Afghanistan 2009

Comrades bid farewell to soldier found dead at Afghan base

Brian Hutchinson, Canwest News Service Published: Friday, April 24, 2009

Soldiers carry the casket for Maj. Michelle Mendes onto a waiting transport.Brian Hutchinson/Canwest News ServiceSoldiers carry the casket for Maj. Michelle Mendes onto a waiting transport.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Maj. Michelle Mendes had barely returned to Kandahar for a second tour of duty when she was found dead in her sleeping quarters Thursday afternoon.

Late Friday evening her comrades bid her farewell in an emotional ramp ceremony, with a padre referring to questions about her "unexpected demise and untimely death."

"Major Mendes left this world suddenly," said Canadian Forces padre Martine Belanger, in an address to hundreds of soldiers standing in tribute to the 30-year-old Ottawa-based soldier.

"Her tragic death has left many of us stunned. She left us with no goodbyes or signs . . . Our minds and hearts are full of questions as to why this happened to her."

Canadian Forces officials have not said Maj. Mendes took her own life offering only that she died from a non-battle injury that did not involve enemy action.

An investigation into the fatality is underway.

Maj. Mendes, who was married, had been assigned to Canada's Task Force Kandahar headquarters.

"She always strove to do her best and was respected for her professional knowledge and work ethic," said Mr. Belanger. "We would often see her with highlighter markings on her face after a late night of study because she had a tendency to fall asleep in her books.

"The world will be an emptier place without her presence."

Maj. Mendes served here before, in 2006. Then a captain, she was among 11 Canadian soldiers who were returned to Canada during early stages of Operation Medusa, a major Canadian-led battle against Taliban insurgents that took place in the Panjwaii district west of Kandahar city.

It is not clear if she participated directly in that operation before she was flown home.

A story that appeared in the Colborne (Ont.) Chronicle just days before the launch of Operation Medusa described her as a married officer with a master's degree in international affairs from Carleton University in Ottawa.

The newspaper noted she had opted for a career in military intelligence.

"I was thrilled," the newspaper quoted her mother, Dianne Knight, as saying. "It's right up her alley. She spends the majority of her time reading and analyzing things, and she's so good at it."

Maj. Mendes is the third Canadian soldier in three years to die within this heavily fortified base, which houses and supports some 15,000 NATO-led troops.

In March, 2008, the body of Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet, 22, of Matane, Que. was discovered inside his sleeping quarters at Kandahar Air Field. The Canadian military did not disclose the cause of his death.

Almost exactly a year earlier, 25-year-old Cpl. Kevin Megeney of New Glasgow, N.S. died in what authorities called at the time a "friendly fire" incident. Another Nova Scotian, Cpl. Matthew Wilcox, 23, was later charged with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death and negligent performance of duty and now faces court martial.

Pre-trial arguments were heard in the matter earlier this year.

Two other Canadian soldiers deployed in the region died recently from non-battle injuries.

In August, 2007, Maj. Raymond Ruckpaul, 41, died from a gunshot wound to the head sustained in his quarters in Kabul. His death was eventually declared a suicide.

In July 2008, the body of Cpl. Brendan Downey, 36, was discovered in the living quarters at Camp Mirage, a military base in the Persian Gulf that Canadian troops use as a staging area before deployment to Afghanistan. The nature of his death was not disclosed.

These casualties are subject to intensive inquiry by Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a unit that examines serious incidents involving Canadian Forces members either in Canada or abroad.

It is also well known many Canadian soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress related to their deployment to Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict.

Figures released last year by Veterans Affairs Canada indicate more than 25% of the 1,300 soldiers who had already served in this country described some symptoms of the disorder.

Other Western armies with men and women fighting overseas ask their troops to confront stress-related issues and to look out for each other's mental well-being.

Posters have appeared recently on a British military base near Basra, Iraq, urging members to recognize problems and to request help if necessary. According to a British report, one poster reads: "Never let your mate fight alone. Worried about someone in your team? Be willing to listen. Not all wounds are visible."

The posters went up after three British soldiers on the base killed themselves, all within a 10-week span.

Last week, an American soldier in Kabul took his own life.

Meanwhile, a memorial plaque in honour of Maj. Mendes will be placed at a shaded cenotaph at Kandahar Air Field.

A Canadian flag flew at half-mast beside the cenotaph on Friday.

Maj. Mendes is the 118th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since Canadian troops were deployed here in 2002.