# Sgt.'s Miok & Taylor, Cpl. McCormack, Pte. Chidley and Michelle Lang-Dec 30/09



## McG

Just Breaking:  http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091230/Kandahar_deaths_091230/20091230?hub=TopStoriesV2


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## armyvern

4 Canadian Soldiers and one journalist have been killed in Afghanistan today - 30 Dec 2009. My condolances to their families, friends and fellow soldiers; hoping for speedy & full recoveries for all the injured. My condolances to the family & friends of the journalist as well.

4 Canadians killed / 4 injured



> Four Canadian soldiers, along with a Canadian reporter, were killed Wednesday by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province in Afghanistan.
> 
> 
> In total, 138 Canadian soldiers have now been killed while serving in Canada's mission in Afghanistan which began in 2002. After almost eight weeks without a fatality, five soldiers have been killed in the last week.
> 
> 
> Breaking news story. More details to follow.


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## Nfld Sapper

5 Canadians killed in Afghanistan
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 | 6:53 PM ET 
CBC News 
Five Canadians were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, including four soldiers, and a journalist.

Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard said one Canadian civilian was wounded in the attack.

The journalist was identified as Michelle Lang, who worked for the Calgary Herald.

Lang, who was in her early 30s, grew up in Vancouver and was a well-respected health reporter for the Herald, winning a National Newspaper Award in 2008 for best beat reporting. She has also worked in Regina and Moose Jaw.

Friends describe Lang, who was engaged, as bright with a sharp tongue and quick wit.

"She came across as sweet and quiet -- but could bring a room down with laughter with one observation," one friend said. "She was a fabulous friend: kind, loyal, thoughtful. No number of adjectives can describe her talent, her charm, or the hole she leaves in the lives of those close to her."

The death of the five Canadians comes a week after Lt. Andrew Nuttall was killed by an explosive near the village of Nakhonay in Panjwaii District, about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

It was the worst single day for Canadian casualties in Afghanistan since six soldiers were killed on July 4, 2007, when their large armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb on a well-used road in the Panjwaii district, about 20 kilometres southwest of the city of Kandahar.

Since 2002, 138 Canadian soldiers have been killed serving in Afghanistan.

Today's casualities bring the number of Canadian civilians killed in Afghanistan to four. The reporter is the first Canadian journalist to be killed while covering the conflict in Afghanistan. Seven journalists from other countries have also died.

The attack happened the same day eight Americans were killed in an attack on a military base in the eastern province of Khost.

More to come

With files from The Associated Press


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## armyvern

DND Press release



> Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter killed and five injured in an IED strike
> CEFCOM NR - 09.034 - December 30, 2009
> 
> OTTAWA – Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter embedded with Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) were killed, while four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were injured in an IED incident in Kandahar province, on Wednesday December 30, 2009.
> 
> The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kandahar time, Wednesday afternoon as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol.
> 
> We will not release the names of the soldiers, as notification of next-of-kin is ongoing at this time. Further information on the incident will be provided once this has been completed.
> 
> All of the injured personnel were evacuated to the Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield. They are undergoing medical examination and treatment, and their names will not be released.
> 
> Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar Province. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of our fallen comrades and our prayers go out to the family and friends of our fallen civilian reporter during this sad time, but we are determined to continue working with our Afghan and international partners towards a better future for the people of Afghanistan.


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## The Bread Guy

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3236

RIP all - condolences to the families, colleagues and friends of the fallen....


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## OldSolduer

Damn...this sucks. I have friends over there all over the BG and the PRTs. 

I saw it on Global and the tears started.....

RIP troops.  

RIP Michelle Lang


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## Nfld Sapper

Canwest journalist, 4 soldiers die in Afghan blast
  Canwest News ServiceDecember 30, 2009 5:05 PM







  
Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang, seen in this 2008 file photo, was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan Dec. 30, 2009, while covering the war for the Canwest News Service. Four Canadian soldiers also died in the blast.
Photograph by: Ted Jacob, Calgary Herald

A Canadian journalist and four Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan on Wednesday in the blast of an improvised explosive device.

Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang, 34, was on secondment to Canwest News Service and was travelling with a provincial reconstruction team in Kandahar City when the attack on their vehicle occurred.

"On behalf of all the soldiers, airmen, sailors and special operators of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, I offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of our fallen," said Brigadier-General Daniel Menard, Commander of Task Force Kandahar.

The Department of National Defence has not yet released the names of the four soldiers killed in Wednesday's explosion, but their deaths bring the toll of Canadian soldiers to 138 since the mission there began in 2002.

Details of the attack have not been released.

It was Lang's first stint in Afghanistan. She arrived in the country on Dec. 11 and was due to return to Calgary on Jan. 22.

Provincial reconstruction team — or PRTs — are groups of civilians, government specialists and others who venture into the countryside with military escorts as they attempt to rebuild roads, dams, schools, hospitals and other elements of Afghanistan's battered physical, social, medical and political infrastructure.

"We are all devastated by the loss of Michelle and our thoughts right now are with her family and her fiance," said Scott Anderson, editor-in-chief of Canwest News Service. "Journalists need to — and do — put themselves at risk every day to report first-hand on important stories like Afghanistan. But that doesn't make this any easier.'

Wednesday was an especially bloody day in Afghanistan. In addition to the attack on the Canadians, eight American civilian workers died in a suicide bomb attack on a U.S. military base close to the border with Pakistan, officials said.

Lang was an experienced reporter and talented writer who had received a National Newspaper Award last May for her coverage of health care and medicine.

Shortly before Christmas, Lang blogged about the atmosphere at the base.

"I am currently at Kandahar Airfield, the sprawling military base near Kandahar City perhaps best known for its dusty conditions and a very busy Tim Hortons. At the moment, Afghanistan's winter rains have turned that famous dust into a giant mud pit," she wrote.

"Life here, though, has been made considerably brighter by Christmas decorations. Many soldiers have decorated their sleep tents with Christmas lights. One bike near the media work tent has a wreath attached to its handlebars."

At least 17 journalists from around the world have been killed in Afghanistan since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to statistics maintained by the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, non-profit organization.

Canadian journalists have had close calls in Afghanistan, but until Wednesday none had died.

In August 2007, Radio Canada reporters Patrice Roy and Charles Dubois were injured when the LAV III armoured vehicle they were in hit an IED during an operation against insurgents west of Kandahar City.

Two soldiers and an interpreter were killed. Dubois lost one leg below the knee.

On March 4, 2002, Toronto Star journalist Kathleen Kenna was in rural Afghanistan with her husband, Hadi Dadashian, and photographer Bernard Weil, when someone threw a hand grenade into their vehicle. Kenna was badly injured but survived.

In 2001, Montreal Gazette reporter Levon Sevunts was inside an armoured vehicle that came under attack by insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns. Three European journalists riding on top of the vehicle were killed.

In August 2008, National Post reporter Scott Deveau, who was covering the Afghanistan mission for Canwest News Service, was sitting in the back of an armoured vehicle with a Canadian Press reporter and a group of soldiers when their vehicle struck an IED.

One of the two soldiers in the front of the armoured personnel vehicle, usually used to transport troops, was seriously injured during the blast.


Other correspondents with Canwest or its predecessor, Southam News, have died on overseas assignment.

On April 14, 1987, Christoph Halens was found dead outside a hotel in Tripoli, Libya. Author Warren Kinsella, who probed the death in his book Unholy Alliances, believes Halens was pushed from the roof because he was getting too close to a story the Libyans didn't want written.

Halens was in North Africa to cover a Libya-funded peace conference which was attended by about 100 Canadians. The Libyans have long insisted Halens' death was suicide.


Pentagon spokeswoman Lt.-Col. Almarah Belk said Wednesday that the eight Americans died Wednesday when an attacker detonated a vest packed with explosives on Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province — a key Taliban stronghold.


Suicide attacks are a hallmark of the Taliban, who are waging a major insurgency to topple the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and regain control of the central Asian state.


The number of foreign civilians under government contracts in Afghanistan is increasing, with the strategy to defeat the Taliban placing more emphasis on development and aid.

The U.S. said last month it had doubled the number of civilian experts working in Afghanistan and was "on track" to meet its goal of nearly 1,000 by the new year. Many are to work in provincial military bases alongside military reconstruction teams.

On Monday, a repatriation ceremony was held in CFB Trenton for the body of Lieutenant Andrew R. Nuttall of 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

He was on foot patrol and was killed by an IED near the village of Nakhonay in Panjwaii District, about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. The blast also killed a member of the Afghan National Army and injured an Afghan interpreter.

Other Canadians who have been killed in Afghanistan include government diplomat Glyn Berry and aide workers Jacqueline Kirk and Shirley Case, who were in Afghanistan with the International Rescue Committee.

Berry was killed in a suicide attack as he and a group of soldiers drove in Kandahar.

Kirk, 40, was a dual British-Canadian citizen from Outremont, Que. Case, 30, was from Williams Lake, B.C. They were in a car in Logar province when it was ambushed by small-arms fire.

With files from AFP

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service


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## armyvern

Video message from Theatre 

FACK.  :-[


_edited to fix link_


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## vonGarvin

Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




 to the fallen
My condolences to those left behind, and speedy recovery to the wounded



:yellow:


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## R933ex

RIP


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## ballz

wow... :-[


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## Lil_T

Just sucked the air out of me when I turned on the TV....  my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those we lost.


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## Jager

dam, was hoping we'd finish the year without any more deaths.

my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those we have lost


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## KevinB

RIP


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## my72jeep

RIP Men  iper:


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## my72jeep

RIP Men  iper:


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## The Bread Guy

From Voice of Jihad (Arabic) web page:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/90842/post-901024#msg901024


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## gun runner

To our fallen, rest in peace. To the Families, my sincerest condolences.       :yellow: Ubique


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## MSEng314

My sincerest condolences to their friends and families.


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## muffin

I was hoping when I hadn't heard from hubby that he was just busy and it wasn't radio silence...  guess my gutt knew better 

RIP


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## Saja

Thoughts and prayers to the families of our fallen and Michelle Lang, may you rest in peace, gone but never forgotten 

     iper:


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## Spanky

CRAP!!!!
RIP to the fallen, and our thoughts and prayers to those left behind.


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## mariomike

My sincere condolences.


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## leroi

Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the fallen.   :'(


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## mosquito

RIP Heroes.  Sincerest condolences to family, friends and comrades of the fallen.

Chimo!


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## MikeL

RIP to the fallen


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## Northalbertan

RIP    My conolances to the families and comrades. :yellow:


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## gardCanada

RIP, My condolences to the families and friends


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## tomahawk6

Prayers and condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and the Lang family.


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## CDN_LoneWolf_CDN

It gets harder to hold them back each time...

Rest in Peace.


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## Smirnoff123

This is very terrible, wasn't prepared to hear that when I turned on the news. I hope that they may all rest in peace, it must be very hard on the families, even more so since this will most likely negatively impact their future holidays.


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## Nfld Sapper

EDITED 

Longer statement by the GG following the release of the names of the fallen.


Message - Deaths of four soldiers and one journalist
December 31, 2009

Message from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, on the occasion of the deaths of four Canadian Soldiers and Canadian journalist Michelle Lang

OTTAWA—We have once again been hit with devastating news and cannot imagine a worse ending to the year. Four of our Canadian soldiers, Private Garrett William Chidley, a member of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Manitoba; Corporal Zachery McCormack, a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta; Sergeant George Miok, a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta; Sergeant Kirk Taylor, a member of 84 Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia; and Michelle Lang, a journalist with the Calgary Herald, were killed Wednesday when their armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device during a patrol four kilometres south of Kandahar. Four more soldiers and an official member of Canada’s civilian personnel were also injured in this attack.

This new tragedy is shocking. It reminds us of the underhanded, blind, daily violence facing our Canadian soldiers, journalists and humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, who are working alongside the local population already hard hit by decades of terror.

Whether they are soldiers so bravely answering the call and giving their all to protect and secure communities in danger, or journalists who also take risks to inform us and keep us up to date on what is happening on the ground, these men and women all share a desire to help, in their own way and at the height of their profession, build peace in this troubled region of the world.

May the families, loved ones and colleagues of the deceased, all inconsolable right now, know that Canadians stand by you, that our thoughts are with you, and that you are not alone. The entire country joins those left behind in their mourning. We also wish the injured a swift recovery.

 Michaëlle Jean

- 30 -

Media information
Julie Rocheleau
Rideau Hall Press Office
613-998-7280
jrocheleau@gg.ca

www.gg.ca
www.citizenvoices.gg.ca


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## tristismilitis

Thoughts and prayers to the families of the fallen and the wounded.  
I know families, friends and other soldiers often find their way to this website during middle of the night internet searches and I want you to know your loved ones will NEVER be forgotten, may they rest in peace  
 
Thanks to everyone that takes the time to post a message in these forums.


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## dale622

Can someone please PM the names once they are released? I have very good friends with the unit they are deployed with. My prayers hope they are ok and my thoughts and condolences go to the families. May their souls rest in peace.

"And When He Gets To Heaven, 
To Saint Peter He Will Tell; 
One More soldier Reporting Sir, 
I've Served My Time In Hell"

My love to my brothers in arms.


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## The Bread Guy

> Four ISAF soldiers from Canada and one Canadian reporter were killed in an IED strike in Kandahar province, Dec. 30.
> 
> The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4 p.m., as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol.
> 
> "We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life. Their commitment to the mission and to the Afghan people is a tremendous example for the rest of us," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson. "Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families at this very difficult time."
> 
> The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin.



http://www.isaf.nato.int/en/article/press-releases/four-isaf-soldiers-1-canadian-civilian-killed-in-ied-strike-in-southern-afghanistan.html


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## 1feral1

Terrible news.

OWDU


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## manhole

our condolences to the families and friends of the fallen.......our thoughts and prayers are with you.......


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## bonitabelle

Thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the recent fallen.  Semper Fi.


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## BlueJingo

I feel a tremendous wave of pain when I hear that another soldier has been killed overseas. When I hear that it's four I just don't know what to think, I have a few friends overseas and every time that I hear this type of sad news I just don't know how to feel other than tremendous sadness for the loss of them and for the pain that their families must be feeling.

You all have done your duty. Thank you for your sacrifice. 

And may those who are left serving overseas, please keep safe.

R.I.P


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## goldenhamster

I was shocked to read the news this morning.  
My condolences to family and friends to the slain soldiers and journalist.


RIP soldiers

RIP Michelle Lang

 :'(


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## 40below

What a horrible way to end the year. RIP to the four soldiers and my deepest  professional sympathies to Michelle Lang.


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## tech2002

RIP


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## newmet

My thoughts go to the family and friends of the fallen.  RIP, know that you will not be forgotten.  I am wishing a speedy recovery to those injured and special thoughts of support to them as they deal with this difficult time.


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## Teflon

Rest in peace Brothers and Sister


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## xo31@711ret

RIP Troops.


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## Jarnhamar

Have more details been released such as the type of vehicle they were in?

I thought it was a little weird that the journalists name was released right away but the soldiers withheld.
I think in the past though sometimes some soldiers names were released (as their family had been notified) but others withheld pending notification right? Just seemed really quick.

It's sad for Afghanistan deaths to feel like a big deal in the media now it has to be something new ie a journalist dying. 
The only reason I knew Lt. Andrew Nuttall passed away was because it was posted on Army.ca I can't help but think had she not had died this would no where near be as reported in the media as it currently is.


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## The Bread Guy

Flawed Design said:
			
		

> I thought it was a little weird that the journalists name was released right away but the soldiers withheld.  I think in the past though sometimes some soldiers names were released (as their family had been notified) but others withheld pending notification right? Just seemed really quick.



Considering CanWest had only one next-of-kin to contact, compared to four sets of families the CF has to reach, it's not a big surprise the reporter's name came out well before the names of the troops (which I'm guessing will be released once ALL the families know).


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## Michael OLeary

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/31/afghanistan-deaths.html



> *4 slain soldiers identified*
> Last Updated: Thursday, December 31, 2009 | 12:34 PM ET Comments227Recommend99
> The Canadian Press
> 
> The military has identified the four Canadian soldiers killed in a blast that also killed a journalist.
> 
> They are *Sgt. George Miok*, 28, *Cpl. Zachery McCormack*, 21, both of Edmonton, *Sgt. Kirk Taylor*, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S., and *Pte. Garrett Chidley*, 21, of Cambridge, Ont.
> 
> The soldiers, along with Michelle Lang of the Calgary Herald, were killed by a powerful explosion Wednesday during a patrol in Kandahar city.
> 
> The deaths — the worst such incident in 2½ years — bring to 138 the number of soldiers killed on the Afghan mission since 2002.
> 
> In a statement, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard spoke of each soldier with pride, describing them as enthusiastic, passionate soldiers.
> 
> He also praised Lang for her sensitivity and ability to connect with people.


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## BernDawg

Rest in Peace troops.


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## Jarnhamar

Just informed VIA PM the journalist name wasn't released as fast a I thought. My mistake, it just seemed like there was a large gap between the timings.


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## FastEddy

Flawed Design said:
			
		

> Have more details been released such as the type of vehicle they were in?



I don't think at this time, it would add  to the gravity or sadness of this tragedy.

May their Souls Rest in Peace.


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## Nfld Sapper

News Release
Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter killed and five injured in an IED strike
CEFCOM NR - 09.035 - December 31, 2009

OTTAWA – Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter embedded with Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) were killed, while four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were injured in an IED incident in Kandahar province, on Wednesday December 30, 2009. 







Sergeant George Miok






Sergeant Kirk Taylor






Corporal Zachery McCormack






Private Garrett William Chidley

The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kandahar time, Wednesday afternoon as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol. 

Killed in action was Sergeant George Miok a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Sergeant Kirk Taylor a member of 84 Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Corporal Zachery McCormack a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Killed in action was Private Garrett William Chidley a member of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Manitoba and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team. 

Michelle Lang, a Canwest journalist from Calgary, embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan was killed in the same incident. 

Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were also seriously wounded in the incident. All of the injured were evacuated by helicopter to the Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield. The injured soldiers and civilian are reported to be in stable condition. 

Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar Province. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of our fallen comrades and our prayers go out to the family and friends of our fallen civilian reporter during this sad time, but we are determined to continue working with our Afghan and international partners towards a better future for the people of Afghanistan. 

- 30 -

Note to editors (Note: new procedure): Photographs of Private Garrett William Chidley, Corporal Zachery McCormack, Sergeant George Miok, and Sergeant Kirk Taylor are available on the Fallen Canadians page of the Department of National Defence website. Please visit 
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/fallen-disparus/index-eng.asp


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## Brutus

RIP Zach, and to the other four. I knew Zach from course, and I found him to be an excellent person, funny, happy go lucky, and dedicated. He joked around a lot, made stupid jokes, but when it came time to kit up and be serious, he was a different person. I was impressed.

So sad to hear the news. My heart goes out to his family and friends, and those of the other 4. May they take solice in the life lived, rather than sorrow in the life lost.


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## Nfld Sapper

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada
31 December 2009
Ottawa, Ontario


Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the deaths of four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian journalist in Afghanistan:

“It is with very heavy hearts that we learned that five Canadians were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle, south of Kandahar City.  On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Sergeant George Miok, Sergeant Kirk Taylor, Corporal Zackery McCormack, and Private Garrett Chidley.  

“These four brave soldiers lost their lives seeking to help Afghans build a better future for themselves.  They represent the best Canada has to offer and they perished in a far away land, working tirelessly to advance Canadian values.  We owe them a debt we can never repay.

“I also offer my most sincere condolences to the loved ones of journalist Michelle Lang, who courageously risked her life reporting from one of the world’s most dangerous countries.  She lost her life reporting on the invaluable work being done by Canadian soldiers, aid workers and diplomats in Afghanistan.  Ms. Lang was from my hometown and I know her unforeseen and tragic death is being felt in Calgary and in communities across Canada.

“Our prayers also go to the families and friends of those Canadians injured in this appalling act.

“The brave men and women of Canada’s military face danger every day in their ongoing commitment to seeing Afghanistan flourish and stand on its own.  Members of the embedded Canadian media also risk their lives to bring that story home to us.

“The five men and women who perished are true Canadian heroes.  Canadians will never forget their dedication and sacrifice.”


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## gaspasser

My, it didn't take long for this thread to pop up in memorium, already four pages.

Lads and Lass, I shall await your arrival here...I will ensure your trip on the ramp will be uneventful and ice free.     :snowman:

RIP, Stand Down.


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## Raye

My condolences and prayers to the familes.  My heart felt thanks and gratitude to the fallen soldiers.  RIP


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## Nfld Sapper

Statement
Statement by the Minister of National Defence on the deaths of four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist in Afghanistan
NR - 09.119 - December 31, 2009

OTTAWA –The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, issued the following statement today on the death of four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist in Afghanistan:

"Today I stand with all Canadians as we mourn the loss of four brave and selfless Canadian soldiers and one Canadian journalist who died after the vehicle they were riding struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while on patrol in an area south of Kandahar.

I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sergeant George Miok, Sergeant Kirk Taylor, Corporal Zachery McCormack, and Private Garrett William Chidley who were killed yesterday while working to bring peace and security to the people of Afghanistan. My thoughts are also with the loved ones of Michelle Lang who was also killed while bravely risking her life to report on the important work Canadians are undertaking.  Canadians have a much better understanding of what we are accomplishing in Afghanistan as a result of the risks journalist like Ms. Lang take to bring the story back home to Canada.  For this we are all grateful. We also want to wish a steadfast recovery to those wounded during this incident.


Canada is in Afghanistan at the request of the democratically elected Afghan government and as part of an UN-mandated, NATO-led mission. Canadians will always stand proudly behind the brave men and women of the Canadian forces, and our partners, as they courageously risk their lives every day towards our goal of a stable, strong and peaceful Afghanistan. 

Their sacrifice inspires those who will follow in our commitment to this mission and for this, the Government of Canada and all Canadians will remain forever grateful.”


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## Jarnhamar

FastEddy said:
			
		

> I don't think at this time, it would add  to the gravity or sadness of this tragedy.
> 
> May their Souls Rest in Peace.



http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?board=78.0

Respectfully there is a forum FOR Thoughts and Prayers. This forum is in the Operations section.  I understand they will overlap but my curiosity about the circumstances of the attack is no different than everyone posting updated news releases in between RIP posts.


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## TN2IC

I remember Kurt Taylor. Good man! Always a joker, I was his 2IC for a BMQ.

"A soldier is someone who, at one point in his life,wrote a blank check made payable 'to Canada for an amount of 'up to and including my life."



Fire mission over.


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## muskrat89

Rest easy, all the fallen. Godspeed to the wounded. Hoping the friends and families manage to find peace in the months and years ahead.

Special condolences to my old friends at 84 Ind Bty

Ubique


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## Bruce Monkhouse

Private Chidley was a  member of this forum and has been added to the Fallen list.


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## wildman0101

rest in peace soldiers (salute)
michelle rest in peace (salute)
you will not be forgotten (canada flag)
a true canadian daughter who had the moxie
to report on world events... forever in our hearts
when things conclude on gods events
we will see you all again
condolences to family,,,comrades,friends 
with tears in my eyes we will meet again
              scoty b


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## The Bread Guy

President Karzai Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Khost and Kandahar 



> Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that killed foreign civilian and military personnel in the provinces of Khost and Kandahar.
> 
> Reports indicate that eight American non-military citizens were killed and several others were wounded in a suicide bombing at their base in the southeastern province of Khost.
> 
> Separately, four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist were killed after a roadside bomb blast hit a military convoy in the southern Kandahar province.
> 
> President Karzai shares the grief and extends prayers and deepest condolences to families and friends of the victims and to the people of the United States and Canada and emphasizes that, “Your sons and daughters have lost their lives for protecting the Afghan people and the humanity against the threat of terrorism. Afghans will never forget your sacrifices.”
> 
> The President also offers heartfelt condolences to the families and to the Canadian media community on the death of Michelle Lang, the Canadian journalist, who was among those killed in Kandahar.


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## The Bread Guy

This from CanWest:


> As thousands of soldiers saluted and a lone piper played a sad lament on New Year's Day, the flag-draped caskets of journalist Michelle Lang and four Canadian soldiers were solemnly borne to C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to begin the 10,000 kilometre journey back to Canada.
> 
> ( .... )
> 
> It was an usually warm and sunny winter's day, as the caravan of five Canadian armoured vehicles crept silently across the tarmac to a point from which 8 pallbearers carried each of the caskets.
> 
> Lang's casket was followed by those of the soldiers, whose berets were laid on the top alongside the Sacrifice Medals that they were awarded posthumously.
> 
> Lang's pallbearers were four soldiers from the military's Public Affairs branch, two public affairs officers from the department of Foreign Affairs and a sergeant from U.S. military public affairs who is attached to the Canadians because several thousand American troops serve under Canadian command in Kandahar.
> 
> Other pallbearers were from the units that those soldiers who died had served with.
> 
> There was a private memorial service before the ramp ceremony in the small park by the Canadian task force headquarters where a marble monument carries an etched image of those who have fallen in Canada's first major military conflict since the Korean War.
> 
> During that informal gathering, Lang's casket was adorned with her photo, a black scarf and a note pad and pencil that was a poignant tribute to her craft ....


----------



## Loachman

> Heroic journalist became the story
> 
> Reporters used to covering others doing brave things
> 
> By JOE WARMINGTON
> 
> The Toronto Sun
> 
> She wouldn't have wanted all of the attention.
> 
> In fact Michelle Lang was in Afghanistan to document the bravery of the troops.
> 
> The fact is she was also brave. The fallen Canwest journalist died representing something her killers don't understand -- freedom.
> 
> She was free to write what she saw and was gutsy enough to go right into the heart of the danger zone to get it.
> 
> She knew that dying herself, or covering others who did, was part of the risk.
> 
> She was doing her job and, as fellow embedded reporter in Afghanistan Colin Perkel of The Canadian Press said, she did it very well.
> 
> That is what she would be most proud of.
> 
> Her death is no more tragic than all who die in war. But it does represent just how dangerous it is for real reporters and their quest to tell the real story.
> 
> I already admired the heck out of her for having the courage to be there.
> 
> My colleague, Tamara Cherry, was a friend of hers and told me what a special person she was.
> 
> TOOK RISKS
> 
> It takes a special person to be a reporter who would take those kinds of risks to tell a story. Reporters are not heroes but people who cover them.
> 
> The classiest and perhaps most appropriate gesture of the kind of respect the troops had for her is that they want her to receive the same repatriation ceremony that the soldiers she was covering will receive.
> 
> "That's the way we look at it," said Capt. Wayne Johnston, who as repatriation officer had one of the most difficult jobs not only in the military but anywhere.
> 
> The information he has is that her family will be offered the courtesy of her remains being escorted with the troops when they return home, scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday but subject to change.
> 
> It's the right thing to do in this unique circumstance.
> 
> She was embedded with the troops on this patrol mission and subsequently becomes part of the mission.
> 
> It's the troops themselves who make you feel this way. They really are special -- as I have experienced myself while covering HMCS Iroquois and Regina in the Persian Gulf.
> 
> It's an amazing experience.
> 
> But at all times we as reporters realize we are that. It's the men and women in uniform who are the story.
> 
> Still, whether she would think so or not, Michelle's death is a major news story. She's the first Canadian journalist killed in the Afghan conflict.
> 
> OTHER DEAD
> 
> But I am sure she would want me to say it -- she's no more a story than the others killed on this mission:
> 
> - Sgt. George Miok, 28, of Edmonton.
> 
> - Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S.
> 
> - Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, of Edmonton.
> 
> - Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge.
> 
> They are all brave Canadians.
> 
> I suspect Sunday, if all goes according to the preliminary plans and she is in a fifth hearse in the procession on the Highway of Heroes, there will be huge numbers out to pay their respects.
> 
> The people are always out there anyway. Same goes for on Grenville St. at the last turn into the coroner's building.
> 
> This time Canadians will be saying thanks for both the soldiers who provide freedom of speech and a reporter who was not afraid and was prepared to die to ensure it.
> 
> It would be nice if journalists could put together a memorial to one of our own and perhaps that might happen.
> 
> But I suspect Michelle's legacy will be the fact that the men and women she was covering had so much respect for her that they flew home together to a country grateful, appreciative and supportive of their sacrifice.


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## 40below

I was wondering how the CF would handle Lang's repatriation as she was not military, nor a representative of the federal government as Glyn Berry was. It's actually quite touching and appropriate that PAOs would carry her casket.


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## fire_guy686

Rest Easy.


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## NL_engineer

RIP troops 

CHIMO


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## Nfld Sapper

Media Advisory
Fallen Canadian Soldiers And Journalist Return Home
LFCA MA 10-01 - January 2, 2010

OTTAWA – Our fallen comrades, Sergeant George Miok of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta; Sergeant Kirk Taylor of 84 Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia; Corporal Zachery McCormack of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (Fourth Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry), based in Edmonton, Alberta; Private Garrett William Chidley of The Second Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta; and Michelle Lang, a Canwest journalist from Calgary, Alberta, embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, return home to Canada tomorrow.

Where:  8 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario.
When:  Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
What:  At the request of the families, media will be permitted on the tarmac.

Present to pay their respects will be Her Excellency The Governor General of Canada, The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Peter MacKay, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Mr. Robert Fonberg, Chief of Defence Staff, General Walt Natynczyk and other dignitaries.

All were killed, and four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official injured in an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol 4 kilometres south of Kandahar City on Wednesday, December 30, at approximately 4:00 pm Kandahar time.

-30-

Note to Editors/News Directors:
Interested media may contact Captain Mark Peebles, 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Public Affairs Officer, who can be reached at (613) 392-2811, ext. 2041, or mobile 613-243-6358, or at: peebles.m@forces.gc.ca

For general queries, please contact the Media Liaison Office at 1-866-377-0811 or 613-996-2353. For flight information, please contact the Air Passenger Terminal at 1-800-487-1186.


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## gaspasser

Again, I will do my part to make the ramp ready for thier arrival tomorrow.   

Stand Down Lads and Lassie.  You've done your duty for Freedom.   :yellow:


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## FutureMP101

I had the privilege to have Sgt Miok as an instructor on my BMQ course. He was a great man and an awsome leader. May he and his comrades rest in peace.


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## RadicalJack

Bravo Loachman, you have so eloquently phrased what i had wanted to say.My heart felt tears and prayers for all the families involved.


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## armyvern

Watching the Repatriation Ceremony in Trenton; a glum, snowy and dreary day marking another sad occasion for our Fallen - brightened by the hounour, dignity & respect being shown to Them. May their families find comfort in the knowledge that their loved ones gave their lives voluntarily in service to their Country while working diligently to better the lives of others less fortunate.


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## brandon_

watching the ramp ceremoney now, very sad. RIP soldiers & journelist.v


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## Armynewsguy

A cold windy wintry day greeted our fallen comrades today as they arrived at CFB Trenton. 

Highway 2 and RCAF Road were packed with many shivering people waiting to show their support to the families of the deceased.

 For those of you who have never had the honour of viewing a repatriation it is truly an amazing and emotional experience. One cannot help but feel for the families and friends of the fallen, but when they go past in their long line of black limos and they take the time to roll down a window, wave and mouth the words thank you to those along the roadway it really does break your heart.

Here are a few pictures from today's repat for those who could not join us along the Highway of Heroes

Armynewsguy


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## mariomike

Arrival at the Coroner's Office:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3DlX-JCdGE


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## leroi

Armynewsguy said:
			
		

> A cold windy wintry day greeted our fallen comrades today as they arrived at CFB Trenton.
> 
> Highway 2 and RCAF Road were packed with many shivering people waiting to show their support to the families of the deceased.
> 
> For those of you who have never had the honour of viewing a repatriation it is truly an amazing and emotional experience. One cannot help but feel for the families and friends of the fallen, but when they go past in their long line of black limos and they take the time to roll down a window, wave and mouth the words thank you to those along the roadway it really does break your heart.
> 
> Here are a few pictures from today's repat for those who could not join us along the Highway of Heroes
> 
> Armynewsguy



Nice photos.

Agree ... I attended at the Coroner's Office in TO ... it _is_ heartbreaking!

There was a very large crowd of supporters in Toronto today--people from all walks of life with hearts full of grief.


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## colt

i too was there and was touched by the amount of people that came out to show there support.It honestly gives me a renewed sence of pride to head back after my leave is up and to get on with the rest of my training.


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## pbi

I was originally against this whole public repatriation thing.


Today, having attended ten ramp ceremonies in Trenton and one in KAF, I am a huge believer. It is a struggle to see the pain and deep grief of these average, everyday Canadians as they greet their loved ones' caskets, but our struggle as observers is nothing compared to what these families face, or the ultimate risk faced by the dead a few days before. 

The display of public support in Trenton and all along the Highway of Heroes truly must be seen to be believed. Even in big bad T.O., which we like to imagine as a hive of indifference or anti-militarism, the demonstrations of support are very touching.

As the PPCLI regional representative for Ontario, I had the chance to write letters of thanks to all of the police, fire and EMS services from Trenton to Toronto who come out so faithfully to mark the way and honour the fallen and their families each time we lose a soldier. Particular amongst these are the various volunteer fire depts whose members must take time off their normal daily civilian occupations to take part. What touched me very deeply were several of the replies we received from various service Chiefs: these men strongly believed that it was their duty to be present along the Highway. They saw a sort of comradeship in sharing in the moment. It was very reassuring to read these words.

We have come a very, very long way in Canada from the days when the country paid little or no attention to its soldiers, living or dead. This change of heart began before Afghanistan started, but that war has had a huge effect on how our fellow citizens see us (or the fact that they see us at all). Younger soldiers serving today probably see this support as normal: I hope we never forget that it isn't normal, and isn't automatically permanent.

Cheers


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## mariomike

The City of Toronto always provides an official Honour Guard at the Coroner's Office. There are always high ranking Chiefs on scene, and the arrival of each family is taken very seriously. When we get to shake hands with the soldier escorts, with sand still on their boots, and sometimes on crutches,...it's difficult not to become emotional. Because you realize that in a very short period of time that they themselves will be back in the war zone.


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## leroi

On Sunday two escort soldiers in tan combat fatigues, one male and one female, in the freezing cold and in the dark, stopped and greeted the Honour Guard and every supporter including civilian--down one side of Grenville and back up the other side. It wasn't clear at times whether they were supporting the crowd or the crowd was supporting them--maybe a bit of both. They must have been freezing cold but the heart-wrenching sight of them braving the cold and the knowledge of their imminent return to Afghanistan and the recent losses moved many in the crowd to tears ...

From the "Corner of the Courageous" at Yonge and Grenville here's a short clip of the two being applauded after wards:

http://www.youtube.com/user/forzaferrarif1fan#p/a/u/0/s0RE33rIXBg


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## The Bread Guy

This, from the Canadian Press, shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the _Copyright Act._:


> A memorial for the first Canadian reporter killed in Afghanistan will now greet every journalist working out of the Kandahar military base.
> 
> The military has unveiled a plaque for Michelle Lang, the Calgary Herald reporter killed alongside four Canadian soldiers in late December when their armoured vehicle struck a huge roadside bomb.
> 
> The simple plague is affixed to a wooden post between the two media tents in the Canadian compound of Kandahar Airfield.
> 
> Beneath a photo of Lang is the inscription "In memory of Michelle Lang, journalist, Calgary Herald & Canwest, KIA 4:00 p.m. 30 Dec 2009, Kandahar city."
> 
> Lang, 34, was killed only two weeks into her first assignment as a war correspondent for the Herald and Canwest News Service.
> 
> Also killed in that blast were Sgt. George Miok, 28; Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28; Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21; and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21.


----------



## The Bread Guy

One year later, a bit more of the story, from the Canadian Press:


> Reluctantly, silently, Sgt. Jimmy Collins lifts his sleeve.
> 
> There — tattooed on the inside of his wrist, along with images of a palm tree and a maple leaf — are the initials of five fellow Canadians, victims of a single wrenching instant of violence on a muddy road in Afghanistan one year ago.
> 
> "Kandahar
> 
> Always remember
> 
> GC-GM-ZM-KT-ML"
> 
> Garrett Chidley. George Miok. Zachery McCormack. Kirk Taylor. Michelle Lang.
> 
> It's a private epitaph born of nanoseconds of death and destruction on Dec. 30, 2009, that stretch on for the survivors, eyewitnesses and families left behind, leaving in their wake a living legacy of broken bodies and shattered hearts.
> 
> The term "improvised explosive device" has entered the Canadian lexicon as a result of the mission in Afghanistan. Of the 154 Canadian soldiers to die as part of the mission to date, 94 were killed by IEDs, a cheap, jerry-rigged menace that has evolved into one of the most vexing and insidious weapons since the invention of the landmine.
> 
> Some 611 other Canadian soldiers have been injured in combat, new government figures show. But precious little is known about many of the wounded because the Department of National Defence chose in late 2008 to stop publicizing battlefield injuries, ostensibly in a stepped-up effort to deny mission intelligence to the Taliban.
> 
> It's just one of the many restrictions that bind reporters who embed with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Often, the military brands the most seemingly innocent detail as integral to operational security, which means an embedded journalist who discloses it faces the threat of expulsion from the base.
> 
> As a result, many Canadians have formed a sanitized view of the mission's true consequences. When they do see evidence of war's cruel truths, it is through a prism of romanticism: the skirl of bagpipes among crisp salutes as a flag-draped casket is carried to or from a military transport, or the teary legions of flag-waving supporters who pay tribute to the fallen along the Highway of Heroes.
> 
> This story is different. Assembled from dozens of interviews conducted on Canadian soil, far from the army's embed restrictions, it is the story — largely untold before now — of a single bomb and the havoc it wreaked on the five lives it took, the five others it barely spared, and the families that were left to piece their lives back together ....


_More on link_


----------



## Dissident

> Yee was getting a haircut earlier that day when he overheard a Canadian Forces officer talking about the tragedy. The inexperienced reservists had brought the disaster on themselves by failing to check the road properly, the officer suggested.



 :rage:


----------



## vonGarvin

Dissident said:
			
		

> Yee was getting a haircut earlier that day when he overheard a Canadian Forces officer talking about the tragedy. The inexperienced reservists had brought the disaster on themselves by failing to check the road properly, the officer suggested.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :rage:
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the "officer" was suggesting that the reservists were inexperienced (which we all are to start things out), but consider this from the article:


> *I broke one of my major rules*
> "It was my call to turn around and drive back down that road," he said. ": never take same way out as in."
> * * *
> Collins watches from one of the two rear hatches in the lead vehicle and immediately recognizes the terrain. He's heard the stories of convoys hitting IEDs on roads that have been cleared just hours earlier.
> As they lurch down the road at about 30 kilometres an hour, he gets on the radio and suggests to Miok, whose head is poking out from Charlie's hatch trailing about 20 metres behind, that they stop and perform another search.
> Miok, feigning exasperation, responds with an expletive. Collins looks at his close friend and good-naturedly gives him the finger. Miok returns the gesture.
> 
> *In the next instant, the affable 28-year-old schoolteacher from Edmonton is dead.*



If they died because they made a mistake, then nothing remarkable happened that day in terms of making mistakes: some of us are just lucky enough to have "gotten away with it" (including yours truly)


----------



## Task

Technoviking said:
			
		

> :rage:
> 
> I'm not sure if the "officer" was suggesting that the reservists were inexperienced (which we all are to start things out), but consider this from the article:
> If they died because they made a mistake, then nothing remarkable happened that day in terms of making mistakes: some of us are just lucky enough to have "gotten away with it" (including yours truly)



I agree that we all make mistakes and sometimes we get away wit it. 
I do not agree that anyone, particularly an Officer should be giving his/her negative opinions in a barber shop.  
That should be dealt with in the AAR and subsequent investigations.

How did that Officer in any way help the situation...?


----------



## GAP

Never Return the Way you Came is a mantra beat into most/all forces.....for good reason.

Situations/enemy tacticians sometimes dictate that's what you do, and in the crash course of 5 second decision making, sometimes you get stung. 

Most who have experienced TIC's have seen maneuvers that try to funnel you/them and a lot of the time, probably most, are able to avoid them. They are not always obvious, nor are they always deadly. 

my  :2c:


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## vonGarvin

Task said:
			
		

> I agree that we all make mistakes and sometimes we get away wit it.
> I do not agree that anyone, particularly an Officer should be giving his/her negative opinions in a barber shop.
> That should be dealt with in the AAR and subsequent investigations.
> 
> How did that Officer in any way help the situation...?


I agree that the settings, etc, in which the officer gave his/her negative opinions in a barber shop isn't the time/place.  And it helps the square root of bugger all.


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## JSR OP

There's one memory from tour I don't like to remember.  No one likes to do ramp ceremonies, but having one on New Years Day made it just that more worse.  

RIP Troops and Ms Lang.


----------



## BDTyre

Dissident said:
			
		

> :rage:



No kidding. I know two of thee injured - the road was checked. I know the route and the consensus (amongst ourselves anyway) was it was only a matter of time - and this definitely wasn't their first attempt. On that route, it would be very easy to miss stuff, especially with the winter weather.


----------



## dapaterson

GAP said:
			
		

> Never Return the Way you Came is a mantra beat into most/all forces.....for good reason.
> 
> Situations/enemy tacticians sometimes dictate that's what you do, and in the crash course of 5 second decision making, sometimes you get stung.
> 
> Most who have experienced TIC's have seen maneuvers that try to funnel you/them and a lot of the time, probably most, are able to avoid them. They are not always obvious, nor are they always deadly.
> 
> my  :2c:



Second guessing someone else's decisions is always easy - especially from a cubicle somewhere or a barber shop inside the wire.  From the article, it appears that option 1 was to remain stuck indefinitely in a traffic jam, providing a wonderful target; option 2 was to go back on the same route.  Neither option was good.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Twenty pictures, courtesy of the _Globe and Mail_, of some of the survivors here.


----------



## dapaterson

There's a live online chat right now (13h00 EST - 14h00 EST) with the author of the piece:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ied-tragedy/an-afghan-tragedy-and-its-wide-impact/article1852584/


----------



## jollyjacktar

One year on and you are all still missed here at home by all Canadians.  I know I won't forget any of you.   :yellow:


----------



## Brutus

I knew Zach to be a very outgoing, fit, jovial soldier. We were on course together and it was obvious from the outset he was very strong mentally and would make an excellent Infantry soldier. He was easily the smallest in stature on my course but his personality was huge.

One year later, I can still say I think of him often and he is missed.


----------



## AndyRad

This was in my local paper a couple days ago, 30 Dec 10
Thoughts on this piece, i don't understand which message that the CP is trying so establish:

One year after the bomb went off
By The Canadian Press

Published: December 30, 2010 5:00 AM
Reluctantly, silently, Sgt. Jimmy Collins lifts his sleeve.

There — tattooed on the inside of his wrist, along with images of a palm tree and a maple leaf — are the initials of five fellow Canadians, victims of a single wrenching instant of violence on a muddy road in Afghanistan one year ago.

“Kandahar

Always remember

GC-GM-ZM-KT-ML“

Garrett Chidley. George Miok. Zachery McCormack. Kirk Taylor. Michelle Lang.

It's a private epitaph born of nanoseconds of death and destruction on Dec. 30, 2009, that stretch on for the survivors, eyewitnesses and families left behind. .......
(remainder in news link)



http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/lifestyles/One_year_after_the_bomb_went_off_112616549.html


----------



## The Bread Guy

This, from a _Calgary Herald_ blog writer/columnist:


> In an emotional ceremony today in the Calgary Herald newsroom, we were honoured to meet several of the survivors of the military patrol that was ambushed near Kandahar City on Dec. 30. 2009, killing our colleague, Michelle Lang, and four Canadian soldiers: Garrett Chidley, George Miok, Zachery McCormack and Kirk Taylor.
> 
> Bushra Saeed, a Canadian diplomat who lost her leg in the attack, Cpl. Barrett Fraser of the Calgary Highlanders, who was also wounded, and Warrant Officer Troy MacGillivray of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment were on hand as Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canada’s chief of defence staff, presented the Herald with a memorial plaque to Michelle that was put up outside the media tent at Kandahar Airfield after her death. Michelle’s parents, Art and Sandra Lang, who also attended the brief ceremony, asked that the plaque be given to the Herald  after the Kandahar Airfield was decommissioned earlier this year.
> 
> Made by Canadian soldiers out of local wood from Afghanistan, the plaque is a touchstone  for us. Refurbished after being worn and battered by the Afghan wind and dust, it is one of the few things we have that is directly linked to Michelle in Afghanistan.
> 
> Saeed, Fraser and MacGillivary were among the last people to see Michelle alive, and we were grateful for their presence. Saeed still wears a bracelet on her wrist inscribed with the names of Michelle,  Chidley,  Miok,  McCormack and  Taylor. “I never take it off,” she said.
> 
> MacGillivray, the patrol commander of the three-vehicle convoy, still carries the burden of what happened.
> 
> “Obviously, I’ve thought a lot about that day,” he told me.  There was no need to explain. We know that Michelle was in good hands ....


_Calgary Herald_ blog, 29 Nov 11

More from this from The Canadian Press.


----------



## dapaterson

Friends and family of Michelle Lang went to visit the bay in northern Saskatchewan named after her.  

http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-journey-to-honour-a-fallen-canadian-reporter/


----------

