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Topic: Afghanistan - 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment - 08-09 (Read 5233 times)
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Published Wednesday September 3rd, 2008
Almost 40 soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown left for Afghanistan on Tuesday evening.
STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO
LEAVING HOME: Soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown heading to Afghanistan board a plane at the Fredericton International Airport on Tuesday.
The troops, mostly from The Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (2RCR), boarded a plane at the Fredericton International Airport.
The departure marks the largest from the group of 165 scheduled to make the journey.
Thirty-five soldiers from 2RCR, one from 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4ESR) and three from 3 Area Support Group (3ASG) were bused from Gagetown and boarded the waiting aircraft. The military flight also carried soldiers from CFB Petawawa, where most of the deployed troops are coming from.
Tuesday's departure was documented from a distance by photographers, but there were no media interviews.
Lee Windsor, the deputy director of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick, said soldiers boarding the plane Tuesday night were doing so with a huge degree of professional pride.
"The No. 1 thing in the minds of professional soldiers is they want to do their job well," Windsor said. "Their apprehensions and anxieties - most people would be surprised to realize - usually concern doing their jobs well, as opposed to being afraid of what might happen to them."
Soldiers with 4ESR will be forming an enhanced route-opening team and will be responsible for clearing explosives from roads, while 2RCR's Golf Company will be providing security for the work done by the Kandahar provincial reconstruction teams.
The good news for the 2RCR soldiers, Windsor said, is that they are involved with the reconstruction teams.
"The Taliban in southern Afghanistan seem to have realized that attacking the soldiers who are facilitating the reconstruction process does them harm in Afghan public opinion," Windsor said.
While Kandahar is a dangerous place, with the Taliban singling out combat units, the police and Afghan army, the construction people are able to roam quite freely by comparison, he said.
"They are going to be so busy while in theatre providing security for all the various types of reconstruction tasks that there isn't time to worry," Windsor said.
"The soldiers who are in the combat units directly - that are going out and keeping the Taliban at bay in the remote countryside - are the ones who are making the work of these guys possible."
Stephanie Duchesne, a civilian public affairs officer at Gagetown, said soldiers will continue to leave the base over the coming days.
Personnel from 4 Air Defence Regiment, which is also providing troops for the rotation into Afghanistan, left on earlier flights.
"We have had little pockets leave already - 13 here, six there," Duchesne said. "The next contingent, there is going to be about 11 of them. We have one guy leaving alone later on."
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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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All the best to all you brothers.. and i know you will do the best job possible.. keep as safe as you can and come home in good shape..and THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR DEDICATION< SERVICE< AND SACRIFICE....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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Canadian troops help escort dam turbine through Taliban territory
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 | 11:38 AM ET
The Associated Press
The Canadian Forces helped successfully escort a new turbine through some of Afghanistan's most dangerous territory to an American-built dam that would increase electrical production to the country's south, NATO said Wednesday.
Some 4,000 Canadian, U.S. and British troops guarded the turbine as it travelled almost 180 kilometres from the city of Kandahar to the site of the Kajaki dam project — the largest U.S. aid project in Afghanistan — in the neighbouring province of Helmand.
"The result of the operation will be a much-needed increase in capacity to generate electrical power, which will create a better quality of life for Afghan people in southern Afghanistan," NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.
Troops from Denmark, Australia and Afghanistan also took part. The turbine arrived in Kajaki on Tuesday.
Maj.-Gen. J.G.M. Lessard, the Canadian commander of NATO troops in southern Afghanistan, said the security mission to protect the turbine "clearly demonstrated" NATO's and the Afghan government's commitment to reconstruction.
"Despite the disruptive effort from the insurgents, we achieved our goal and delivered the new turbine," Lessard said.
"The insurgents' efforts have not been successful. They will not win and are not winning in the southern region."
The southwestern province of Helmand, where the dam is situated, is firmly in Taliban control and grows more opium poppies than any other place in the world. (Although in May 2001, when the Taliban was still in power before the U.S.-led invasion later that year, the U.S. government gave it $43 million US in aid for having banned opium growing.)
Reports said a convoy of 100 vehicles and dozens of attack helicopters and fighter jets escorted the turbine.
Western officials have long fretted they would not be able to deliver the turbine safely through the Taliban-held land.
More infrastructure required
The Kajaki hydroelectric dam has the potential to provide Afghanistan with six per cent of its power.
The dam was originally built in the 1950s to help Afghan farmers irrigate their fields. U.S. crews returned to Kajaki in the 1970s and installed two turbines.
In recent months, one turbine has been working but a second has been offline for repairs. A hole sat in between those two turbines where the third is to be installed.
The U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. government's aid arm, has said the cost for refurbishing the two existing turbines and for the purchase of the third is $51 million US.
The region also needs new transmission lines to carry the increased power to Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand. That will cost more than $77 million.
At full capacity, the three turbines together can provide southern Afghanistan with 51 megawatts of power, said John Shepard, an engineer from Tucson, Ariz., who has been working on the Kajaki project since 2004.
Afghanistan's current electricity-generating capacity is about 770 megawatts, mostly from small, individual power grids that service local communities.
By comparison, Canada has about 120,000 megawatts of generating capacity.[b][/b]
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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
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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ominous news...
THE AFGHAN MISSION: MILITARY TOLL HITS 96
Deadly strike signals surge in Taliban confidence
'Worrisome' attack kills three soldiers in worst direct confrontation since 2006
GRAEME SMITH
With a report from Steven Chase in Ottawa and Dawn Walton in Banff, Alta.
September 4, 2008
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- A frontal Taliban assault killed three soldiers and injured five, the worst losses for Canadian troops under direct fire in two years as insurgents grow bolder in their attacks on international forces.
Military officials are still investigating how Corporal Andrew Grenon, 23, Cpl. Mike Seggie, 21, and Private Chad Horn, 21, were killed yesterday as they patrolled west of Kandahar city. But they have concluded the soldiers - who were weeks or just days from heading home - weren't victims of the kind of planted bomb that has inflicted the heaviest toll on Canada's troops.
Instead, the Taliban appear to have mounted a "direct-fire attack," which could include shots from Kalashnikov rifles, grenade launchers, or even powerful 82 mm recoilless
rifles, capable of punching through armoured vehicles.
The Taliban rarely succeed in inflicting casualties in direct confrontations with Canadians. The last major incident happened exactly two years ago, on Sept. 3, 2006, in a battle that killed four soldiers at the beginning of Operation Medusa, the largest offensive by Canadian troops in half a century. That battle took place only a few kilometres from the latest deaths in Zhari district, a measure of how the Canadians have struggled to hold territory.
"I don't know what it says about progress," said Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, the top Canadian commander in Kandahar, "but it certainly says we're not invulnerable."
Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, described the latest casualties as particularly troubling.
"This attack is worrisome in the kind of sophistication of that attack," he said.
Gen. Natynczyk, who was attending the Conference of the Defence Ministers of the Americas in Banff, Alta., said the security situation during this "fighting season" in Afghanistan is especially "tough."
The Taliban are starting to win occasional battles against the foreign troops, although it's still highly unusual.
Ten French soldiers were killed in an ambush outside of Kabul last month, and nine U.S. soldiers died as Taliban swarmed an outpost in July.
The international forces often dismiss the Taliban as resorting to "terrorist tactics," such as bombings and assassinations, but guerrilla attacks have also increased sharply.
The number of Taliban ambushes have increased by more than 50 per cent this year, compared with the same period last year, according to statistics kept by Vigilant Strategic Services Afghanistan. That's outpacing the growth of successful bombings.
The death rate among foreign troops in Afghanistan has also increased, rising 30 per cent from last year and surpassing the casualties in Iraq this summer.
Canadian casualties have not followed the same trend, but the numbers have stayed consistently high, with 22 Canadian soldiers killed in 2008 compared with 26 during the same period in 2007, and 23 in 2006. The latest deaths brings to 96 the total number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
All the soldiers injured yesterday were evacuated to a military hospital at Kandahar Air Field. Four of them remained in medical care overnight, including one critically wounded soldier and one considered in serious but stable condition.
After visiting the wounded soldiers, Gen. Thompson spoke proudly about how they shot at the insurgents even after suffering injuries.
"I've been to the hospital and I've spoken to some of those wounded soldiers," he said. "Even the wounded, once they evacuated the vehicle, returned fire and did their best - not only did their best, but succeeded in evacuating their mates and getting them out of the area."
The commander gave no estimates of the number of Taliban killed or injured during the battle.
The fight started at 9:30 a.m. local time, during a patrol, and the military has released little information about what happened.
"It was a direct attack and I can't provide any more detail at this point," Gen. Thompson said.
Ustad Abdul Halim, a security adviser to the local government, said it is unlikely the Taliban in that part of Zhari district possessed anything but the usual arsenal of insurgent weaponry.
"This summer the Taliban are very powerful and active in Zhari district, but usually they don't have very good weapons," Mr. Halim said. "The best they have is the 82 mm anti-tank gun, and they have only a small number of those things. Maybe they found something new, but I don't think so."
Still, years of experience have taught the insurgents that it's possible to break through the Canadians' armoured vehicles using their existing weapons.
"The point is, you cannot design a vehicle that is impervious to all direct fire. It's impossible," Gen. Thompson said. "It's always possible to find a weakness in a vehicle." The slain soldiers had served with the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., and their battle group is due to rotate back home in the coming days and weeks.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his condolences to the soldier's families.
"I am not sure I can say anything different than we say in all these cases," Mr. Harper said yesterday. "These are tremendously brave men and women who put their lives on the line for this country; for its values and to help their fellow human beings."
The attack happened near the start of Ramadan, a holy month on the Muslim calendar. Violence has historically decreased during his period of fasting and prayer, but for the past two years Ramadan has been marked by sharp increases in attacks. Some extremists believe the final days of the holiday are especially auspicious for martyrdom.
"Many people have different opinions about what Ramadan means in terms of the insurgents," Gen. Thompson said. "But I can tell you that the governor of this province, Governor [Rahmatullah] Raoufi, told me just yesterday not to expect them to let up at all."
*****
Ninety-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have lost their lives during Canada's mission in Afghanistan.
2002: 4 deaths
April: 4
2003: 2 deaths
October: 2
2004: 1 death
January: 1
2005: 1 death
November: 1
2006: 37 deaths
January: 1
March: 3
April: 4
May: 1
July: 3
August: 8
September: 10
October: 5
November: 2
2007: 30 deaths
March: 1
April: 9
May: 2
June: 4
July: 6
August: 4
September: 1
November: 2
December: 1
2008: 22 deaths
January: 4
March; 3
April: 1
May: 1
June: 2
July: 3
August: 5
September: 3
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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!
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Our people did themselves proud, and even fought on and got their wounded buds out after they were wounded....aint it about time the Nato politicians at least got seriously into the fray at their protected level?? After all , the soldiers are doing the dying and paying the price with their bodies and minds..they need the politicos to get serious about this war..or we are going to lose it...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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The long, sad, ride home...
Comrades salute fallen soldiers
3 Canadian soldiers killed in Kandahar head home
Scott Deveau
Canwest News Service
Thursday, September 04, 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry gathered to bid farewell to three of their fallen brethren Thursday night at a solemn sunset ceremony at Kandahar Air Field.
The flag-draped caskets of Cpl. Andrew Grenon, 23, Cpl. Mike Seggie, 21, and Pte. Chad Horn, 21, were carried in the arms of the fellow soldiers during the ramp ceremony, an event that is becoming all-too-familiar for those Canadians stationed here in Afghanistan.
All three men were members of the Second Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Man. Their deaths bring the total number of Canadian soldiers killed here in Afghanistan since 2002 to 96.
Among the more than 2,000 Canadian and coalition troops gathered at the ramp ceremony was Pte. Glen Kirkland, who fought alongside the men in their final moments during the vicious firefight in the Zhari District of Kandahar early Wednesday morning.
Kirkland was among the five other soldiers wounded in the attack and attended the ceremony in a wheelchair Thursday. Three others, who were also wounded in the attack, were airlifted to hospital in Germany earlier in the day.
As a testament to emotional bond that has formed between the Patricia's, Kirkland struggled stiffly to get to his feet while Amazing Grace was played by pipers in the background. He saluted his fellow soldiers one last time as their coffins were loaded into the back of the Hercules that would carry them home to Canada.
"In the Princess Patricia's you will find 'no greater friend, and no worse enemy,'" said the battle group chaplain Capt. Darren Persaud. "These three young men embodied that motto. Each one of them knew that the most important people in a battle were those on your left and on your right."
The ceremony was made all that much more difficult by the fact that the fallen soldiers were meant to be heading home in a different manner in the weeks ahead as they finished their tour in Kandahar, where the bulk of the 2,500 Canadian troops in the country are stationed.
"It always seems a bit more tragic as you come near the end," said battle group commander Lt.-Col. Dave Corbould. "There's no doubt about that."
Corbould said there was a tremendous sense of loss amongst the battle group and the task force as a result of the men's deaths.
He said Seggie would be remembered for his sense of humour and general love of life; Grenon for his sense of compassion and duty; and Horn, "one of the best gunners around," for his desire for perfection and for his professionalism.
The Canadian Forces have remained tight-lipped about the details of the ambush by insurgents, but they are adamant that no improvised explosive devices were used, despite Taliban claims to the contrary.
What is certain is that a heavily-armed group of insurgents directly engaged the Canadians in a firefight that claimed the soldier's lives.
The military won't say what sort of weapon was used by the insurgents in the attack to disable the soldiers' vehicle, but said it was nothing they hadn't seen before.
Nevertheless, Corbould commended the forces for putting up a good fight.
"The platoon quickly grabbed the initiative, immediately won the firefight, took care of its casualties, got them evacuated to a proper medical facility all as they had been trained," he said.
"There's no doubt Cpls. Grenon and Seggie and Pte. Horn were looking down at them with pride knowing full well that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing."
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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
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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New Canadian envoy concedes Taliban now stronger
Fri. Sep. 5 2008 7:44 AM ET
The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Canada's new ambassador to Afghanistan says a recent direct fire attack that killed three Canadian soldiers shows the insurgency has become "more sophisticated" and that its "overall strength has improved."
But Ron Hoffmann says he's confident Canadian troops are adjusting to the change in Taliban tactics.
The former head of mission at the Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan, who was recently promoted to ambassador in Kabul, agreed with his predecessor who said Afghanistan will likely be a viable state by 2011.
That's the date Canada has set to end its combat role in the country.
Hoffmann says that under his leadership Canada will play an increased role in brokering co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He will also work to build up government services and institutions which many Afghans remain mistrustful of and believes an upcoming Afghan election will see attention focused on issues of good governance.
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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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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Two foreign troops killed in Afghanistan
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:42:49 GMT
Two soldiers have been killed and four others wounded in separate attacks in Afghanistan, according to the ISAF and the British Ministry of Defense.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Thursday that one soldier was killed and four wounded in southern Afghanistan during an insurgent attack.
"It is ISAF policy not to release the nationality of any casualty prior to the relevant national authority doing so," it said.
The defense ministry also said a British soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device was triggered in Sangin in Helmand province while he was on patrol.
"It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defense must confirm that a soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment has been killed," the MoD said in a statement.
On Wednesday, three Canadian soldiers were killed and five wounded in an insurgent attack in southern Kandahar province.
The latest deaths took to 193 the number of international soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year, AFP said.
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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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Hmmmm.. the bad guys are getting up more steam. Temporary? One could hope, but i doubt it. They are seeing the weaknesses of the Nato .. ahem..ALLIANCE...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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Sending off our troops, and son, to our mission
Friday September 5 2008
BY MAROLYN MORRISON, MAYOR'S MESSAGE
On February 16, 2007 I had the privilege of attending a ceremony at the Military Institute in Toronto. At this event I received a plaque, on behalf of the Town of Caledon, from John C. Eaton, National Chair, and Sonja Bata, Ontario Provincial Chair of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council. This plaque was presented because the Town of Caledon supports the Reserve Forces within the Canadian Forces, promoting the value of reservists.
On August 22, 2008 I had the overwhelming experience of attending the departure ceremony for our Canadian Forces who are going on the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Rotation 6. It was held at Dundonald Hall at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. There were many dignitaries such as the Mayor of Petawawa Bob Sweet, with whom I had the pleasure of sitting on a committee, plus MPs and MPPs.
There was standing room only in Dundonald Hall. Now this is not a small hall. They had seating for moer than 3,500 people and I would estimate that there was in excess of 4,000 people there on a sunny, hot Friday afternoon. The dignataries made speeches and a video was shown with well wishers, such as hockey's Don Cherry and other celebrities.
You could tell the service people deploying to Afghanistan because they were in their brown camouflage uniforms and the rest were in their greens. There were many there with their families, husbands, wives, children, and their parents.
My husband John and I were in that last category, as our youngest son will be deploying in less than two weeks with the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He joined when his brother was oversees in Afghanistan because he was so impressed with the fact that his brother was willing to help others who are less fortunate and try to make it a better place to live.
You see the Canadian Military is still doing the wonderful things that we are known for and that is helping others. About 75 per cent of our service men and women are in a reconstruction role, with approximately 25 per cent trying to keep them safe by patrolling etc.
In this rotation there are many teams that are going over such as the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD); Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR); Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams; Military Police; Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team; and National Support Element.
In Caledon we have many young men and women who are part of our Canadian Armed Forces and who see the benefit of giving back on a grander scale then just to their community. They believe that they can and will make a difference in the world.
I talked to many of these men and women when I was at the Departure Ceremony on that Friday and they did not disappoint me with their commitment to Canada and to helping those in need.
I feel very privileged to be able to attend such functions and to be able to help send our young men and women off on a positive note, so that they can do what the Government of Canada has asked of them on our behalf.
God bless them and keep them safe.
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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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And may God Bless them all , for HE knows they give their all to do HIS work.. the finest any man can do and give of him/her self....God speed all of you, and thank you very much for your service to God, contry and peoples of the world..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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I’ll be wondering, too I’ll be wondering, too
Friday September 5 2008
Ted Brown
We hear it on the news everyday, but I sometimes fear it goes in one ear and out the other.
I’m talking about news out of Afghanistan, and more specifically, the work our Canadian forces are doing while stationed in the Kandahar area, where the Canadian Forces Base is located.
I’ve been as guilty as the next, half-listening to the reports, but not really taking it in.
That is, until last week.
Last Wednesday I spent some time interviewing Brad Johnston and his mom Darlene, as he prepared to leave yesterday (Thursday) for an eight-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Brad, or Private Johnston as he is officially called by his superiors, is a quiet guy, and carefully chose his words as I interviewed him.
He talked of his upcoming tour with a certain amount of excitement, and at the same time, admitted to being a bit nervous about what he was heading into.
“It’s those unknowns,” he said, “Not knowing what is waiting for us when we get there.”
In a country where terrorism is almost a way of life, I can appreciate how he’s concerned about those ‘unknowns’. Reading accounts and interviews with soldiers in the field, the common denominator seems to be adopting a ‘trust no one’ approach. The most harmless looking person or situation could ultimately be lethal.
At the same time he talked of being nervous, Brad also exuded a confidence that was almost comforting. He’s been well-trained for this job, he knows what his limits and his training can withstand, and he’s probably very good at what he does.
He wasn’t cocky or arrogant, instead he was simply matter-of-fact confident— a very calm and effective way to be.
He spoke of his training in Technical Combat Casualty Care, a system of pre-hospital trauma care for troops who have been wounded in the field. That training has repeatedly been the difference between life and death for some soldiers.
Often, members of the Afghan security forces, who have been wounded, have died in the field, simply from of a lack of casualty training.Brad has also been trained in remote weapon systems and heavy machine gun training.
Translation: Brad knows which end of the weapon to stand on to be most effective at protecting the OC (Officer Commanding), as well as himself, in the line of fire.
Another important training he, like every other Canadian soldier in the world has had, is sleep deprivation training, operating for hours (and days) at a time, without sleep.With that training, a soldier knows his body’s limits, and can protect himself accordingly.
Brad is one of 2,500 Canadian soldiers with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, who left CFB Trenton yesterday, to face those ‘unknowns’ in Afghanistan.
They are made up of Canadians from all parts of this country, and all are like Brad, finely-tuned professionals who have the best training in the world to live up to their reputation as the finest peacekeepers and teachers, doing their bit to make this world a safer place.
Sadly, there’s a possibility some of those 2,500 might not come home next April. When a soldier enters a country, there’s always a risk that someone could get hurt— or killed.
Brad’s mom Darlene knows that, and admitted that from now on, when she hears a report of an ‘incident’ in Afghanistan, she’ll be the first to wonder, ‘Is that my son? Is he okay?’
And after meeting and interviewing Brad, I know one thing for sure.
I’ll be wondering too.
(Ted Brown can be reached at
tbrown@independentfreepress.com)
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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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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Afghan police say bombs explode at Kandahar police headquarters, 2 policemen dead
By NOOR KHAN The Associated Press
Sun. Sep 7 - 8:53 AM
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Officials say two suicide attackers detonated their bombs inside the police headquarters in Afghanistan's second-largest city Sunday, killing at least two police and wounding 37 people.
The two bombers targeted Gen. Abdul Raziq, a border police commander, two police officers at the scene in Kandahar said. The blasts went off within a minute of each other, one on a ground floor and one on an upper floor, officials said.
The governor's spokesman, Najib Pervaiz, said two police were killed and 29 police and eight civilians were wounded. He said 16 of the wounded were in critical condition.
Karim Agha, a police officer wounded in the attack, said the bomber wanted to get close to Gen. Raziq, but his guards stopped him. After that, Agha said, he didn't know what happened because he went unconscious.
One high-ranking officer, who asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said six police were killed and 13 wounded, including Raziq. It wasn't immediately possible to reconcile the different figures.
Canadian troops and Afghan soldiers surrounded the police headquarters shortly after the explosions.
Kandahar is the Taliban's former stronghold. Militants unleashed a massive attack on the city's prison in June, killing around nine police and setting free almost 900 prisoners.
In other violence, U.S. coalition troops targeted insurgents fighting under a wanted militant leader in eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 10 armed fighters and detaining seven, the coalition said Sunday.
The operations _ three over two days _ targeted the militants for conducting and co-ordinating suicide and other attacks in the eastern province of Khost, the coalition said.
It said the militants belonged to the network of Siraj Haqqani, the son of longtime warlord Jalalludin Haqqani. The U.S. has called Siraq Haqqani a ruthless new brand of militant leader and last year announced a US$200,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Haqqani, a Taliban-associated militant with close ties to al-Qaida, is accused of masterminding beheadings and massive suicide bombings. He is believed to be in Pakistan.
The coalition said more than 10 armed militants were killed during a U.S. operation Saturday that involved ground forces, attack helicopters and air strikes.
Separately, the Helmand province police chief said militants attacked a police patrol Saturday and wounded four officers. Mohammad Hussein Andiwal said police returned fire and killed 11 militants in the battle in the Nad Ali district.
More than 4,000 people have died in insurgency-related violence this year, according to an Associated Press tally of figures from Western and Afghan officials.
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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
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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Hmmm, i wonder where all these bad guys are coming from..there seems to be a never ending supply. Are there that many killers in the wprld?? ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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