Another Sad Friday...

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Canadian soldier killed in explosion in southern Afghanistan
The Associated Press

RIP,Soldier....
Thanks from all my family,who will sleep safely tonight,because you have given all...

Published: September 29, 2006


KABUL, Afghanistan A Canadian soldier was killed Friday in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, while an insurgent attack on a police checkpoint left three dead, officials said.

A Colombian aid worker and two Afghan nationals were also released, nearly three weeks after they were kidnapped by gunmen west of Kabul, a police official said.

The soldier, who was not immediately identified, was killed in southern Kandahar province when he stepped on a roadside bomb while conducting a patrol, said Lt. Carole Brown, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces in Ottawa. No other soldiers or civilians were wounded.

The explosion came near the end of Canada's deadliest month in Afghanistan, with 10 soldiers killed. In all, 37 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in the country since 2002.

Meanwhile, two suspected Taliban militants and a policeman were killed in the clash at the police checkpoint in southern Zabul province, said Jailan Khan, the province's deputy police chief. Three police were also wounded in the attack.

Police said they recovered the bodies of the militants along with their weapons, Khan said.

Southern Afghanistan has seen a spike in militant violence, the worst outbreak since a U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 ousted the Taliban regime from power. Militants have increasingly resorted to the use of roadside and suicide bombings against foreign and Afghan government forces.

U.S. President George W. Bush, delivering the latest in a series of speeches on the war on terrorism, admitted to setbacks in Afghanistan on Friday, particularly in the training of police. But he predicted ultimate victory over resurgent Taliban forces there and against terrorists everywhere.

NATO has about 8,000 forces — mostly British and Canadian — in southern Afghanistan, where they took over military control from the U.S.-led coalition in August. NATO commanders have said they need another 2,500 troops plus greater air support to crush the Taliban threat more quickly.

The Czech Republic's defense ministry said Friday it plans to contribute up to 190 troops to the force next year. The move still must be approved by the government and parliament.

The Czech Republic has some 100 troops in Afghanistan and the number is expected to rise to 150 by the end of the year when the Czechs take command of Kabul's airport.

Last week, NATO's top commander, U.S. Gen. James L. Jones, said Romania had agreed to send a battalion in October and Britain and Canada would add to their forces.

The Colombian aid worker and two Afghans were kidnapped in western Afghanistan on Sept. 10. They were released to French Embassy officials in western Wardak province on Friday after a ransom of $120,000 was paid, said Mohammed Assan, the provincial police chief.

Assan said he did not know who paid the money and said that police were not involved in the deal. The three, who work for a French relief group, were reported to be in good health.

A French Foreign Ministry official said France never pays ransoms to free hostages. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

___

Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Alex Blair
Canadian soldier killed in explosion in southern Afghanistan
The Associated Press

RIP,Soldier....
Thanks from all my family,who will sleep safely tonight,because you have given all...
.

Alex, as an ex-pat Canadian I sincerely appreciate your posting of the news of Canadian casualities from Afghanistan. News from Canada is rare in the U.S. The family of members of the Canadian Forces, past and present is a small one and the Engineer family is even smaller. I'm afraid that one day I will hear of an Engineer that I know becoming a casuality. To have that horrible event happen without knowing of it and being able to send my condolences would be very disheartening. So, keep up your sad duty...know that your posts are read and appreciated so that we may commiserate with those who loved the fallen. Thanks Alex.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Sapper..
I feel your pain..
As a past Construction Engineer ,RCAF,many of our paths crossed with our engineering brothers,especially with the Feild Engineers in Edmonton...
You know you are buddys when you are both in the bucket truck bucket,inspecting and repairing the cable system and trollys ,looking down at them ,from the bucket,from ABOVE the mock tower at Greisbach...
And the wind suddenly comes up...
80-90 Feet in the air in a swinging bucket makes one's past flash before their eyes...
Or trying to pry a buddy loose from a radar antenna because he ,after years of climbing,suddenly looses his nerve and is struck by his fear of heights and freezes to the antenna..and while only 40-50 feet in the air..is enough...
Or your swim buddy get caught in some kelp and panics and tears off his mask and trys to tear yours off too when you start cutting him loose...and you are 40 feet under water..
Or your buddys hand is pinned between the jack and the truck body when the jack slips while he is jacking up the truck with his hand on top of the jack to steady it..
Just some of the incidents that occurred with my engineering buddies that stand out ,that make you lifelong friends..
I'll save the other stories til we can tip a glass and tell the stories properly ,with a crying towel or rolling around on the floor laughing...

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Alex Blair

I'll save the other stories til we can tip a glass and tell the stories properly ,with a crying towel or rolling around on the floor laughing...

Alex, you got a deal. Nothing brings men closer than shared hardship and danger. Those incidents make the stuff of yarns to be told for years to come around a good bottle of single malt or a pint of fine ale. I've had half an inkling to get the two Daves to join me in a road trip to Ontario, perhaps around the time of the next Caldwell Convoy. Give us a chance to scour the countryside for all those good vehicles and parts that seem to keep popping up in your neck of the woods and it would be great to meet our fellow MLU'ers and drink some good, Canadian beer again.

Whaddya say, Horsa and Alleramilitaria, ya up for a trip to the great white north? Mukluks not required, despite what you've heard!




CHIMO!

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by sapper740
Alex, you got a deal. Nothing brings men closer than shared hardship and danger. Those incidents make the stuff of yarns to be told for years to come around a good bottle of single malt or a pint of fine ale. I've had half an inkling to get the two Daves to join me in a road trip to Ontario, perhaps around the time of the next Caldwell Convoy. Give us a chance to scour the countryside for all those good vehicles and parts that seem to keep popping up in your neck of the woods and it would be great to meet our fellow MLU'ers and drink some good, Canadian beer again.

Whaddya say, Horsa and Alleramilitaria, ya up for a trip to the great white north? Mukluks not required, despite what you've heard!




CHIMO!

Sapper..y'All would be right at home at the Caldwell-Convoy do at Chatsworth,On...at the end of June..
Then you can drag them up the road to Ottawa,to the new war museum and be right on time for all the July 1st stuff in Ottawa,and home again for the glorious fourth...
I'm sure the bard of Mace's Bay would be flying in from the middle east(New Brunswick),if he knew he had such an honourable and esteemed audiance..