Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan

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Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan as an active combatant in operations against the Taliban and other insurgents has produced the largest number of fatal casualties for any single military mission since the 25th Canadian Brigade served in the Korean War. The Canadian forces has suffered 45 reported fatalities involving its soldiers in Afghanistan. A Canadian diplomat and a civilian have also been killed.

Canada's first casualties in the mission in Afghanistan occurred in the Tarnak Farm incident when four Canadians were killed and many others seriously wounded when a US warplane dropped a bomb on a training exercise in the belief that the Canadians were enemy soldiers.

The four servicemen were honoured at an event unprecedented in Canadian military history. On 28 April 2002, the Northland Coliseum in Edmonton was filled to capacity in a tribute to the four fallen soldiers, complete with 28 page souvenir program. As shown at right, the table of contents lists personal messages from the Governor General, Prime Minister, Chief of Defence Staff, Premiers of Alberta and Manitoba, and the Mayor of Edmonton, most of whom attended the service. Subsequent fatalities have been honoured by much smaller services.

The death of Anthony Boneca sparked debate about the combat-readiness of Canadian reservists. Many questions were raised, not only about the suitability of employing reservists (the comments were reported later by the media to be unfounded) but the role of the media itself in reporting comments by grief-stricken relatives, such as Boneca's partner's father.

The suitability of the Iltis vehicle was questioned heavily after a landmine incident claimed Canadian soldiers, the military quickly acquired "G-Wagon" and Nyala armoured patrol vehicles in the wake of several fatalities.[1]

Captain Nichola Goddard also became the first Canadian combat-deployed female to die in combat.

Contents

[edit] Fatalities

Rank Name Unit Date Circumstance References
Sergeant Marc D. Leger 3 PPCLI 18 April 2002 Main article: Tarnak Farm incident

Four soldiers are killed and eight wounded when an American F-16 fighter jet, piloted by U.S. Air National Guard Major Harry Schmidt, dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb on the Canadians who were on an exercise at Tarnak Farm, near Kandahar.

 [1]
Corporal Ainsworth Dyer
Private Richard Green
Private Nathan Smith
Sergeant Robert Alan Short 3 RCR 2 October 2003 Landmine incident along a road regularly used by Canadian patrols leaving Camp Julien. The mines are believed to have been placed along the road two hours before the patrol. [2]
Corporal Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger
Corporal Jamie Brendan Murphy RCR 27 January 2004 Victim of a suicide bombing while on patrol in a Iltis jeep. [3]
Private Braun Scott Woodfield 2 RCR 24 November 2005 Died in a LAV III rollover on the main highway between Camp Julien and Kandahar. [4]
Not applicable Glyn Berry Senior Foreign Affairs officer 15 January 2006 Died in a suicide attack while being transported in an armoured G-wagon. [5]
Master Corporal Timothy Wilson 2 PPCLI March 2, 2006 Vehicular accident involving a LAV III and a local taxi. Five others also injured. [6]
Corporal Paul Davis
Private Robert Costall 1 PPCLI 29 March 2006 Died while defending a coalition outpost outside Kandahar from Taliban insurgents. [7] [8]
Corporal Matthew Dinning 2 CMBG Headquarters & Signal Squadron 22 April 2006 All four died when their G-wagon struck an IED north of Kandahar. [9] [10] [11]
Lieutenant William Turner Land Force Western Area HQ
Bombardier Myles Mansell 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment
Corporal Randy Payne Wainwright MP Det
Captain Nichola Goddard RCHA 17 May 2006 Killed during operations against insurgents. [12] [13]
Corporal Anthony Boneca LSSR 9 July 2006 Killed during combat operations against Taliban insurgents. [14]
Corporal Francisco Gomez 2 PPCLI 22 July 2006 Two soldiers are killed, and eight wounded when their Bison armoured vehicle is attacked by a suicide bomber. [15]
Corporal Jason Patrick Warren Black Watch
Not applicable Mike Frastacky Civilian carpenter 23 July 2006 Murdered in Nahrin. [16] [17]
Corporal Christopher Jonathan Reid 1 PPCLI 3 August 2006 Killed by a roadside bomb while in a LAV III. [18]
Sergeant Vaughn Ingram All three soldiers killed, and nine wounded, during a RPG attack by insurgents.
Corporal Bryce Jeffrey Keller
Private Kevin Dallaire
Master Corporal Raymond Arndt Loyal Edmonton Regiment 5 August 2006 Killed in vehicular accident when a G-wagon collided head-on with a local civilian truck. 3 others were also injured. [19] [20]
Master Corporal Jeffrey Scott Walsh 2 PPCLI 9 August 2006 Killed by the accidental discharge of a comrade's rifle while on patrol west of Kandahar. He had been in theater for less than a week. [21] [22]
Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom 1 Fd Amb 11 August 2006 Killed by a suicide bomber while on a NATO patrol in a G-wagon light utility vehicle. [23] [24]
Corporal David Braun 2 PPCLI 22 August 2006 Killed by a suicide bomber in Southern Afghanistan [25]
Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish 1 RCR 3 September 2006 Killed during Operation Medusa while fighting with Taliban insurgents in Panjwai district west of Kandahar. [26]
Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan
Private William Jonathon James Cushley
Sergeant Shane Stachnik 2 Combat Engineer Regiment
Private Mark Anthony Graham 1 RCR 4 September 2006 Killed by U.S. A-10 attack aircraft in a friendly fire incident. [27]
Private David Byers 2 PPCLI 18 September 2006 All four soldiers killed, and several others wounded, during an attack on their foot patrol by a suicide bomber riding a bicycle in Panjwai district, west of Kandahar. [28]
Corporal Shane Keating
Corporal Keith Morley
Corporal Glen Arnold 2 Field Ambulance
Private Josh Klukie 1 RCR 29 September 2006 Killed by an IED blast while serving with 1 RCR on a foot patrol in Panjwai District. [29]
Sergeant Craig Paul Gillam Royal Canadian Dragoons 3 October 2006 Killed, when attacked while working on road construction project west of Kandahar. [30]
Corporal Robert Thomas James Mitchell
Trooper (Private) Mark Andrew Wilson Royal Canadian Dragoons 6 October 2006 Killed by an IED blast while riding in a Nyala armoured patrol vehicle west of Kandahar [31][32][33]
Sergeant Darcy Tedford 1 RCR 14 October 2006 Killed in an ambush in southern Kandahar [34]
Private Blake Williamson
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard 1 RCR 27 November 2006 Killed by a suicide bomber while riding in a Bison armoured vehicle [35]
Corporal Albert Storm
Corporal Kevin Megeney Nova Scotia Highlanders 6 March 2007 Killed by accidental shooting while on base in Kandahar. [36]

[edit] Meaning

The impact of these casualties on the insititutions involved - the Taliban, the Canadian Army, and the respective nations of both - continues to evolve and will likely be debated for years to come. Current opinion in Canada is split.[2] Opinions in Afghanistan are also obviously diverse as evidenced by the severity of fighting between opposing factions. [3]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Globe and Mail article. See also Canadian-American Stragetic Review website for discussion of the impact of casualties on vehicle procurement.
  2. ^ For example see Hill Times article "Doing Good Well in Afghanistan" and "Doing the Wrong Thing in Afghanistan"
  3. ^ CASR article by Afghan women on life under the Taliban.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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