Canada in Afghanistan

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

RIP, Lieutenant Nuttall. You shall not be forgotten.

Canadian soldier killed by IED in south Afghanistan

CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Thu. Dec. 24 2009 6:44 AM ET

A Canadian soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on foot patrol in Afghanistan, the military announced early Thursday.

Lt. Andrew Nuttall, 30, of Prince Rupert B.C., died along with an Afghan soldier in the town of Nakhoney in the Panjwaii district of southern Afghanistan on Wednesday. An Afghan interpreter was also seriously injured in the IED attack.

Nuttall belonged to the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton. He is survived by his mother Jane and father Richard, who said they were proud of their son's decision to join the military.

"We have lost a bright light in our lives," said the family in a statement.

In total, 134 Canadian soldiers have now been killed while serving in Canada's mission in Afghanistan which begain in 2002. Nuttall is the first soldier to die since Sapper Stephen Marshall was killed on Oct. 30 in a similar IED attack.

Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, commander of coalition forces in Kandahar province, desribed Nuttall as a generous person who came to Afghanistan because he thought he could make a difference to the Afghan people.

"He wanted to lead from the front and set the example -- attributes he passionately displayed every time he was in front of his platoon," Menard said Thursday morning in a statement from Kandahar.

His death comes during a period of relative calm after a summer that saw a spike in violence, and as NATO forces are seeing an infusion of hundreds of fresh U.S. troops who are helping in the effort to secure areas in and around Kandahar City.

Nakhoney, about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, is part of the Panjwaii trangle -- an area where Canadian forces have found factories used by Taliban to make IEDs, as well as large quantities of other weapons.

Menard said Nuttall was searching for Taliban transit routes at the time of his death.

"His patrol was part of our efforts to protect the people of the village from insurgents," said Menard.

In a statement, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean said Nuttall's death comes at the end of a "particularly difficult year," and during the holiday season, "an important time for families."

"It is a harsh reminder of the enormous sacrifices our soldiers and their loved ones have agreed to make so that stability and security can be re-established in a dangerous region of the world and to help people who have been deprived of their most fundamental rights, distressed by years of violence and oppression," said Jean.

With a report from the Canadian Press

[Brian Gough]

Four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist have been killed in a powerful blast in Kandahar city.

The deaths Wednesday afternoon occurred as they drove through a supposedly safe part of the city on a regular patrol.

The military did not immediately release any names, but reporters at the base at Kandahar Airfield has identified the journalist killed as Michelle Lang of the Calgary Herald.

She had been in Afghanistan for just over two weeks on her first assignment in the country for Canwest News Service.

The four soldiers were based at the Canadian military-civilian outreach compound in Kandahar.

In all, 138 Canadian soldiers and two civilians have died on the Afghan mission.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1415241/

[Mark W. Tonner]

DND News Release:

Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter killed and five injured in an IED strike

CEFCOM NR - 09.034 - December 30, 2009

OTTAWA – Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter embedded with Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) were killed, while four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were injured in an IED incident in Kandahar province, on Wednesday December 30, 2009.

The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kandahar time, Wednesday afternoon as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol.

We will not release the names of the soldiers, as notification of next-of-kin is ongoing at this time. Further information on the incident will be provided once this has been completed.

All of the injured personnel were evacuated to the Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield. They are undergoing medical examination and treatment, and their names will not be released.

Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar Province. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of our fallen comrades and our prayers go out to the family and friends of our fallen civilian reporter during this sad time, but we are determined to continue working with our Afghan and international partners towards a better future for the people of Afghanistan.



... At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

RIP to:

Sgt. George Miok, 28, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S., and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont.

Along with journalist Michelle Lang, 34, of the Calgary Herald, of course.

My prayers are with their families at this difficult time.

[Mark W. Tonner]

CEFCOM NR - 09.035 - December 31, 2009

OTTAWA – Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter embedded with Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) were killed, while four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were injured in an IED incident in Kandahar province, on Wednesday December 30, 2009.

The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kandahar time, Wednesday afternoon as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol.

Killed in action was Sergeant George Miok a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Sergeant Kirk Taylor a member of 84 Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Corporal Zachery McCormack a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Private Garrett William Chidley a member of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Manitoba and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Michelle Lang, a Canwest journalist from Calgary, embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan was killed in the same incident.

Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were also seriously wounded in the incident. All of the injured were evacuated by helicopter to the Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield. The injured soldiers and civilian are reported to be in stable condition.

Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar Province. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of our fallen comrades and our prayers go out to the family and friends of our fallen civilian reporter during this sad time, but we are determined to continue working with our Afghan and international partners towards a better future for the people of Afghanistan.

[John McGillivray]

Canadian soldier killed after stepping on IED
CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Sat. Jan. 16 2010 4:36 PM ET
A Canadian soldier, Sgt. John Faught, 44, has died in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan. He was the first Canadian casualty in the war torn country this year.
Faught was killed after stepping on an improvised explosive device in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province while on a joint foot patrol.
He was a member of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Edmonton.
Faught was described as a "father figure" among the soldier, who was affectionally known as "Toast" because he was "hard and crusty."
"He could always be counted on to tell it like it is when asked for his opinion," Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said late Saturday.
"He was a very conscientious and thorough section commander who always put the needs of his soldiers above his own."
Faught was from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
The explosion occurred at about 2 p.m. local time on what was described as a routine foot patrol, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.
No one else was hurt in the incident.
There have been 139 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and two Canadian civilians.
The death was the first since Dec. 30, when four Canadian soldiers, Sgt. George Miok, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, Cpl. Zachery McCormack and Pte. Garrett Chidley -- along with Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang were killed when their armoured vehicle was struck by a massive roadside bomb.
With files from The Canadian Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...b=TopStoriesV2

[John McGillivray]

Canadian soldier killed during weapons training
CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Saturday Feb. 13, 2010 8:01 AM ET

The body of the latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan began the journey home Saturday after a solemn ramp ceremony at Kandahar Air Field.

Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker was killed in a training accident northeast of Kandahar City around 5 p.m. local time Friday.

The military has not released many details about Baker's death except to say it happened during a routine training exercise.

"This type of training is normal for soldiers in theatre and essential in helping them maintain high levels of expertise," Brig. Gen. Daniel Menard said.

Baker, 24, was serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

Menard said Baker had a laugh that lightened any situation.

"Joshua had a laugh rumoured to cure cancer," he said. "No matter where you were or how down you got, his laugh would find your ears and bring a smile to your face."

Baker, from Edmonton, was "an extremely positive, passionate" person, Menard said.

"He had a deep love for his family and worried constantly about them."

Four other soldiers were injured in the incident. They were taken by helicopter to the medical facility at Kandahar Airfield. They are in stable condition, the Department of National Defence said in a statement. Their names will not be released.

The Defence Department announced it will launch an investigation to determine exactly what happened.

Baker is the second Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan this year, and the 140th killed during Canada's eight-year mission in the country.

With a report from CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer in Afghanistan and files from The Canadian Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...b=TopStoriesV2

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

He held on, but not long enough...

August 30, 2010
Canuck soldier dies of battle wounds

By Laura Payton, QMI Agency


OTTAWA - A Canadian soldier has died in Germany, days after he was wounded by an explosive in Afghanistan.

Cpl. Brian Pinksen, 21, was badly injured in an improvised explosive device attack in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan on Aug. 22. He was on foot.
Pinksen was evacuated to Kandahar Airfield, then to Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Ramstein, Germany.

He died of heart failure after suffering injuries to his limbs and internal organs in the Aug. 22 attack.

Pinksen served with the 2nd battalion of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in Corner Brook, N.L.

A second soldier was also hurt in the blast. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance is expected to make a statement around 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time.

Since the Canadian Forces deployed to Afghanistan in 2002, 152 soldiers have been killed.

[John McGillivray]

By Brian Hutchinson, Postmedia News September 3, 2010 3:02 PM
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/...279/story.html

SPERWAN GHAR, Afghanistan — Measuring the success or failure of Canada's combat mission in Kandahar will depend on how events unfold this month and next, around a downtrodden village cluster deep in Panjwaii district.
After four years of effort and heavy sacrifices, Canada's military is still confounded by this place, the seat of Taliban power and home to a tiny, unhappy populace. Panjwaii is not secure. Insurgents continue to assemble here, kill troops and plan attacks on Kandahar City and places beyond.
Maj. Eleanor Taylor is blunt: "We cannot protect the population the way we're currently configured."
The Antigonish, N.S., native commands Charles Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group (1RCR).It's placed inside a Soviet-era military instalment at Sperwan Ghar, 30 kilometres west of Kandahar's capital and right on the Taliban's doorstep. This is the western front, where the most Canadian soldiers can manage are short patrols and attempts to "disrupt" Taliban activities.
Taylor's company does its best and enjoys "some rays of hope," she says, but it's caught in the same numbers game as others that came before it. Resources are spread too thin. There aren't enough soldiers. And the Afghan National Army troops operating in the area are often a hindrance, not a help.
Knowing the battle for Panjwaii was once considered a high point for Canadian battle groups makes the current predicament seem worse.
Canadians arrived in Panjwaii in 2006. First the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), and then 1RCR, including Charles Co. They beat back the insurgency. Charles Co. played a crucial role in Operation Medusa, a notable offensive campaign that opened up most of the district and allowed Canadians to build a string of forward operating bases and strong points, all the way to Panjwaii district's western boundary.But the tables turned. The Taliban came back in force and by 2008 the Canadians were drawing back. Those western strong points are long gone.
With security disrupted, development in Panjwaii has stalled. Road paving projects are on hold because contractors and local workers risk being killed. Irrigation repairs and health clinics have been postponed.
The district lacks transparent, effective governance. Panjwaii's illiterate district governor, Haji Baran, is by most accounts dispirited, unengaged, and suspicious of those around him. He has no staff to help him govern; civil servants from the cities will not venture into Panjwaii. Kandahar Gov. Tooryalai Wesa seldom visits.
The Taliban have filled the vacuum. The insurgents run a medieval court system from Zangabad, a village just west of Sperwan Ghar. It's their district council, where mercy, not vengeance, is spared.
Last winter, insurgents rarely strayed east of Zangabad. A PPCLI company in Sperwan Ghar had to go looking for them, explained Taylor. She inherited a fairly quiet area. When Charles Co. arrived at the beginning of May, Sperwan Ghar and points east were considered "permissive," or relatively safe to move around.
"Then everything transitioned," said Taylor. The Taliban prepared for another fighting season. They assembled a larger fighting force and started launching regular attacks on Charles Co. and on other Canadian and Afghan units nearby. They used small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortars.
"We knew we were facing something new," said Taylor. "They had foreign fighters. We took direct contact for the first time. Then, there was contact every day." Petty Officer Second Class Douglas Craig Blake, a navy explosive ordnance disposal officer, was killed by an IED blast near Sperwan Ghar on May 3.
The Taliban also began planning their response to Operation Hamkari, a large, three-phase coalition campaign aimed at securing key Kandahar districts, including Panjwaii. Hamkari may be the last, large-scale operation involving Canadian planning and combat teams before troops are withdrawn next summer.
Phase 1 saw U.S. and Afghan forces establish a network of security checkpoints around Kandahar City. Phase 2 saw them aggressively clear Arghandab district, north of the capital. According to senior military sources, Phase 2 was more "kinetic," or combat-intensive, than had been anticipated.
The Taliban fought back, hard.
Phase 3 is scheduled for Panjwaii and the adjoining Zhari district, once a Canadian area of operation and now an American responsibility. Phase 3 won't likely start in earnest before mid or late September. Much depends on the readiness of Afghan national security forces, and on the Afghan government's resolve, which can seem shaky.
British Maj.-Gen. Nick Carter, commander of coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, says the intention is to sweep through all of Panjwaii, including Zangabad, and reclaim territory formerly held by Canadians.Insurgents are warning locals to avoid the "infidels."
Villagers and farmers thought to be sympathetic to the coalition have had threatening notes pinned to their front doors. These so-called night letters instruct their recipients to either leave the area or to appear before the Taliban court in Zangabad.
Some have decided to defy the orders and to remain in their homes instead. Most have fled Panjwaii. A few have gone to Zangabad, to the Taliban court. They've returned with cuts and bruises on their legs, said Taylor. Several didn't return at all.
Taliban tactics are increasingly vile, Taylor added. They use children to conduct attacks on Canadian forces. A local insurgent, a man in his 20s, is known to recruit boys at least as young as eight to "emplace IEDs" near Canadian positions and routes at Sperwan Ghar.
"They know we can't take action against children," said Taylor.
"I've given up trying to explain to people back home how ugly the insurgency is."
Taliban activities intensified in July and August but have recently tapered, perhaps thanks to Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer. Ramadan concludes next week.
More troops will mass in Panjwaii. Until then, says Taylor, "we can build obstacles around here and take a bite out of the insurgency. We can disrupt."
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