EvanL
03-09-2004, 03:26 PM
Sergeant recovering, now out of hospital
KABUL (CP) - A Canadian soldier who was shot in his tent at Camp Julien tried to kill himself, a military investigation has found.
"The conclusions were very clear. It was beyond any doubt," said Maj. Luc Gaudet, a Canadian Forces spokesman at Camp Julien.
The 43-year-old sergeant from Quebec who shot himself in the chin Feb. 15 appears to be on his way to recovery, Gaudet said. The soldier is out of hospital following an operation to repair his face and mouth.
"The sergeant is doing extremely well, both physically and psychologically," Gaudet said.
While details of the investigation were not released, doctors and leaders at Camp Julien have said conclusions would hinge on interviews with the injured man.
Military officials say the soldier will not face disciplinary proceedings, given the long recovery he will face.
Capt. Mike Mailloux, an officer in the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, knew the sergeant for a year before the shooting.
"He is a reserved man, but in his work he was in contact with many people, people all over the camp and in many units," Mailloux said.
"There was no indication something bad was going on in his personal life. This was a total surprise to anyone who knew him here."
The sergeant, normally with the air force, was just five days into his first overseas assignment when the incident took place. He was attached to the regiment in the fall, just in time to receive training for the mission. The military has asked that the man, who is based in Valcartier, Que., not be identified for privacy reasons.
"Everything went very well on his training. He did everything that he was supposed to do," Mailloux said.
The suicide attempt last month came just as the Royal 22nd Regiment - the Vandoos - arrived in force to replace elements of the Royal Canadian Regiment in their mission maintaining security in Kabul.
The soldier was alone in his tent on a Sunday afternoon when his C-7 rifle went off. Soldiers rushed to help him and a medical team from the nearby army hospital was at his side within minutes.
Mailloux said the incident reminded soldiers to look out for one another.
"It was a heck of a way to start," he said. "It's something we don't forget. If we think one of our comrades has a problem, we'll remember this and I think it will help us talk about it."
Gaudet noted that other soldiers have attempted suicide on other missions abroad, including Bosnia and Rwanda.
"They're rare, but this type of incident can happen on any mission," Gaudet said.
In addition to the usual stress of leaving family and friends behind, the Afghanistan mission has the added tension of unpredictable dangers.
Seven Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2002. One died in a suicide bomb attack in January. Two more were targeted by an anti-tank mine explosion in October. Four other soldiers died when American planes mistakenly dropped a bomb on them in 2002.
Gaudet said the battery of screening tests that soldiers undergo before missions showed nothing unusual about the sergeant. The tests include two questionnaires and an interview with a psychologist or social worker.
"It has proven effective in the past, but it is only as effective as the people are willing to tell us their personal situation," Gaudet said.
"This person went through the same process as other Canadian Forces members deploying to Kabul and nothing was identified in his case that there was a potential problem."
KABUL (CP) - A Canadian soldier who was shot in his tent at Camp Julien tried to kill himself, a military investigation has found.
"The conclusions were very clear. It was beyond any doubt," said Maj. Luc Gaudet, a Canadian Forces spokesman at Camp Julien.
The 43-year-old sergeant from Quebec who shot himself in the chin Feb. 15 appears to be on his way to recovery, Gaudet said. The soldier is out of hospital following an operation to repair his face and mouth.
"The sergeant is doing extremely well, both physically and psychologically," Gaudet said.
While details of the investigation were not released, doctors and leaders at Camp Julien have said conclusions would hinge on interviews with the injured man.
Military officials say the soldier will not face disciplinary proceedings, given the long recovery he will face.
Capt. Mike Mailloux, an officer in the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, knew the sergeant for a year before the shooting.
"He is a reserved man, but in his work he was in contact with many people, people all over the camp and in many units," Mailloux said.
"There was no indication something bad was going on in his personal life. This was a total surprise to anyone who knew him here."
The sergeant, normally with the air force, was just five days into his first overseas assignment when the incident took place. He was attached to the regiment in the fall, just in time to receive training for the mission. The military has asked that the man, who is based in Valcartier, Que., not be identified for privacy reasons.
"Everything went very well on his training. He did everything that he was supposed to do," Mailloux said.
The suicide attempt last month came just as the Royal 22nd Regiment - the Vandoos - arrived in force to replace elements of the Royal Canadian Regiment in their mission maintaining security in Kabul.
The soldier was alone in his tent on a Sunday afternoon when his C-7 rifle went off. Soldiers rushed to help him and a medical team from the nearby army hospital was at his side within minutes.
Mailloux said the incident reminded soldiers to look out for one another.
"It was a heck of a way to start," he said. "It's something we don't forget. If we think one of our comrades has a problem, we'll remember this and I think it will help us talk about it."
Gaudet noted that other soldiers have attempted suicide on other missions abroad, including Bosnia and Rwanda.
"They're rare, but this type of incident can happen on any mission," Gaudet said.
In addition to the usual stress of leaving family and friends behind, the Afghanistan mission has the added tension of unpredictable dangers.
Seven Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2002. One died in a suicide bomb attack in January. Two more were targeted by an anti-tank mine explosion in October. Four other soldiers died when American planes mistakenly dropped a bomb on them in 2002.
Gaudet said the battery of screening tests that soldiers undergo before missions showed nothing unusual about the sergeant. The tests include two questionnaires and an interview with a psychologist or social worker.
"It has proven effective in the past, but it is only as effective as the people are willing to tell us their personal situation," Gaudet said.
"This person went through the same process as other Canadian Forces members deploying to Kabul and nothing was identified in his case that there was a potential problem."