NEWSPAPER LINK TO THIS STORY
SAINT JOHN - Their final official visit to CFB Gagetown was a bittersweet one for Donnie and Laurie Greenslade.
Enlarge Photo Peter Walsh/Telegraph-JournalDonnie and Laurie Greenslade with the Sacrifice Medal. With them is Lily Faith, an Airedale that replaced Colby, their son David’s Airedale, which was euthanized in December. Last week, the couple received a Sacrifice Medal at a ceremony at the army base. The medal is given to soldiers wounded or killed in action.
It's been nearly three years since their only child Pte. David Greenslade died with five other soldiers in Afghanistan.
"Until this war ends, the active part of it, there's not going to be any real amount of peace," Laurie Greenslade said.
"Every day we wonder, will a soldier die today?"
David Greenslade, a 20-year-old private, was killed on Easter Sunday in 2007, along with five other soldiers, when a roadside bomb exploded as they drove through a maze of irrigation ditches in Afghanistan.
The medal marked a solemn milestone for the Greenslades.
"For us it's the final trip to Gagetown," Laurie Greenslade said. "It's great to have - sorry to have it."
Greenslade, her voice cracking, said the medal is special. It's the final thing, she said.
"I'm very proud of David," she said. "Who would ever think I would raise a hero?"
Brig. Gen. David Naismith presented the medal to the Greenslades and a number of other families.
"I could tell when I looked in General Naismith's eye's, the sincerity of him recognizing the sacrifice," Greenslade said.
Their son's beloved Airedale terrier, Colby, was euthanized in December because of a brain tumour. Published pictures of David Greenslade with his pet, who he called the horse, brought comments from across the country including Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry.
The new Airedale is called Lily Faith.
"It's for a little faith," Greenslade said.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Another Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan
CLICK FOR STORY LINK
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier has been killed during a training accident northeast of Kandahar City.
The death of Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker brings to 140 Canadian soldiers and two civilians who have been killed in Canada's eight-year mission in Afghanistan. The military offered few details about Baker's death other than to say it happened during a routine training exercise.
"This type of training is normal for soldiers in theatre and essential in helping them to maintain high levels of expertise," Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, the top commander in Kandahar, said in a statement.
An investigation into Baker's death is now underway to determine what caused the accident.
An Edmonton native, Baker, 24, was serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
Menard said Baker had a laugh that lightened up any room.
"Joshua had a laugh rumoured to cure cancer," he said.
"No matter where you were or how down you got, his laugh would find your ears and bring a smile to your face."
Menard described Baker as an "extremely passionate" person who loved his job.
"Joshua was mentally tough, physically robust and had a personality that made him a natural leader," he said.
"He had a deep love for his family and worried constantly about them. He also had a deep love for his faith; it was something he took pride in and that gave him strength."
News of the soldier's death came as Canadian troops were taking part in the largest air assault of the Afghan war in neighbouring Helmand province.
American, British, Afghan and other coalition troops stormed the insurgent-held town of Marjah and the district of Nad Ali early Saturday morning.
Three Canadian Chinook helicopters were helping ferry some 1,100 coalition troops to Nad Ali, under the watch of four Canadian Griffon escorts.
The pre-dawn attack is called Operation Moshtarak - meaning "together" in Dari - and it is by far the largest offensive staged since U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to try to quell a spreading insurgency.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier has been killed during a training accident northeast of Kandahar City.
The death of Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker brings to 140 Canadian soldiers and two civilians who have been killed in Canada's eight-year mission in Afghanistan. The military offered few details about Baker's death other than to say it happened during a routine training exercise.
"This type of training is normal for soldiers in theatre and essential in helping them to maintain high levels of expertise," Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, the top commander in Kandahar, said in a statement.
An investigation into Baker's death is now underway to determine what caused the accident.
An Edmonton native, Baker, 24, was serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
Menard said Baker had a laugh that lightened up any room.
"Joshua had a laugh rumoured to cure cancer," he said.
"No matter where you were or how down you got, his laugh would find your ears and bring a smile to your face."
Menard described Baker as an "extremely passionate" person who loved his job.
"Joshua was mentally tough, physically robust and had a personality that made him a natural leader," he said.
"He had a deep love for his family and worried constantly about them. He also had a deep love for his faith; it was something he took pride in and that gave him strength."
News of the soldier's death came as Canadian troops were taking part in the largest air assault of the Afghan war in neighbouring Helmand province.
American, British, Afghan and other coalition troops stormed the insurgent-held town of Marjah and the district of Nad Ali early Saturday morning.
Three Canadian Chinook helicopters were helping ferry some 1,100 coalition troops to Nad Ali, under the watch of four Canadian Griffon escorts.
The pre-dawn attack is called Operation Moshtarak - meaning "together" in Dari - and it is by far the largest offensive staged since U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to try to quell a spreading insurgency.
Drunk soldier drove 10-tonne truck in P.E.I.
CLICK FOR NEWS STORY LINK
CHARLOTTETOWN – A New Brunswick soldier has pled guilty to driving a 10-tonne truck while under the influence in Charlottetown, P.E.I..
Master Cpl. Sean Maynard Manser, 22, a military driving instructor normally stationed at CFB Gagetown, was in Charlottetown to give driving lessons to soldiers.
After work on Nov. 29, he climbed into his military truck at the Charlottetown Armoury and crashed into several other vehicles.
Nobody was injured, but the collision reportedly cost thousands in damages.
Manser pled guilty to impaired driving Thursday, and is set to appear in
court on April 12 to be sentenced.
CHARLOTTETOWN – A New Brunswick soldier has pled guilty to driving a 10-tonne truck while under the influence in Charlottetown, P.E.I..
Master Cpl. Sean Maynard Manser, 22, a military driving instructor normally stationed at CFB Gagetown, was in Charlottetown to give driving lessons to soldiers.
After work on Nov. 29, he climbed into his military truck at the Charlottetown Armoury and crashed into several other vehicles.
Nobody was injured, but the collision reportedly cost thousands in damages.
Manser pled guilty to impaired driving Thursday, and is set to appear in
court on April 12 to be sentenced.
Book to be published about colonel accused of murder
CLICK FOR NEWS STORY
Publishing company Random House has set to release a book on Col. Russell Williams, the air force colonel accused of killing two women and sexually assaulting two others.
Police in Halifax said, Wednesday, they are looking into a possible connection between Williams and three unsolved murders that occurred in 1992, when Williams was stationed at CFB Shearwater, in Nova Scotia.
The book is set for publication in the fall and will be titled ``Betrayal in Uniform: The Secret Life of Colonel Russell Williams.''
Williams has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd.
Publishing company Random House has set to release a book on Col. Russell Williams, the air force colonel accused of killing two women and sexually assaulting two others.
Police in Halifax said, Wednesday, they are looking into a possible connection between Williams and three unsolved murders that occurred in 1992, when Williams was stationed at CFB Shearwater, in Nova Scotia.
The book is set for publication in the fall and will be titled ``Betrayal in Uniform: The Secret Life of Colonel Russell Williams.''
Williams has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd.
Colonel accused in two murders reportedly a university pal of Paul Bernardo
CLICK FOR NEWS STORY LINK
Police will continue to comb through the Ottawa home of murder suspect Col. Russell Williams for a second day, Friday.
There are also reports police will be checking into a possible connection between Williams and convicted school girl killer Paul Bernardo.
Police sources told the Toronto Sun not only did Williams and Bernardo both attend the University of Toronto Scarborough campus in the 1980s, but that they were "pals" and partied together.
That friendship is being examined by police and there's speculation the two may have competed with each other, although the source did not say exactly what that means.
Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reported the women allegedly killed by the former commander of CFB Trenton were asphyxiated.
Sources told the Globe 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd was strangled by her killer as the ultimate crime in a "bizarre escalation" of behaviour.
Corp. Marie-France Comeau, 38, was also asphyxiated, but detectives don't think her death was intentional.
The "escalation" theory actually casts doubt on growing speculation Williams might be linked to other cold cases.
Police will continue to comb through the Ottawa home of murder suspect Col. Russell Williams for a second day, Friday.
There are also reports police will be checking into a possible connection between Williams and convicted school girl killer Paul Bernardo.
Police sources told the Toronto Sun not only did Williams and Bernardo both attend the University of Toronto Scarborough campus in the 1980s, but that they were "pals" and partied together.
That friendship is being examined by police and there's speculation the two may have competed with each other, although the source did not say exactly what that means.
Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reported the women allegedly killed by the former commander of CFB Trenton were asphyxiated.
Sources told the Globe 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd was strangled by her killer as the ultimate crime in a "bizarre escalation" of behaviour.
Corp. Marie-France Comeau, 38, was also asphyxiated, but detectives don't think her death was intentional.
The "escalation" theory actually casts doubt on growing speculation Williams might be linked to other cold cases.
New commander named at CFB Trenton, Ont., to replace Col. Williams
CLICK FOR NEWS STORY LINK
OTTAWA - A replacement has been appointed to take over as commander of CFB Trenton, Ont., after Col. Russell Williams was charged this week with murder and sexual assault.
Lt.-Col. Dave Cochrane was been selected to take command of the base as of Friday, when he was promoted to the rank of colonel. The announcement came from Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps, the chief of air staff.
Cochrane takes over from Lt.-Col. David Murphy, who was designated acting commander on Monday, after Williams was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario woman and the sexual assaults of two others.
Cochrane grew up in Toronto and enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1982.
He was first posted to Trenton in 1988 and has also served overseas and in other Canadian locations since then.
"I believe Col. Cochrane has the exceptional leadership qualities necessary to lead 8 Wing Trenton at this challenging and critical time, as the Canadian Forces are experiencing an unprecedented operational tempo," said Deschamps in a statement.
"He is a highly experienced, trustworthy and capable commander who is well known in the local community, as are his wife and children. He is a respected member of the air mobility community and has my utmost confidence."
OTTAWA - A replacement has been appointed to take over as commander of CFB Trenton, Ont., after Col. Russell Williams was charged this week with murder and sexual assault.
Lt.-Col. Dave Cochrane was been selected to take command of the base as of Friday, when he was promoted to the rank of colonel. The announcement came from Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps, the chief of air staff.
Cochrane takes over from Lt.-Col. David Murphy, who was designated acting commander on Monday, after Williams was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario woman and the sexual assaults of two others.
Cochrane grew up in Toronto and enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1982.
He was first posted to Trenton in 1988 and has also served overseas and in other Canadian locations since then.
"I believe Col. Cochrane has the exceptional leadership qualities necessary to lead 8 Wing Trenton at this challenging and critical time, as the Canadian Forces are experiencing an unprecedented operational tempo," said Deschamps in a statement.
"He is a highly experienced, trustworthy and capable commander who is well known in the local community, as are his wife and children. He is a respected member of the air mobility community and has my utmost confidence."
Thousands of US, Afghan forces storm Taliban stronghold; biggest offensive since 2001
CLICK FOR NEWS STORY LINK
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Saturday, pushing into the biggest town under militant control in a major offensive to break the extremists' grip over a wide area of their southern heartland.
Punching their way through a line of insurgent defences that included mines and homemade bombs, ground forces crossed a major canal into the town's northern entrance.
Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, NATO commander of forces in southern Afghanistan, said Afghan and coalition troops, aided by 60 helicopters, made a "successful insertion" into Marjah without incurring any casualties.
"The operation went without a single hitch," Carter said at a briefing in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.
Carter said the strike force quickly gained ground as it moved into Marjah and overran disorganized insurgents. "We've caught the insurgents on the hoof, and they're completely dislocated," he said.
At least 20 insurgents have been killed and 11 arrested so far in the offensive, said Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai, the commander of Afghan forces in the region. Troops have recovered Kalashnikov rifles, heavy machine-guns and grenades from those captured, he said.
Zazai characterized the Taliban resistance as light, saying he had no reports yet of Afghan or NATO casualties.
President Hamid Karzai called on Afghan and international troops "to exercise absolute caution to avoid harming civilians," including avoiding airstrikes in areas where civilians are at risk. In a statement, he also called on insurgent fighters to use the opportunity to renounce violence and reintegrate into civilian life.
The long-awaited assault on Marjah in Helmand province is the biggest offensive since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a major test of a new NATO strategy focused on protecting civilians. The attack is also the first major combat operation since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements here in December to try to turn the tide of the war.
The troops' advance into Marjah was slowed during the morning as they carefully picked their way through poppy fields lined with homemade explosives and other land mines.
Gunfire was ringing through the town by midday Saturday. The bridge over the canal into Marjah from the north was so rigged with explosives that Marines erected temporary bridges to cross into the town.
Lance Corp. Ivan Meza, 19, was the first to walk across one of the flimsy bridges.
"I did get an adrenaline rush, and that bridge is wobbly," said Meza, a Marine combat engineer from Pismo Beach, California, who is with the 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.
Several civilians hesitantly crept out of compounds as the Marines slowly worked through a suspected mine field. The Marines entered compounds first to make sure they were clear of bombs, then called in their Afghan counterparts to interview civilians inside.
Shopkeeper Abdul Kader, 44, said seven or eight Taliban fighters who had been holding the position where the Marines crossed over had fled in the middle of the night. He said he was angry at the insurgents for having planted bombs and mines all around his neighbourhood.
"They left with their motorcycles and their guns. They went deeper into town," he said as Marines and Afghan troops searched a poppy field next to his house. "We can't even walk out of our own houses."
The ground assault followed many hours after an initial wave of helicopters carrying hundreds of U.S. Marines and Afghan troops swooped into town under the cover of darkness early Saturday. Cobra helicopters fired Hellfire missiles at tunnels, bunkers and other defensive positions.
Marine commanders had said they expected between 400 to 1,000 insurgents - including more than 100 foreign fighters - to be holed up in Marjah. The town of 80,000 people, about 360 miles (610 kilometres) southwest of Kabul, is the biggest southern town under Taliban control and the linchpin of the militants' logistical and opium-smuggling network.
The operation, code-named "Moshtarak," or "Together," was described as the biggest joint operation of the Afghan war, with 15,000 troops involved, including some 7,500 troops fighting in Marjah.
To the north, British, American and Canadian forces struck in the Nad Ali district in a push to break Taliban power in Helmand, one of the major battlefields of the war.
Once Marjah is secured, NATO hopes to rush in aid and restore public services in a bid to win support among the estimated 125,000 people who live in the town and surrounding villages. The Afghans' ability to restore those services is crucial to the success of the operation and to prevent the Taliban from returning.
Carter said coalition forces hope to install an Afghan government presence within the next few days and will work to find and neutralize improvised explosive devices - homemade bombs - left by the militants.
Tribal elders have pleaded for NATO to finish the operation quickly and spare civilians - an appeal that offers some hope the townspeople will co-operate with Afghan and international forces once the Taliban are gone.
Still, the town's residents have displayed few signs of rushing to welcome the attack force.
"The elders are telling people to stay behind the front doors and keep them bolted," Carter said. "Once people feel more secure and they realize there is government present on the ground, they will come out and tell us where the IEDs are."
The overwhelming military edge already seen in the first hours of the offensive will be essential to maintain, Carter said. "Everybody needs to understand that it's not so much the clear phase that's decisive. It's the hold phase."
Carter said the coalition offensive was "personally endorsed and sanctioned" by Karzai during consultations the day before troops went on the move.
A defence official at the Pentagon said Karzai was informed of planning for the operation well in advance. The official said it marked a first in terms of both sharing information prior to the attack and planning collaboration with the Afghan government.
The Marjah offensive involves close combat in extremely difficult terrain, that official said. A close grid of wide canals dug by the United States as an aid project decades ago make the territory a particularly rich agricultural prize, but they complicate the advance of U.S. forces.
On the eve of the attack, cars and trucks jammed the main road out of Marjah as hundreds of civilians defied militant orders and fled the area. For weeks, U.S. commanders had signalled their intention to attack Marjah in hopes that civilians would seek shelter.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Saturday, pushing into the biggest town under militant control in a major offensive to break the extremists' grip over a wide area of their southern heartland.
Punching their way through a line of insurgent defences that included mines and homemade bombs, ground forces crossed a major canal into the town's northern entrance.
Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, NATO commander of forces in southern Afghanistan, said Afghan and coalition troops, aided by 60 helicopters, made a "successful insertion" into Marjah without incurring any casualties.
"The operation went without a single hitch," Carter said at a briefing in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.
Carter said the strike force quickly gained ground as it moved into Marjah and overran disorganized insurgents. "We've caught the insurgents on the hoof, and they're completely dislocated," he said.
At least 20 insurgents have been killed and 11 arrested so far in the offensive, said Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai, the commander of Afghan forces in the region. Troops have recovered Kalashnikov rifles, heavy machine-guns and grenades from those captured, he said.
Zazai characterized the Taliban resistance as light, saying he had no reports yet of Afghan or NATO casualties.
President Hamid Karzai called on Afghan and international troops "to exercise absolute caution to avoid harming civilians," including avoiding airstrikes in areas where civilians are at risk. In a statement, he also called on insurgent fighters to use the opportunity to renounce violence and reintegrate into civilian life.
The long-awaited assault on Marjah in Helmand province is the biggest offensive since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a major test of a new NATO strategy focused on protecting civilians. The attack is also the first major combat operation since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements here in December to try to turn the tide of the war.
The troops' advance into Marjah was slowed during the morning as they carefully picked their way through poppy fields lined with homemade explosives and other land mines.
Gunfire was ringing through the town by midday Saturday. The bridge over the canal into Marjah from the north was so rigged with explosives that Marines erected temporary bridges to cross into the town.
Lance Corp. Ivan Meza, 19, was the first to walk across one of the flimsy bridges.
"I did get an adrenaline rush, and that bridge is wobbly," said Meza, a Marine combat engineer from Pismo Beach, California, who is with the 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.
Several civilians hesitantly crept out of compounds as the Marines slowly worked through a suspected mine field. The Marines entered compounds first to make sure they were clear of bombs, then called in their Afghan counterparts to interview civilians inside.
Shopkeeper Abdul Kader, 44, said seven or eight Taliban fighters who had been holding the position where the Marines crossed over had fled in the middle of the night. He said he was angry at the insurgents for having planted bombs and mines all around his neighbourhood.
"They left with their motorcycles and their guns. They went deeper into town," he said as Marines and Afghan troops searched a poppy field next to his house. "We can't even walk out of our own houses."
The ground assault followed many hours after an initial wave of helicopters carrying hundreds of U.S. Marines and Afghan troops swooped into town under the cover of darkness early Saturday. Cobra helicopters fired Hellfire missiles at tunnels, bunkers and other defensive positions.
Marine commanders had said they expected between 400 to 1,000 insurgents - including more than 100 foreign fighters - to be holed up in Marjah. The town of 80,000 people, about 360 miles (610 kilometres) southwest of Kabul, is the biggest southern town under Taliban control and the linchpin of the militants' logistical and opium-smuggling network.
The operation, code-named "Moshtarak," or "Together," was described as the biggest joint operation of the Afghan war, with 15,000 troops involved, including some 7,500 troops fighting in Marjah.
To the north, British, American and Canadian forces struck in the Nad Ali district in a push to break Taliban power in Helmand, one of the major battlefields of the war.
Once Marjah is secured, NATO hopes to rush in aid and restore public services in a bid to win support among the estimated 125,000 people who live in the town and surrounding villages. The Afghans' ability to restore those services is crucial to the success of the operation and to prevent the Taliban from returning.
Carter said coalition forces hope to install an Afghan government presence within the next few days and will work to find and neutralize improvised explosive devices - homemade bombs - left by the militants.
Tribal elders have pleaded for NATO to finish the operation quickly and spare civilians - an appeal that offers some hope the townspeople will co-operate with Afghan and international forces once the Taliban are gone.
Still, the town's residents have displayed few signs of rushing to welcome the attack force.
"The elders are telling people to stay behind the front doors and keep them bolted," Carter said. "Once people feel more secure and they realize there is government present on the ground, they will come out and tell us where the IEDs are."
The overwhelming military edge already seen in the first hours of the offensive will be essential to maintain, Carter said. "Everybody needs to understand that it's not so much the clear phase that's decisive. It's the hold phase."
Carter said the coalition offensive was "personally endorsed and sanctioned" by Karzai during consultations the day before troops went on the move.
A defence official at the Pentagon said Karzai was informed of planning for the operation well in advance. The official said it marked a first in terms of both sharing information prior to the attack and planning collaboration with the Afghan government.
The Marjah offensive involves close combat in extremely difficult terrain, that official said. A close grid of wide canals dug by the United States as an aid project decades ago make the territory a particularly rich agricultural prize, but they complicate the advance of U.S. forces.
On the eve of the attack, cars and trucks jammed the main road out of Marjah as hundreds of civilians defied militant orders and fled the area. For weeks, U.S. commanders had signalled their intention to attack Marjah in hopes that civilians would seek shelter.
Canadian choppers touch down in largest air assault of Afghan war
This Story was published on the 680 CFTR Toronto Web Site
Canadian Chinook helicopters have touched down in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan's restive south as coalition forces mount the largest air assault of the nine-year war.
American, British, Afghan and other coalition troops are storming the insurgent-held town of Marjah and the district of Nad Ali.
It's said to be one of the last major bastions of Taliban control in Helmand province.
The attack is called Operation Moshtarak _ meaning ``together.''
It's by far the largest offensive staged since U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to try to quell a spreading insurgency.
Three Canadian Chinook helicopters are helping ferry some 1,100 coalition troops to Nad Ali, under the watch of four Canadian Griffon escorts.
Canadian Chinook helicopters have touched down in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan's restive south as coalition forces mount the largest air assault of the nine-year war.
American, British, Afghan and other coalition troops are storming the insurgent-held town of Marjah and the district of Nad Ali.
It's said to be one of the last major bastions of Taliban control in Helmand province.
The attack is called Operation Moshtarak _ meaning ``together.''
It's by far the largest offensive staged since U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to try to quell a spreading insurgency.
Three Canadian Chinook helicopters are helping ferry some 1,100 coalition troops to Nad Ali, under the watch of four Canadian Griffon escorts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
