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Topic: Afghanistan - 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment - Predeployment (Read 6345 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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NATO, through its lack of commitment in Astan has proven itself to be feckless and weak. Is it any wonder the Russians are advancing?
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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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Attacks highlight renewed strength of Taliban
Against a series of motivating factors, terrorists have increased assaults and improved their propaganda campaign. But perhaps more alarming still, is the location of their acts of violence – “they are coming closer and closer to Kabul”
OMAR EL AKKAD AND GLORIA GALLOWAY
From Friday's Globe and Mail
August 22, 2008 at 2:34 AM EDT
OTTAWA AND KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — Behind the current wave of bloodshed in Afghanistan lies a series of motivating factors.
The U.S. presidential race looms; Afghanistan will also hold elections next year; the political situation in Pakistan is increasingly unstable. Against that backdrop, the Taliban and its loosely affiliated network of insurgent groups appear not only to have increased their capacity for violence, but also their ability to extract greater propaganda value from it.
“Every time there's an attack, like the one on the French, my phone starts ringing,” said Douglas Bland, chair of Defence Management Studies at Queen's University in Kingston, speaking about the intense media attention to such incidents.
“It shows you the speed of the [Taliban's propaganda] campaign.”
This week, Canadian soldiers were the latest casualties in a particularly destructive round of attacks. Three Canadian troops were killed and another injured Wednesday when their vehicle hit an explosive device west of Kandahar city. The attack came on the same day three Polish troops were killed in the central part of the country when they hit a similar roadside bomb. On Monday, an ambush near Kabul resulted in the deaths of 10 French soldiers.
But perhaps more alarming than the frequency of the Taliban's latest offensive is their geography.
“What should worry us is that the Taliban movements are no longer isolated to the south,” said Almas Bawar, Canada country director for the Senlis Council security policy group. “They are coming closer and closer to Kabul.”
The shape of the battle theatre in Afghanistan will likely look very different a year from now, Prof. Bland said. American soldiers are moving from the east to the south – traditionally, where the fiercest fighting takes place – and the French, in turn, are moving east. The recent attack on the French troops may have been an attempt to dissuade them from moving to the eastern zone, Prof. Bland said.
Haji Mohammed Qassam, a provincial council member in Kandahar, said security across all of Afghanistan has deteriorated, particularly in the past five months, as the Taliban have gained strength.
“We are concerned about this big problem,” Mr. Qassam said. He said that he and others have been warning for months that the Taliban's strength is growing, but the Afghan government and the coalition forces did not respond in time to keep it in check.
The provincial council discussed the Taliban's growing power at a meeting this week and decided to raise the matter with the new governor, Rahmatullah Raufi, as soon as possible.
The source of the Taliban's power is Pakistan, Mr. Qassam said.
“Everything is directed by Pakistan. Everybody knows that this is a fact because the big commanders of the Taliban are in Quetta,” which is in Pakistan close to the border.
Prof. Bland said the internal situation in Pakistan, with the recent resignation of former president Pervez Musharraf, means the country will be rife with political confusion for the foreseeable future.
“That means the army will also be watching the home front and less inclined to climb into the mountains and fight the Taliban to do us a favour,” he added.
But Neamat Arghandabi, head of the National Islamic Society of Afghan Youth, said the problem rests on the shoulders of the Afghans.
The Canadian soldiers who are fighting the Taliban in Kandahar are not failing, Mr. Arghandabi said. “If I was a Canadian general, I couldn't do anything more than they are doing.
“Canadians will fail because of their [Afghan] partners. Their partners still don't get it. Their partners are weak and are not doing their job.”
Nobody is thinking about the war on the Afghan side, Mr. Arghandabi said.
The Afghans are much more concerned about “who gave which gift to who, who is flying to Dubai on which airline, who is sitting in which position, this is all the debates.”
In the meantime, the Taliban have resurged, co-opting the common people by recruiting their sons and by killing those who show any sign of siding with the government.
Both Mr. Bawar, of the Senlis Council, and Prof. Bland said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is in dire need of more resources and troops in order to combat the insurgency in Afghanistan. But Prof. Bland said that the multinational force also needs a unified command that will allow it to concentrate as a whole on certain parts of the country at a time.
“As long as we have this divided command, we're just playing into the strengths of the Taliban and other elements of the insurgency,” he said, “because they'll see where the holes are and move in.”
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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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Lack of troops a 'political failure' TheStar.com - Canada - Lack of troops a 'political failure'
Lewis MacKenzie points to lack of manpower from some allies in the wake of Canadians' deaths
August 22, 2008
Richard Brennan
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA–Canadians soldiers are dying in Afghanistan while many NATO members are refusing to show up for the fight, says retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie says.
"It's a political failure," MacKenzie told the Toronto Star yesterday after three Canadian soldiers were killed Wednesday and another seriously injured when their convoy hit an improvised explosive device on the main highway outside Kandahar city.
Sgt. Shawn Eades, Sapper Stephan Stock and Cpl. Dustin Wasden were combat engineers with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based out of Edmonton and attached to the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.
Their deaths bring to 93 the number of Canadian soldiers killed since Canada sent troops to the war-torn country in 2002, and mark the deadliest attack for Canadian soldiers since six were killed on July 4, 2007.
The trio were killed by a massive roadside bomb at 10:30 a.m. along a stretch of highway that has claimed the lives of a number of NATO soldiers and Afghan civilians.
Three Polish soldiers died Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded in Ghazni province, and a Taliban force killed 10 French paratroopers on Monday.
"We have handed the Taliban the initiative by not providing adequate number of troops on the ground to do the job ... when there are so many numbers available within the NATO countries that just aren't participating," MacKenzie said.
Canada currently has about 2,500 troops based in Afghanistan.
Forty countries have troops in Afghanistan, including 14 non-NATO members such as Australia and New Zealand. All 26 member countries are there but some with only a token representation, Mackenzie said.
"The majority of the nations in NATO have less than 1 per cent of their standing army in Afghanistan," he 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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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Cdn soldiers salute three slain comrades at Kandahar ramp ceremony
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canadian soldiers bid a final farewell to three comrades killed in battle in Afghanistan Friday.
Thousands of military personnel lined the tarmac at Kandahar Airfield for a solemn ramp ceremony.
This time it was the flag-draped caskets of combat engineers Sapper Stephan Stock, Cpl. Dustin Wasden and Sgt. Shawn Eades that were carried onto a transport plane to begin the long journey home.
Combat engineers have always been known to take on the most dangerous jobs, to rise above any challenge, and to glory in the most difficult tasks, Battle Group Chaplain Captain Darren Persaud told military personnel gathered on the runway.
"Sgt. Shawn Eades, Cpl. Dustin Wasden, and Sapper Stephan Stock exemplify these values, and were willing to sacrifice their lives to clear the road ahead for the people of Afghanistan," said Capt. Persaud.
The three slain soldiers, all with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based out of Edmonton, were on patrol in Zhari district at about 10:30 a.m. local time Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their armoured vehicle.
The latest deaths bring to 93 the number of Canadian soldiers who have died during the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.
Sgt. Eades, who leaves behind his wife Lisa, and daughters Breanna and Niya, was well loved by the engineer Corps and the entire Battle group, said the chaplain.
"His dedication to his soldiers and his mission was second to none. This was his third tour in Afghanistan, and his reputation for succeeding at any task, no matter how difficult, was well known."
Cpl. Dustin Wasden, who leaves his wife Shannon and daughter Michaela, always seemed destined to be an engineer, said Capt. Persaud.
"The Engineer Corps held a special place in his heart. He loved to fix things and help anyone complete their task. His work made him happy, and his enthusiasm was infectious to all those around him."
Sapper Stephan Stock, whose body is returning home to his parents, Leona and David, was a pillar of strength for his friends and family, the chaplain said.
"His commitment to what was right and just inspired all those that had the privilege of knowing him. He let his friends and family know his desire to serve in this mission, may that be a comfort to all who mourn him."
Capt. Bret Parlee of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment knew all three men and said they were outstanding young soldiers and very motivated individuals.
"Cpl. Wasden is a Saskatchewan boy like myself, grew up on a farm. We always shared stories of the Sasktachewan Roughriders and farm work. He liked to tell stories, entertain his fellow soldiers," Parlee said.
The deaths will only strengthen the mission's resolve, Parlee added.
"Everyone that is here understands what our job is, the risk associated with it, and we prepare ourselves mentally for these eventualities and it makes you stronger."
The three Canadian deaths came amid attacks on French and Polish soldiers in the country this week, but Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan said it should not be seen as a sign the Taliban is gaining strength.
"What I'd say is that they're much more aggressive this fighting season than they've been in the past," Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson said.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk called the deaths another example of how the security situation has worsened in the area where the Canadians are fighting.
"The difference is they're not holding any of the ground that they attack us on. So in the case of an IED strike they will inflict some casualties, but they don't control the road they inflicted the casualties on. So really the net effect is zero, other than it whittles away at our resolve."
However, Thompson said the Taliban has not been successful in weakening the military's determination.
"Our soldiers believe in this mission. They know what this is all about," he said.
Combat engineers clear paths and roadways of mines so infantry and support convoys and Afghan civilians alike can safely move through the area.
Many of the highly trained engineers have faced multiple roadside bomb attacks and booby traps.
Eades and his unit were part of a recently completed operation in Maywand district, further west from the site of Wednesday's attack. Its aim was to disrupt militants who use the district as a transit point on the way from Pakistan and as a resupply hub.
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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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Ditto to all this here Mike, and my thanks to General Lew , for keeping up his comments and advice. As a former top Army Commander , it is appalling that he is not listened to more..he is not talking politics except to chide the politicians for their lack of effort and foresight...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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Well, the lads are leaving and go time is upon us all. I am going to start a new thread as this one probably should have been dedicated to the PPCLI.
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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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Great idea Mike.. 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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Posts: 3965
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Brother, role model, soldier TheSpec.com - Local - Brother, role model, soldier
'Extraordinarily proud of his service,' sibling says
Rob Faulkner
The Hamilton Spectator
(Aug 27, 2008)
David Eades remembers the big brother he lost in Afghanistan for his humour, his patriotism and his skill in a dangerous military job.
Hamilton-born and raised Sergeant Shawn Eades was one of three Canadians killed Wednesday by a roadside blast in Afghanistan.
Ontarians lined the 401 Saturday as hearses carried the bodies of Eades and two other soldiers along the Highway of Heroes from Trenton to a Toronto coroner's office. Eades, 33, was a father of two girls with wife Lisa Schamehorn in Edmonton. "That whole experience of the Highway of Heroes, honestly, we were all stunned," David, 32, says. "We wish we could have had a big Thank You sign on the roof."
David says he and Shawn grew up between Hamilton, Winnipeg and Niagara, in part due to their parents' separation. David copied Shawn: he started French immersion after Shawn did, joined air cadets after Shawn joined at age 12.
Their father is deceased but mom Beverly McGraw lives in Hamilton. David works for a Burlington-based concierge service that caters to the wealthy. Sister Tamara Friesen, 30, operates heavy machinery in Chilliwack, B.C. Aunts and uncles live in Hamilton.
After the death a week ago, David says, the military assigned support people to the family. "Shawn was always a patriotic person," David says of his brother, who finished high school in Winnipeg and joined the regular force military out west. "As a member of the air cadets he enjoyed the process and discipline. He was always a bit of a history buff."
David remembers how Shawn looked up the family's military links. Shawn even researched the origins of the term sapper, the name for his job as a combat engineer. A sapper today typically does bridge-building, demolitions and construction.
"He had a good sense of humour. He and I pulled the wool over our mother's eyes more than once," David adds. They enjoyed family camping trips, and practised the martial art of jujitsu, which Shawn also taught fellow soldiers.
Eades died on his fifth tour with the forces. He had been to Bosnia, Kosovo and was on his third rotation in Afghanistan. He received a field promotion to sergeant on his second Afghan tour, David says.
David describes Shawn's job as a challenging one: trying to find, destroy and prevent use of explosives against allied troops. David says this would've been Shawn's final tour, due to his young family, and seniority that would let him decline future postings abroad.
"It's funny how a lot of the questions in the media are about whether the troops should be in Afghanistan. But every soldier that I've spoken with really believes in the mission and making a difference," David says. "He really believed he had to be there to make a difference."
He says the family's support was not shaken by the deaths of the soldiers in 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. Shawn leaves his wife, and daughters Breanna, 7, and Niya, 4.
"Shawn really believed in being there, and we were extraordinarily proud of his service. We always stood behind his decision. We are not going to weigh it, whether his life was spent on a worthwhile cause. Because, for us, it was, as much as we will always miss him and wish he was here."
rfaulkner@thespec.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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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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And for sure , a whole lot to be proud of for this Cdn Hero. I can only thank him and his family for all his great , dedicated service and sacrifice, and for their support for him..God Bless and keep you all..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
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Soldiers' stories
Canada's Afghan mission as seen through the eyes of the Roto 5
Graham Thomson
Canwest News Service
Sunday, August 31, 2008
(See hard copy for description).
CREDIT: Shah Marai, Agence France-Presse, Getty Images
(See hard copy for description).
They went off to the heat of battle in the middle of a Canadian winter.
Now, six months later, they're coming home.
They are members of Canada's fifth rotation to Afghanistan -- dubbed Roto 5 -- which has seen some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict so far.
All summer long, soldiers walking patrols on perilous trails and standing watch in remote combat outposts have been attacked, almost on a daily basis, by a tenacious enemy that seems to have gained a second wind.
Since February, 15 soldiers with Roto 5 have been sent home in caskets draped in the Maple Leaf, bringing Canada's total death toll since the Afghanistan conflict began to 93 soldiers and one diplomat.
As the fighting season grew as hot as Afghanistan's notorious summer weather, Canadians barely out of high school fought alongside combat veterans who had reached the ripe old age of 25.
Each has a story to tell.
Many of the 2,500 troops currently in Afghanistan are based out of Edmonton and Shilo, Man., but a list of their hometowns displays a geographic cross-section of Canada: a machine-gunner from Peterborough, Ont.; an artillery officer from Brandon, Man.; a combat medic from Victoria.
Not everyone, though, carried a gun to complete their mission to help bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
One relied on a surveyor's tripod, another a notebook and pen. One carried nothing but a Holy Bible for personal protection.
They forged friendships with Afghans, building bridges both literal and figurative, and some fell in love with the country despite the war. Their daily struggles to make life better, to open a new school or pave a new road, didn't always make news. The setbacks certainly did -- when insurgents freed most of the prisoners at Sarpoza prison in June; when troops accidentally killed two small children in July; when three Canadian engineers were killed by a roadside bomb in August.
Roto 5's journey home will happen not all at once, but in fits and starts, to allow the replacement troops with Roto 6 to find their combat legs. Some troops will no doubt discover their "six-month" combat tour will last closer to seven.
But they are coming home.
Canwest News Service journalist Graham Thomson spent six weeks during the summer embedded with the members of Roto 5.
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Ken & Matthew Aseltine
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- When Master Cpl. Matthew Aseltine volunteered for his third combat tour in Afghanistan this year, his father didn't want to be left behind.
So, he volunteered to come along.
Now father and son are in Afghanistan doing similar jobs supplying the troops with ammunition, but at very different locations -- the father in the relative safety of Kandahar Airfield, the son on the front lines with the battle group.
"Matthew's been on a lot of tours and finally I was able to get on to a tour," said Cpl. Ken Aseltine, 51, who is based in Edmonton. A reservist for 16 years, he is outranked by his 27-year-old son, who is with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man. "We actually spend more time together than we did at home," said Ken with a laugh as he sat for a visit with his son at the battle group's marshalling yard.
"It's a little disconcerting at times. He got blown up a little while ago. So, it was a little tough on me at that time. I'm still a dad no matter how that fits in. But I'm a soldier, too, so I understand all the aspects of it."
Matthew escaped uninjured when his armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb on July 4. A month later, father and son shrug it off with a wry smile as just one of the hazards of working in a war zone.
As a veteran who was here at the start of Canada's mission in 2002, Matthew says he is amazed at the development.
"I've seen right from the beginning. We went through Kandahar a couple of times and it was like the old West where everyone runs from place to place. There were no stores, no economy. When I got back in 2006 there was the start of an economy, people were starting to come out, we saw less burkas, people were more being themselves."
Besides a friendly, easygoing manner, the two men share a passion for the mission and downplay the increased pace of fighting in Kandahar province this summer.
"There is an escalation, but compared to previous tours, it's not as bad," says Matthew. "Usually there's two or three months in the summer where there's a lot of fighting."
And he's happy to have his father along to see for himself.
"Now he'll have more of an understanding. I told him a lot of stories about here and if you're not here you don't understand it quite as much," says Matthew. "It's always hot and sunny no matter what. It feels like I'm in Saskatchewan all the time."
"Yeah," adds his dad, whose hometown is Rosetown, Sask. "It's like a Saskatchewan summer when it hits 42."
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Warrant Officer Paul Wilvers
FORWARD OPERATING BASE IN ZHARI DISTRICT, Afghanistan -- For Warrant Officer Paul Wilvers, the best way to reconstruct Afghanistan is to blow things up, particularly the Taliban.
He has done that on an almost daily basis since coming here last February with high explosive shells fired from M777 howitzers at a forward operating base in the Zhari district, one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan.
He doesn't see the enemy up close or even off in the distance. His fights take place over the horizon, as his big guns open fire under the radio direction of troops in direct contact with the enemy.
Word of his battery's successes are relayed through briefings by soldiers after the fact. As an artilleryman at a forward base, he doesn't get out much. It's his job to watch everyone's back -- not just the soldiers doing the fighting, but the soldiers doing the reconstruction work.
"Definitely, we're the ones protecting the CIMIC (Civil-Military Co-operation) and the PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) when they go out to do the projects. If they get attacked by the Taliban, then they know the guns are there to help them out of that situation," says Wilvers, who is with the 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man. "So do the villagers. They are now starting to see that with the coalition forces going out that they've got the freedom of movement to go out and help people because they've got the guns, the planes, everything to help them. They can get out there and do their job."
As Wilvers talks, his battery ends one fire mission and prepares for another.
On this day, a Canadian convoy is under attack by insurgents. No soldiers are killed, but six are wounded as they beat back the Taliban ambush.
Wilvers is just happy he could be there to help.
"It's what we've been training for for over a year," says Wilvers, who has had three overseas postings in 20 years, but none until now in a combat role. "The real high point is actually leading troops in combat after being in for 20 years. That's what you look for after being in the military, being in Canada in peacetime and peace training. So, that's the high point."
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Cpl. Dave Verwey
KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan -- Cpl. Dave Verwey came to a war zone to save lives, not take them.
"I came because a lot of the soldiers that I worked with, a lot of my peers from my home unit, were coming over," says Verwey, who is a medic with 1 Field Ambulance based in Edmonton. "I wanted to come over to be able to look after them."
He did just that, helping treat soldiers wounded by this conflict's notorious IEDs -- improvised explosive devices -- during his six-month tour.
"You're the medic to look after someone who's hurt, but I know these guys on a first-name basis. I know about their families and their kids back home. That connection is important, that connection is actually really important because it makes it all worth it."
The soldiers he treated all survived, but not all of his friends are coming home. Cpl. Michael Starker, a fellow medic and one of Verwey's roommates at the base for Canada's Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar City, was killed during a firefight in May.
"It's hard because it makes you suspicious of everybody, of the locals," says Verwey, 28, a reservist whose civilian job is fighting forest fires. "As you know, it's hard for us to determine friend from foe."
However, Verwey did discover a connection with Afghans.
"The things that keep bringing me back to why we're here is things like dealing with the children."
In one instance, he was keeping vigil at a gathering between local Afghans and members of the Canadian PRT when "I felt a small hand grab my glove, I looked down and saw a little girl kiss the back of my hand. She ran back to her father, who was just nearby. I was touched by that, and then three more of his daughters came up and did the same thing."
He's also been touched by the sacrifices made by Afghans who want to improve life for their neighbours and friends. He has seen health workers struggle without electricity or clean water to treat patients. He has seen local doctors pay for supplies and medicines out of their own meagre salaries.
"I'm a lot more appreciative of the things I have back home, for sure," says Verwey whose hometown is Victoria, B.C.
But his first loyalty is to his friends and he was "awfully torn" about heading home a few weeks earlier than anybody in order to be back to Canada in time for his wife to give birth.
"I worry about a lot of my friends that are here. I worry about how they're going to do when they get back to Canada. I haven't been exposed to a lot of the fighting, being with the PRT, but I know guys that have. I'm worried about their adjustment when they get back home."
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Janmuhamed
KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan -- For Janmuhamed, the Canadian mission to Afghanistan has been a personal tragedy.
Soldiers killed his 17-year-old son, Izatullah, and two nephews in May 2007 when the boys were caught in the crossfire of a skirmish with insurgents.
After an investigation, Canadian officials gave him compensation, but never genuinely said they were sorry, said Janmuhamed, 45, who, like many Afghans, goes by one name. "That hurt my feelings," said the towering man, a former mujahedeen turned farmer whose body is as scarred by bullets and shrapnel as his country.
He understands Canada's mission is not the same as the Soviet invasion of 30 years ago, but he warns not all Afghans see a difference.
"We understand Canadians are taking precautions not to kill civilians, but if they are not careful the result will be like what happened with the Russians," he said.
The number of civilians killed by Canadians has dropped in the past year, but the soldiers of Roto 5 suffered through one of the saddest and highest-profile shootings in the Canadian mission yet. On July 27, a soldier accidentally killed two children when, fearing a suicide attack, he fired a single shot at a car speeding toward his military convoy.
Janmuhamed doesn't support the Canadian mission, not because of his son's death, but because he thinks Canadians should change their tactics.
Instead of fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province, he said they should focus their attention on the border to stop the infiltration of Taliban fighters from Pakistan.
"Give me 15,000 soldiers," said the former mujahedeen commander, "and I will put an end to the fighting."
Even Afghans who are wholeheartedly in favour of Canada's mission to Afghanistan tend to agree with the theory -- supported by Afghan President Hamid Karzai -- that Pakistan is harbouring and training Taliban terrorists.
They also tend to agree with a growing perception that the violence is getting worse.
"I don't feel safe," said Ahmad Farzan, 23, a part-time university teacher. "Right now everything is fragile like a spider's web in the wind."
Ahmad wants to see more coalition troops, including Canadians, in Kandahar province to fight the Taliban.
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RCMP Officer Joe McAllister
KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan -- RCMP officer Joe McAllister arrived here for his tour of duty to train Afghan policemen long before any of the soldiers in Roto 5 set foot in country, and he'll be here long after all of them have gone home.
He'll also outlast the current batch of Canadian civil servants, who usually spend 12 months in Afghanistan.
Acting Supt. McAllister's tour will last 16 months -- one month longer than even the marathon postings endured by American soldiers in a war zone. And McAllister couldn't be happier.
"It's a huge, huge challenge and the opportunity to make a difference is there," says McAllister, who arrived here in November 2007 and is staying until March, 2009.
McAllister's ultra-long posting is a reflection of Canada's decision to focus attention on one of the greatest failings in the Afghan government -- the Afghan National Police.
Badly equipped, ineptly led and notoriously corrupt, the ANP's behaviour has undermined what little faith many Afghans had in their federal government. So coalition countries, such as Canada, are now pouring resources into improving the training, equipping and mentoring of Afghan police.
"There is so little to base the Afghan police on, that we're starting from zero and working up -- and in fact in some areas we're starting below zero because of the illiteracy rate and the history of corruption and the history of challenges that the Afghan police have had in their past," says McAllister.
"Some of it's very minor. Nine months ago they weren't wearing their uniforms on a daily basis. . . . Now, they're wearing their uniforms every day because we're visiting them every day. They're showing up for work more consistently than they used to, not just on payday. They're actually showing up and they're actually doing community patrols."
There are 22 Canadian civilian police officers in Afghanistan, including officers from the RCMP and police forces in Ottawa, Sudbury and Durham Regional.
They're here to help Afghans rebuild their country and keep their streets safe. But, McAllister says, they also believe that by coming here, they can help keep Canada's streets safe.
"With crime going global, policing's gone global. And all we're really doing is helping communities abroad now, which may affect security at home. Given that the Taliban and al-Qaeda started here, we have to teach the (Afghan) police how to investigate. And with the level of narcotics that comes from here that's distributed around the world, if we don't teach the police how to fight it here we'll pay the price at home."
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Chaplain Jim Short
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- The unrelenting violence hasn't shaken his faith in God, but it has at times left him shaken.
"I've never been shot at before," says Padre Jim Short, who ministers to Canadian troops wherever they need him, even if that means walking -- unarmed -- in a combat patrol. "I've never lived in a place where so many people are being injured and killed."
His six-month tour as a reservist in Afghanistan is a far cry from his usual job as minister with the United Church in Ladner, B.C. In Afghanistan, he and four fellow padres, who all happen to be Christian, share the hardship and danger of the troops, providing a sympathetic ear and words of comfort to soldiers, no matter their faith, no matter if they are atheist.
"For me, when they say there are no atheists in foxholes, I don't think everybody becomes an instant believer in a Christian God, but I think we do a lot of spiritual wrestling over here," says Short. "We are all spiritual people. It doesn't matter what our creed is, or our religion. We all have the questions of life like, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What makes life meaningful? What is there after death? And I would say to you that when you come to a place like this, it's harder to keep those questions far away.
"I don't think there's been a time when I haven't been out somewhere where we haven't seen children and the soldiers have looked at me and said: 'Padre, look at how poor they are. How can we help them?' Those are real questions: 'What can we do?' "
To answer the question, "What can I do?" Short has taken a personal interest in helping rebuild and equip a local school for children of Afghan National Army soldiers.
But there are days when even a man of God feels pangs of despair in such a violent place. While his focus is to minister to Canadian troops, he also witnesses an almost daily procession of wounded Afghans -- civilians, police and military -- airlifted for emergency treatment to the multinational hospital at Kandahar Airfield.
"There are times at the hospital, I gotta tell you, when I close my eyes and say, 'God, what the hell's going on here? This is not just. I'm angry. Help me bring a word of peace here.' "
© The Calgary Herald 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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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Maybe they should be looking at the former combat soldier of the ' Stan has to say, and get on the border..and for the love of God apologize to him and his family, properly, for their terrible loss....interesting recalls from our people.. and amazing what they have accomplished over there.. a thank you to them all is never enough.. but all they hope for ...dang great wprk guys and gals...thank you all... 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
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Shilo soldiers have bittersweet return from tour
By: Jillian Austin
Updated: September 6 at 02:00 AM CDT
CFB SHILO -- It was a bittersweet homecoming for the first group of soldiers returning from their Afghanistan mission early Friday morning.
Approximately 30 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry arrived at the base's multi-purpose training facility at 3:30 a.m. after serving a six-month term.
While ecstatic family members rushed to hug their loved ones as they stepped from the bus, thoughts went to the three young Shilo-based soldiers who were killed on Wednesday, just weeks before they too were to return to Manitoba.
Andrew Blaker remembered comrades Cpl. Mike Seggie, Pte. Chad Horn and Cpl. Andrew Grenon, who were killed when embroiled in a deadly ambush.
"It happened in the last few days before we were coming home," Blaker said of the attack. "It was a hard, long tour and they didn't make it."
"We all lost people on the tour... It's the job, but it doesn't make it any easier."
Crystal Dreger waited anxiously with her friend, Joslyn Lepourdre, on the bleachers for the return of her boyfriend, Neb Yidegiligne.
Dreger said the past six months have been "extremely nerve-wracking."
"It's been scary," she said. "There has been a lot of worrying, but I had a feeling he'd be OK."
Dreger said the fact that she was able to keep in touch with Yidegiligne through phone calls and e-mails gave her comfort.
Warrant officer Patty Forest left Shilo for Afghanistan on Feb. 9 and said he was happy to be home.
"It's been a long haul," he said. "It's good I got most of my guys back with me... now we just have to wait a few more weeks for the rest of them."
Forest also has to wait for his wife to return. She was on the same mission.
"She doesn't get back for a couple more weeks," he said, adding he'll be waiting to greet her when she gets off the bus.
Sgt. Jim Walker waited patiently with families and other soldiers for the first group's return.
Walker has done three tours overseas in his 25-year career, and couldn't help but remember his own feelings when he returned home.
"We couldn't wait to get out of there," he said. "We just counted the days down ... I'm just glad to see these guys coming back," he said.
Approximately 800 soldiers from 2PPCLI and the First Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery are expected to return to Shilo by mid-October. They were all deployed early this year as part of the Afghanistan mission, in what was the largest deployment of troops from Shilo in the base's history.
-- Brandon Sun
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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 i welcome them home and offer my thanks to them for giving their all for all of us..ranrad
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