132nd Canadian soldier killed in Stephen Harper's illegal and unwinnable war
Robert Peffers
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Published On Wed Oct 28 2009
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A bloody week for coalition forces in Kandahar
got worse Wednesday when a Canadian soldier was killed and two others
injured by an improvised explosive device in the ever-hostile Panjwaii
district.
Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26, of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's
Light Infantry based in Edmonton, Alta., was only 10 days into his
second tour in Afghanistan when his foot patrol was struck by the
blast 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.
Boyes was leading a platoon tasked with mentoring Afghan National
Police officers at the time of the explosion. The two other casualties
were treated at the Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Airfield and are
listed in good condition.
"So early in the deployment, Justin's death is going to be difficult
to accept by his brothers in arms, but will not deter any of us from
continuing with our mission," said Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the
commander of Task Force Kandahar.
Boyes jumped at the chance to help train Afghan police in order to
contribute to the "effort to provide stability to the population so we
could, in concert with the Afghan government, extend basic services
and humanitarian assistance to those in need."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement late Wednesday
offering his condolences, "and those of all Canadians," to the slain
soldier's family and friends, as well as wishing a speedy recovery on
the two injured soldiers.
"The dedication, bravery and remarkable commitment of Canadians like
Lt. Boyes will bring safety and stability to the people of
Afghanistan," Harper said. "Their ultimate sacrifice will not be
forgotten."
Boyes had only recently joined the Princess Pats as a member of the
regular forces after spending six years in the reserves.
His death – the first for Canadian forces in nearly six weeks, and the
132nd since Canada's Afghan mission began in 2002 – darkens what has
already been a bleak several days for international forces in
Afghanistan.
Also Wednesday, a Canadian citizen suffered leg injuries in Kabul when
Taliban suicide gunmen stormed a UN guest house in the Afghan capital,
killing 11 people.
Eight American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in separate IED
attacks on Tuesday in Kandahar's Arghandab district, an area that
until earlier this year had been under Canadian control.
And 14 Americans, including 11 soldiers, were killed Monday in a spate
of helicopter accidents that U.S. military officials said had nothing
to do with insurgents.
Vance described Boyes as someone whose Saskatchewan upbringing left an
unshakable mark on a family man devoted to his wife, Alanna, and three-
year-old son, James.
"He was an easy-going Prairie boy who preferred sitting around the
backyard with good friends, his family and a cold drink," Vance said.
Based at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar city, Boyes
was a member of the Police Operational Mentor and Liaison Team,
responsible for professionalizing Afghanistan's rag-tag police units.
Training ANP officers has proved one of the more formidable tasks for
Canadian troops in Afghanistan, as the force remains beset by
corruption and high desertion rates.
Their vulnerability makes them a favourite insurgent target, and they
receive the brunt of Taliban attacks against the government.
The ANP, however, is seen as the linchpin of any future stability and
their progress has become a matter of urgency as Canada prepares to
withdraw its military presence in 2011.