Thirty-year-old Michelle Mendes (Knight) is the latest Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.
Major Mendes grew up in Grafton with her parents Dianne and Ron and younger sister, Melissa, and was stationed in Kandahar.
The soldier was found in her Forces' accommodation room Thursday afternoon at Kandahar Air Field.
Investigators are still working to piece together the circumstances of the 30-year-old's death, meaning few details about the incident or Maj. Mendes herself are being released. However, a military spokesman here did say that "enemy action has been ruled out."
Major Mendes was first stationed in Afghanistan in 2006 and was a victim of a friendly fire incident involving American troops
In September of 2006 a number of Canadian troops were wounded in the friendly fire incident that capped off one of the country's most bloody and intense operations of the war to date, Operation Medusa. It was during that multi-day battle in the Panjwayi district, that a platoon of Canadian troops were mistaken as enemy by an American pilot flying an A-10A aircraft. One soldier was killed and more than 30 were injured in the incident.
She and about 10 other injured soldiers were returned to Canada for treatment.
She is the fifth Canadian to die in a non-combat situation in the Afghanistan campaign.
In a 2006 article in the Colborne Chronicle her mother, Dianne stated that she had graduated with a history degree in 2001 from Kingston's Royal Military College, wanted "an entire career in the army." Originally, Ms. Knight said in the article, her daughter planned to go into the infantry, but opted instead for intelligence.
Military officials in Kandahar said that Maj. Mendes' family has asked for privacy and will release a statement in the coming days. She was married to Victor Mendes.
Major Mendes grew up in Grafton with her parents Dianne and Ron and younger sister, Melissa, and was stationed in Kandahar.
The soldier was found in her Forces' accommodation room Thursday afternoon at Kandahar Air Field.
Investigators are still working to piece together the circumstances of the 30-year-old's death, meaning few details about the incident or Maj. Mendes herself are being released. However, a military spokesman here did say that "enemy action has been ruled out."
Major Mendes was first stationed in Afghanistan in 2006 and was a victim of a friendly fire incident involving American troops
In September of 2006 a number of Canadian troops were wounded in the friendly fire incident that capped off one of the country's most bloody and intense operations of the war to date, Operation Medusa. It was during that multi-day battle in the Panjwayi district, that a platoon of Canadian troops were mistaken as enemy by an American pilot flying an A-10A aircraft. One soldier was killed and more than 30 were injured in the incident.
She and about 10 other injured soldiers were returned to Canada for treatment.
She is the fifth Canadian to die in a non-combat situation in the Afghanistan campaign.
In a 2006 article in the Colborne Chronicle her mother, Dianne stated that she had graduated with a history degree in 2001 from Kingston's Royal Military College, wanted "an entire career in the army." Originally, Ms. Knight said in the article, her daughter planned to go into the infantry, but opted instead for intelligence.
Military officials in Kandahar said that Maj. Mendes' family has asked for privacy and will release a statement in the coming days. She was married to Victor Mendes.
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