We've lost another one

First, my sympathies to all of those who loved her.

A Canadian soldier, Maj. Michelle Mendez was found in her room. She was 27. That is really all we know as the military is releasing no details.

I usually don't comment on individual soldiers' deaths, it is clear by most of my postings here that I don't believe we should be in Afghanistan, nor should our children be dying there. However, upon reading the story, on CBC, one thing hit me like a brick in the head:

According to published reports, Mendes, a graduate of Kingston's Royal Military College, had previously toured in Afghanistan and was among 11 soldiers who were returned to Canada for treatment in September 2006 following a friendly-fire incident that killed one.

While knowing full well that I am cynical at best, I wonder now about why this young woman is now gone. Could there be some kind of connection?

The CBC article does not mention the incident, however a search has turned up this interesting report, wherein the Canadian miliatry has blacked out much of the findings:

No charges in 'friendly fire' death: army report

The Canadian report has information blacked out -- the military said that was done to protect operational security

This report from Dose:

She had served previously in Kandahar. According to previously published news reports, she was in the area of a September 2006 friendly-fire incident that came during Operation Medusa, a major Canadian-led battle against Taliban insurgents that took place in the Panjwaii district west of Kandahar city.

Then a captain, Mendes was among 11 Canadian soldiers who were returned to Canada after the friendly fire incident, which saw an American aircraft mistake a group of Canadians for the enemy. It opened fire, killing Pte. Mark Graham and wounding approximately 36 others. The Canadian military has not identified what physical injuries if any that Mendes suffered then.

Mendez was in military intelligence:
The newspaper noted that 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."


This incident was basically swept under the carpet, with no charges being laid against the perpetrators.

Deaths such as this at bases are certainly not the norm, and should be considered disturbing at the least. It has been confirmed her death was not by enemy means, from the above article; "a non-battle injury that did not involve enemy action."

Already the lack of details, at least to me, throw up a red flag.