Canadian soldier killed in second encounter with an IED

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He hadn't been in Afghanistan long, but Sapper Brian Collier had already earned a reputation as a competent combat engineer, survived a blast from an improvised explosive device and beat his injuries to return to duty.

Early Tuesday morning, the 24-year-old soldier was killed by another IED while on foot patrol in the Panjwai district. He had stepped out of his vehicle and was walking in the village of Nakhonay, 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city, when the bomb exploded.

Sapper Collier was born in Toronto and grew up in Bradford, a small town in the northern reaches of the Greater Toronto Area.

He shipped out in early May for his first tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"Any Canadian who could have seen Brian in action would have been proud of him and proud of our country for the work being done with and for Afghans," said Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, the commander of Task Force Kandahar. "Previously injured in a separate IED strike, Sapper Collier fought hard to overcome his injury in order to get back to doing his job with his comrades."

He said the young soldier was a car enthusiast with an easy-going personality and a good sense of humour.

Based at CFB Edmonton, he was a member of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. In Afghanistan, he was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

Tyler Paul, who went to Bradford District High School with Sapper Collier, remembered him as an athletic student who played hockey and liked to socialize.

"He was a popular guy, he knew everyone in the school," the former school friend recalled. "His personality was kind of infectious."

Mr. Paul recalled Sapper Collier once telling another student that, if he was picked on, he would defend him.

"He was a protector of people and that's what he did in Afghanistan," he said.

Reached at their home in Bradford, his family declined to speak with the media.

He is the second member of his regiment killed in Afghanistan this year. On June 6, Sergeant Martin Goudreault, a veteran of three tours of duty in the country, was killed by an IED while on foot patrol in Nakhonay.

At the time, Sapper Collier memorialized his colleague on his Facebook page: "R.I.P. Sgt. Goudreault, you were a damn good soldier and an awesome section commander," he wrote. "Have a safe trip home and watch over us as we complete the rest of our mission in this unforgiving land."

During his deployment in Afghanistan, Sapper Collier kept in touch with friends through his frequently updated Facebook profile. Photos on the account show him patrolling villages, posing with Afghan children and playing with a German shepherd.

In a post about his birthday earlier this month, he joked that the "surprise" he received on his birthday was getting shot at by the Taliban. In others, he discussed the rigours of life in Afghanistan, including sandstorms and intense heat.

"Already sweating at 5 a.m. … sweet," he wrote on May 8, in his first post after arriving in the country.

In a statement, Defence Minister Peter MacKay offered his condolences to the soldier's family and friends.

"Sapper Brian Collier was a remarkable Canadian and a dedicated soldier. He made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and has earned the recognition and the respect of us all," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised both the young man and his fellow soldiers.

"The bravery and remarkable commitment of Canadians like Sapper Collier are bringing safety and stability to the people of Afghanistan," he said in a statement. "Sapper Collier's sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Brig.-Gen. Vance said Canadian troops are determined to push on with their mission to clear the region of insurgents.

"Canadian soldiers are in a constant struggle with insurgents in places like Nakhonay and elsewhere in the Panjwai district," he said. "We are working so diligently in the Panjwai district so that we can bring about the sort of positive changes that have resulted from our operations over the past year in neighbouring Dand district. We seek to do the same in Panjwai over the next year."

Representatives for the Department of National Defence had no details on the arrangements for the return of Sapper Collier's body to Canada, but said they would be announced soon.

Since Canada's mission in Afghanistan began in 2002, 151 Canadian soldiers have been killed in the country, along with diplomat Glyn Berry and reporter Michelle Lang. Ninety-two of those soldiers were killed by IEDs.

The most recent deaths before Sapper Collier's were Master Corporal Kristal Giesbrecht, 34, and Private Andrew Miller, 21, both medics, whose vehicle drove over an IED on June 26.

With a report from The Canadian Press