Suicide bomb kills two Canadian troops, civilian in Kandahar - 27 Nov 2006

[ladybugmabj]

RIP Bob and Albert.

Bob, you were a very well respected RSM, not only from the men, but from the spouses who got to know you.  Such a down to earth person, very approachable in any capacity. You will be missed.

Jacquie, we're here for you!!

 

 

[a78jumper]

Sad news for all that knew both these dedicated soldiers. I did not, but thank them for their ultimate sacrifice. RIP.

 

[xo31@711ret]

I was shocked and deeply saddened when I heard the news of the death of CWO Girouard and Cpl Storm. I  knew Mr. Girouard in the mid-nineties when Bobby was CQ of 'Jumping Jay' 2RCR and I was the coy medic (spent a lot of time hanging around CQ stores with the rest of the coy HQ pers). 

My deepest heartfelt condolences to CWO Giraourd and Cpl Storm's families. The Regimental Family has lost two exceptional Soldiers.
Pro Patria Troops and thank you for your sacrifice; You shall not be forgotten. RIP

Pro Patria

Militi Succurrimus

     

 

[MiKeCf]

I was saddened when i saw this on the news.

Rest In Peace sky soldiers.

"Gone, but not for forgotten"

 

[ArmyRick]

RSM Girouard, it is a sad day to see this happen. RIP, sir. I will not forget the times you went to bat for me and the things you have taught me, sir.

To his family, you have my condolences. 

 

[3rd Horseman]

RIP you fine soldiers, you kings of kings, you hero's, you keepers of the dark away from us. My thoughts are with the families friends and regimental family.

 

[geo]

At ease men, your task is done

At the going down of the sun
and in the morn
We will remember them

CHIMO!

 

[Garett]

Dave,  he was the C Coy CSM at the Inf Sch when we were on Ph II together in 2001.

 

[career_radio-checker]

my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who have gone to the Great All-Ranks Mess in the sky.
May their memories live on with their families and friends and may their names be remembered for all time.

 

[harry8422]

as a royal Canadian it is hard to deal with these losses i am so proud  to serve in the same regiment as these two fine soldiers ............pro patria

 

[officer.phil]

May you rest in peace. Another two soldiers, another two remarkable heroes. 6 weeks without casualties is something hard to pull off.....but then some suicide bombers had to ruin it for us all.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=2151
Statement
Statement by the Minister of National Defence on the Deaths of Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Corporal Albert Storm
NR-06.086 - November 28, 2006

OTTAWA – The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement today on the deaths of Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Corporal Albert Storm:

“Two professional, dedicated Canadian soldiers, Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Corporal Albert Storm, made the ultimate sacrifice yesterday in Afghanistan. Our hearts and thoughts go out to their families and friends during this difficult time. 

Chief Warrant Officer Girouard and Corporal Storm were killed when their armoured vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber as they traveled on the highway to the Panjwayi area of Afghanistan.  Chief Warrant Officer Girouard was a very senior Non-Commissioned Officer and a proven leader.  Corporal Storm was a brave, dedicated and professional soldier.  Both served valiantly against an enemy that uses arbitrary attacks to thwart any progress for the Afghan people to achieve their freedom and stability. 

There are risks involved in this selfless work.  However, the sacrifice of these soldiers will not be forgotten and this event will not deter us from helping Afghans reclaim their lives and build a free and democratic society.”

-30-

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Corporal Albert Storm were both members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ontario.

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/English/6_1_1.asp?id=1522

OTTAWA, Ontario ― Two Canadian soldiers were killed on November 27 when their Bison light armoured vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber driving a car laden with explosives. The incident occurred on Highway 4 between Kandahar Airfield and Kandahar City.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility. In addition to the two Canadian deaths, one Afghan civilian was also killed in the blast.

Killed in the attack were Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st  Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, and Corporal Albert Storm, also of 1 RCR Battle Group. The 1 RCR is based in Petawawa, Ontario.

CWO Bobby Girouard, 46, was from Bathurst, New Brunswick, and a 29-year military veteran. He was married and the father of three.

Cpl Storm, 36, was a native of Fort Erie, Ontario, and a decorated soldier who had served in trouble spots around the globe. He was the father of two and was just three years from retirement.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families and friends of Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Corporal Albert Storm. I also share the sadness of their colleagues in the Canadian Forces who are grieving the loss of two of their own, but who remain determined to meet all dangers head-on to make sure that justice and freedom will prevail, " stated Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada in a message released today.

In addition to one Canadian diplomat, the death toll among Canadian killed in Afghanistan since 2002 now stands at 45. This year alone, thirty-six Canadians troops have been killed in that country. The last Canadian fatalities occurred on October 14.

Canadian troops in Afghanistan are serving alongside soldiers and civilians from 36 countries under the NATO-led, UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force. A key part of Canada's 'whole of government' assistance to Afghanistan is helping to establish the security necessary to promote development.

 

[1feral1]

I hate this news.

Again, I am at a loss of words, for these two men, who were soldiers, answered the call for Canada.


Wes

 

[dshipley]

Fallen soldier 'special' leader
Tragedy Bathurst chief warrant officer remembered as true leader

DAVID SHIPLEY
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page A1 on November 29, 2006

A New Brunswick soldier from Bathurst is being remembered as an outstanding leader who left his mark on soldiers and officers alike.

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, died Monday after his Bison armoured personnel carrier was attacked by a suicide bomber.

The regimental sergeant major of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, he was travelling with other soldiers to assist in reconstruction efforts near Kandahar.

Girouard is the highest-ranking Canadian to be killed so far in Afghanistan.

His death marks the first time since the Second World War that a chief warrant officer has been killed while serving overseas.

"He will be sorely missed," said Col. Ryan Jestin, commander of CFB Gagetown.

Jestin had served with Girouard at CFB Petawawa in Ontario earlier in his career.

"This has a big impact. We've seen folks from all ranks now virtually that have been injured, have been wounded and sadly some have come back to us in order to be buried."

Jestin said while all soldiers' deaths are tragic and devastating, the loss of a chief warrant officer shows that no one deployed in Afghanistan is immune to harm.

"The Taliban and these despicable folks that would do us harm are prepared to do anything to attack every level of the chain of command and that's very sobering."

Jestin said the latest combat deaths are on his mind as CFB Gagetown prepares to deploy 1,000 soldiers from Atlantic Canada to Afghanistan.

Even with the latest losses, Jestin said soldiers still believe in the mission to the war-torn country.

"The thing that keeps us going is we know we are doing the right thing and we are making a difference."

Cpl. Albert Storm, also of 1 RCR, was killed along with Girouard when an explosives-laden car detonated beside their light armoured vehicle.

Both men were based in CFB Petawawa.

Girouard, a 29-year veteran, is the second New Brunswicker to die in the Afghan conflict.

Sgt. Robert Short, of New Maryland, a member of the 2nd Battalion of Royal Canadian Regiment, died in 2003 after his jeep struck an anti-tank mine outside of Kabul.

Since 2002, 44 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan.

Dozens of soldiers, retired members of the Forces and spouses posted condolences on a Canadian army Internet forum after news broke about the latest deaths. One corporal, who asked not to be named, said while he had only met Girouard a couple of times, the Bathurst-native left a lasting impression.

"The public, those outside the military, can never really understand the nature of such men, they are a special breed. We follow them, not out of fear or some blind obedience but because, who they are, what they have become, those things they represent are so compelling that they are truly leaders," the soldier wrote.

"They make us follow them by their example, they compel us to lead each other, and they are remarkable men."

As regimental sergeant major, Girouard played a pivotal role in ensuring soldiers are disciplined and ready for battle.

One of his duties was to guide them through the difficult mourning process when fellow soldiers were killed.

"It's a 24-hour process," Girouard said in an interview with The Canadian Press in September, when Canadians were taking many casualties.

"The soldiers are upset, angry, but we know that time is critical.

"They have 24 hours, then they have to get back into operations and back to support their brothers," Girouard said.

"That's how much time they have. That's what myself and my sergeant majors do to motivate my soldiers and have them ready for battle within 24 hours."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was among those extending condolences, saying Girouard's and Storm's "resolve and courage" represented Canadian values and beliefs.

"We stand united in pride and pledge to remember their sacrifice," the prime minister said in a statement from Ottawa.

Harper said Canada would "not be deterred from the mission to assist the Afghan people achieve greater stability and security."

Premier Shawn Graham said Girouard will be remembered as a dedicated solider who served his nation with determination and perseverance.

"The sacrifice made by Chief Warrant Officer Girouard and Cpl. Storm will not be forgotten," Graham said.

Violence continued unabated on Tuesday.

Another suicide-bomb attack on an armoured vehicle in the Panjwaii district west of Kandahar city slightly injured a Canadian soldier.

Canadian and Afghan troops were involved in a shooting that resulted in the death of an Afghan civilian who allegedly was acting "irrationally" and had failed to stop after warning shots.

Lee Windsor, a military expert with the University of New Brunswick's Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, said Girouard's death was a "monumental loss" for the battle group in Afghanistan.

"There's no question that this is a terrible, terrible blow to New Brunswick and to the RCR family," he said.

"I imagine the whole regiment is in shock over this one," said Windsor.

Monday's suicide attack, which broke six weeks of relative calm for Canadians in the war-torn country, speaks to the desperation of the Taliban, he said.

"They're now looking for easier targets in the rear because they can't tackle the combat troops head on."

Chief Warrant Officer Girouard's family is struggling with their loss, his brother Peter said Tuesday.

Girouard is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, also of Bathurst, and three children: Robert Jr., Jocelyn, and Michael.

Both sons are in the Forces while Jocelyn is engaged to a soldier.

"The first 24 hours was very tough on everybody. What's happening now is we're getting a lot of support from friends and neighbours," Peter Girouard said.

The family and the military are still arranging for the return of Girouard's body. Funeral and burial arrangements have yet to be finalized.

Peter described his brother as an "all around role-model."

"People looked up to him.

"They gave him a lot of respect.

"People respected whatever he had to say."

- with files from the Canadian Press

 

[Edward Campbell]

One slight correction: CWO Girouard is the highest ranking enlisted soldier to have been been killed thus far; Capt Nickola Goddard, a commissioned officer, is the highest raking CF member killed.

There are no ranks amongst the dead.  Each, private, warrant officer or captain, has joined the band of the Greatest Canadians.

 

[dshipley]

Thanks for that. I'll send a note to my editor for a clarification in tommorrow's newspaper so the mistake is not repeated by others and the record is set straight.

 

[geo]

One slight correction: CWO Girouard is the highest ranking enlisted soldier to have been been killed thus far; Capt Nickola Goddard, a commissioned officer, is the highest raking CF member killed.

There are no ranks amongst the dead.  Each, private, warrant officer or captain, has joined the band of the Greatest Canadians.

WRT CWO vs Capt...... I thought we finally got recognition - drats!
WRT rank amongst the dead - correct.  They are and shall always be "comrades" / brothers (and sisters) in arms

 

[vonGarvin]

Another slight correction.  Sgt Short initially served with 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment.  At the time of his death, however, he was a member of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment.

As well, Sgt Short was the very first recipient of the Purcell-Cleary award for comradeship.  This award, given annually by H Company of 2nd Battalion, is voted upon by the Privates and Corporals of that company for their peer whom they felt was the best all round soldier.  Not just fitness or shooting, but overall performance, friendship, and so forth.  This award was named in honour of two private soldiers who fought together in H Company, 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry in South Africa.

Very nice article.

 

[dshipley]

Thanks for the info on Sgt. Short. I will make sure his unit is correctly referred to in future stories.

 

[BernDawg]

Stand easy boys.  Stand easy.