expected.

"It was a little white lie," he admits. "I told them I wasn't going to do a tour but when I got to the age when I was a little more on my own, I said, yeah, I am going on this tour."

For Pte. Scott MacDonald of Surrey, B.C., the reason for joining two years ago when he turned 18 was more straight forward.

"My family knew when I joined I wanted to come over here. That's why I joined - I wanted to go over here and I will go back in 2008 if they'll let me," says MacDonald.

"I think it has really opened up Canada's eyes to what our military does and have a better appreciation for our military."