Two Canadian soldiers killed in vehicle roll-over in Afghanistan

A LAV III (Light Armoured Vehicle) pictured above

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Two Canadian soldiers were killed Sunday evening when their light armoured vehicle (LAV) rolled over during an operation in southern Afghanistan.

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Military officials have identified one of the victims as Cpl. Eric Labbé, age 31, 2e Bataillon- Van Doo (Royal 22nd Regiment) from Rimouski, Que.

At the request of the family of the second fallen soldier, the name will be withheld until Monday morning.

Military officials say both soldiers, involved in a multi-day operation in the volatile Zhari district of Khandahar provice, were travelling inside the turret of a LAV-3 as it journeyed along difficult terrain, a dirt track made slippery by rain when it flipped around 6:30 p.m. They died on the scene. Two other soldiers inside the vehicle were unhurt in the accident. They were driving to an area where they hoped to set up camp for the night. The soldiers were part of Operation Teng Azem, or "Operation Steadfast Decision," a joint ISAF and Afghan National Security Forces operation, aimed at flushing out insurgents and disrupting insurgent activities in the region of Nalgham, about 40 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, establishing a permanent coalition presence in the area. The operation has been underway since Friday and will likely continue.

Officials say the incident was "unrelated to enemy fire." An investigation into what caused the accident is underway.

Monday, January 7, 2008 - 0824

The identity of the second Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan on January 6, 2008 is as follows:

- WO Hani Massouh, age 41, 2e Bataillon, Royal 22e Regiment, based out of Valcartier, Quebec.

MWO Mario Mercier August 22, 2007

Photo credit : Cplc Martine Morin

MWO Mario Mercier, was killed on 22 August, 2007 after the vehicle he was traveling in, a LAV III, struck a suspected mine. The incident occurred at 6:19 am Kandahar time, approximately 50 km West of Kandahar City during Operation EAGLE EYE, a joint Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) and ISAF operation aimed at further stabilizing the District of Zharey. MWO Mercier was a member of 2e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment, based in Valcartier, Québec.

My deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers go out today to the family and friends of Master Warrent Officer Mario Mercier, here and overseas. ~ m.m.

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To view or sign the guestbook for the family of MWO Mercier,

click here:

Private Simon Longtin - On His Way Home

Van Doos honour slain soldier in Afghanistan

More than 1,000 soldiers from dozens of countries gathered for a ramp ceremony Monday to honour Pte. Simon Longtin, the first member of Quebec's Van Doos regiment to be killed in Afghanistan.
They stood at attention as the young soldier's casket was lifted aboard a Hercules transport plane, which will arrive in Canada by Tuesday.
Twenty-three-year-old Longtin, of Longueuil, Que., died Sunday when his light armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb.
About 1,100 members of the Van Doos -- the popular name for Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment -- are currently serving in Afghanistan.
"Everybody's morale is low but at the same time, like we say, it's motivating us (to continue)," Jean-Philippe Auclair of 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment told The Canadian Press.
"For sure, we're never going to forget him and he will always be with us."
Support for the Afghanistan mission is lower in Quebec than any other province, according to recent polls.
Peter MacKay, newly appointed as Canada's minister of defence, spoke to soldiers Monday in Valcartier where the Van Doos are based.
He said Canadians are fighting to make Afghanistan a peaceful place, as the military has done for other war-torn countries around the world.
"Know that this mission is no less important, no less valid and takes no less valour," he said.
Friends of Longtin told CTV Montreal that he believed in the mission and remained optimistic that NATO would achieve its goals in Afghanistan -- a sentiment echoed by Auclair.
"I still believe in the mission and it's motivating me even more to keep going. Simon was aware of the risks, he knew what he was doing and I'm sure he wouldn't regret anything," he said.
Auclair added he wants Quebecers "to be better informed" about Canada's objectives in the country before passing judgment.
Another Van Doos member and friend of Longtin, Scott Bernier, told CTV News that Canadian soldiers will continue to fight for stability in Afghanistan.
"We are here to do a job. And even if Simon's not here, we will continue to do it for him," he said.
Quebec-based military personnel currently make up almost half of Canada's 2,300 troops in Afghanistan.
Auclair is travelling aboard the Hercules transport plane with his friend's casket, and will attend Longtin's funeral.
He said it will be difficult for him to meet with Longtin's family and friends -- especially the slain soldier's girlfriend.
"That's going to be hard. Those two were so much in love," he said

He's coming home.

Photo Credit: Cplc Ken Fenner

Col. Juneau said the death will hit the Van Doos hard."It's like losing almost a brother. We're like a big family here," he said. "We will mourn, we will pay our respects to the family and our fallen comrade, and we will carry on with the mission. The important thing for us, the soldiers, the whole team that is deployed here, is the fact that we know the Canadian public is behind the soldiers, the people wearing the uniform," he said.

Quebec-Based Troops in Afghanistan Can't Fathom Antiwar Sentiment Back Home

Personal note: We have to remember - they are not Quebec Soldiers, but Canadian Soldiers and we should let them know that we in Canada support them for their long days and nights and all their hard work and efforts. I know .. I stand behind not only them and but their parents and family members. Godspeed.

August 3, 2007 -
As reported to Canadian Press
SHAWALI KOT, Afghanistan (CP) - Canadian soldier Francis Archambault says he couldn't believe what he was hearing in a conversation he had before he left Quebec for Afghanistan.
"Somebody who's educated, who has diplomas galore, told me there would be no war in the world if people like me didn't exist," Archambault, 23, said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"It really shocked me to hear that from someone who should know better."
Archambault and other Quebec-based soldiers in Afghanistan expressed frustration and exasperation with the widespread opposition in their home province to Canada's military mission in the country.
One poll suggested 70 per cent of Quebecers were opposed to the continued presence of Canadian soldiers in the war-torn land, while some members of the national assembly refused to stand up when several soldiers visited the legislature earlier this year.
Archambault said people who are against the mission are misguided when they accuse Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives of wanting to endorse U.S. foreign policy just to stay in the good books of the Bush administration.
"That has nothing to do with it," he said. "Canada is not getting a lot out of its presence here. It costs lives and it costs money but we're trying to give a chance to people who need help.
"It's probably the biggest thing I'll do in my life."
Canada has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO force supporting the Afghan government. In the new rotation, most of them will be from CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City.
Canada is slated to leave Afghanistan in February 2009 and Harper has said extending the mission would require the consensus of Parliament.
Master Cpl. David Martel, one of the Van Doos charged with patrolling the Shawali Kot district in southeastern Afghanistan, said the attitude of some people is disheartening.
"You come here because you believe in what you do," Martel said.
"You want to provide security and help people improve their lot, while back home people aren't very receptive to that. They say you're just off to kill people."
Sgt. Steve Dufour said people are entitled to their opinion but believes the Canadian mission is not understood and is often misinterpreted.
"I spoke to one student who was against the mission," he said. "I told her 'In Canada, does anyone prevent you from going to school and getting an education?' Well, that's what it's like here (in Afghanistan)."
To read about our soldiers' progress being made in Afghanistan click here.
A big HUA to our troops!

Canada's Van Doos on Patrol

23 July 2007
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Photo by: Cpl Dan Pop

Major Jason Langelier, the Rotation 4 (Roto 4) Force Protection Company (FP Coy) Commander, conducts his first combat patrol in the outskirts of Kandahar City. This combat patrol is the first one conducted by Roto 4 personnel from the Royal 22e Regiment based at CFB Valcartier, Quebec.
The Infantry Company is also known as the Force Protection Company (FP Coy). The Force Protection (FP) Company, made up of personnel from the Royal 22nd Regiment in Valcartier, Quebec, is responsible for the security aspects of the KPRT. Their duties include camp protection, convoy escort, reconnaissance, mapping of regions, and support to Whole of Government operations and activities.

The Royal 22e Régiment is an infantry regiment, and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the army. The ceremonial home of the regiment is La Citadelle in Quebec City, where the regimental museum is housed. The regiment is nicknamed the Van Doos, a corruption of vingt-deux, French for "twenty-two." The regiment's RHQ is located in Quebec City, with all three of its regular battalions stationed at various bases in the province of Quebec. The regiment serves as the "local" infantry regiment for Quebec. For more on the Van Doos click here.

Taliban Metal Crashes Medal Ceremony

Rocket that punctuates proceedings is chilling reminder insurgents are far from beaten

Photo by: Cpl Dan Pop
Brigadier-General Tim Grant, Joint Task Force Afghanistan Commander, presents the General Campaign Star to Corporal Demys Boucher from the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team’s (KPRT) Force Protection Company (FP Coy). The FP Coy personnel served with the KPRT in Kandahar from November 2006 to July 2007.

Globe and Mail

July 25, 2007
MASUM GHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- The rocket slammed in below the ridge line just after a senior officer arrived to hand out medals to departing Canadians in what was once the Taliban heartland overlooking the lush vineyards of the Panjwai district.
Everyone at this rugged base dived for cover. The communications net crackled, checking if anyone had been hit, and the incoming arc was plotted so a patrol could be sent out to check the launching site.

RPG's
"We get a couple a week," said Major Dan Bobbitt, who commands Canada's artillery unit. It was a fortunate miss. A few metres higher or lower and the rocket's warhead would have detonated among the gathering Canadians. "They usually fire with a timer and often from inside a village, so we can't just target the launcher," Major Bobbitt added. This time no one was hurt. But the explosion shattered the searing heat and sent a cloud of grit wafting down. It served as a grim reminder that the Taliban are far from beaten.
Masum Ghar seems unlikely to join Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach in the proud lexicon of Canadian military victories. Schoolchildren a generation from now may never hear of it. Still, Canada has paid dearly for Masum Ghar.

"This is a piece of territory that is hugely important to Canada," Brigadier-General Tim Grant, told the assembled troops, gathered in a three-sided square to get their campaign medals and reflect on the bittersweet end of a tough deployment. "It's a time to reflect on what we have achieved and what we have lost, . ... and we have lost a lot."
Set in a mountainous bowl, Masum Ghar is emblematic of this war, a tough counterinsurgency in a distant land. Once a Taliban stronghold, Masum Ghar was seized in a battle nearly a year ago, when Canadian infantry fought uphill battles as rocket-propelled grenades rained down from Taliban positions on the heights.
During Operation Medusa, the battle that finished the Taliban as a conventional fighting force, it was at Masum Ghar that an U.S. A-10 Warthog pilot mistook a garbage fire for an enemy position and raked it with gunfire, killing one Canadian soldier and wounding 36 others.
As Brig.-Gen. Grant walked the ranks, pinning medals on desert camouflage fatigues, there were clearly moments of deep emotion.
"This is a very small token of a grateful nation," he said.
The ceremony was mostly for those reservists and others who will not be going home to Gagetown, N.B., where the majority of the battle group will assemble with their families to get their medals.
(As the returning battle group, based mainly on the Royal Canadian Regiment, prepared to head home, the lead elements of the next rotation, drawn mostly from the famed 22nd Regiment, known as the Vandoos (Note from Military Mom: 22nd Regiment or the number 22 translates to "Vingt-deux" in French - and hence the name: "Vandoos") and mostly from Quebec, were arriving for a six-month tour.)
"This is the last time I will see you guys here," Brig-Gen. Grant said to the returning soldiers.
He urged them to reflect on what they had accomplished. "Go and have a beer at the Legion," he said, because you, too, are veterans, no different from Korean or Second World War veterans "except that they are old and you are young." Unspoken was the reality that 66 Canadians won't grow old because of the war in Afghanistan.
Masum Ghar, now a major forward operating base, is home to Afghan National Army units as well as Canadian tanks, infantry and artillery. It commands a stunning view of both the lush Panjwai, west of Kandahar, and the rugged desert used as an infiltration route by the Taliban.
As the incoming rocket starkly demonstrated, the Taliban aren't far away.
In random conversations with more than a dozen soldiers, all of them counting the days until they leave, no one said they would miss Masum Ghar.
Despite the impressive repopulation of the Panjwai - the village streets and market stalls throng with returnees and children shyly wave at passing Canadian armoured vehicles - counterinsurgency operations continue. The ground-pounding infantrymen of Hotel Company, operating out of Masum Ghar, is at 23 battles and counting.

Photo Credit: Melissa Leblanc

Splayed across the bowl side is a huge Maple Leaf, a painstakingly laid mosaic of thousands of red and white-painted rocks. It, too, is emblematic, already fading. As the fledging Afghan National takes on an increasing share of the fighting, the Canadian presence may also fade into the background. But that's something for the future.