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Doug Schmidt, Calgary Herald, 12 Jan 07
The land-mine blast Thursday that badly injured Master Cpl.
Jody Mitic from 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment put the
spotlight on a unique Canadian surveillance and patrol squadron that
is performing a pivotal task in the international military effort to
rid this strife-torn and impoverished area of armed insurgents.
Mitic, who is based in Petawawa, Ont., is one of the 88 men and
women of ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and
Reconnaissance) squadron. A sniper, Mitic stepped on an improvised
explosive device (IED) while on an overnight patrol, and suffered
serious but not life-threatening injuries to his legs.
Three of the squadron's members have been killed and six others
wounded since September.
Mitic's father, Hemi Mitic, said he spoke lovingly with his wounded
son Thursday morning. "It was after he had an operation -- they've
amputated his feet," Hemi Mitic said in an interview from Toronto.
"It's good news to the extent that he's alive, but he's got a tough
time ahead without any feet."
Despite the IED incident, a military source said the day's mission
proceeded without a hitch and another piece of Taliban territory was
reclaimed to allow for the start of desperately needed
reconstruction work.
"Counterinsurgency operations are vital, and that's what this war
is -- counterinsurgency," says 40-year-old Maj. Andrew Lucien, the
officer in command of ISTAR.
The Ghundey Ghar sniper patrol had left its post shortly after
midnight and was travelling on foot in support of a similarly
dismounted platoon patrol deployed to ensure there would be no
ambushes or other surprises when the Afghan military and police
entered the until then unsecured village of Siah Choy. Always
sleeping with his head next to the radio inside his command LAV III
near the top of Ghundey Ghar, Lucien said he was awakened by the
first report of the blast at around 4:30 a.m. The initial
investigation points to an anti-personnel mine attached to a mortar
round buried deep in the ground.
Members of the entire battle group became involved in removing the
injured soldier, including a team of engineers who quickly pushed a
new road through to the scene. "They got there in record time -- for
nighttime activity, it was outstanding soldier movement, absolutely
fantastic," says Lucien.
Doing nighttime reconnaissance is stressful, mentally challenging
work, says Lucien, a self-described "army brat" whose wife and three
sons live at CFB Petawawa.
"You're travelling at night, searching for the enemy and walking
into the unknown," he says.
Following a hilltop planning session with his officers Thursday,
round-the-clock patrols began and will continue for days, until the
military is convinced the Taliban are gone. Then, the Canadians will
withdraw from regular patrols there and leave the task to units of
the Afghan national army and police, with units from Canada's
Provincial Reconstruction Team making their initial forays to start
short-term development and reconstruction projects.
Bruce Ward, Ottawa Citizen, 12 Jan 07
It was an agonizing conversation for both father and son. But
Hemi Mitic spoke lovingly to his wounded son, Master Cpl. Jody
Mitic, late yesterday morning when a call was patched through to an
airfield hospital in Kandahar.
"It was after he had an operation. They've amputated his feet," Mr.
Mitic said in an interview from Toronto. "It's good news to the
extent that he's alive, but he's got a tough time ahead without any
feet."
Master Cpl. Mitic, 30, who is based in Petawawa as part of the 1st
Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, had stepped on a landmine while
on a pre-dawn foot patrol yesterday.
He was part of a routine patrol in the western Panjwaii district of
Kandahar province, where the last major engagement was fought with
militants during the Canadian-led Operation Medusa last September,
said army spokeswoman Lieut. Sue Stefko.
"Jody is a sniper," said Mr. Mitic, who works in Toronto as
assistant to Canadian Auto Workers national president Buzz Hargrove.
"He is not married. This is his second tour, and he was scheduled
to come out of there in three to four weeks. He's been in the
service for over 10 years."
Three years ago, Mr. Hargrove spoke of Master Cpl. Metic's
contribution to Canada in a speech he gave looking back over the
year's events.
"We continue to see death and destruction in Afghanistan," Mr.
Hargrove told the CAW Council. "Recently, two young soldiers were
blown up when their vehicle hit a landmine.
"This was brought home to me recently when my assistant, Hemi
Mitic, and I were driving to Guelph, where I was to give a speech.
Hemi received a call from his son Jody, who is one of the
peacekeepers in Afghanistan. Jody was talking, over satellite, about
some of the events in that country. We have over 2,000 young
Canadians who are trying to make a difference in Afghanistan. When
you talk to someone who is so close and whom you have known since he
was a child, it tends to make the world smaller and the struggle for
peace throughout the world even more important for all of us."
His son grew up in Kitchener, said Mr. Mitic, which is also his
home town.
The patrol was being conducted as part of a new offensive,
Operation Falcon Summit, which has been targeting the Taliban
leadership and bomb-making facilities in the district since
mid-December.
"Jody is in the process of being airlifted to Germany," said Mr.
Mitic. "Once he has been there a little while, I'm going to go over
there and see him."
Master Cpl. Mitic was reported in stable condition late yesterday
with wounds to the lower portion of his body, but the military
refused to discuss the extent of his injuries.
His injuries were described as serious but non-life-threatening.
He was evacuated by helicopter to hospital at Kandahar airfield,
the main coalition base in southern Afghanistan, but military
doctors decided late yesterday to transfer him to the U.S. military
hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.