Canada in Afghanistan

[John McGillivray]

Dave how are things down in Texas at this time of year. Why do I ask?

Texas is about to be invaded. Troops from Valcartier are heading down to Fort Bliss for some desert training as part of their work up for their deployment to Afghanistan next summer. They loaded their vehicles onto railcars last week for the trip down south. My son is leaving for Texas next week and will be down there for a month.

[alleramilitaria]

ft bliss
he is F%$ked, LOL i was ADA and spent lots of time at bliss. tell him to pack warm, warmer, and really warm. its in the 20s here now with ice storms. the thing is your body gets used to warmer temps then you get the nasty cold winds from white sands and it cuts you in half. always had fun with the "smart" guys who left all there WW and CW gear at home when going to the desert. they tend to get medivacted first.

[John McGillivray]

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
ft bliss
he is F%$ked, LOL i was ADA and spent lots of time at bliss. tell him to pack warm, warmer, and really warm. its in the 20s here now with ice storms. the thing is your body gets used to warmer temps then you get the nasty cold winds from white sands and it cuts you in half. always had fun with the "smart" guys who left all there WW and CW gear at home when going to the desert. they tend to get medivacted first.

So I should tell him to expect much warmer weather than what he is use to in Valcartier.

[alleramilitaria]

like i said you get used to the warmer weather real fast down here. then you get the nasty suprise

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Media Advisory - Inauguration of the M777 gun in Valcartier
VALCARTIER GARRISON, QC, Jan. 16 /CNW Telbec/ - Wednesday, January 17,
from 9:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M., gunners will proceed with the first live
shooting exercise of the new artillery gun M777 to qualify the crew for the
use of this gun.
For the occasion, media will have the opportunity to meet the gunners of
the 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada who will shoot live ammunitions
with the M777. These soldiers are actually in preparation for the deployment
in Afghanistan scheduled for August 2007.
The 155 mm calibre M777, purchased recently by the Canadian Forces, is
presently used in Afghanistan. Canadian troops were the first worldwide to use
this model of gun in an operational theatre.
This artillery gun, using leading edge technologies, is a light and
precise gun on the battlefield. Regular ammunitions allow effective and
precise fire up to 24 km.

Medias interested in covering the live firing of the M777 gun are
encouraged to contact Captain Vincent Bouchard, at the numbers available
below, to confirm their presence. Reporters must be at the front gate of the
Valcartier Garrison at 8:30 a.m., on January 17, to follow the only escort
leaving for to the training area.



For further information: Captain Vincent Bouchard, Public Affairs
Officer, Valcartier Garrison, (418) 844-5000, ext 4429, Pager: (418) 627-6993

[John McGillivray]

NATO troops may ease Canada's burden: general
Updated Fri. Jan. 26 2007 3:30 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
More NATO troops will be on the ground in southern Afghanistan, including backup expected to ease Canada's burden in Kandahar, says the top alliance commander in the war-torn nation.
"We've now got a stabilized (situation),'' said British Gen. David Richards, who steps down as commander of the NATO force in Afghanistan on Feb. 4.
"I'm not saying we've won. We have a stabilized security situation across the south and in the east. We have a lot more to do but we've set the conditions for that.''
Richards also said it was "fantastic news" that NATO plans to deploy a mixed brigade of as many as 3,500 combat troops.
The boost in allied troops comes amid a recent warning from U.S. generals that Taliban insurgents are prepared to launch a spring offensive in southern Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced it was extending tours of 3,200 troops in Afghanistan.
At least one battalion, approximately 650 troops, of that group will form a so-called theatre reserve, said Richards.
Based in Kandahar, the soldiers will be called upon to respond to emergencies throughout the region.
In theory, this would allow Canadians to focus their attention on security and reconstruction.
Earlier on Friday, NATO foreign ministers agreed to increase military and economic assistance to Afghanistan after meeting in Brussels.
"The message has been clear that the international community intends to keep up the initiative in Afghanistan," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after talks between alliance foreign ministers in Brussels.
"That means more reconstruction, and we have heard more nations stepping up to the plate as far as their activities are concerned in the field of reconstruction and development," he said.
"Allies are going to step up their civilian, military and economic efforts, with increased pledges for funding... and more forces on the ground," AFP news agency quoted NATO spokesman James Appathurai as saying.
But it remained unclear which countries planned to contribute new troops.
In a curious twist, NATO headquarters released a summary of countries contributing troops to Afghanistan and listed Canada's anticipated commitment at 2,700 -- 200 more than the latest estimate from Ottawa.
The Canadian army had no explanation for the discrepancy.
Richards praised the Canadian contingent in Kandahar, saying "it's fantastic to see Canada taking such a leading role here.''
"Canada is way back at the top among those small number of countries that can confidently tackle the most demanding military tasks,'' he said.
U.S. boost
NATO members faced pressure Friday to pledge more aid to Afghanistan after the U.S. announced plans to boost funding to the region by US$10.6 billion.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the funding announcement on the eve of the Friday meeting, making it clear she expected NATO allies to boost their commitment as well.
She said the Bush administration would ask Congress for $8.6 billion to help train and equip Afghan army and police and $2 billion for reconstruction efforts.
"We need greater commitments to reconstruction, to development, to fight the poppy economy. We need additional forces on the ground -- ready to fight," Rice said in a prepared text of her remarks.
Of the 32,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, the U.S. supplies about 11,800 while the Europeans provide most of the rest.
NATO is attempting to refocus the mission in Afghanistan by ensuring that military action in the country is quickly followed up by development projects meant to win over support of the local population.
The Taliban reemerged in 2006 causing the bloodiest year since the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Islamic regime in 2001.
The tribal areas of Pakistan along the Afghanistan border are seen as a sanctuary for al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
Rice initiated the quickly arranged meeting of the NATO foreign ministers to help prepare for an anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban.
NATO commanders want to preempt an offensive by driving Taliban fighters out of hiding early. But they say they are about 20 per cent short of requirements and are calling for more troops and helicopters.
Troops deter Taliban
Meanwhile, a U.S. general held a press conference on Friday, saying that coalition forces in Afghanistan have been successful in deterring the Taliban from achieving any goals over the past year.
"Progress quietly proceeds here in Afghanistan, and we see this in both counter-insurgency and development," U.S. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakly told reporters.
"Reporting acts of violence continues to make news in the United States, but significant good news are often overlooked."
U.S.-led coalition forces made great progress in the creation of a "stable, secure, and viable nation-state in Afghanistan," despite the Taliban's attempts to impede those efforts, he said.
"2006 was without a doubt a year the Taliban hoped to achieve decisive victory by fracturing the 37 nations that are here, by isolating the Afghan government, and by seizing Kandahar as their stronghold to mount a campaign to topple the freely elected democratic government of President (Hamid) Karzai," Freakly said.
"They achieved none of their objectives."
In contrast, however, the international community has worked with the Afghan government to develop infrastructure, he said.
Many fear a new spring offensive hat will test NATO's staying power, but not Richards.
He dismissed suggestions Taliban militants have the strength to launch a renewed assault.
Richards told reporters that he expects only hit-and-run terrorist attacks using suicide bombers and improvised explosives.
"We've now got a stabilized (situation),'' said Richards.
"I'm not saying we've won. We have a stabilized security situation across the south and in the east. We have a lot more to do but we've set the conditions for that.''
With a report from CTV's Paul Workman in Kandahar and files from The Associated Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

[John McGillivray]

Troops intend to oust Taliban from Afghan town
Updated Sat. Feb. 3 2007 7:54 AM ET
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of residents were fleeing a southern Afghan town overrun by Taliban militants, villagers said Saturday, amid reports that the insurgents had reinforced their positions despite an impending NATO-Afghan operation to recapture the area.
Gen. David Richards, the British commander of the NATO-led force, said care would be taken to protect lives and property and that his troops would not use force "in the way I think some people are concerned about."
From June until September, Musa Qala witnessed intense battles between Taliban fighters and British troops posted in the fortified center. The fighting caused widespread damage to the surrounding town of around 10,000 inhabitants, most of whom were forced to flee.
British forces left Musa Qala in October after elders struck a truce with the Helmand provincial governor that British forces support. Richards said the Taliban were not party to the agreement, which turned over security to local leaders, preventing NATO forces from entering the town.
Some Western officials criticized the peace deal as a NATO retreat in hostile Taliban territory.
Late Thursday, hundreds of Taliban militants overran Musa Qala, destroying the government center and briefly detaining the elders, officials and residents said.
A number of Taliban militants remained in the town, and there were reports they were reinforcing their positions, said Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
"It is only a matter of time before (the) government re-establishes control, and that is going to happen," Collins said.
Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said the situation in Musa Qala was not clear. He said local elders may have already pushed the Taliban out of the town.
"If there is a need for an operation, there will be one," Wardak said.
A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said the Taliban took over the town in response to NATO attacks that he said violated the agreement. He was apparently referring to a NATO airstrike outside of Musa Qala that killed a senior militant leader and a number of his deputies late last month.
But NATO said that the Taliban were never part of the agreement and "by their actions, the Taliban have ended over four months of peace in Musa Qala which, until now, had seen a return to normality with reconstruction and development getting under way."
"It is very clear that the Taliban are acting against the wishes of the people of Musa Qala," NATO said in a statement.
Mohammad Wali, a Musa Qala resident, said a number of Taliban fighters were around the damaged district center Saturday, where the white Taliban flag was hoisted. Hundreds of residents had fled the area, fearing that fighting between NATO and militants would resume, he said.
Lal Mohammad, another resident, said the Taliban were in control of the town and were being led by Haji Mullah Gafoor, who was the Taliban commander in western Afghanistan when the Islamic movement was in power.
Violence in Afghanistan has risen sharply in the last year. About 4,000 people died in insurgency-related violence in 2006, according to a count by The Associated Press based on numbers from Afghan, NATO and U.S. officials.
U.S. Gen. Dan McNeil was set to replace British Gen. David Richards on Sunday as the commander of more than 40,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan. Military officials have said privately that the change of command will mark a new approach in dealing with resurgent Taliban militants.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0203?hub=World

[John McGillivray]

Young reservist describes training for Afghan misson
Updated Mon. Feb. 5 2007 7:21 AM ET
Ken Regular, CTV.ca News
A little girl's voice sounds across the telephone line. Quiet and a little shy, Ashley Woodford's voice seems jarring as she describes nine grueling months of military training. She is tougher than she sounds.
"I don't mind taking a beating," Woodford told CTV.ca by telephone.
At 5'2" Woodford stands just a little taller than the C6 machine gun she will carry into battle.
Over nine months the Canadian Army has taken the 21-year-old reservist through a punishing training schedule that left her with aching knees, injured leg ligaments and lost toenails. She even needed surgery to repair some of the injuries inflicted to her legs.
Such is the life of a soldier preparing to go to Afghanistan.
Woodford and several others from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment decided to take their careers in the reserves to the next level. But many, mostly young men, did not make it through the training.
Those who remain, Woodford included, are now just days from putting their combat boots on Afghan soil.
Six months of dangerous duty are ahead. As the only female machine gunner she knows about, Woodford will see action.
"It's different from training in Alberta where when someone dies there's always the 'God Gun' to resurrect them. There's no God Gun this time," Woodford said.
Thinking ahead, she added that Afghanistan will be a difficult adjustment.
"Dealing with always getting attacked with mortars and RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades); it's going to be 'fun' getting used to the fact you're not always welcome and people want to do harm to you."
On Valentine's Day, the reservists who are now trained to a level well beyond weekend warriors will fly to Kandahar. Their duties are well known now but it took months of training before the army's plans became clear.
They learned how to drive in convoys of vehicles with armoured vehicles in the front and rear, and other vehicles laden with supplies in the middle. A two-week exercise in Gagetown, N.B. revealed their future role.
"Within two weeks we did 104 convoys and they normally take, in proper battle procedures, about five hours or so. We were non-stop," Woodfood said.
"Right then and there we kind of figured out what our mission was going to be over in Afghanistan. We were going to be actually doing the convoy security portion of it."
Sitting inside a hulking RG-31 armoured vehicle (better known by the name of its South African manufacturer, Nyala) Woodford will be at the remote controls for a .50-calibre machine gun whose purpose is to stop any threat before it gets close to the convoy.
Also mounted on top of the Nyala is a C6 machine gun. That is Woodford's weapon, too. When the time comes, her finger on the trigger is the difference between life and death.
"It's a lot of responsibility considering that we usually have two vehicles escorting up to 20 vehicles and within those two vehicles we'll have two machine guns."
"So you're pretty much the heavy fire power to protect those people in the convoy. You have a lot of responsibility. A lot of people are depending on you," Woodford said.
Her family is depending on Woodford too as they deal with the reality of Ashley going into the line of fire.
"I'm going through the motions but I don't know if reality has struck yet," mother Doreen Woodford said from her home in Harbour Main, NL., just a short drive outside St. John's.
While her daughter is in a war zone, Doreen's husband lives most of the year in Richmond, Va., where he works for a communications company.
The distance and circumstances take a toll on the whole family.
Doreen supports her daughter's decision, but admits it is not easy. She has joined a support group offered by the military. Doreen knows this is how she will face the next six months of being alone and worried for her daughter.
"I went Tuesday night (to the support group) for the first time because as the day gets closer ... you need someone to turn to."
"With all the emotions you'd like to say, 'please stay home, don't do it.' But when she's doing what she wants to do for her country..."
Doreen will spend four days with Ashley before she ships out but as a mother, she cannot face the final farewell.
"I won't be staying until she flies out because I don't think I'll be good for her. It certainly won't be good for me," Doreen said.
Family weighs heavily on Ashley's mind. While determined that this is the right thing to do, the young soldier wonders about what she is asking of her family.
"Sometimes I think about it ... sometimes I wonder is it cruel that I will be putting my parents through this and my family, and then I realize that I'm not the only one. There's a lot of people that's doing this and their families are going to be worried about them too," Ashley said.
Ashley reassures her worried mother that she will be okay, the Nyala will protect her. It is a heavy vehicle and has saved many lives in Afghanistan.
Then her thoughts turn to herself and other soldiers.
"I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about casualties and people dying."
"You see the caskets coming home and they're draped with Canadian flags, you feel for those families and their significant others and you shed a tear for them but this time it's different because I know a lot of people ... and it's probably going to be one of my friends who is one of those casualties."
It is a heavy burden Ashley is just starting to feel.
During her tour of duty, Ashley and the others will escort convoys into some of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. The convoys bring food, fuel, ammunition and other supplies to soldiers on the front line with the Taliban. The escorts protect convoys from attack.
Ashley says it is the second most dangerous place to be.
"The way I always say it is that the RCRs (Royal Canadian Regiment soldiers) are the predators out hunting and myself with force protection, is like the prey. Like, we're out to re-supply them but we're the ones that are being hunted."
She has already heard the stories of suicide attackers targeting convoys. For six months, Ashley's hand on C6 and .50-calibre machine guns will be the difference between surviving or being the prey.
Still, she is determined to go and discover if being a full-time soldier is the right choice for her future.
Ashley hopes the realities of combat and Canada's efforts in Afghanistan will make her a better person and open up a military career.
Before that life and death will hang in the balance.
"I'll be home," she said with confidence.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0205/20070205/

This is all too familiar.

[John McGillivray]

Thirteen Cdn. soldiers injured in Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Feb. 18 2007 8:40 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Thirteen Canadian soldiers sustained minor injuries when three armoured vehicles crashed into each other in Kandahar early Sunday.
The accident occurred on the same day a military helicopter crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing eight U.S. troops and wounding 14.
The traffic accident occurred before dawn as a convoy of recent arrivals moved between bases, said Maj. Dale MacEachern, a Canadian Forces spokesperson.
"I can't discuss the nature of (individual) injuries to the soldiers for reasons of privacy, but I can say they were all minor injuries,'' he said.
"All of these soldiers are expected to go back to work.''
After the crash, the injured soldiers were all taken to the Canadian-led provincial reconstruction base for treatment.
However, as a precaution, six of them were later air lifted to Kandahar Airfield's NATO hospital for further observation.
"It's just to be safe to make sure our soldiers are OK,'' said MacEachern.
The soldiers were travelling in light armoured vehicles, or LAV IIIs when the crash occurred. The LAVs incurred minor damage.
All of the injured soldiers are new to the theatre -- a fact not lost on officials who point out that every new troop rotation has seen a series of vehicle accidents.
"Our soldiers receive excellent training before they're deployed to theatre, but I don't think anything can quite fully prepare anyone for the nature of the roads here in Kandahar,'' said MacEachern.
Challenges for new arrivals to Afghanistan include a lack of speed limits, chaotic traffic and minimal enforcement.
The risk has proved fatal to Canadian troops. Last August Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt was killed in a truck crash. Prior to that, Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson, Cpl. Paul Davis and Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield were all killed in vehicle accidents.
Canada has roughly 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.
Helicopter crash
Meanwhile, the survivors of Sunday's helicopter crash were being treated for their injuries caused when the helicopter crashed after reportin engine failure, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement.
Twenty-two passengers were on board when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter had a "sudden, unexplained loss of power and control and crashed," the statement said.
"It was not enemy fire related," said Col. Tom Collins, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "The pilot was able to radio in that he was having engine problems. We're confident it was not due to enemy action."
The helicopter crashed in the Shahjoi district of Zabul province, about 50 yards from the main highway between Kabul and Kandahar, and appeared to be destroyed and scattered in several pieces.
U.S. and Afghan military blocked reporters from entering the crash site.
The incident Sunday was the first U.S. military helicopter crash since May 2006, when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that attempted a nighttime landing on a small mountaintop crashed in eastern Kunar province, killing 10 U.S. soldiers.
In 2005, a U.S. helicopter crashed in Kunar after apparently being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing 16 American troops.
With files from The Canadian Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

[John McGillivray]

NATO vows to take initiative in Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Feb. 18 2007 4:38 PM ET
Canadian Press
TERIN KOWT, Afghanistan -- NATO will not sit idly by and allow militants to launch their own wave of bombings and suicide attacks in southern Afghanistan, the alliance's southern commander declared this weekend.
"A spring offensive (by the Taliban) will not happen because we are going to take the initiative," Dutch Maj.-Gen Ton Van Loon told reporters during a visit to this isolated mountainous region.
The international community, "the government of Afghanistan, the Afghan army, the Afghan police - we'll make sure we go into as many areas as we possibly can to make sure the Taliban cannot go back and bully the population."
For weeks U.S. commanders have been warning that extremists, most of them based in neighbouring Pakistan, were preparing to unleash a bloody offensive aimed at driving NATO out of the southern region and capturing the crown jewel of the fundamentalist movement, Kandahar city.
The Taliban warned Friday that its "war preparations" were complete and thousands of militant fighters had crossed the border - statements that caused a flurry of panicked, unsubstantiated rumours in Kandahar that aid organizations and foreigners were being targeted.
"We haven't seen anything to indicate they're massing," said Van Loon.
While simultaneously pressing the alarm and calling for more troops, western commanders have also tried to downplay the possible threat, saying the Taliban do not pose a strategic risk to the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and that extremists are capable of only launching guerrilla-style raids.
The militants challenged those predictions two weeks ago when they overran the town of Musa Qula, in northern Helmand province, where the governor had negotiated a controversial ceasefire.
The call for more soldiers and fewer restrictions on those already operating in Afghanistan has divided the nearly 60-year-old military alliance because the bulk of the hard fighting in the south has been carried by Canada, the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands.
In a speech Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush said NATO member countries need to send more troops.
But Van Loon said the number of combat soldiers in the region was "sufficient" and he would like to see extra forces go towards reconstruction.
With the influx of thousands of additional troops, the majority of them from the United States and Britain, speculation has been building that the military alliance would launch its own ground offensive in order to check an expected militant drive.
Indeed, Canadian Col. Mike Kampman, the principal adviser to Van Loon, said in an interview that NATO's strategy for 2007 is to marginalize the militants by pushing them up into the mountains.
In what must surely be a sign of things to come, NATO announced Sunday that it conducted a major operation in Garmsir, south of the Helmand capital of Lashkargah.
More than 150 British soldiers, supported for the first time by Afghan artillery units, attacked what was believed to be a major Taliban headquarters.
The operation began late Saturday and continued throughout Sunday. It was centred on three major compounds, where a significant tunnel complex linking the strongholds was discovered also destroyed.
There were no NATO or Afghan army casualties.
Canadian troops on the ground will readily tell you they expect to be fighting this spring and summer in Helmand province, along the river which has for years been a thoroughfare for the drug smugglers who partially fund the extremists. But they will also tell you that if the battles are in Kandahar province, in Panjwaii and Zhari districts - places already paid for with Canadian blood - then NATO's war is in trouble.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0218?hub=World

[John McGillivray]

Here is a video report by CBC’s Brian Stewart on Canada’ role in Afghanistan.

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/stewar...istan070308.rm

Here are three more clips by the same reporter.

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/stewart-taliban070207.rm

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/stewart-silent-070220.rm

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-lo/stewart-mission061115.rm

And on a different note ..........

Close shave: Soldiers raise money for good cause
Updated Tue. Mar. 20 2007 5:03 PM ET

Paul Workman, CTV.ca News Staff

KANDAHAR -- Sergeant Dave Robinson has been sporting a mustache for 22 years. Not anymore.

And Warrant Officer Al Organ hasn't had a brush cut since he was in army cadets. Take a look at him now.

As for young Lieutenant Craig Scott, platoon commander. It's all gone.

Two shaved heads, and a clean upper lip.

And would you believe it, a bunch of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan paid a grand sum of US$699 for the privilege of wielding the shaver.

That's not all. The boys from the motor pool actually raised more than US$2,000 that will now be sent to a place called Fisher House in Landstuhl, Germany. It's a cause that's very close to their hearts.

Every one of them knows that someday, they might end up on a stretcher being flown to Landstuhl, where the Americans run a huge medical facility.

All of the seriously wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan are taken there, including Canadians, and Fisher House is a residence where visiting families can stay at very low cost. Donations keep the cost down, and they will soon get another 2,000 bucks.

The Canadian contribution all started with members of the Combat Service Support section, and they do a lot more here than just fix motors and change the oil on armored vehicles. Some of them drive big tankers and ammunition trucks out to the operating bases, and a few have been to Afghanistan more than once. Essentially they keep the supply lines open, and they're a close and generous bunch.

Anyway, in their desire to help a good cause, somebody came up with the idea of auctioning off the lieutenant's hair ($134) and the sergeant's mustache ($65.) But the highest bid of all was saved for the thick, brown locks of Warrant Officer Al Organ, who either has a lot of friends or a lot of enemies.

Going once, going twice, going three times ... at $500.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Canadian Forces:
Hospital Comforts Program

Landstuhl Fisher House
CMR 402 Box 669
APO AE 09180
Landstuhl, Germany



info@fisherhouse.org

[John McGillivray]

Updated Tue. Mar. 27 2007 8:30 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Two Canadian soldiers were injured in Afghanistan Tuesday when their LAV-3 armoured vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber west of Kandahar City, in the Zhari district.
The soldiers were travelling in a small convoy just east of Patrol Base Wilson when Taliban fighters began launching rocket-propelled grenades, military officials confirmed.
The platoon, from the Royal Canadian Regiment battle group, drove through the attack but was then hit by a car suicide bomber in an area known as Ambush Alley.
Capt. Matt Allen, the commander of the convoy, praised the response of his soldiers.
"They were brilliant, their performance was outstanding,'' Allen told The Canadian Press.
"It seemed like an hour but it was under a minute. And then things were sorted out and we kept going.''
The convoy managed to return fire on the Taliban but there were no reports of enemy casualties.
After the suicide bombing attack, the convoy managed to link up with troops of Charlie company, 3 Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Initial reports said the convoy had driven over a roadside bomb.
One of the injured soldiers suffered a broken arm and is being flown to Germany for treatment. The second soldier suffered minor injuries. Neither reported their injuries until after the attack.
"They continued to perform their jobs like there was nothing wrong with them,'' said Allen.
"When the opportunity presented itself to stop and assess it, that's when they reported their injuries. It was amazing.''
The military has not released the names of the soldiers involved.
Roadside bombs, random rocket attacks and suicide bombers are the most common dangers facing troops as they struggle to bring security to the Kandahar province.
The coalition battles in the Panjwaii last summer killed hundreds of Taliban and forced the insurgency underground.
With files from The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0327?hub=World

Old Tanks and coming heat ...

Tanks continue their work, past retirement date
Updated Sat. Mar. 31 2007 9:47 PM ET

Paul Workman, CTV News

KANDAHAR -- The weather has been cool and unsettled lately in Kandahar. But there's one group of Canadian soldiers who are watching the sky with more than casual interest. They know what's coming.

"On some days, it's already hitting 30 degrees, and it's only going one way," says Captain Craig Volstad. He gestures with his thumb. "And that's up!"

For the troops under his command, it won't just be hot; it will be more like hell.

Captain Volstad is a Strathcona, and takes his regimental history very seriously. The Strathconas began as a horse guard back in the year 1900, and are linked to some great moments in history, Canadian and otherwise. The Boer War and the Klondike Gold Rush, Superintendent Sam Steele and the North West Mounted Police.

Then it was horses.

Today it's tanks, and a mission called Task Force Afghanistan.

Leopard tanks to be exact and Captain Volstad is second-in-command of A Squadron. That means he mostly stays behind in Kandahar Air Field making sure these tired old beasts function on the battlefield. And that's not easy when you consider the Leopard was bought more than 30 years ago, and never with the heat and dust of Afghanistan in mind. In fact, not so long ago, there were plans to scrap the lot of them.

Yet, necessity often prevails, and in this case, that meant the resurgence of the Taliban fighting a guerilla war with suicide bombs and stealth attacks, hiding in orchards and vineyards where vehicles on wheels could never go.

So, bring on the Leopards.

Leopards with no air conditioning, in a country where summertime temperatures hit fifty degrees, which means 65 degrees inside a tank. Think dripping sweat and hot stuffy air; think of that heavy flak jacket and helmet you're wearing cramped into a space that's meant for mice not men. And if you're the gunner, think of your legs wrapped around the hydraulic cylinder, the hottest place of all.

Let me out of here.

So why would a young guy like Trooper Jesse Patterson ever want to become a tank man, roasting his body parts inside a steel box in the Asian desert. His job is loading the big gun.

"Ever since I was a kid, like four years old, I've always been fascinated by tanks," he says. "They're the biggest thing out there. Just driving around in one, you get a great sense of power."

"It's a pretty amazing feeling."

The defence ministry has promised a solution to the heat problem by May, just when it's beginning to boil here. There's talk of installing air conditioning units, but that would be hugely expensive-the soldiers have heard rumors of a million dollars a tank. The other suggestion is to give each crew member a coolant vest, the same kind of thing used by professional race car drivers, but that would mean putting on yet another layer.

Yet clearly, something will have to be done.

"The solution won't be pushed on us, unless they can perform their job effectively," says Captain Volstad. "I'm confident the people working on it in Ottawa are aware of our restrictions."

Now there's a man who has faith the in the brass back home.

So what does Trooper Darren Beatty think, having only ever trained in tanks back in the frozen Canadian north? He by the way is a gunner, and lucky him for, is a little guy.

"When you're in there seven, eight, nine hours, it starts to get a little uncomfortable." Now that's an understatement. "It feels like a really hot bath, a hot spring almost." How about an oven?

For now the answer is to suffer, drink lots of liquids, and when you can, hide in the shade like a desert rat.

"I'm not worried at all," says Trooper Patterson, who's 20-years-old by the way, and joined the armored corps when he was fresh out of high school. "I know there will always be a supply of water, and as long you hydrate, you shouldn't have any problems."

Okay, but 65 degrees is not just uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous, life threatening. For the military, there's both a safety issue here, and a strategic one.

"Obviously as the heat rises, the chain of command has to be conscious of the soldiers' welfare," says Captain Volstad. He doesn't spend much time inside tanks anymore, but he has endured a Kandahar summer, back in 2002.

And he believes the first 105 mm shell fired from a Leopard was a big bold message from Canada to the Taliban. Heat or no heat, he says the tanks are crucial to the success of the mission.

"It would be detrimental to the operation if this piece of equipment were deemed incapable."

"That won't happen."

We're standing in the repair yard where at least two of the tanks are in for servicing. Old equipment tends to break down, even when millions have been spent to refurbish them. The mechanics by the way can change a motor in less than 45 minutes.

So how reliable are these old Leopards anyway?

The captain answers with the care of a politician, or an officer who doesn't want to get into trouble.

"The vehicles are getting old," he says with a smile, "but we're still operationally effective."

"We do have our challenges, but we're keeping them rolling."

[John McGillivray]

Ottawa to lease 20 new tanks for Afghan mission
Updated Tue. Apr. 3 2007 5:42 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- A federal cabinet committee has given the green light to the lease of 20 state-of-the-art tanks to replace aging armoured vehicles in Afghanistan, The Canadian Press has learned.
The cabinet priorities and planning committee approved the lease of the German-built Leopard A6M tanks last week, said a Defence Department source, who asked not to be named.
The recommendation, which is unlikely to be overturned, is now on Prime Minister Stephen Harper's desk for final approval.
The news Tuesday came as Gen. Andrew Leslie, the country's top army officer, said he might have to consider pulling existing tanks -- which don't have air conditioning -- out of service in Afghanistan this summer because of the heat.
He also told troops in Kandahar to expect a decision from the prime minister on the new tanks within a week.
The new tanks have air conditioning, as well as improved protection against road-side bombs and suicide vehicles, both of which have been packing progressively bigger punches lately.
The army has a handful of older Leopard tanks, which are currently doing duty in western Kandahar as part of NATO's Operation Achilles.
The deal, which apparently includes access to ample spare parts, also gives Canada the option to purchase an unspecified number of additional tanks at a later date.
Reports last winter suggested that in addition to a lease, the army wanted to purchase 80 new Leopards, but the source said that number is likely to be scaled back.
Harper wouldn't bite on questions about the future of the vehicles.
"Cabinet has been discussing the tank issue and we'll have an announcement on that shortly,'' he said in Kitchener, Ont.
Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, in Montreal for a speech, said he wasn't aware the issue was resolved.
A Defence Department spokesman didn't deny that a lease arrangement has been struck.
"We are exploring a number of options to address an operational requirement,'' said Lt. Adam Thomson. "However, we have nothing to announce at this moment.''
The defence source could not say how much the arrangement was worth, but brand new Leopard tanks cost roughly US $6 million each.
Currently, the army has 17 of its old 45-tonne tanks patrolling the desert and dirt roadways of rural Kandahar. The biggest drawback to the vehicles is their lack of air conditioning in a climate where daytime summer temperatures soar above 50C.
Defence Department researchers have looked at installing air conditioners in the vehicles but that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per vehicle.
Another idea proposes to give tank crew cooling vests - the same kind used by professional race car drivers - but they would be cumbersome when layered along with existing body armour.
Aside from the comfort factor, the lease of new tanks is seen as a more cost-effective solution, said the defence source.
Alex Morrison of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies said buying new equipment is better than retrofitting.
"It just makes more sense,'' he said. "This is a decision that's been in the mill for at least the last seven months.''
New Democrat defence critic Dawn Black said she's not opposed to the lease arrangement, but only because it means tank crews won't have to roast.
"I think it was irresponsible to deploy them, knowing they weren't suitable for the climate,'' she said.
In February, a policy think-tank produced a report that criticized Canada's deployment of tanks to Afghanistan, saying the 1970s vintage Leopard-C2 vehicles were vulnerable to insurgent attacks.
Researcher Michael Wallace, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, argued that new Leopard A6Ms would also be vulnerable to road-side bombs and rocket-propelled grenades. He said the introduction of tanks had the potential to spark an "arms race'' with insurgents, prompting the Taliban to build bigger bombs.
Morrison dismissed the arguments, calling them ridiculous.
"What would they have us do?'' he asked. "Take the tanks home and then the insurgents won't use whatever weapon they have? What will happen in the end is the insurgents would control the whole country.''

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...403?hub=Canada

edit: CTV news combined two stories together and killed the link I posted above. Here is the new link to the re-written article.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

[John McGillivray]

Earlier story on CTV (8:27am) reports 1 NATO Soldier killed. Later story from CBC (1:15pm) reports six NATO soldiers killed. Are these the same attack or two different attacks?

NATO soldier killed by Afghan roadside bomb
Updated Sun. Apr. 8 2007 8:27 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
One NATO soldier was killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in southern Afghanistan, an official said Sunday.
The bomb exploded Sunday morning, said Lt.-Col. Maria Carl, a spokesperson for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
No details were released about the names or nationalities of the soldiers, or even where the deadly attack took place.
Earlier Sunday, the ISAF press office confirmed there had been an attack that caused some casualties in Zabul province in the south.
However, officials would not confirm whether it was the same attack Carl mentioned.
In another Sunday attack, in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, a suicide attacker detonated his car bomb next to a U.S.-led coalition convoy.
Ghafor Khan, a spokesperson for the provincial police chief, said no one was killed or wounded in the attack.
And in eastern Khost province, a gunman riding on the back of a motorcycle fired on Afghans who were working for ISAF. Two Afghans were killed and another was wounded, ISAF confirmed.
One day earlier, seven Afghans working for a U.S. de-mining company were killed when Taliban militants ambushed their convoy on Saturday.
Violence follows NATO success
The violence came as NATO retook Sangin district in Helmand province in the south. The region is considered one of the world's foremost opium growing areas, and has long been held by the Taliban.
About 1,000 NATO and Afghan troops were involved in the operation which began late Wednesday as part of Operation Achilles -- NATO's largest offensive yet in Afghanistan, involving 4,500 NATO and 1,000 Afghan troops.
The campaign is designed to push Taliban militants out of the northern tip of Helmand province.
Anticipating the operation, Taliban fighters and foreign militants have streamed into the area, U.S. and NATO officials claim.
With files from The Associated Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

Roadside bomb kills 6 NATO soldiers
Last Updated: Sunday, April 8, 2007 | 1:15 PM ET
CBC News
Six NATO soldiers were killed after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the multinational force said Sunday.
The explosion took place in Helmand province, where there is a major offensive underway against the Taliban. The nationality of the soldiers is still unknown.
The main thrust of the offensive is being handled by British and American troops, with Canadian soldiers offering backup and security.
About 5,000 soldiers in all are engaging the Taliban, including elements of Afghanistan's army.
In February, the Taliban said it has 6,000 fighters ready for a spring offensive and could dramatically increase that number if necessary.
Al-Jazeera reported at the time that Taliban leader Mullah Dadallah had recruited 500 suicide bombers for the campaign.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/0...ghanistan.html

[John McGillivray]

Just heard on TV. The PM has confirmed that six Canadians have being killed today. RIP.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
Just heard on TV. The PM has confirmed that six Canadians have being killed today. RIP.

Just woke up and heard the same. A bit of a shocker. RIP indeed.

About an hour and 44 minutes ago AP news reported 7 killed.

It's a very hard day for many today here in Canada and for our troops in Afghantistan

Karmen

[John McGillivray]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir 2nd
About an hour and 44 minutes ago AP news reported 7 killed.

It's a very hard day for many today here in Canada and for our troops in Afghantistan

Karmen

It looks like that there was two different attacks. One where the six Canadians were killed, and an earlier attack where one American was killed.

Originally posted by John McGillivray
It looks like that there was two different attacks. One where the six Canadians were killed, and an earlier attack where one American was killed.

Thanks for that update John

Karmen

This releasing the names of our Soldiers who lost their lives today.

Military releases names of five dead soldiers
Updated Sun. Apr. 8 2007 8:39 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The Canadian military has released the names of five of the six Canadian soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan in an apparent roadside bombing.

They are:

Sgt. Donald Lucas,

Cpl. Christopher Paul Stannix (reservist),

Cpl. Aaron E. Williams,

Pte. Kevin Vincent Kennedy

Pte. David Robert Greenslade.

The family of a sixth man requested that his name be withheld.

The dead soldiers are all members of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 2nd Battalion, based at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.

The event is described as the single largest one-day death toll suffered by Canadian troops since the campaign began in 2002.

The soldiers were killed when an apparent improvised explosive device detonated west of Kandahar, striking the vehicle the soldiers were riding in.


"It's been a long day. I have the unfortunate duty of informing you that six Canadian soldiers were killed and two of their comrades were injured today after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle," Col. Mike Cessford, acting commander of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kandahar.

In Ottawa, Navy Lt. Morgan Bailey, a spokeswoman for the Defence Department, said officials were in the process of contacting next of kin. Names of the deceased and other details were being withheld pending completion of that process.

Cessford said two other soldiers were evacuated to the NATO medical facility in Kandahar for treatment after the attack.


One of them had serious abdominal injuries and would likely be transferred to the U.S. hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, for treatment. One received minor injuries.

Cessford said he had spoken to the two uninjured soldiers and said they were shocked by the deaths of their comrades, who have not been identified pending notification of next of kin.

"They were quiet, as you can appreciate. They were full of thoughts, they were grateful for the comradeship they had, they were grateful for the friendship they had, and I think they were grateful the family had rallied around them at this point."

Cessford said six of the Canadian Forces' best soldiers had been lost, but the mission would continue.

"You can appreciate clearly we are saddened by the loss of six of our best soldiers, six of our personnel, but we stay committed to the mission, this is what we do, we're focused on rebuilding Afghanistan," Cessford said.

He would not say what type of vehicle the soldiers were in, exactly where the blast occurred or what military unit they were from.

PM comments

Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke in France, where he is attending ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

"Sadly today has been a difficult day in Afghanistan," Harper said at a dinner for veterans in the French city of Lille.

"We've learned that an incident has claimed the lives of six Canadian soldiers and injured a number of others."

"Our hearts ache for them and their families, and I know as we gather here on Easter Sunday our thoughts and prayers are with them," he said.

Since 2002, 51 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan, including Sunday's deaths. There are roughly 2,500 Canadian troops serving in the country, the majority of them stationed in the volatile southern regions.

Earlier attack

Earlier Sunday, a NATO official confirmed that one soldier was killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in southern Afghanistan, an official said Sunday.

No details were released about the names or nationalities of the soldiers, or even where the deadly attack took place.

In another Sunday attack, in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, a suicide attacker detonated his car bomb next to a U.S.-led coalition convoy.

And in eastern Khost province, a gunman riding on the back of a motorcycle fired on Afghans who were working for ISAF. Two Afghans were killed and another was wounded, ISAF confirmed.

Violence follows NATO success

The violence came after NATO retook Sangin district in Helmand province in the south.

The region is considered one of the world's foremost opium growing areas, and has long been held by the Taliban.

About 1,000 NATO and Afghan troops were involved in the operation which began late Wednesday as part of Operation Achilles -- NATO's largest offensive yet in Afghanistan, involving 4,500 NATO and 1,000 Afghan troops.

The campaign is designed to push Taliban militants out of the northern tip of Helmand province.

Anticipating the operation, Taliban fighters and foreign militants have streamed into the area, U.S. and NATO officials claim.

With files from CTV's Paul Workman and The Canadian Press

April 9, 2007

Six Canadian soldiers killed

By JOHN COTTER

Canadian soldiers in Kandahar bow their heads in a moment of silence during a ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Monday April 9, 2007. The Canadian Forces suffered its worst day in Afghanistan on Sunday when a powerful roadside bomb killed six soldiers. (CP PHOTO/John Cotter)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - A devastating roadside-bomb explosion killed six Canadian soldiers on Sunday in the worst single-day toll for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.

Word of the deaths brought anguish to the victim's families in Atlantic Canada and cast a pall over troops who were trying their best to celebrate Easter out in the desert and at military bases in Kandahar.

"You can appreciate, clearly we are saddened by the loss of six of our best soldiers . . . but we stay committed to the mission," said Col. Mike Cessford, deputy commander of Task Force Afghanistan.

"This is what we do. We are focused on rebuilding Afghanistan, on doing the right things for those kids who wave at us every day as we drive down the roads here."

The dead men were identified as Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of Burton, N.B., Pte. Kevin Kennedy, 20, of St. Lawrence, Nfld., Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, 23, of Lincoln, N.B., and Pte. David R. Greenslade, 20, of Saint John, N.B.

Also killed was Cpl. Christopher P. Stannix, 24, of Dartmouth, N.S., who was a reservist from the Halifax-based Princess Louise Fusiliers.

The identity of the sixth victim was not released at the request of his family. Military officials confirmed he was also from Gagetown.

The explosion in the Maywand district near the border with Helmand province also caused serious but non-life-threatening injuries to one Canadian soldier and light injuries to another.

The more seriously injured soldier will likely be flown to Germany for treatment at a U.S. military hospital.

Sunday's toll brings the total number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002 to 51. A Canadian diplomat has also been killed.

There had been no Canadian combat casualties since November 2006, when Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard and Cpl. Albert Storm were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked their Bison armoured personnel carrier just outside of Kandahar City.

Ten soldiers, all members of Hotel company, were in a LAV-3 armoured vehicle when the blast occurred around 1:30 p.m.

They had been out in the desert for a month living off their vehicles, eating field rations and sleeping under the stars.

Over the past few days they were busy shepherding coalition convoys to the Sangin district, the scene of fierce fighting between the coalition and the Taliban.

Earlier this week, soldiers from Hotel company proudly handed around home-made pictures and construction paper cut-outs of Easter bunnies sent by their children, with greetings and endearments scrawled in crayon.

Some of the troops said they were going to save their treats until Sunday.

Word that something terrible had happened quickly rippled through the base at Kandahar as helicopters brought the wounded in from Maywand.

Attempts by the troops to call home were stymied for hours when the military imposed a communications lockdown because of the deaths.

Speaking in France to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it has been a "difficult day in Afghanistan." He broke the news of the six deaths at a dinner for veterans and said "our hearts ache for them and their families." In Ottawa, Opposition Leader Stephane Dion expressed sorrow on behalf of the Liberal party.

"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the men and women of the Canadian Forces, who risk their lives to create a safer and more secure world for Canadians and people the world over," he said.

NDP Leader Jack Layton, who opposes the Afghan mission, tried to steer clear of politics in paying tribute to the fallen soldiers.

"It feels like you've got a hole in your heart . . . It's just nothing short of tragic," Layton said in an interview.

Omar Samad, the Afghan ambassador to Canada, offered condolences and said the deaths were especially "sad and tragic" coming on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

"We feel and we know what it means when tragedy strikes and we share the grief," Samad said.

"But the mission is still the right mission and the right cause. I am sure that people will continue to support it for the right reasons." The military was making arrangements to repatriate the remains of the soldiers to their families in Canada.

April has been one of the cruelest months for Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Last April 22, four Canadian soldiers were killed when their armoured G-Wagon drove over an improvised explosive device near Gumbad.

And on April 17, 2002, four Canadians were killed when an American fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb on them near Kandahar.

For the past month Canadian troops have been supporting Operation Achilles, a NATO-led offensive designed to drive the Taliban out of the northern part of Helmand.

Canadians have also been patrolling the Zhari and Panjwaii districts just west of Kandahar City.

The Taliban have been threatening for months to unleash a spring offensive of their own in southern Afghanistan.

Rather than battle the superior firepower and training of NATO forces in the open, the insurgents have stepped up the use of roadside bombs, suicide bombers, ambushes and other guerrilla tactics.

Hours before Sunday's explosion, Lt.-Col. Rob Walker, the battle group commander, said his troops were making progress cracking down on Taliban roadside bomb activity in some parts of Kandahar province.

He said his troops recently eliminated an insurgent "cell".

"We have killed or captured a number of individuals, and we have had no mines or anything for at least a week now," Walker said.

There have been reports that Taliban leaders pay cash bounties to insurgents for killing NATO troops and Afghan security force members with roadside bombs.

Bronzed, sunburnt and dirty from their time in the desert, the troops of Hotel company were in high spirits earlier in the week.

On Thursday, some soldiers stripped off their sweaty body armour after a day of patrolling in the desert and played hacki-sack in a rough circle while listening to hip-hop tunes. There was lots of laughter and joking.

Another soldier serenaded the sleepy crew of his light armoured vehicle in the pre-dawn darkness by singing "Good morning, good morning, to you" over the vehicle's intercom system, to catcalls and curses from his comrades.

Hours before the deaths were officially announced, a subdued hush fell over Canadian troops at the base in Kandahar as they tucked into their evening meal at the dining hall, which was decorated with blue-painted Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies wrapped in gold foil.

Without fanfare, soldiers at headquarters quietly lowered the Canadian flag to half-mast in the darkness.

"It has been a bad day," said one officer, his face twisted in pain.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terr...953597-cp.html

Photographs of our Fallen 6 Soldiers

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Microgal...iers/home.html

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir 2nd
Photographs of our Fallen 6 Soldiers

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Microgal...iers/home.html

Carmenski..
There are only five shown...
The identity of the sixth victim was not released at the request of his family. Military officials confirmed he was also from Gagetown.
RIP..

Originally posted by Alex Blair
Carmenski..
There are only five shown...
The identity of the sixth victim was not released at the request of his family. Military officials confirmed he was also from Gagetown.
RIP..

Hello Alex,

I wasn't paying proper attention folks, I apologize for that, and thank you Alex for pointing out my mistake.



Karmen.

This just found in CTV news site:

Sixth soldier killed in Afghanistan identified
Updated Mon. Apr. 9 2007 3:11 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

The name of the sixth soldier killed in Afghanistan Sunday has been released. His name is

Cpl. Brent Poland of Sarnia, Ont. He was 37.

Karmen

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I watched them escorted onto their final flight this evening. I'm not ashamed to admit tears were flowing.

[John McGillivray]

Two more Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Updated Wed. Apr. 11 2007 4:08 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Two more Canadian soldiers have been reportedly killed in Afghanistan.
The news comes on the same day that the bodies of six Canadians killed in Afghanistan on Easter Sunday will be flown back to CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario.
"Details will have to wait until later on," Robert Fife, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief, told Newsnet on Wednesday. The main base in Kandahar, Afghanistan is currently under a "lockdown" order, meaning soldiers and media there can't communicate with those outside the base, he said.
The information, when it does come out, will come from either the Dept. of National Defence or from Canadian military officials in Kandahar, he said.
"Everybody had been saying when the summer began in Afghanistan that it would be another bloody summer like it was last year," Fife said.
Earlier Wednesday, a suicide bombing attack on a Canadian convoy west of Kandahar City injured 10 Afghan civilians but no Canadian soldiers.
There was minor damage to a Canadian Forces tanker truck in that incident.
Repatriation ceremony
The bodies of the six soldiers are scheduled to arrive at 7:15 p.m. ET at the air base located about 160 kilometres east of Toronto.
Sgt. Don Lucas, Master Cpl. Chris Stannix, Cpls Aaron Williams and Brent Poland, and Ptes David Greenslade and Kevin Kennedy were killed when their light armoured vehicle ran over a roadside bomb 75 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
They were inside a LAV-III armoured vehicle at the time. Military officials say the bomb was probably both very powerful and a lucky strike, as LAVs have been doing a good job of keeping Canadian soldiers protected.
When the bodies arrive, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor will be on the tarmac to meet them, along with their families and other dignitaries.
Fife said the event is closed to the media at the request of two of the families, although CTV and other outlets will cover it from outside the base.
He didn't know if Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, the formal commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, will attend the repatriation ceremony or a memorial at CFB Gagetown, the New Brunswick home base for five of the six dead soldiers.
Other Afghanistan developments
The U.S. announced Wednesday that all soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq will immediately begin serving 15-month tours instead of the usual 12-month tours.
Canadian soldiers are working on six-month rotations in Afghanistan.
In addition, Australia announced Wednesday it will add another 400 troops to its current Afghan deployment of 550.
"This is good news," Fife said. "One of the problems that our soldiers, and all the NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, face is that there isn't enough boots on the ground to be able to deal with the Taliban."
This is particularly true for the British, Dutch and Canadian soldiers operating in southern Afghanistan, which is Taliban heartland, he said.
Keeping more U.S. soldiers on the ground and adding some Australian ones should help, he said.
NATO's defence ministers are meeting Thursday in Quebec City. "Perhaps there'll be some more developments ... in terms of troop commitments," Fife said.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories