My thoughts and prayers are for her, her loved ones and her comrades.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/05/17/afghanistan-cda.html
Canadian mission loses 1st female soldier
Last Updated Wed, 17 May 2006 15:45:26 EDT
CBC News
A female soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, making her the first Canadian woman to die in combat since the Second World War.
Capt. Nichola Goddard, who was serving with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Afghanistan, died in a military operation against Taliban forces. (Department of National Defence)
Military officials have identified her as Capt. Nichola Goddard. She had been serving in Afghanistan with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and before that, was stationed with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Shilo, Man.
Goddard died around 6:55 p.m. local time (10:25 a.m. EDT) in a military operation against Taliban forces, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during question period in the House of Commons.
The military action took place near Kandahar, where the majority of the country's 2,300 soldiers in Afghanistan are serving.
Canadian soldiers had been called in to support Afghan troops fighting in the Panjwai region, about 24 kilometres west of Kandahar.
Goddard's remains are to be put onto a plane and flown home to Canada during a ramp ceremony at the main Kandahar base on Friday.
Word of Goddard's death slowly filtered through the base as soldiers attended a morale-boosting concert featuring a number of Canadian musicians.
This raises Canada's death toll in Afghanistan to 16 soldiers and one diplomat since the mission started in 2002.
MPs will vote Wednesday on whether to extend Canada's deployment in the country until 2009 from its currently scheduled end date of February 2007.
A number of Canadian women serving in the Canadian Army Medical Corps died while serving in the First and Second World Wars, says Veterans Affairs, including:
14 killed when the British hospital ship Llandovery Castle was torpedoed (First World War).
3 killed in the bombing of a hospital in France (First World War).
1 Canadian nurse died when a German U-boat sunk the SS Caribou in the Cabot Strait. (Second World War).