Canada in Afghanistan

[maple_leaf_eh]

http://icasualties.org/oef/

I have found this link to be instructive. The circumstances of almost all Iraq and Afghanistan casualites are listed in appropriate detail.

[John McGillivray]

Canadian soldier killed in Panjwaii district attack
Updated Tue. Jun. 3 2008 3:41 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian soldier was killed Tuesday morning in Afghanistan when his convoy came under enemy attack in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province.
Capt. Richard Steve Leary was killed during a dismounted security patrol with Afghan partners, said Colonel Jamie Cade during a Tuesday news conference.
"Captain Leary was what we in uniform are expected to be. Captain Leary was a soldier and Captain Leary was a leader," Cade said.
"In his memory and the memory of those that have gone before him we remain steadfast in our resolve to bring peace and stability to the people of Afghanistan. He will be greatly missed by his military family."
Leary, 32, was a platoon commander with 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Shilo, Man.
Originally from Brantford, Ont., he was on his first overseas mission. He leaves behind a wife, his parents and sister.
His repatriation ceremony is tentatively scheduled for June 6.
Leary was on a joint patrol with members of the Afghan National Security Forces in the Panjwaii region in southern Kandahar province when the group came under small arms fire from Taliban militants. The soldiers returned fire, then repositioned under Leary's leadership, when he was struck at about 9:30 a.m. local time, Cade said.
Close air support was called in and the insurgents were defeated.
Leary was airlifted to the medical facility at Kandahar Airfield where he was pronounced dead by a medical officer.
"Every death is deeply painful to us, but it is a risk that we as members of the Canadian Armed Forces understand and assume as we work to bring peace and stability to a country that has been torn apart by war," Cade said.
With the recent death, Canada's military losses in Afghanistan now total 84.
Earlier attacks
Taliban fighters have increasingly engaged NATO soldiers directly in recent weeks.
On Monday, four Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter were injured in two separate Taliban attacks west of Kandahar.
One soldier was hit by gunfire while a roadside bomb blast wounded three others and their interpreter. The attacks occurred just minutes from each other in the volatile Zhari district, where Canadian forces have often come under Taliban fire.
The troops were doing foot patrols when they were attacked.
One of the soldiers was to be flown to a military hospital in German for treatment of serious injuries, while the other three were to be treated at the Kandahar base.
Recently, Canadian forces stepped up efforts to stop Taliban bomb-making operations, dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder.
Of the 84 Canadians killed in Afghanistan, 39 were killed by buried bombs.

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[PPS]

salute:
Pass Friend
Go To Your Rest
Your Duty Is Done
Let Others Now
Take Up Your Spear


Paul.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

RIP, Capt. Snyder...

June 8, 2008
Canadian soldier dies after falling into Afghan well on night patrol
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier died after falling into a well during a night-time patrol Saturday west of Kandahar.

Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder, of Penticton, B.C., was a member of 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

He was on his second tour of Afghanistan and his third overseas deployment.

"Jon was serving as a mentor and role model to members of the Afghan National Army, and his recent leadership in the field likely saved both Canadian and Afghan lives," Brig,-Gen. Denis Thompson, the commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, said in a prepared statement at nearby Kandahar Airfield.

"We will not forget his sacrifice as we continue our mission to bring peace and stability to the citizens of Afghanistan."

Snyder, who was helping mentor Afghan soldiers, was on foot patrol in a field in Zhari district when he tumbled into an open well that the Afghans call a 'kariz.'

Those kinds of wells dot the countryside. They are often unmarked and connect to a series of underground irrigation ditches used to soothe the parched landscape in river valleys.

Thompson estimates the well Snyder was trapped in may have been as much as 20 metres deep.

The rest of his patrol tried desperately to extract him as they radioed for help.

"Medical, engineering and search and rescue assets were rushed to the scene, and Jon was lifted from the well," said Thompson, who spoke with members of Snyder's platoon on Sunday.

Once out of the well, Snyder was rushed to the NATO military hospital at Kandahar Airfield where he was pronounced dead.

For reasons of operational security, the army refused to say where in Zhari district the joint patrol was taking place.

Snyder is the 85th Canadian soldier to die in the war-torn country, along with one diplomat, since the Afghan war started.

The last soldier to die was Capt. Richard (Steve) Leary who died of wounds following an ambush in the restive Panjwaii district on June 3.

Snyder was not married, but leaves behind a fiancee and his parents.

[John McGillivray]

Canadian soldier killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
Updated Sat. Jul. 19 2008 7:50 AM ET
The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A Canadian soldier has been killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
Cpl. James Hayward Arnal was struck by an explosion late Friday during a night patrol in Panjwaii district near Kandahar city.
Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan lauded him as a fearless fighter who had left a lucrative career in information technology to join the army.
"Clearly, he was a dedicated soldier with a very promising career ahead of him," said Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's commander in Afghanistan.
Arnal, based out of CFB Shilo, Man., was the 88th Canadian soldier killed in the Afghan mission, and the first in two weeks.
After paying tribute to his corporal, Thompson appeared to address suggestions that the Canadian government and military have been sugar-coating the difficult realities of the Afghan mission.
He bluntly described the situation as difficult.
"Of course, soldiers are also not afraid to talk about the challenges faced here in Afghanistan," Thompson said.
"Let there be no doubt -- we do have our work cut out for us."
"This insurgency is not going to be defeated in the short term, which is why our focus is on winning the trust of the Afghan people, and building up local government and security institutions."
He said the military is determined to carry on with the mission -- and is convinced it will succeed.
Another Canadian soldier sustained injuries in the blast but was said to be in good condition and was expected to return to duty.
Suicide attacks, roadside bombs and coalition casualties have significantly increased in each of the last three years.
But the number of Afghan children going to school and the national economy has also been growing.
In a reminder of the security risk Saturday, a suicide bomber blew himself up just several hundred metres away from the main coalition base in Kandahar.
The bomber was spotted by an Afghan policeman on the main road to Kandahar Airfield, tried running away, and detonated himself with nobody close by.
One policeman and one young boy were injured, while the bomber's body was ripped to pieces by the force of the blast.

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[John McGillivray]

Canadian soldier dies of firefight injuries
Updated Sat. Aug. 9 2008 12:46 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A Saskatchewan-born soldier has died of a gunshot wound suffered in a firefight with Afghan insurgents in the volatile Zhari district.
Master Cpl. Josh Roberts belonged to 2nd Battalion, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man.
The soldier was involved in a joint operation designed to disrupt Taliban activity in the farming area west of Kandahar City when the incident occurred early Saturday.
"Master Cpl. Roberts was moved by armoured vehicle to the closest combat outpost and was immediately evacuated by helicopter to the Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield," Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson, commander of Task Force Afghanistan, told reporters during a briefing at the Kandahar Airfield.
Soldiers with Charlie Company administered first aid to Roberts at the scene. However, "the nature of his injuries were such that in spite of their efforts, his life could not be saved," the general said. Doctors pronounced the soldier dead on arrival.
Roberts had transferred to the Regular Forces from the North Saskatchewan Regiment in 2006. His superiors promoted him to master corporal only two weeks ago.
"His best friend describes him as 'a no-nonsense kind of guy who lived like people dreamed; he was a fun-loving and genuine individual who was totally dedicated to the Army and held his section together. He looked out for his guys in ways they probably didn't realize,'" Thompson said.
"We are deeply affected by this loss. Josh will be greatly missed by his military family."
The military is also investigating the possibility that a private security company passing by in a convoy may have accidentally fired on the Canadian soldiers.
The death is the 89th suffered by Canadian military personnel in Afghanistan since 2002. A Canadian diplomat has also died there.
With files from The Canadian Press
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[John McGillivray]

Canadian killed in Afghanistan; 90th death of mission
Updated Mon. Aug. 11 2008 5:09 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian soldier has died in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked a remote outpost in the volatile Panjwaii district. It's the second death in three days.
Master Cpl. Erin Doyle was killed early Monday in the attack. He was a member of the 3rd battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Edmonton.
Up to 10 gunmen attacked the outpost before 6 a.m. and Canadian soldiers returned fire, before calling in artillery and air support.
"Master Cpl. Doyle was killed while he was protecting his position and his fellow soldiers," task force commander Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson told reporters.
It was the third tour Doyle had served in Afghanistan.
"Erin was a big, tough, mountain of a man who enjoyed the outdoors," said Thompson. "He was a true warrior and just the person you would want beside you in a firefight."
A second soldier was injured and taken to the multinational hospital at Kandahar Airfield, where the bulk of Canada's troops are based.
Another Canadians soldier, Master Cpl. Josh Roberts, was killed during a firefight with insurgents on the weekend. Private security personnel were also in the area, and the Canadian military is investigating any possibility of friendly fire.
Doyle is the 90th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2002. A diplomat has also been killed.
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