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Topic: Afghanistan - 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment - 2008 (Read 3574 times)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Army eyes $60M bevy of vehicles TheStar.com - Canada - Army eyes $60M bevy of vehicles
May 05, 2008
Murray Brewster
The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–The Department of National Defence is looking to buy more specialized armoured vehicles to detect roadside bombs, the biggest scourge facing troops in Afghanistan, The Canadian Press has learned.
The army is drawing up a proposal to purchase as many as 30 vehicles for both overseas and training duty, say senior defence sources in Ottawa.
"Commander CEFCOM (Canadian Expeditionary Force) is asking for greater capacity," said a source who has seen the planning. "We're interested in buying larger numbers so we have more deployable sets."
The Expedient Route Opening Capability system – known by its acronym EROC – involves three vehicles working in tandem to sweep roadways before the arrival of combat or supply convoys.
The defence sources said last week that the proposal involves buying 10 more EROC sets in the near future.
The Canadian army already has five sets – or 15 trucks in total – that were purchased from the U.S. Marine Corps last spring. It will not say how many of them are deployed in Afghanistan.
The plan for additional mine clearance vehicles is being drawn up by the army's land staff division, but has yet to be approved by the Conservative government.
"We haven't gone to government to ask permission yet, but it's one of those things we're going to have to do," the source said.
The purchase is expected to run in the range of $60 million.
Parliament's extension of the mission in southern Afghanistan has sent military planners into an inventory frenzy. They're trying to determine what equipment needs replacing, upgrading or augmentation in order to carry on the mission until 2011. The vast majority of the 82 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan have died in roadside bombings – or improvised explosive device attacks.
Field engineers, who operate the EROC vehicles, gave the proposal an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
In road clearance operations, three different vehicles – the Husky, the Buffalo and the Cougar – work as a team to uncover mines and booby traps buried in dirt roads or tunnelled in beside paved highways. The Husky, which looks like a souped-up road grader, uses metal detectors. After marking the location, the Buffalo moves into place with a digging arm to remove – or detonate – the threat, while the Cougar acts as a command vehicle.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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TALIBAN JOKES CIRCULATING AMONG THE TROOPS
I got this in the other day from a friend who is serving in Afghanistan. This joke is making the rounds among U.S. troops there so I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Canadian soldiers contribute to this list. The guy who sent it said it shows that the troops are still managing to maintain their sense of humor (or cynicism depending on your point of view). So for your reading enjoyment (and my apologies in advance to those who have already seen them):
YOU MAY BE A TALIBAN IF.......
1)You refine heroin for a living, but you have moral objection to beer.
2) You own a $3,000 machine gun and $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can't afford shoes.
3) You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.
4) You can't think of anyone you haven't declared Jihad against.
5) You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry explosives in your clothing.
6) You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.
7) You've ever uttered the phrase, 'I love what you've
done with your cave'.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Grim news, lads.
83rd Canadian Soldier Dies In Afghanistan
Tuesday May 6, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
It has happened again. Another Canadian soldier has been killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.
The attack, which left a second Canadian soldier wounded, occurred in a gun battle with Taliban militants outside Kandahar and comes as NATO forces prepare for a surge in violence that traditionally coincides with the end of the poppy harvest.
The patrol was ambushed along a roadway in the Pashmul area, one of the more dangerous areas since Canadian troops were deployed in the region more than two years ago. The soldier's name is being withheld at the request of his family but he was apparently part of a civilian military affairs team.
It's the 83rd Canadian soldier lost to the fight overseas. A diplomat also died in the war-torn nation in 2006.
Canada was slated to withdraw from the country in 2009, but the mission was recently extended with the proviso that other NATO countries aid in the fight.
Since 2002, 83 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan. Here is a list of the deaths:
2008
May 6: Canadian foot soldier killed on patrol in rural area near Kandahar City.
April 4: Pte. Terry John Street of Hull, Quebec perishes when his vehicle hits an improved explosive device in the Panjwaii district near Kandahar.
March 16: Sgt. Jason Boyes of Manitoba dies when an explosive device goes off while he's on foot in the Panjwaii district. He's only 32 years of age.
March 11: Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet, 22, of Matane, Que., from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Man., found dead in accommodation room at Kandahar Airfield. Military says death not related to combat.
March 2: Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, 25, from Lord Strathcona's Horse, Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb in Mushan, 45 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
Jan. 23: Sapper Etienne Gonthier, 21, of St-Georges, Que., near Quebec City, a combat engineer serving with 5ieme Regiement du Genie de Combat, killed in a mine-clearing operation when his light armoured vehicle was hit by roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district.
Jan. 15: Trooper Richard Renaud, 26, of Alma Que., a member of the 12e Regiment blinde du Canada, killed when the Coyote light armoured vehicle he was travelling in hit a roadside bomb while on patrol in the Arghandab district, north of Kandahar city.
Jan. 6: Warrant Officer Hani Massouh, 41, and Cpl. Eric Labbe, 31, of 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when their armoured vehicle rolled over in wet, rugged terrain southwest of Kandahar City.
2007
Dec. 30: Jonathan Dion, 27, gunner with 5th Regiment d'Artillerie legere du Canada from Val-d'Or, Que., killed when his light armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.
Nov. 17: Cpl. Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp of the 5th Field Ambulance in Valcartier and Pte. Michel Levesque of the Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when their light armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb near Bazar-e Panjwaii.
Sept. 24: Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, 24, with the King's Own Calgary regiment, killed by a mortar shell while trying to repair a Leopard tank in southern Afghanistan.
Aug. 29: Maj. Raymond Ruckpaul, 42, died from a gunshot wound in his room at the headquarters of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. He was an armoured officer based at the NATO Allied Land Component Command Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.
Aug. 22: Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, Royal 22nd Regiment; Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, 5th Field Ambulance unit, both based in Valcartier, Que., killed when light armoured vehicle struck by roadside bomb after battle for strategic hill west of Kandahar city.
Aug. 19: Pte. Simon Longtin, 23, of Longueuil, Que., on Montreal's south shore, a member of the Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when his light armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city.
July 4: Cpl. Cole Bartsch, Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, Pte. Lane Watkins and Cpl. Jordan Anderson, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton; Master Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment based in New Westminster, B.C., and Capt. Jefferson Francis of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man., killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city.
June 20: Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb near a forward-operating base at Sperwan Ghar, west of Kandahar.
June 11: Tooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, killed when an improvised explosive device detonated underneath his vehicle north of Kandahar City.
May 30: Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, a combat photographer based at CFB Gagetown, N.B., killed when a U.S. helicopter was reportedly shot down by the Taliban in Helmand province.
May 25: Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25, a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron based at Petawawa, Ont., killed by an improvised explosive device in Zhari district.
April 18: Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer, 25, of Listowel, Ont., died after falling from a communications tower while on duty with the elite Special Operations Forces Command, conducting surveillance in Kandahar City.
April 11: Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23, both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when their Coyote vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
April 8: Pte. Kevin V. Kennedy, 20, of St. Lawrence, Nfld., Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of Burton, N.B., Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, 23, of Lincoln, N.B., Pte. David R. Greenslade, 20, of Saint John, N.B., Cpl. Brent Poland, 37, of Sarnia, Ont., all of Gagetown, N.B.-based 2nd Battalion, RCR; and Cpl. Christopher Stannix, 24, of Dartmouth, N.S., from the Halifax-based Princess Louise Fusiliers, killed when their armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the Maywand district.
March 6: Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, of Stellarton, N.S., a member of 1st Battalion of Nova Scotia Highlanders, killed by accidental shooting at NATO base in Kandahar.
2006
Nov. 27: Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard, his battalion's regimental sergeant major, and Cpl. Albert Storm, both of Royal Canadian Regiment based in CFB Petawawa, killed when suicide car bomber attacked their Bison armoured personnel carrier on outskirts of Kandahar City.
Oct. 14: Sgt. Darcy Tedford, based at CFB Petawawa, and Pte. Blake Williamson from Ottawa killed in ambush west of Kandahar.
Oct. 7: Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when his armoured vehicle hit by roadside bomb in Panjwaii district.
Oct. 3: Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks just west of Kandahar City.
Sept. 29: Pte. Josh Klukie of First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed by explosion in Panjwaii while on foot patrol.
Sept. 18: Pte. David Byers, Cpl. Shane Keating and Cpl. Keith Morley, all of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., and Cpl. Glen Arnold, 2 Field Ambulance, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack while on foot patrol in Panjwaii.
Sept. 4: Pte. Mark Graham, based at CFB Petawawa, killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in Panjwaii district.
Sept. 3: Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.
Aug. 22: Cpl. David Braun, based at Shilo, Man., killed in suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.
Aug. 11: Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.
Aug. 9: Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.
Aug. 5: Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31, of Loyal Edmonton Regiment, killed when large truck collided head-on with his G-Wagon patrol vehicle.
Aug. 3: Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, of 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb. Three other members of same battalion killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack by Taliban forces west of Kandahar: Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35, Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.
July 22: Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal, killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.
July 9: Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21, reservist from Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., killed in firefight.
May 17: Capt. Nichola Goddard, artillery officer based in Shilo, Man., with 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, killed in Taliban ambush during battle in Panjwaii region. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.
April 22: Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., stationed with 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont., Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, Lt. William Turner of Toronto, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta., all killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb near Gumbad.
March 29: Pte. Robert Costall of Edmonton, machine-gunner, killed in firefight with Taliban insurgents in Sangin district of Helmand province.
March 2: Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road in Kandahar area.
Jan. 15: Glyn Berry, British-born Canadian diplomat who had served with Foreign Affairs Department since 1977, killed in suicide bombing near Kandahar.
2005
Nov. 24: Pte. Braun Woodfield, born in Victoria and raised in Eastern Passage, N.S., killed when his armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar.
2004
Jan. 27: Cpl. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., killed in suicide bombing while on patrol near Kabul.
2003
Oct. 2: Sgt. Robert Short, 42, of Fredericton, and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, killed in roadside bombing southwest of Kabul.
2002
April 18: Sgt. Marc Leger, 29, of Lancaster, Ont., Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24, of Montreal, Pte. Richard Green, 21, of Mill Cove, N.S., and Pte. Nathan Smith, 27, of Tatamagouche, N.S., all killed when U.S. F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians on pre-dawn training exercise. Eight other Canadians wounded in friendly-fire incident.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
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Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan ambush
Updated: Tue May. 06 2008 13:33:56
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian soldier has been killed in a Taliban ambush in the Zhari district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province.
CTV's Paul Workman told Newsnet on Tuesday from Kandahar that a second Canadian soldier was wounded.
However, that soldier is okay and was able to telephone his family in Canada to tell them what happened, Workman said.
The dead soldier's name hasn't been released yet at the request of his family.
The soldiers were part of a civil-military co-operation unit that goes into villages to meet with locals and try to develop rapport, Workman said, adding the program has been seen as successful.
This particular visit was in the Pashmul area at about 11:45 a.m. local time. "They were on foot. They were attacked by small arms fire," he said.
Afghan security forces pursued the insurgents after the attack, he said.
"There have been very few of these ambushes as of late. Most of the Canadians who have been killed in Afghanistan have been killed by roadside bombs," Workman said.
Brig. Gen. Guy Laroche, who heads Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, said the army will review procedures in the wake of this incident.
"We have lost a fine soldier today and our thoughts are with his family and friends. He died helping Afghans build a better future for themselves and their children. His dedication and sacrifice will not be forgotten," the general said.
Canada's last death in Afghanistan came on April 4. Pte. Terry John Street -- of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man. -- died when a roadside bomb detonated under his vehicle in the Panjwaii district.
Tuesday's death brings Canada's total military deaths in Afghanistan to 83 since 2002. A diplomat has also died, and the Taliban have murdered a volunteer Canadian aid worker.
Canada has 2,500 soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The military mission is scheduled to end in December 2011.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Afghan war challenging military's supply chain, AG says
Mike Blanchfield
Canwest News Service
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
OTTAWA - Supplying Canada's war effort in Kandahar, Afghanistan, has been hampered by delays in shipping everything from spare parts for battered vehicles to medical devices to help heal wounded soldiers, according to Auditor General Sheila Fraser.
Along the way, the Canadian Forces have also lost track of $7 million worth of inventory that somehow managed to reach Kandahar Airfield, but has since disappeared in the maze of metal shipping containers that are stacked like children's building blocks across the base.
The weaknesses in the supply chain were highlighted in an audit conducted at Kandahar Airfield in July 2007. While commanders complained about the shortages and delays, they also made clear that the military was successfully scrambling to keep up with its war-zone demands.
"So far the military has been able to adapt and adjust so that operations have not been significantly affected," Fraser reported Tuesday. "But unless the problems we found can be resolved, National Defence could have increasing difficulty supporting the mission."
The military has compensated by tripling support staff between May 2006 and July 2007 to more than 900 personnel. That also included a renewed reliance on civilian contractors, which also tripled between November 2006 and July 2007 to 266 from 95.
The Defence Department has responded to the audit by pledging to do more to track its vast supply shipments and better manage the replenishment of essential stocks.
The Forces rely on a fleet of commercially chartered cargo planes to deliver 85 tonnes of supplies per week. Some weeks, that has meant using up to nine chartered flights, mainly Russian-built heavy lifters, to bring in supplies and to bring home battered armoured vehicles for repair in Canada.
The chartered planes were needed because Canada's fleet of A310 Airbuses and ageing short-haul C-130 Hercules aircraft could not fully meet the demand. The audit was done before Canada took delivery of its first new C-17 Boeing Globemaster long-haul cargo planes.
"At the time of our visit to Kandahar Airfield, the supply system showed that 3,467 requisitions were outstanding, of which 61 per cent were already past the required delivery date," the audit stated.
The average delivery of supplies is supposed to take 10 to 20 days, but half of them failed to reach Kandahar in that time.
There have been significant delays in finding spare parts to repair armoured vehicles that have been pressed into service to counter the rising threat of roadside bombs, the leading killer of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Between December 2006 and October 2007, of the major combat equipment sidelined for repairs, two-thirds were stuck in the shop waiting on parts from outside Afghanistan. Three new Nyala armoured vehicles had to be shipped back to Canada because repair parts could not be found. A landmine detection vehicle system was also shelved in 2006 for more than year because it not repairable.
In some cases, mechanics improvised in a time-honoured military tradition - they cannibalized parts from other vehicles to make repairs.
Meanwhile, the multinational field hospital, led by Canada, had to cope with a rising caseload in 2006, the year the current Taliban insurgency returned to Afghanistan with renewed force.
At time, the hospital ran "critically low" on some supplies, the audit found.
Meanwhile, Canada was forced to make up for a shortfall in medical personnel by recruiting civilian doctors. Between May 2006 and July 2007, health support personnel more than doubled to 175 from 70.
The audit also highlighted a new medical phenomenon of 21st-century war: because of advances in body armour, helmets and goggles, the hospital is contending with rising injuries to arms and legs.
That has driven up demand for surgical pins to fix bone fractures - a demand the Forces have been scrambling to meet.
In April 2006, the military recognized the growing need for pins and started to look for a supplier. In October 2006, they signed a deal to purchase up to $40,000 in pins without going through formal approvals every time.
But in the intervening six months, the Forces found they needed more than $400,000 worth of surgical items, and the first items did not arrive in Kandahar until November 2006 - seven months after the need was first identified.
© Ottawa Citizen 2008
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Rest in Peace, Michael Starker.
Canadian medic killed in Taliban ambush TheStar.com - Canada -
Troops were ambushed on foot patrol in hotly contested area outside Kandahar
May 06, 2008
Allan Woods
Ottawa Bureau
AND CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA – A Canadian soldier was killed in a gun battle with insurgents today, the first death from direct contact with the Taliban in more than seven months.
Brigadier-Gen. Guy Laroche confirmed the death to Canadian reporters at Kandahar Airfield.
Cpl. Michael Starker, an army reservist with Edmonton-based 15 Field Ambulance, was pronounced dead in a military hospital on Tuesday after his patrol was ambushed in the Pashmul region of Zhari district, about 25 kilometres west of Kandahar city. In civilian life, he was a Calgary paramedic.
Laroche, commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, says a wounded soldier is being treated in hospital at Kandahar Airfield and was able to call home on his own.
The military said that a Canadian foot patrol was ambushed in the Pashmul area, outside of Kandahar City. The region has been hotly contested region since Canadian troops deployed in Kandahar more than two years ago.
The bulk of Canadian military deaths over the last two years have come from roadside bombs, suicide bombers and other improvised explosive devices.
So far this year, there were four deaths in January, three in March and one in April. Two were killed in a vehicle accident, one death is considered “non-hostile” and is under investigation. The others were caused by IED attacks.
The attack comes as NATO forces throughout southern Afghanistan are bracing for the anticipated surge in violence that usually accompanies the end of the poppy harvest.
This death brings to 83 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war-torn country since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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New general ready to take command in Afghanistan
The Canadian Press
May 7, 2008 at 4:18 AM EDT
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — There's a new general in town.
The next commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan has hit the ground in Kandahar and says he believes the mission will take on a different flavour during his nine month tour.
Brigadier-General Dennis Thompson says evolving conditions in the war-torn region mean there will be more of an emphasis on the civilian side of development and reconstruction.
Brig.-Gen. Thompson is the former commander of the 2nd Mechanize Brigade at CFB Petawawa, a base that has suffered a lot of casualties, and he says that aspect of loss personalizes this assignment for him.
He arrived in Kandahar one day after the latest soldier was killed in a shootout with the Taliban and will be replacing Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche in the near future.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3261
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Canadian soldier killed by enemy fire 'wanted to help others'
UNNATI GANDHI
With a report from Dawn Walton in Calgary
May 7, 2008
A Canadian soldier on foot patrol in Kandahar's troubled western district was killed yesterday after Taliban insurgents opened fire on the troops, marking the first combat death for the Canadian Forces in nearly eight months. A second soldier was injured during the attack.
Corporal Michael Starker, with the Edmonton-based 15 Field Ambulance Regiment, was ambushed while soldiers were trying "to show their presence [and] interact with the local population" in the Pashmul region, a cluster of villages about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city, Brigadier-General Guy Laroche said in Afghanistan yesterday.
Shots were fired from the road about 11:45 a.m., and there weren't any crowds nearby, he said.
The troops were airlifted to Kandahar Air Field, where the injured soldier, whose name was not released yesterday, was able to call his family and tell them of his injuries himself.
Cpl. Starker, 36, a paramedic and reservist from Calgary, was pronounced dead at hospital.
"We lost a fine soldier today and our thoughts are with his family and friends," Brig.-Gen. Laroche said. "He died helping Afghans build a better future for themselves and their children. His dedication and sacrifice will not be forgotten."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement yesterday offering condolences to Cpl. Starker's family and friends.
"Corporal Starker made the ultimate sacrifice and his efforts will remain a source of pride for all Canadians," Mr. Harper said.
The rare, up-close confrontation happened as NATO forces throughout the region brace for the anticipated surge in violence that usually comes with the end of the poppy harvest.
Only two of the 27 Canadian casualties in Afghanistan since June of 2007 have been actual combat deaths. The vast majority have been the result of improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs.
In fact, it has been nearly 20 months since a Canadian soldier was shot and killed in an ambush by insurgents, according to Department of National Defence records.
"If we have to readjust the way we are doing things, yes we will do that," Brig.-Gen. Laroche said. "But the intent is not to reduce our patrols, the intent is to increase our presence in the region. We have seen a lot of progress since we [have been] there. ... We have seen a lot of people coming back to the region."
Back in his hometown of Calgary, Cpl. Starker was remembered as a man who dedicated his life to saving others.
"He was one of those people who wanted to help others," Calgary Emergency Medical Services Chief Tom Sampson said of Cpl. Starker, who had been a paramedic with the city since June of 2005. "... I think he went to help there and it's such a shame that he should die while trying to help like that."
He became involved with the military a decade ago, and was deployed to Afghanistan in December.
His family asked for privacy as they mourned, but friends described him as a strong, caring individual with a "heart of gold" as well as the "best partner they ever worked with."
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Rest in Peace Cpl, and may your family and friends feel some solace from knowing all the good you did for so many...may God take you to his right hand, and soften the blow to family..thank you for your dedication and duty, ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Brazen sobs
Afghan ambush unfolded within sight of forward base
Updated Thu. May. 8 2008 11:46 AM ET
The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The ambush that took the life of Sgt. Michael Starker unfolded within sight of a heavily defended Canadian forward operating base, much to the horror and dismay of his fellow soldiers and a long-time friend.
Master Cpl. Fabio Lacentra, 40, had known Starker for 10 years, serving with him both in the reserves and as emergency medical technicians in Calgary.
The sharp crackle of the fierce exchange was the first indication to troops at Masum Ghar, about 35 kilometres west of Kandahar, that something was up. "We could see it from where we were; we could see the firefight going on," said Lacentra, a medic with the 15th Field Ambulance evacuation platoon.
He was standing in the command post when the base commander ran out and mounted one of the bastion's walls to get a view of what was going on.
"You could see his concern," Lacentra recalled in an interview Thursday with The Canadian Press.
The radio began to chatter.
There were wounded.
How bad?
When the answer came back, Lacentra turned to the soldiers beside him.
"I said: 'You know a gunshot wound is never a good thing."'
His training as an ambulance technician had kicked in.
"We knew it was Canadians and I guess I was, without even consciously doing it, was trying to prepare these guys. I just said that kind of gunshot wound doesn't end up with a good result."
At the time, Lacentra didn't know it was his friend, the guy with whom he had worked out at the gym every day during training in Edmonton, the guy whom he clearly looked up to as a paramedic, a soldier and a person of "amazing character and strength."
Starker, 36, was evacuated by helicopter to the NATO military hospital at Kandahar Airfield along with a second unidentified soldier, who was also wounded. Doctors pronounced Starker dead at the Role 3 treatment centre.
The ambush on Tuesday, the first shooting death of a Canadian soldier in direct combat with the enemy in almost 20 months, is still under investigation by military police.
It was very quiet that evening in the vehicle when Lacentra drove with other troops back to the airfield, where the majority of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are stationed.
Once in a while, the cheerful Italian-immigrant to Canada, who possesses an easy smile, likes to sing in the car.
"So when we got just close to KAF actually one of the guys said: 'Hey Fabio why don't you sing us a song."'
He did, but his heart was only in it for a few minutes.
His mind was on Starker.
"I kind of knew it was him, but I hoped it was somebody else. Right? That's not a good thing to say," he added with tears beginning in the corners of his eyes.
"I didn't believe it was him because I know how well trained Mike is. He's an ex-sniper. I just kept thinking it was someone else because there was no way Mike would get shot that way."
Back inside the wire, he heard the news from a nurse at the Role 3 hospital.
It struck like a bolt of lightning.
He had seen Starker only last Saturday when they spent four hours together unloading medical supplies.
Since his friend's death, Lacentra has spent a lot of time thinking about the ambulance calls the two of them occasionally went on together in Calgary.
There was the time Lacentra had been doing his practicum and wanted to impress both his instructor and Starker, who was driving, by inserting an intravenous line in patient as they were rolling back to hospital. They hit a bump and Lacentra missed.
"And I looked up and said 'Thanks' and he's looking at me. I pictured it the other day, I could see him. He had his face . . . turned looking at me with a crook smile."
Lacentra got the lesson: Don't be cocky.
"That was the kind of thing he'd do; he wouldn't tell you, don't do this and he wouldn't purposely try to make you fail, but when it did happen, just the look, you could see it on his face. I should have known better."
Starker, a reservist and ex-paratrooper, had personal reasons for returning to Afghanistan, Lacentra said.
"He didn't have to be here, but he wanted to serve," he said.
Lacentra, who served as a peacekeeper in 1992 as the Balkans was coming apart at the seams, is by no means naive about the risks.
But the sudden brutality of the ambush that killed his friend is hard to reconcile with the faces of grateful, dirt poor Afghans who cheer on the Canadians when they pass.
"Watching the firefight changed my perspective" about the country, he said. "It made things more real."
"You see lots of kids, waving at you; happy and smiling; even adults. And you don't feel there's any real danger. You know what's happened. You hear about some of the stuff that's happened, but you don't feel it at that moment in time."
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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LAV-H HAS THE INSIDE TRACK AS THE NEW ARMOURED VEHICLE
From what my spies tell me the General Dynamics LAV-H is looking like it has got the inside track for any future new armoured vehicle project.
As I wrote earlier this week, CDS Gen. Rick Hillier believes there is a need for a new type of armored vehicle in the near future as the current fleet of LAV-3s is at their maximum capability for protection and mobility.
Hillier told me that NDHQ staff are now trying to figure out what vehicle might best fit the Army’s needs. “We’ve actually got folks now just trying to sort of suss this out and see what is the requirement…..what's on the market out there or what's in development right now that could be on the market pretty soon,” he said.
So come on down LAV-H (H is for high capacity). There are other vehicles out there that might fit the bill but sources are saying this is going to be a question of dollars and cents. And the LAV-H is looking like the most cost-effective solution that meets the requirements (it doesn’t hurt that the General Dynamics plant is in London, Ontario, with another GD line in Edmonton).
The LAV-H has an extended hull, larger engine, improved suspension system and an upgraded driver station. It also has a 55,000 pound gross vehicle weight, which makes available 10,000 extra pounds that can be used to carry additional armour, fuel or equipment.
Also among the upgrades on the LAV-H are a protection kit installed under the crew compartment and mine-resistant seats to reduce injuries during a blast. The vehicle can also be raised up several inches and locked into that position for use in high-risk areas. The additional space allows for a greater standoff from a blast.
But here’s the kicker. General Dynamics says the LAV-H modifications could be fitted into existing LAV-3s as they are brought in for repairs or upgrades. That makes it a more cost-affordable option than purchasing new armoured vehicles and doesn’t require the retraining of mechanics, new support systems, etc, say sources.
Then there is this hint in Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie’s 2008 Land Force Command Level 1 Business Plan which mysteriously landed on my desk in mid-April. Leslie notes in the plan that various new forms of new protection are being looked at for the existing fleet of LAVs including reactive armor, systems to counter rocket-propelled grenades and the installation of shock resistant seating for vehicles. These additional measures may mean, in turn, that more powerful engines and drive trains along with more robust suspension systems are needed for existing LAV fleets, he added.
“The most cost effective time to do this type of product enhancement is when the vehicle is in the reset line, stripped down to it’s bare components and available for a complete rebuild and improvement,” Leslie wrote.
General Dynamics rolled the LAV-H into Ottawa for demonstrations to NDHQ folks on April 11, 14 and 15.
Now the real challenge will likely come in convincing the Conservative government that this program should proceed. There are lots of equipment needs on the horizon but with the Afghanistan mission continuing until 2011 this may give the new armoured vehicle project a priority.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Sounds good to me.. lets get the best protected and fighting machines we can...ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Canada's 83rd fallen soldier returns from Afghanistan
Canwest News Service
Friday, May 09, 2008
TRENTON, Ont. - The body of Canada's latest fallen soldier, who died in an ambush in Afghanistan earlier this week, returned home Friday.
The remains of Cpl. Michael Starker, a 36-year-old reservist from Calgary, arrived at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario at 2 p.m.
After pallbearers loaded the coffin into a waiting hearse, Starker's wife and family approached it with single roses in their hands.
Starker, who worked as a paramedic with Calgary EMS, was killed Tuesday while on patrol in the Pashmul | | | |
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