Sergeant Shawn Eades, Corporal Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden, and Sapper Stephan John Stock, combat engineers with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, were killed on August 20. Ottawa, Ontario – (Photo courtesy of the Department of National Defence)Three Canadian soldiers were killed and one seriously injured when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle on August 20.
Sergeant Shawn Eades, Corporal Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden, and Sapper Stephan John Stock were combat engineers with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment.
They were attached to the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia´s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.
The injured soldier is in serious but stable condition.
Brigadier-General Dennis Thompson, commander of Headquarters, Joint Task Force – Afghanistan (Rotation 5) issued the following statement after learning of the deaths:
"An engineer reconnaissance team is a tight-knit unit and these men were no exception. They were a well-trained highly motivated crew that believed in the mission. As combat engineers, they were proud, resourceful, and armed with the technical knowledge that they generously used to assist the mission in helping the people of Kandahar province. Sergeant Shawn Eades was respected by his subordinates, his peers, and his superiors for his outstanding professionalism and his operational experience and his competence. He was a veteran soldier and this was his third tour in Afghanistan. He was a devoted father who liked to share stories of his children with his colleagues and his friends."
The four soldiers were on patrol on Highway 1, in Zharey District, when the explosion occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m., Kandahar time. They were evacuated to the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Air Field where three were pronounced dead.
This is the worst one-day death toll for Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan since July 4, 2007 when six were killed. (source)
Three Polish soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a roadside blast in central Afghanistan, officials said.
Polish Defence Ministry spokesman Jacek Poplawski said the blast occurred in the central Ghazni province. A fourth soldier was wounded. (CBC)
Soldiers stand to attention as the French flag is flown at half mast at the French 8th marine parachutist regiment headquarters on August 19 in Castres, southern France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Kabul on Wednesday in a show of support for French troops after 10 were killed in the deadliest attack yet on international forces in Afghanistan.
ALWAYS REMEMBERED AND HONOURED