DESERT LIONS: Video

DESERT LIONS

Desert Lions delivers a gritty, candid view of Canadian army mentors working to professionalize the Afghan National Army during the summer of 2010.

For more information on the Canadian Army and other videos visit: http://www.army.forces.gc.ca

Afghan mission is changing, new Canadian commander says

The next commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan arrived in Kandahar on Wednesday, saying he believes the mission will take on a different flavour during his nine-month tour.

Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson is replacing current commander Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche. The official handover will take place soon, although a date hasn't been specified.

Thompson said evolving conditions in the war-torn region mean there will be a greater emphasis on the civilian side of development and reconstruction.

Still, he said, there will still be a military aspect and he doesn't expect the army will be adopting a defensive posture just because the focus is shifting.

"I think there will be a change in emphasis, but I'm not prepared to say how much that will be [because] there are other players here," Thompson said, referring to the Taliban.

Canada's Conservative government is in the process of refocusing the mission and setting down objectives to be achieved before Canada's military mission ends in 2011.

Thompson will be laying the groundwork for refocusing the mission, and for a civilian administration at the provincial reconstruction base, which Canada operates in the city of Kandahar.

the Canadian Press - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

QW: Assault vs Leadership

"You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

CANADIAN CONVOY IN AFGHANISTAN

Canadian convoy travels through 'Ambush Alley'

Updated Sat. Oct. 28 2006 11:32 PM ET
Paul Workman, South Asia Bureau Chief, CTV News

AFGHANISTAN -- The ramp comes up and we're locked inside a Canadian Forces "Bison," an armored vehicle that's uncomfortable, dark and as the day moves forward, increasingly warm. Sweatingly warm. There is one tiny window out the back but you really can't see anything. You're wearing a helmet and a heavy flak jacket, and in spite of it all, the ride makes you feel sleepy.

Perhaps it's the tension. You're in a Canadian military convoy moving down the highway toward Kandahar City and there's more than a chance of being hit by a roadside bomb, or a suicide attack. It could be a yellow and white Corolla taxi, it could be a truck packed with explosives, or it could be a motorcycle with a bomb hidden under the driver's clothes. The soldiers in the convoy have seen it all, or at least been warned to expect it all.

Sgt. Guindo says 'We don't go outside saying we're going to get hit today, but we know it's a very good possibility.'

Sergeant Abdoul Guindo is commander of the convoy and he's in the lead vehicle, a heavily armored beetle of a thing called an RG31. He's sitting up high, there's a gunner directly behind, and at least it has windows. Very thick, bullet proof windows. The soldiers with him are constantly scanning the road for strange behavior, certain kinds of vehicles they've been told to watch for. Certain kinds of vehicles with only a driver and no passengers, often the mark of a suicide "martyr." The convoy hogs the middle of the highway, forcing cars on to the shoulder. Nothing is allowed to pass. Often they fire warning shots at vehicles that come too fast or too close.

"We don't go outside saying we're going to get hit today," says Sgt Guindo, "but we know it's a very good possibility."

They travel the same roads, go to the same places,

and it's often impossible to avoid the danger and congestion of downtown Kandahar.

And he knows better than most. There have been "incidents" involving 15 of the convoys he's commanded, with nobody killed and only two soldiers wounded. Yes, 15. "We have our own little things that we look for, but the enemy is not by any means stupid. They're technically a chameleon, so he's constantly changing."

Some days are more tense than others, when there have been specific warnings, but the truth is, every time these supply trucks and armored vehicles leave the safety of their compounds, they become a target for the Taliban. They travel the same roads, go to the same places, and it's often impossible to avoid the danger and congestion of downtown Kandahar, or the stretch of road father west known as "Ambush Alley." Convoy duty is usually the mundane part of military life. Not in southern Afghanistan.

"I don't know if I'd call it nerve-wracking. It's just something that has to be done," says Guindo. "We fully expect it's not 'if' but 'when' it's going to happen, but you put that in the back of your mind, keep it there in a safe place and do your job."

Master Corporal John Russell says 'Every time I leave the main base camp, I get the butterflies. Every time.'

The commander of our Bison is Master Corporal John Russell. He stands in the hatch during the entire journey, exposed from the chest up. That's his job. His head is always scanning the street, there's a machine gun mounted to his left, and he telephones his family every time he comes home safely from a convoy. It's a gut-wrenching experience that leaves him mentally exhausted. And then he does it again.

"Every time I leave the main base camp," he says, "I get the butterflies. Every time."
About half an hour out of the camp we enter the outskirts of Kandahar. That's when the tension really begins to mount and the likelihood of an attack becomes much greater. The streets are crowded, and the convoy is forced to slow down and tighten its formation so that a suicide bomber has little chance of breaking in. But of course they do. John Russell has been on four convoys that were hit.

"My heart rate goes about triple the speed with all the adrenalin rush," he says. "The first thing that comes to mind, 'was it my vehicle?' because you don't really know, and then 'is everybody alright?' That's what you want to know, and after that, everything falls into place."

Patrol Base Wilson, safe behind its concrete blast walls, razor-wire fence and gun towers.

We make it through Kandahar, then spread out and driver faster, down "Ambush Alley," finally turning in at Patrol Base Wilson, safe behind its concrete blast walls, razor-wire fence and gun towers. The soldiers believe the Eid-al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan has perhaps offered them a break from the constant threat of attack. But they know it will start again.
"An uneventful day," says Sergeant Guindo, "is a good day."

He's a reserve soldier, and in real life studies economics at the University of Ottawa. In fact, all of the soldiers in his unit come from the reserves. For the next hour or two, they lounge in the shade, grab a bite of rations, waiting to load up for the return journey.

For the next hour or two, soldiers lounge in the shade, grab a bite of rations, and wait to load up for the return journey.

"Kandahar is very, very, very congested," says Guindo. "You have to be vigilant at all times." He has friends in the Battle Group, soldiers on the front-line, who wouldn't touch the job he's doing. They call his convoys "invitations" for suicide bombers.

"We're not on the front lines," he says, "but we do go to very, very hectic places." That's surely an understatement. "Some of the loads, all of the loads we deliver are vital. It has to be done."
So, back they go through "Ambush Alley," over the bridge that's been a favorite spot for roadside bombs and then once again, into the chaos of downtown Kandahar. Past the place where Canadian diplomat Glynn Berry was killed in a suicide attack.

They drive back over the bridge that's been a favorite spot for roadside bombs.

Past more craters and ruts in the pavement that mark other fatal ambushes. "This is creepy," says Guindo to his driver. They roar through the city, constantly honking the horn, forcing traffic out of their way, followed by thousands of turning Afghan heads. And finally, up ahead are the city's famous double arches and once you're past them, it usually means safety.

The convoy passes through. It's been an uneventful day, as Sgt Guindo says. And that's good.

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan, by the numbers
Last Updated November 6, 2006
CBC News

Canadian troops in Afghanistan

There are currently three Canadian Forces operations in Afghanistan.
The largest is Operation Athena with 2,286 troops. This is Canada's contribution to NATO's International Security Assistance Force. According to the Canadian Forces, this operation includes:
* A battle group of 970 in Kandahar.
* 200 CF members with the Multi-National Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron in Kandahar.

* 300 CF members with the National Command Element in Kandahar.
* 300 CF members in the National Support Element in Kandahar.
* 250 CF members with the Theatre Support Element in southwest Asia.
* 70 Health Service Support personnel at the Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar airfield.
* The Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar of approximately 220 military and civilian personnel.

The two other CF operations in Afghanistan are:

* Operation Archer, 35 soldiers involved in training and in the transition of security responsibilities to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police as part of Canada's contribution to the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

* Operation Argus, 15 members of the CF called the Strategic Advisory Team, which works with the Afghan government to develop national strategies.
According to Esprit de Corps magazine, an estimated 200 members of the secretive Joint Task Force Two were expected to conduct special forces operations in Afghanistan in 2006.
The number of Canadian soldiers who have served in Afghanistan is approaching 10,000.
As of October 2006, 42 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.

Cost of Canada's mission

The military costs for the mission in Afghanistan reached $1.8 billion in May 2006, or about $1.45 million per day of the mission. The costs are projected to exceed $3 billion by 2009.
Canada's spending for development in Afghanistan up to May 2006 was $466 million. By 2011, it is expected to reach $1 billion.

Tim Hortons in Afghanistan

Establishing a Tim Hortons location in Kandahar has cost about $1.1 million for the first 12 months, according to the Department of National Defence.
The Kandahar location serves more than 1,000 cups of coffee a day to more than 7,000 personnel from Canada and other countries.

Other countries involved in ISAF

According to the International Security Assistance Force, there are 31,000 troops from 37 nations involved in the mission.
The contributions of nations other than Canada to the ISAF:

Country & Troops

Albania 30
Australia 200
Austria 5
Azerbaijan 20
Belgium 300
Bulgaria 150
Croatia 120
Czech Republic 100
Denmark 320
Estonia 90
Finland 100
France 1,000
Macedonia 120
Germany 2,750
Greece 180
Hungary 200
Iceland 15
Ireland 10
Italy 1,800
Latvia 35
Lithuania 135
Luxembourg 10
Netherlands 2,100
New Zealand 100
Norway 350
Poland 10
Portugal 180
Romania 750
Slovakia 60
Slovenia 50
Spain 625
Sweden 350
Switzerland 5
Turkey 475
United Kingdom 5,200
United States 11,250

Troop numbers are based on broad contribution and do not reflect the exact numbers on the ground at any one time.

Local forces in Afghanistan

* Number of members of the Afghan National Police: 55,000.
* Number of members of the Afghan National Army: 30,000.
* Pay given to the ANA: $4 a day.
* Pay given to part-time fighters for the Taliban: between $12 and $14 a day.

A SAD GOODBYE TO A FATHER AND SOLDIER

RSM Robert Girouard - KIA -

probably the first RSM to be killed in action since WWII.

This is the poem that was written by his 20 yr old daughter and read during his Memorial Service at CFB Petawawa 6th December, 2006.

"Dear Daddy,
I did not believe them,
When they told me you were gone.
It did not feel real.
It felt so, so wrong.
God took you away from us,
Without seeming to care.
Your family needs you Daddy
It does not seem fair.
We are not revengeful,
We are not even cross.
We just feel so sad
Because your presence has been lost
Yes, you will be with us,
Yes, your memories remain.
It just doesn't seem worth it,
Not seeing you march off that plane.
We'll miss you forever,
But you will miss so much.
How can we live without you?
Without your support, your love, your touch?
We need you Daddy.
We are not ready to go on.
Even though you taught us well,
We are not that brave, not that strong.
You were a soldier, lover, Father and friend.
We are so proud of everything you do.
We will try to live just like you,
To your memory we will be true.
Its just so hard to believe that you are gone You can't be gone for good. You had been our rock for so long, That our family has been unglued.
Don't feel bad for us.
Think of us with pride.
We'll be ok without you,
We may just have a really hard time.
Think of us, wherever you may be.
We will think of you with love.
We'll remember that you are free,
And you died for all of us."

Pro Patria

AFGHAN RESCUE

This pilot sure earned his pay....

No were esle to land to get the wounded out this pilot improvised and overcame.

SUPPORT FOR THE CANADIAN SOLDIER

Your alarm clock goes off , you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls/hot guys. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend/boyfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend/boyfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him. If only there were more men like him!

If you support your troops, send this to everyone you know.
If it gets to another veteran who hasn't received it yet, it will bring back memories.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the Canadian Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom

A WOUNDED SOLDIER'S VIEW

It has been 2 month and 2 days since I deployed to Afghanistan, with 8 Platoon, Charles Company, 1 RCR. I was honored, as a reservist augmentee, to be attached to such a great group of probably the best soldiers our country has to offer.

In the three short weeks I was in Afghanistan, I learned more about commitment to my military family than most soldiers learn in a life time. It seemed both unfortunate and amazing that it took battle and blood shed to forge such a strong bond.

It has been 1 month and 12 days since I was wounded and pulled from the battlefield. When I was in the hospital in KAF, I had hoped that I would stay in Afghanistan to recover. Why would I want to stay in such a horrible place that almost claimed my life? I didn’t want to leave my family.

Germany and Toronto (hospitals) were a blur of Morphine, Demerol, Fentanyl, IV lines, wound packing’s, shrapnel removal surgeries, catheters, bad food, and good care. I think back on it and it seems dizzying. But when I close my eyes, only 2 images flash and they take me back to where I’m supposed to be.

I see Panjwayi; the fields of pot. Rockets and bullets. The smell of burning and the heat. Then all I see are the bodies of soldiers I helped carry to the CCP. Two covered by body bags (WO. Richard Nolan, Sgt. Shane Stachnik) and two on stretchers; my platoon warrant (WO Frank Mellish), and a soldier I new only casually from living in the shacks in Petawawa (Pte.Will Cushley)

While at the CCP I find out that a very close friend (from my reserve home unit) had been wounded by shrapnel from Taliban RPGs. His sections LAV had been left on the battlefield. For a long while, I didn’t know how badly he was wounded. (He’s still over there, thus no names) I’ll never forget the feeling; the sense and fear of loss.

I will never forget those who were lost that day.

I try to think of the good times I was privileged enough to have with my Platoon. WO. Mellish made me the unofficial piper of 8 Platoon, (shortly there after; Coy piper) and I played reveille as per his request (and everyone else’s distain) anytime I was able.

In dreams I still hear him shouting “Piper!!! Black Bear!!”… The last tune I played on my pipes… at panjwayi. (I still don’t have them back)

When I close my eyes, I also see the morning after Panjwayi. Sparks, smoke, fire… then the burp of the main gun of the A-10. I remember the feeling of panic as I crawled for my Weapon and PPE, thinking we were under attack. I can still feel the burning on my legs and back, the shock of thinking my legs were gone.

I can see the faces of the injured… the twice wounded soldiers of Charles. I see the face of the soldier who saved my life by applying tourniquets to my legs and stopping the bleeding from my back and arm… (He will remain nameless for now)

From then, everything’s a blur until I’m back in KAF. I remember asking if everyone was ‘ok’... Reaching from my gurney to other wounded soldiers walking by, trying to peace together what had happened… more confusion. I asked again and again…Pte. Mark Graham. An inspirational man whom I only really started to get to know shortly before deploying, a brother in our family of warriors, was dead. My heart sank even more.

Our CSM (who was also wounded) came over to me and asked if I was going to be able to play the pipes for the ramp ceremony the following day. I held up my right hand, which was numb, and looked at my fingers. The tips of 2 of them looked like they had been chewed up in a blender. I felt tears run down my face. Not because I thought I’d never play again, but because I couldn’t play for my departed brothers the next day… I would have given both of my hands and more for their lives.

I had hoped to attend the ramp ceremony the next day, even if I couldn’t play, but I couldn’t move my legs and they couldn’t put me in a wheel chair because of the shrapnel in my back. I was sedated that day, and came to on the plane to Germany.

I couldn’t attend any of the funerals of my fallen family, and I feel no closure.

It has been a month and 12 days since I lost my brothers in Panjwayi and it might as well have been yesterday.

When I close my eyes at night I not only see the ones who have paid the ultimate price, but also the ones who are still there… and I feel as though I am betraying them.

My life seems to be dragging me on. My fiancé and I are planning our wedding and future. My family and I get together often. I’ve been able to socialize with my friends… and yet each thing I do here makes me feel guilty, because I shouldn’t be here to enjoy this.

I wake up every day and plan and plot. I think of only one thing; how can I get back to my family… How can I get back to Afghanistan? My wounds are almost healed. Only 3 holes left and they’re almost closed. I can walk pretty well now, but I need to run.

My family and friends don’t understand. They don’t want me to go back. My fiancé has threatened to end our relationship if I chose to return… and yet this doesn’t dissuade me. I have to get back to my boys. I have to get back and do my part no matter the cost to me. I love my family here in Canada, but no one’s shooting at them.

Every time I see more soldiers killed over there a piece of me dies, and I feel the urge to return grow stronger. And each day I enjoy in my freedom here, I feel as though I have betrayed their memory. I need to finish my job over there. I need to go back.

I can only think of the families of those who have died, and I can only say this, and hope it provides some solace: A warrior’s sword is made from the finest steel, forged by hammer and anvil to create and edge, baptized in hot coals and flame for strength, then quenched in cold water to harden it.

Our brotherhood of Warriors, the finest of men, has been forged by Battle; Baptized by fire and Quenched by tears…

We became and will always be a fraternity of blood with a bond stronger than death.

Pro Patria

I hate to rant, but I need to vent. It’s been a hard road, and I know there are a few others here who have seen it and may or may not feel the same (HoM).

This is a post taken from http://www.army.ca/ of Injured Canadian Solider from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry who served with the 1RCR

SEARGEANT'S HEROIC ACTION HELPED TO SAVE OTHERS

Sgt. Craig Paul Gillam and Cpl. Robert Thomas James Mitchell were killed during an attack by insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles outside Kandahar City earlier this week.

They had been providing security for road construction about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar when they came under attack.

"(Gillam) was able to shout and warn the others about this and then in about 30 seconds the other units were also attacked. Craig Gillam was able to shoot back, however he was killed in the firing," CTV's Paul Workman reported from Afghanistan on Thursday.

Gillam was the only soldier who had opportunity to shoot back when insurgents tried to sneak up on the observation post to set up an ambush, Maj. Andrew Lussier, Gillam and Mitchell's commander, told the Canadian Press.

Seconds later, the insurgents attacked two other two posts.

Because of Gillam's heroism, the insurgents were forced to retreat, Lussier said after a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield.

"His actions, I'm certain, saved the lives of the remainder of the patrol," said Lussier, leader of a surveillance and reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

Five out of eight soldiers in the observation post were wounded in Tuesday's attack.

About 1,500 soldiers, most of them Canadian, lined the runway just after sunrise to bid farewell to the two soldiers Thursday morning. Pallbearers carried the flag-draped caskets to an aircraft for the flight to Canada from the Kandahar base.

With 12 Canadians killed between Sept. 3 and Oct. 3, other attacks this week had set troops' nerves on edge, but those were thwarted without casualties.

The area has seen renewed fighting since an operation to take back the same Panjwaii area in September, which officials say have killed hundreds of insurgents. Seven Canadians have died trying to secure the area.

Gillam, who was from South Branch, N.L., and Mitchell, who grew up in Owen Sound, Ont., were both with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont.

Gillam was about a month away from a visit home to Petawawa, where he planned to spend time with his wife Maureen and two teenage children.

His aunt, who with his grandparents helped raise him, told the Canadian Press they spoke last Sunday.

He told her that he wanted to leave the Canadian Forces if he was to be sent back to Afghanistan for a second time, she said.

"He didn't want to go," Rita Gillam said through tears as family members gathered at her home. "He wanted to come home."

Gillam recalled how the 20-year Forces veteran came home to South Branch, N.L. every summer and Christmas with his 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son to help the family prepare for the area's sometimes harsh winters.

He would haul wood and do repairs to the house near the farm he worked for his grandparents.
"He was like that all his life, even when he was a kid," she said.

"He was a very hard worker and was really devoted to his family."

Reached at her home in Petawawa, Mitchell's grieving widow Leeanne said she and her three children -- ages five, three and two -- were coping with the tragedy.

"Not so bad," she told CP when asked how she was doing.

But she declined further comment.

"I'll be releasing a statement later on and that will give all the information that I'm ready to give out."

Gillam and Mitchell are the 38th and 39th Canadian soldiers to die in Afghanistan since 2002.

06/10/2006 12:07:30 AM

2 CANADIAN SOLDIERS INJURED; by roadside bomb

Canadian soldiers were attacked by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan for the third day in a row on Wednesday, but only two were slightly injured when a roadside bomb hit an armoured vehicle.

Two soldiers injured in the roadside bombing were taken to a forward base for medical treatment but will likely return to duty quickly, a Canadian military official said.

Also Wednesday, several rocket-propelled grenades were fired at a Canadian camp.

The attacks come a day after two Canadian soldiers, Sgt. Craig Paul Gillam and Cpl. Robert Thomas James Mitchell, were killed and five other soldiers injured.

They were providing security for a road construction project 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City when they were attacked at about 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday.

Gillam was born in Stephenville Crossing, N.L., while Mitchell was born in Owen Sound, Ont. The Afghan mission had been the first deployment for both men, who left for Kandhar in August.

The latest attacks also occurred west of Kandahar City. The region was considered to be Taliban hotbed before Canadian troops led a NATO operation to clear insurgents out of the area. NATO officials said the operation, dubbed Medusa, killed hundreds of insurgents.

Mark Laity, spokesperson for NATO in Kabul, told CBC News early Wednesday that the area where the most recent attacks have occurred is still very dangerous for NATO soldiers, although it is safer after Operation Medusa.

He said the Taliban have resorted to their usual tactics involving improvised explosive devices, hit-and-run attacks, sneaking in under the cover of darkness to launch attacks, and disguising themselves as civilians so that they can detonate bombs without warning.

"This is, I'm afraid, a marathon, not a sprint. This is hard to stop," he said early Wednesday. "Without doubt, this is a dangerous area. It's safer but still dangerous. It requires good competent soldiering."

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 4, 2006 2:29 PM ET
CBC News

SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 4 CANADIAN SOLDIERS, while they were giving out candy

Four Canadian soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber on a bicycle in southern Afghanistan on Monday while the troops were conducting a security patrol, according to the Canadian military.

One of the soldiers has been identified as Pte. David Byers of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man.

Family members of the three other soldiers who were killed requested that military officials not release their names at this time. The names of soldiers wounded in Monday's attack also haven't been made public.

"Plans are being made to medevac 10 Canadian soldiers who were injured in today's suicide attack to Landsthul, Germany, for further medical treatment," a National Defence release said. "Pending medical assessments, several other soldiers may also be sent to Germany. None of the soldiers have life-threatening injuries."

The bombing injured 27 civilians, including children, according to a statement by NATO. The Taliban has claimed responsibility. The attack occurred at 9:30 a.m. local time, about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar City.

Fraser said the suicide bomber rode his bicycle into a group of soldiers and civilians and detonated the explosive device. The military believes the device was attached to the bicycle.
In the opening session of the House of Commons today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the soldiers were handing out candy to children when the bomb exploded.

Fraser said the wounded soldiers were in stable condition and were initially taken by helicopter to military medical facilities in the region, including the Canadian-led multinational hospital at Kandahar airfield.

Two Afghan children injured in the attack were taken to the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team's camp in Kandahar City for treatment.

37 Canadians killed since 2002

With the latest deaths, 36 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since the Canadian mission to the country began in 2002.

"The Taliban is a bunch of cowards," Fraser told reporters in Kandahar. "The Taliban continue to attack this country. They continue to attack the people. They attacked children today. That's about as cowardly as you can get." Fraser said the troops had been on patrol and were helping Afghan forces to provide a secure environment so that people could return to their homes after a military operation in the area.

The two-week NATO-led operation, known as Operation Medusa, displaced people living west of Kandahar. The bombing occurred in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province, where the operation against the Taliban ended Sunday.

"This is our main effort right now," Fraser said, "helping the people get back to a normal life, and today, the Taliban attacked that."

Officials said two other bombings in Afghanistan on Monday killed a total of 13 Afghans. The other bombings occurred in Kabul and in the western part of the country.

Reconstruction is 'the overarching goal'

The Department of National Defence in Ottawa condemned the bicycle bombing, saying: "Cowardly Taliban attacks like this are an attempt to undermine Canadian and international efforts to help the Afghan people achieve peace and security."

"Reconstruction of Afghanistan, the overarching goal of Canada and of the international community, is inhibited by insurgency," the department said in a statement. "The Taliban have proven time and time again that they are opposed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the improvement of conditions for all Afghans."

NATO spokesman Mark Laity told CBC News earlier that officials were trying to determine the exact number of soldiers and civilians wounded in the first attack, but when suicide bombings occur, sometimes injured Afghan people make their own way to hospital and the exact casualty count is not clear.

"It's a fairly chaotic scene," he said. "We are not yet certain how many civilians were involved. At the moment, the number seems small."

NATO has said its troops killed more than 500 insurgents in the operation and called it a success, even though violence continues in the south.

"After the success of the Operation Medusa, where we pushed the Taliban out of a large area, we are trying to set up the conditions for non-combat rebuilding and reconstruction. So this was not a combat scene," Laity said.

'They are not defeated'

He said the Taliban remain a threat to the region. "They are not defeated. They suffered a significant defeat but they are still there and they are still active."

Canada has more than 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly in the Kandahar region. On Friday, the Harper government announced that it was increasing the country's troop commitment to 2,500.

Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, who claims to be a spokesman for Taliban affairs in southern Afghanistan, told the Associated Press that Monday's bomber was an Afghan from Kandahar named Mullah Qudrat Ullah.

Ahmadi, whose ties to the Taliban are not known, said militants will continue attacking U.S., NATO and other coalition forces.

Fraser said Canadian troops will continue their humanitarian efforts, which will include handing out food, tarps and tractors to displaced people in southern Afghanistan.

Last Updated Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:27:42 EDT
CBC News

A SOLDIER'S LIFE - SGT R. STORRING

* Here are some interesting articles by a sergeant who is a signals operator with the CF *

Sgt. Russell Storring

- A Soldier's Life -

Russell Storring is a Sergeant with the Canadian Army, and has been a signals operator for the 15 years he has been in the military. He recently returned from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, having served there previously in 2003, and with the UN in Rwanda in 1994. His columns give a first-person account from the field and the life of a soldier.

FEATURE COLUMN:September 13, 2006 We have to stay in Afghanistan"Staying the course is the only option. It is what the Afghans need, it is what Canada and the world needs, and it is what our fallen need to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain."

COLUMNS BY SGT. RUSSELL STORRING:
August 18, 2006A new unit, a different pace
July 5, 2006Canada dishonoured
June 19, 2006Preparing to leave Petawawa
May 1, 2006The move that wasn't
March 23, 2006Suck it up and wait
February 14, 2006Canadian soldiers and the cartoon controversy
February 8, 2006A certain pride
December 23, 2005Home again
December 14, 2005Our last days in Kabul
November 17, 2005A convoy to Kandahar
November 11, 2005Remembrance
October 17, 2005A different Afghanistan
August 9, 2005A surprise oasis
August 2, 2005Kabul revisited
July 18, 2005The final weeks
May 30, 2005Return to Kabul
January 26, 2005Memories and a look ahead
November 5, 200486 years for a pardon
August 19, 2004Summer changes
May 18, 2004A Routine of Sorts
April 20, 2004The past and the future
March 19, 2004Daily Life
February 23, 2004Reintegration
February 2, 2004Homecoming
January 15, 2004Leaving Afghanistan
December 30, 2003Christmas in Afghanistan
December 12, 2003Driving to Kabul
December 8, 2003CANCON Show in Kabul
December 2, 2003November Leave
November 10, 2003We'll lay a wreath and remember
October 29, 2003The return to normal
October 7, 2003My first thoughts: 'Who are they?'
September 23, 2003I'll be back on Halloween
September 2, 2003Kindergarten begins and Daddy’s in Afghanistan
August 18, 2003A Soldier's Story: Sleepless in Afghanistan
July 24, 2003A soldier father goes to Afghanistan

Wounded Canadian soldiers return home

Several Canadian soldiers injured this week in Afghanistan arrived in Ottawa Friday evening.
CBC News

Cpl. Derick Lewis of the Royal Canadian Regiment

arrives at the Ottawa International Airport on Friday.

A Canadian Forces Airbus transported the 11 Canadian soldiers, who either sustained injuries from battle with the Taliban or during a friendly-fire incident. They were scheduled to be taken to the Civic Hospital in Ottawa.

The soldiers had been recuperating at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
The long-term prognosis for Pte. Michael Spence, wounded in the friendly fire incident on Monday "is not yet clear," his parents said Friday.

Spence, of Russell, Ont., "has moved his fingers and toes and has even attempted to speak to the doctors," Rick and Christina Spence said in a statement.

"We are very optimistic at this point, however we do realize that Michael has a long road of recovery ahead of him and it is not yet clear what the long-term prognosis is for our son. We can only hope and pray that he continues to recover well. He is young and very strong, and that will bode well for him."

Spence was among the seven Canadians badly wounded when U.S. aircraft mistakenly attacked them in the early morning as they readied to assault a Taliban stronghold near Kandahar. Pte. Mark Anthony Graham was killed in the attack.

Spence was placed in a medically induced coma with a serious head wound on Tuesday and had surgery earlier this week. On Wednesday, his neurosurgeon said Spence was improving.
Two of the approximately 30 soldiers injured recalled the incident for CBC's Carolyn Dunn in Kandahar on Friday.

"It was a light show," said one soldier, Francois. "I mean, you see that thing firing on the ground, it's gonna take some stuff out."

"It's terrifying," another, Jordan, added. "I'm mad. I'm disappointed. It's just part of war, I guess. People make mistakes."

Canadian commanders have said all but five of the wounded are expected to return to duty.
According to the Department of National Defence, the 10 returning to Canada (other than Spence) are:

- Cpl. Bruce Moncur.
- Cpl. Montgomery MacDonald.
- Cpl. Ryan Pagnacco.
- Cpl. Derick Lewis.
- Sgt. Kym Cousineau.
- Maj. Matthew Sprague.
- Master Cpl. Gary Mitchell.
- Pte. Walter Cummings.
- Capt. Michelle Mendes.
- Cpl. Matthew Belear.

08/09/2006 12:37:56 PM

AN AFGAN ODYSSEY; by Cpl. Brian Sanders

A Soldier's Diary from Afghanistan

Part 1: A perfectly designed ambush / July 2006

At home on leave, I had stopped by my local Legion, where an old war veteran asked me about my role in Afghanistan. Then he put his arm around me and told me that now we could share Remembrance Day together, every time the flag is lowered at Parliament.

I remained puzzled by his comments until just a couple weeks ago. Remembrance Day has a new meaning for me now.

Three guys in Ambulance - L-R Sanders, Creelman & Toezer

Every day in Afghanistan starts the same way, and this day had seemed no different. At 9 a.m. I received a warning order for what my superiors were calling "the Big Op," but to me it seemed just another operation, this one three days in the Panjwaii district.

The armoured ambulance I drive rolls at the rear, at least a kilometre away from the action, and normally the only time we go forward is after the fight to clean up and transport the wounded.
Packing for three days is easy: six pairs of socks, six pairs of boxers and two sets of combat fatigues, but also included is some mac 'n' cheese sent by a good friend of mine, an MP3 player, a crossword book, and the New Testament, sent by Josiah, the nine-year-old son of a friend.

As with every operation, I need to make sure this 13-tonne ambulance remains in top order. Oil levels are checked, grease nipples lubed, 48 hours of rations packed, and as much water stored as the vehicle can hold. After that, weapons are oiled and loaded. An ambulance is not meant as a fighting vehicle, but under enemy contact, we need to be as deadly as required.

The medic in the back of the ambulance is Cpl. Toezer, an ex-infantryman who re-enroled as a medic. He has taught me everything from how to insert IVs to dressing an amputation.
After Toezer finished preparing his end of the ambulance, we were greeted by our crew commander Cpl. Creelman. He's another outstanding soldier, a former combat engineer who re-enroled as a medic five years ago. He commands the vehicle and is responsible for the care of casualties from the time they are injured until they are removed via helicopter. Combined, the three of us with over 30 years of combat trade experience make up the most experienced ambulance crew in Afghanistan.

Secondary orders revealed we would not be leaving until 8 p.m. that night under the cover of darkness, providing time to relax and prepare ourselves. I walked over to the Burger King for my traditional pre-operation dinner, and three Whoppers later enjoyed a short nap. But before long I was standing ready by my ambulance. The compound was filled with three companies of vehicles, about 60 vehicles. After a quick radio check it was time to roll.

The trip to Panjwaii took about two hours, one of the quietest drives I've experienced here. The moon was full and cast an odd silhouette from our vehicles, which were driving in blackout mode without lights. The road changed from paved to gravel and then eventually faded into a wadi, or a dried-up riverbed.

A perfectly designed ambush

A couple of kilometres before our staging area, the radio broke silence. Air reconnaissance reported women and children leaving the area we were to occupy, a clear sign Taliban were in the area and prepared to fight. Even before the warning was completed all hell broke loose.

Bloodied stretcher

The light-armoured vehicle just in front of us flashed in silhouette as a rocket-propelled grenade exploded directly ahead. A perfectly designed ambush unfolded, a fury of bullets raining down on our column of vehicles, the sky filled with tracer rounds. A flood of contact reports came over the radio. The enemy, dug in, gave us everything they had.

Our vehicles returned machine-gun fire while soldiers armed with C7 rifles returned shots from the air sentry hatches in the vehicles. The turrets of our light-armoured vehicles, mounted with 25 mm Chain guns, engaged Taliban in bunkers that circled us.

The initial contact lasted about two hours and produced some of the most intense fighting any of us had seen. The sound of bullets whizzing past my head was almost comforting, as I knew they weren't too close. Then the bullets starting cracking, a sound that means they're just missing.
No sooner had I lowered my seat to use the periscopes than bullets began striking our vehicle. I reached for my camera and mounted it outside my hatch to videotape the chaos, thinking it would serve later to remind me of how safe we are in Canada.

It's hard to explain the feelings that passed through me at this time. It was unreal, but 12 years of training and field exercises in Canada designed to prepare me for this day were having their proper effect.

Shortly after the enemy fled into the neighbouring village, reports of injured starting coming in, which meant it was our time to get busy. The only injured were the enemy, proving the value of our armoured vehicles once again. Regardless of which side the injured were fighting on, our job as medics is to sustain life.

In this case the injured enemy was on the other side of a mud wall and could not be easily moved because of seven bullet wounds. Without a second thought, I drove straight through the three-metre wall and came to a rest beside the injured combatant, whose perilous condition suddenly made this fight seem very real.

Toezer jumped out of the back and began to bandage bleeding wounds, but shortly after determined his patient had a collapsed lung. He pulled out a huge needle, fingered down the rib cage and then in a single motion jabbed him with the needle. It was shocking to see, and I asked him what the heck he had just done.

"Ever see the movie Three Kings? Toezer asked, and then I remembered its graphic description of how to treat a collapsed lung. The movies are not always just Hollywood tricks.
A few minutes passed before the injured man was put on a stretcher and moved to the back of the ambulance. A helicopter was ordered and we drove to the landing site.

By this time the first light from a rising sun had begun to show on the horizon, and our battlefield revealed itself. Not even five minutes into the evacuation, the radio was jammed again with contact reports. Above the roar of the vehicle we heard gunshots and explosions. My foot slammed the accelerator to speed delivery of our casualty so we could return to provide assistance.

More casualties: Priority one

Ten minutes passed before we returned to the fight, halting this time near a school destroyed by the Taliban inside the abandoned village. I sat with my head poking out of the driver's hole, listening to the fight 500 metres away, when rounds started coming in at us. More cracking of bullets before I reminded myself to drop my seat and take cover.

Seconds later the radio called for a medical evacuation, which required driving through the firefight to the opposite side of the village to grab our casualties. This time there were four of them, all coalition forces. Over the intercom Creelman instructed me to follow the armoured vehicle in front of us, which would provide our fire support.

Evacuation helicopter

We entered what seemed like a video game come to life — rounds flying everywhere, Apache helicopters firing rockets, and A-10 fighter jets dropping munitions — but this was an experience beyond any simulation. Once through the firefight, and behind the protection of a mud wall, we arrived on the company Sgt. Maj. with the first batch of casualties — some shrapnel wounds, and one Afghan national army soldier (one of the good guys) with a bullet through his neck. How lucky was this guy — the bullet went in and out without hitting anything vital. He was conscious and breathing.

Again the helicopter was ordered and we returned through the firefight to the landing site. By this time the adrenalin was wearing off and fatigue setting in, but I shook it off, just in time to hear we had more casualties — a priority one this time. That's never good, and Toezer prepared for the worst. After driving back through the battle, we arrived at the casualty collection point, but found nobody there yet. Over the radio we were told the casualty was not breathing and had no pulse. They had stopped trying to resuscitate the soldier.

An eerie feeling filled the air as we waited to receive the casualty. Creelman asked if I knew how to get back to the landing site without his guidance. I nodded, and he said he would be in the back with Toezer trying to bring our friend back to life. After what seemed a long wait, our casualty arrived and we were off.

Minutes later we were at the landing site where the helicopter was waiting. I dropped the ramp and jumped out of the ambulance to assist. Creelman and Toezer were working non-stop with CPR and mouth-to-mouth. Within seconds, our fallen comrade was on the bird and whisked away.

Rest in peace my friend, you will be remembered always. I will pay tribute to you every Nov. 11.

Part 2: Here's a straw. Suck it up

Twenty hours had passed since the initial contact, and the sounds of bullets had faded to a familiar background noise. We moved into a staging area 100 metres behind a targeted area, a building where two insurgents refused to give up. We fired artillery, RPGs, 25 mm rounds and even Apache Hellfire rockets into this building, and still they continued to fight. The radio informed us that next they would be dropping something big.

Two more casualties were radioed in, and again we drove to pick up two injured soldiers. "Doc!" one of them screamed, "Are they all right?" Puzzled, we loaded him on a stretcher. "Are they still there?" he yelled again.

Mac and cheese before taking a nap

"What are you talking about?" Toezer asked, and then the casualty exposed his crotch, where he had a small shrapnel wound, but one that missed his children-maker by millimetres. Toezer ensured him everything was intact.

The laughter from our much-relieved casualty was broken by the deafening crack of a 2,000-pound bomb destroying the enemy bunker. Soldiers cleared the area and found a reinforced tunnel inside the building. We took off to the landing site and transferred our casualties.

The battle finally subsided after 34 hours of fighting. We pulled into a wheat field and set up a small medical station to deal with minor ailments. The companies rolled through our resupply point before they headed off to a staging area to replenish supplies and eat. We saw about 20 patients, most of them just dehydrated or with minor shrapnel wounds requiring a bandage — and a straw. When I asked Creelman what the straw was for, he laughed.
"Suck it up and carry on."

Wake-up call

It was now time for some personal maintenance. Mac 'n' cheese and a good read kept me company until I fell asleep on the ground. A few hours later I was woken to provide sentry duty for an hour. When you train in Canada, the enemy is just our guys playing a part. There's no threat of bullets, just embarrassment if they sneak by you. But in Afghanistan the fear of being shot keeps your eyes open better then any cup of Tim Hortons coffee.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, our company moved to a staging area north of Panjwaii, 48 hours into the operation. The enemy was defeated and the local population had reclaimed their village. Creelman left for orders, Toezer filled out a resupply request and I refuelled the vehicle.
An hour later Creelman returned. "I don't know how to tell you this, guys, but we are not going back. The British to the north have been receiving a lot of contacts, and they don't have the resources to resupply. We are going to be out here for a lot longer then we thought. Relax for the next six hours, and then we are pushing about five hours north."

It was a good thing I'd packed for another couple of days. I reached into the ambulance and grabbed our satellite phone. The best thing about our army is that they supply a phone so you can call home and talk to friends. As you are talking, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting on your couch at home, talking on the phone. For a minute, it takes you away from the arid lands of Afghanistan.

I curled up beside the front tire of my ambulance and looked at the stars. Every minute or two, you could spot a falling star, which to anyone else would be spectacular. Here I flinched, waiting for a big boom. If 10 seconds passed without a boom, I knew it was just a star. Finally I caught a little sleep.

SLAIN SOLDIER PROUD TO SERVE COUNTRY, friend says at funeral; Cpl. Anthony Boneca was killed in action in Afghanistan last week.

A fellow soldier collapsed into tears Monday as he described how his comrade Cpl. Anthony Boneca came back from his first tour of duty in Afghanistan as a man of courage.

Master Cpl. Craig Loverin said Boneca, who was killed last week during a firefight near Kandahar, was proud to serve his country and couldn't wait to go back.

"After completing that tour, he was a man ... a man of courage, who, for as long as I live, will never be forgotten," Lovelin told about 1,000 mourners gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral to pay their final respects to the 21-year-old reservist.

Loverin, choked with tears, stepped away from the podium, and then added, "his heroic experience will carry on past my lifetime."

Boneca was just three weeks away from the end of his latest tour of duty when he was killed on July 9 during a sweep of the Taliban region.

Boneca, who fellow soldiers affectionately called "T-Bone," had planned to return to his hometown to be with his family and girlfriend, Megan DeCorte, to whom he'd given a promise ring some time ago.

At Monday's ceremony, DeCorte remembered the couple's three-week vacation in Rome in May, while Boneca was on leave.

"We spent a lot of the time planning out our future together - going back to school, marriage, children and travel," DeCorte told the mourners.

"Tony, my sweet, sweet Tony, I hope you know how much I love you and how proud I was to be a part of your life," DeCorte continued.

"You are my love, my life, my soulmate and my destiny - irreplaceable, undeniable and unforgettable. I love you and I can't wait until the day we're together again," she said.

Boneca, a reservist with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, was the 17th Canadian soldier and the second from Thunder Bay to die in Afghanistan.


PUBLICATION: The Guardian (Charlottetown)
DATE: 2006.07.18
DATELINE: THUNDER BAY, Ont

RESERVIST LAID TO REST

A grieving father sobbed loudly and slumped over his only son's casket as the remains of Cpl. Anthony Boneca were laid to rest yesterday at a cemetery in his hometown.

Antonio Boneca was composed during the preceding mass, where his 21-year-old son was remembered by shaken comrades as a "man of courage" and by his anguished bride-to-be as an "irreplaceable" love.

The younger Boneca had planned to return to Thunder Bay to be with his family and girlfriend Megan DeCorte, to whom he'd given a promise ring during a romantic gondola ride in Venice earlier this year.

At Monday's ceremony, DeCorte recalled the couple's three-week vacation in Italy, while Boneca was on leave last May.

"We spent a lot of the time planning out our future together - going back to school, marriage, children and travel," the 19-year-old told mourners.

"Tony, my sweet, sweet Tony, I hope you know how much I love you and how proud I was to be a part of your life," said DeCorte, whose family lived behind Boneca's.

"You are my love, my life, my soulmate and my destiny - irreplaceable, undeniable and unforgettable. I love you and I can't wait until the day we're together again."

Boneca, a reservist with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, was the 17th Canadian soldier, and the second from Thunder Bay, to die in Afghanistan. He was just three weeks away from the end of his latest tour of duty when he was killed on July 9 during a sweep of the Taliban region.

Master Cpl. Craig Loverin burst into tears as he described how Boneca returned home from his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. He said Boneca was proud to serve his country and couldn't wait to go back.

"After completing that tour, he was a man ... a man of courage, who, for as long as I live, will never be forgotten," Loverin told some 1,000 mourners who gathered inside St. Patrick's Cathedral to pay their final respects.

When news of his death first broke, his loved ones painted conflicting pictures of Boneca's time with the military.

DeCorte and his best friend, Dylan Bulloch, said the infantry soldier was deeply unhappy in Afghanistan and did not feel prepared for the dangerous mission.

Boneca's father, meanwhile, portrayed a young soldier who "loved being in the army" and was aware of the situation he was facing.

Cpl. Jon O'Connor told mourners during the mass that Boneca believed in Canada's role in Afghanistan: "He believed in what he was fighting for, and he never gave up."


PUBLICATION: Kingston Whig-Standard (ON)
DATE: 2006.07.18
BYLINE: Angela Pacienza

'TRUE CANADIAN HERO' LAID TO REST: More than a thousand pay respects to soldier killed in Afghanistan

THUNDER BAY - Cpl. Anthony Boneca, the 21-year-old reservist killed in Afghanistan, was remembered yesterday as an outgoing, loyal soldier and a "true Canadian hero" by two members of his regiment as he was buried with full military honours in his home town.

"He believed in what he was fighting for and he never gave up fighting for a country he loved until the very end," said Cpl. John O'Connor, a fellow member of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment. "That is someone who can truly be called a hero."

One thousand people packed St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Thunder Bay and hundreds more gathered outside to pay their respects to the popular former high school quarterback.

"You would have to meet him to truly understand his style of enthusiasm," said Master Cpl. Craig Loverin. "The guy was truly hyper, over-excited at times and extremely opinionated, but he would always carry out a command without hesitation."

Cpl. Boneca's 19-year-old girlfriend, Megan DeCorte, told the congregation the two had made marriage plans while they were on a three-week trip to Italy and Greece in May. That vacation, which fell in the middle of Cpl. Boneca's second tour of duty in Afghanistan, was the last time they saw each other. He was killed in a gunfight with Taliban insurgents July 9, three weeks before he was due to return home.

"We spent a lot of time planning out our future together -- going back to school, marriage, children and travel," Ms. DeCorte said, crying. "Tony, my sweet, sweet Tony, I hope you know how much I love you and how proud I was to be a part of your life. ... I love you and I can't wait until the day we're together again."

Antonio and Shirley Boneca, who, according to friends, are overwhelmed with grief over losing their only son, sat stoically through much of the service.

At the burial, however, Mr. Boneca, a retired bricklayer, wept uncontrollably as he gave his son one final salute. Mrs. Boneca held on to her husband with both arms and rested her head on his shoulder. They were presented with the Canadian flag that draped their son's coffin, as well as his service medals from his two tours overseas, the formal regimental belt and headdress.

The soldier then received a 21-gun salute.

Mrs. Boneca was presented with a Memorial Cross, also known as the Silver Cross, on Sunday night. The award is given to all mothers and widows of fallen Canadian servicemen.

"Their lives will never be the same," family friend Miles Stijepic said Sunday. "They feel their heart is going to explode."

Mr. and Mrs. Boneca took the unusual step of allowing media to the graveside ceremony, a tacit acknowledgment that many in Canada shared their grief, military spokeswoman Lieut. Amber Bineau said.

The family, however, requested the media not seek comment.

In the wake of Cpl. Boneca's death, some close to him expressed the soldier's fears and doubts about his latest tour in Afghanistan, where the reservist was placed alongside regular forces in frontline combat positions. The friends, notably Ms. DeCorte's father, Larry, and Cpl. Boneca's uncle, William Babe, questioned his training and claimed he was disillusioned with the army.

But Brig.-Gen. Tim Grant, the highest-ranking military official to attend yesterday's funeral, disagreed, saying the statements were made at a very stressful time.

"Cpl. Boneca was as prepared as anyone for the challenges that faced him in theatre. And for five months he faced them bravely," he told reporters after the service. "I've talked to the deputy commanding officer of his unit in Afghanistan. He was one of their strong soldiers. He was a guy that they relied on to do everything. He was smart, he was capable. He had been doing this kind of work for five months and it was a tragic accident that he was killed now."

Cpl. Boneca was the ninth Canadian soldier to be killed since troops shifted their attention to the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in February. He is the 17th Canadian military casualty since combat troops first entered that country in 2002.

Master Cpl. Loverin, who served with Cpl. Boneca during his first tour in the region in 2004, also challenged the belief his friend as disillusioned. "He was so proud to serve his country," he said. "He couldn't wait to go back (to Afghanistan)."

"We will never forget the sacrifice that Tony made," said Cpl. O'Connor.


PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen
DATE: 2006.07.18
BYLINE: Lee Greenberg
SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen

THE AFGHAN MISSION With A RIFLE & WRENCH, these troops make it work

Christie Blatchford KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN Master Corporal Todd Bennett and Corporal Paul Firth laid down covering fire after an Improvised Explosive Device blew up a vehicle in a convoy.

Sergeant Paul Jones was instrumental in the evacuation after a March 3 suicide attack on a convoy in which Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Hope, the charismatic commanding officer of the entire Canadian battle group here, was travelling.

Their colleagues have been directly involved in no fewer than 12 attacks of various kinds, including IEDs, ambushes and suicide bombers in cars.

Still others have fired warning shots, acted as stretcher-bearers and performed first aid for wounded comrades.

They're all Canadian soldiers and trained as such, but the really compelling thing about the men who did these things is that officially, they aren't even counted as combat troops.

Rather, they are the 300 drivers, mechanics and maintainers and convoy escorts of what's known as the National Support Element -- the logistics arm of the Canadian Forces -- here in Afghanistan.

If it is probably true that they didn't sign up for combat, combat is what many of them nonetheless have found in this dangerous, volatile country.

As Lieutenant-Colonel John Conrad, the NSE commander, says, "Anyone who goes out there [beyond the wire surrounding the big base at Kandahar Air Field] is in it, because the enemy is where he chooses to be." This is a modern battlefield, he says, akin "to water droplets on a walnut table, with the droplets the safe haven." Using the phrase that has become the unofficial catch-all slogan of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan -- "not since the Korean War," a reference to the fact this is the country's first overt war effort in more than half a century -- he says that not since then has Canada produced a combat logistics team.

For the maintainers, job No. 1 is to fix things on the 800 vehicles, thousands of guns and weapons, high-tech geegaws such as night-vision sights, scopes, radios and cell and satellite phones used by the Canadian battle group -- and fix them fast, usually on the fly in the field, and sometimes working at night by the "red lights" that can't be seen by the enemy.

"These guys can fix anything," says their boss, Lt.-Col. Conrad.

"And they're ferociously proud -- what they hate the most is leaving something on the battleground. They'd rip up their underwear to fix that LAV," the Light Armoured Vehicle that has performed so heroically in Afghanistan.

The commander of the maintenance platoon, Captain Chris Wood, gleefully recalls the fellow who, faced with a broken fan belt out in the field and no replacement at hand, took a knife and shaved a wider belt down to fit. "He made it work," he said. Another maintainer used a seat strap -- because nothing else was available -- to get the air lines on a vehicle working again, which in turn unlocked the brakes and allowed the vehicle to power up and keep moving.

Axles and differentials on the LAVs, considered the miracle machines of this conflict; shredded tires on the platforms that carry the spanking new big guns of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery; transmission cases in the workhorse Bisons; whole transmissions and engines in the formidable new Nyalas: The maintainers fix them all.

Although one or two are always attached to any company that is on the march to do what's called forward repair and recovery, much of the maintainers' work is done back at base, in the dustiest and least attractive corner of the sprawling airfield.

There, in six double-vehicle open-ended tents, all exposed to the 50-to-60-degree temperatures, and in an assortment of small specialty workshops, the maintainers work minimum 10-hour shifts, often well into the night.

The conditions make the work physically exhausting and sweaty, but take as big a toll on machines as they do on men.

Already logging 2.25 million kilometres in-country -- that figure will almost reach 3.2 million by the time the current troops pull out by the end of the next month with their replacements taking over -- vehicles "go through axles and differentials like popcorn," Lt.-Col. Conrad says. "And the heat and that fine emery dust are punishing." The fleet of the eight-wheeled LAVs alone has eaten up 500 tires already.

Yet, astonishingly, the maintainers have managed to hold steady a 10 per cent VOR, or Vehicle On Repair, rate -- the very standard they meet back home in Canada.

For the drivers of the big fuel rigs and 16-tonne trucks of the 56-member transport platoon -- fully 80 per cent of whom have been involved in one kind of contact with the Taliban, many multiple times -- the first priority is to keep the fighting troops in remote areas supplied with everything from bullets to bottled water and food.

Of them, Lt.-Col. Conrad says with a grin, "They're tough little buggers." Afghanistan "is set up to deny logistics," he says. "Road is a very flattering term for what we have here." For the force protection platoon -- it is composed almost exclusively of reservists, many of them students at the University of Alberta and drawn from two proud Alberta regiments, the Calgary Highlanders and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment -- Task One is to escort and keep safe the convoys that travel to some of the hottest spots in southern Afghanistan, from Forward Operating Base Martello in the north, west past the violent Panjwai area and south to Spin Boldak.

The platoon's commander, Lieutenant Rob Gliddon of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, is himself a 24-year-old reservist and mechanical engineering student at the U of A -- his credentials giving a clue to a unit whose average age is 20-something.

"U of A students," Lt.-Col. Conrad says wonderingly. "They make me proud every day: Gritty, determined, bright." Despite acting as escorts for almost 100 convoys travelling some of the most dangerous roads in southern Afghanistan -- many of which the Canadians have named after Canadian towns and cities, with others, named by the Americans who were here first, after various beers -- Lt. Gliddon says none of the platoon has been hit.

He credits that to a smidgeon of luck, but mostly to the "aggressive and vigilant" posture his men adopt. "They're ready to employ the rules of engagement," he says. "They're not hesitant." Push come to shove, as it so often does in Kandahar province, the members of NSE are soldiers first, technicians second, and they have proven that in spades here, such that infantrymen and combat engineers quietly sing their praises.

As trucker Corporal Justin Kellehar says, "Before this tour, we had a lot of problems with the combat arms. Since this tour, their view for my trade in particular has changed. We're no less safe than they are, and they show us how welcome we are." The ancient motto of soldier maintainers is Arte et Marte , Latin for "by skill and by fighting": This tour, they and their colleagues have earned both ends of that tag.


PUBLICATION: GLOBE AND MAIL
DATE: 2006.07.18
BYLINE: CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD

Ref: SOLDIER'S DEATH DIVIDES HOME TOWN: Many echo reserve corporal's doubts about Afghan mission

THUNDER BAY - In the northern Ontario town where 21-year-old reservist Cpl. Tony Boneca will be buried later today, questions linger about the military mission for which he gave his life.

"The Canadian military since Korea has not had offensive action and I don't think the military is prepared for this," said Dennis Dacey, Cpl. Boneca's next-door neighbour in the middle class Thunder Bay neighbourhood where he was raised. "I think they're overstretched. And I think the reason Tony was in the front lines is because they didn't have people (in the regular service) to do it."

"The feeling is the boys shouldn't be over there anyway," said Lou Stepanic, a retired train conductor who lives in the same neighbourhood. "We support the military, but we don't support the action they're in now. There's nothing disloyal about that."

Since his death in a gunfight with Taliban insurgents eight days ago, people close to Cpl. Boneca have publicly expressed many of his misgivings about Canada's mission in Afghanistan. Friends say he hated his work there and doubted the military's preparedness.

Cpl. Boneca's father, Antonio, a retired bricklayer, issued a statement Tuesday contradicting those accounts, saying his son was a proud, well-trained soldier who was dedicated to a mission for which he had volunteered.

One of Cpl. Boneca's best friends, Cpl. John O'Connor, echoed that thought yesterday.

"He was probably one of our best soldiers," said Cpl. O'Connor, 24. "He was always excited, even for the crummy jobs. He was good for morale, because we do a lot of those jobs and we get bitter often, the older guys."

The two infantry reservists, members of Thunder Bay's Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, or "the Supes" as they are known, had travelled to the region in 2004 in what was Cpl. Boneca's first tour of duty. That tour consisted mostly of guard duty.

The circumstances were much different on Cpl. Boneca's second tour, which was due to end just three weeks after he was killed.

Cpl. O'Connor said the two men spoke as recently as three weeks ago.

"Things were getting pretty intense," he said. "They were working a lot ... and he was losing weight."

However, the young soldier said his friend's eagerness to return home, a fact many close to Cpl. Boneca have repeated publicly, is a natural feeling for soldiers nearing the end of their tour. "Everybody wants to get home," he said.

He also said Cpl. Boneca had lately given up dreams of joining the regular service. "He had money saved up, he was going to buy a house. He had a good plan. He liked it here (in Thunder Bay)."

Reservists, as opposed to soldiers in the regular force, must volunteer for individual missions.

At the full military funeral set to take place today at 11 a.m., Cpl. O'Connor will carry a formal white regimental belt that will then be presented to Cpl. Boneca's father.

Through a military spokes-man, Anthony Boneca and his wife, Shirley, asked the media to respect their family's privacy.

"They feel their heart is going to explode," said family friend Miles Stijepic. "Their lives will never be the same."

Outside the funeral home where Cpl. Boneca's body lay, a lone piper ushered in a steady stream of family and friends. Since last Wednesday's solemn repatriation ceremony at CFB Trenton, at least two members of Cpl. Boneca's unit have remained with the body at all times, officials said. Inside the funeral home, visitors wept as images of the man friends called "T-Bone" flashed onto a large-screen television. On a table surrounding the television were objects symbolizing some of the former high school quarterback's favourite pastimes: a fishing rod, a golf club, a guitar, a teddy bear, and, of course, a football. The young man's 19-year-old girlfriend, Megan, whom he reportedly intended to marry, wept quietly in a corner.

"He was a joy, more than any kid I can think of," said Mr. Dacey, the neighbour. "I'm becoming a bit of a grumpy old man, but Tony was so outgoing he would always come up to me and talk to me, or offer to help if I was shovelling the snow or something like that."

Cpl. Boneca is the 13th soldier to die in Afghanistan since February, when Canada switched its attention from the relatively benign Kabul to the violent Taliban heartland in and around Kandahar City, and the 17th since the country's first battle group was sent there in February 2002.


PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen
DATE: 2006.07.17
BYLINE: Lee Greenberg