ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY
With a report from The Canadian Press Published on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009 4:08AM EST
Steven Marshall was just getting started.
The 24-year-old sapper had been in Kandahar for less than a week when he was killed by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol in Panjwai District - the second Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan this week.
He was struck just 10 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City yesterday afternoon. There were no other injuries in the blast.
The explosion took place just 15 kilometres from the spot where Saskatoon native Lieutenant Justin Garrett Boyes, 26, was killed by an IED on Wednesday morning while on foot patrol with Afghan National Police.
Lt. Boyes was also just days into his mission, having arrived less than two weeks earlier.
"He was eager to get out and make a difference," Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Kandahar, told reporters in a statement yesterday.
"He had an incredible sense of humour and a contagious grin that never left his face, even during the most difficult moments. He would embrace any situation and always found and shared that silver lining with his mates."
Canada's Afghan mission has come under pressure recently as progress reports indicate worsening insurgent violence as Canada prepares to end its military mission in Kandahar in 2011.
Brig-Gen. Vance noted that the work Sapper Marshall was doing yesterday was part of the efforts that are making the Kandahar region safer for Afghans.
"A stable environment is the best defence against insurgents, because they have no way to counter the positive effects that soldiers like Steven bring to bear. ... [H]is death will also sadden the Afghan community where he worked to bring them a better life."
Sapper Marshall was from the 11 Field Squadron 1 Combat Engineer Regiment associated with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry regiment based in Edmonton.
He is the 133rd Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of Canada's military mission there in 2002.
Sapper Marshall's death "means there are still insurgents out there living among the population" in the area surrounding Belanday, said Lieutenant Jeremie Verville, who headed a platoon based in the model Canadian village for the past three months. "There is still some work do."
With a report from The Canadian Press
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