Cpl. Michael Starker - 15 Fd Amb - 06 May 2008

[Civvymedic]

Mike was also a f/t Paramedic with Calgary EMS.

RIP

 

[WrenchBender]

Another sad day for the Forces and the city of Calgary.

RIP 

WrenchBender

 

[Hot Lips]

RIP Cpl Starker 

HL

 

[ENGINEERS WIFE]

Man, oh, man, do I hate to hear this news.  Really brings the day to a screeching halt.
I can't even imagine how his family feels. 
Now, I will have to head down to the 'Highway of Heroes' yet again.  I really wish I never have to go down there for this reason.

My deepest sympathies to Cpl Starker, his family and all of his brothers/sisters in arms. 
Nothing I say or do will make it better or easier, but know that I appreciate your sacrifice and I will make sure I am there when you make your final trip home.  I will always remember.

Thank you, Robin   

 

[jollyjacktar]

My heart is heavy once again.  Thank you for your service to us all.  Peace be with you, and your family.  Fair winds and following seas.

 

[Armymedic]

Another of St Micheal's has fallen.

Your fellow caregivers, military and civilian, shall never forget the sacrifice you gave this day.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the fallen, and hopes for a speedy and complete recovery to the injured.

 

[Rocketryan]

Rest in Peace Cpl Starker 

My condolences to his family and friends

 

[karl28]

Rest in Peace Cpl Starker 

 

[Celticgirl]

  R.I.P. Corporal Starker 

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

My deepest condolences to his family, friends and brothers in arms.


Matthew. 

 

[manhole]

Rest in Peace........our condolences to the family and friends of Cpl. Starker.......

 

[NL_engineer]

RIP Doc  :cdnsalute:

 

[tomahawk6]

The journey home begins.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Corporal Michael Starker of 15 Field Ambulance onto a Canadian Air Force aircraft during a Ramp ceremony at the Kandahar air field May 7, 2008. Corporal Starker was killed on Tuesday, with another Canadian soldier wounded when they come under enemy fire during a patrol in the Pashmul region of the Zhari district.

 

[lone bugler]

As a med tech I hope he made war a bit more bearable, RIP

 

[old medic]

Calgary EMS web posting
http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Emergency+Medical+Services/News/Remembering+Corporal+Michael+Starker.htm


Remembering Corporal Michael Starker

Emergency Medical Services
May 7, 2008

On May 5, 2008, The City of Calgary Emergency Medical Services (EMS) received the tragic news that paramedic Michael Starker was killed in the line of miliary duty while serving in Afghanistan. This is the first line of duty death for Calgary EMS. This is a significant loss for EMS, The City of Calgary and the entire community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Mr. Starker was on leave from Calgary EMS serving as a corporal with the 15 Field Ambulance Regiment. Corporal Starker deployed to Afghanistan in early 2008. He began his career with The City of Calgary EMS in June 2005.

To send condolences, memories and well wishes to Michael's family, please email emspeo@calgary.ca. An online guestbook has also been created to collect condolences at: Legacy External Site..

Your thoughts will be passed along to Corporal Starker's family. If you wish us to publish your thoughts on this page, please clearly indicate this in your email.

http://www.legacy.com/can-calgary/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=109156290

 

[old medic]

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5idyNIio0xfNnGCGprxdIL9rv5eNQ

Family and friends trying to cope with the death of Calgary soldier

2 hours ago

CALGARY — As a rule, Canadian soldiers tend to fall into the category of strong, silent types but tears were falling freely Wednesday as friends and colleagues in Calgary remembered Cpl. Mike Starker.

Starker, 36, a Calgary reservist with 15 Field Ambulance, was once a member of the now disbanded Canadian Airborne Regiment. He died Tuesday in southern Afghanistan when his patrol came under fire during an ambush.

While Starker's flag-draped coffin was on its way back to Canada after a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Air Field, his friends reflected on their loss.

"We are a regimental family and a member of our family's lost," said Lt.-Col. Roger Scott, commanding officer of 15 Field Ambulance, as he choked back tears.

"It's a very emotional time and I am exceedingly proud of my troops right now. We all got together last night. A few tears were shed but my unit is really rallying."

The Canadian and regimental flag outside the Calgary office of 15 Field Ambulance were hanging at half mast. The mood inside the building was equally downcast.

"Right now it's a real kind of gut check personally, seeing what can happen to a buddy ... especially a good friend," acknowledged Cpl. Alasdair Robertson-More, who was leaving a few hours later for deployment on board a U.S. Navy ship in southeast Asia.

"I had a few discussions with Cpl. Starker's wife as well as many members of my unit and I think it would have been easy to say no, this is too hard, this is too much, I'm not going," said Robertson-More.

"But that's not the way Mike was and so I'm going to carry on with the mission and soldier on."

Starker is survived by his wife Nicole, his parents Gunther and Helen and sister Carolyn. The family issued a statement late Wednesday afternoon.

"Mike loved being a paramedic with Calgary EMS and loved being a soldier in the Canadian Forces, especially his time in the Canadian Airborne Regiment," it read.

"He was very proud of the people that he served with and those whom he led."

"Michael died doing what he loved. In his heart, he was a soldier and in his blood, a paramedic. But soldiering wasn't the only thing that Mike gave his heart to. He gave his heart and soul to his wife, parents, family and friends."

"Mike will be missed terribly by the family, friends and many people who loved him and were fortunate enough to have known him in this life," said the statement.

It was Starker's second tour of Afghanistan and he was eager to go last February, said Col. Scott.

"He had been putting his name in for just about every deployment opportunity that had come up in the past few years and so when the people did get chosen he was really happy to be going," he added.

Starker, who started out in infantry before becoming a medic, loved being in the Canadian Forces, said Master Cpl. Andrew Stevens.

"When we were in the field he'd always bolster on the young infantry troops saying this infantry stuff is so easy," he smiled. "They just looked at him as if he was just another medic, not realizing his extensive background in the military."

Although reservists receive the same kind of training as regular forces before being deployed, Col. Scott said it's still difficult to cope.

"Your training can only do so much. It doesn't take away the emotional impact of losing a friend and losing a soldier."

 

[old medic]

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=08849c0a-40e2-47b7-b86f-87c3f6cbd2c7

Statement from Cpl. Starker's family
Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Michael (Mike) Starker died doing what he loved. In his heart, he was a soldier and in his blood - a paramedic. But soldiering wasn't the only thing that Mike gave his heart to. He gave his heart and soul to his wife, parents, family and friends.

A soldier's soldier and a born leader, Mike wasn't afraid to take on the difficult jobs and one that he took most seriously was taking care of his family, friends and those in his military and EMS families. Everyone liked him and everyone wanted Mike on patrol with them - always. He had the ability to make people feel safe and that they could handle any challenge. It made him not only a stellar paramedic and soldier, it made him a great person to know.

Always quick with a laugh, a joke and his trademark mischievous smile, Mike had many friends and was respected by everyone.

Uncle Mike was especially adored by his nieces, nephew and godchildren. He was the uncle every child would be blessed to have and entertained the kids like only he could. His special brand of humour always made them laugh.

He loved the outdoors and along with being an avid rider of motorbikes, atv's and mountain bikes, could setup a camp made for a king in ten seconds flat. A fabulous cook, Mike would divulge none of his "secret recipes" that kept people coming back for more.

Mike loved being a paramedic with Calgary EMS and loved being a soldier in the Canadian Forces - especially his time in the Canadian Airborne Regiment. He was very proud of the people that he served with and those whom he led.

Mike will be missed terribly by the family, friends and many people who loved him and were fortunate enough to have known him in this life.

 

[old medic]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/news/story.html?id=58fd9f1b-a675-4c10-a83b-13a9d5131e70&k=86330

'He just thought it was his duty to serve'
Calgary medic killed in Taliban ambush was on second tour
Gwendolyn Richards, Sarah McGinnis and Stephane Massinon ,  Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Cpl. Michael Starker had already dedicated years of his life to the Canadian military when volunteers were sought to serve in the dangerous Afghan mission.

Despite having a wife and a career as a Calgary paramedic, the local medic felt the need to serve one more time.

What was anticipated to be his last tour in Afghanistan proved deadly for the Calgary reservist, who was killed Tuesday during a Taliban ambush that also injured another Canadian soldier.

"He had some previous military experience and decided he would go back in the reserves and go for one more tour," said Bruce Robb, president of CUPE Local 3421, which represents Calgary's paramedics.

The 36-year-old member of 15 Field Ambulance was on foot patrol when the group was attacked in the Pashmul region of the Zhari district.

Starker is the fourth Calgarian, and 83rd Canadian soldier, to die during the Afghanistan mission.

"We have lost a fine soldier today and our thoughts are with his family and friends," said Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche, commanding general of Task Force Afghanistan.

"He died helping Afghans build a better future for themselves and their children. His dedication and sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Calgary-born Starker leaves behind his wife, Nicole.

The couple had been together for more than a decade. They had no children.

Starker's family did not wish to speak publicly Tuesday, so soon after receiving the tragic news.

"We don't want to make any comments right now. We're grieving and we just want to deal with our grief right now," said a cousin.

His friends amongst the Calgary EMS crews were sensing the loss Tuesday as word trickled back from Afghanistan.

He was a man with a heart of gold, a man who brought out the best in everyone, EMS Chief Tom Sampson said during a news conference. "He was one of those guys who would stand up when you needed someone to stand up.

"He never hesitated to help people and, indeed, he was doing just that in Afghanistan."

Starker had already done a practicum with Calgary EMS before joining as an emergency medical technician in June 2005, eventually becoming a paramedic in 2007.

He ensured his patients were taken care of and advocated for them at the hospitals, said EMS chaplain John Hein.

Amongst medics, the mood has gone from disbelief to utter grief. Starker was always laughing, always smiling and joking with his friends in the ambulance bay, said fellow paramedic Sean Steeden. He had a passion for the outdoors, especially mountain biking.

But it was his life's work to help others -- be they Calgarians calling 911 or Afghans in the wartorn country who have nowhere to turn.

"He just thought it was his duty to serve," Steeden said softly, shaken by the loss. "He just wanted to make things better."

The driving need to improve the lives of others remained a constant throughout Starker's life. As a student in SAIT Polytechnic's paramedic program, Starker was a natural leader, said Steven Pilkington, the program's former academic co-ordinator.

Starker came to the Paramedic Outreach Program already enrolled in the military, and he graduated in 2005 with high marks.

"Because of his military background, he had the obvious military leadership abilities. He worked extremely hard; he set the bar high. He made sure the rest of his classmates achieved the same level of expertise that he did," Pilkington said.

Pilkington remembered how one day Starker and two other outreach program students were at the school's testing centre when a SAIT student had a seizure.

"(Starker) recognized that it was a medical emergency and he immediately, with the assistance of the other two students, provided emergency care," Pilkington recalled.

The fact he stayed calm and provided urgent medical care to a student in need showed what type of person Starker was, Pilkington said.

Using his medical skills to serve his country was also at Starker's core.

He had been with the Edmonton-based unit for the past five years and "his dedication was second to none," 15 Field Ambulance commanding officer Lt.-Col. Roger Scott said in a statement.

"At the time of the incident, our soldiers were conducting a civil-military co-operation patrol in the area, when they came under attack," said Laroche in Afghanistan.

Politicians across Canada offering their condolences to the soldier's family and friends.

"Our Canadian Forces are making immense sacrifices," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an official statement. "Cpl. Starker made the ultimate sacrifice, and his efforts will remain a source of pride for all Canadians."

Premier Ed Stelmach's thoughts also went out to the family Starker leaves behind.

"The soldier is a Calgarian and this is again part of the sacrifice of human life in Afghanistan," Stelmach said at a news conference Wednesday in Calgary. "We support them . . . it's a difficult task but, again, (it's a) human sacrifice and I hope we don't forget that."

The killing of a soldier by enemy fire has become a rare event in Afghanistan, where roadside bombs and mines have killed the majority of fallen Canadians.

Cpl. Nathan Hornburg of Calgary died in a mortar attack on Sept. 24, 2007 -- the last combat casualty that did not involve a roadside bomb.

The mission has also claimed the lives of Calgarians Capt. Nichola Goddard, 26, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.

with files from Canwest News Service and Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald

smcginnis@theherald.canwest.com

 

[old medic]

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=260d75b0-b9f8-4e19-9a36-235dc2a5247f

EMS staff in shock over loss
Starker 'never hesitated to help people'
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Calgary EMS staff have added a strip of black ribbon underneath the yellow ribbon pins they wear to support soldiers overseas Tuesday -- a move to honour a fellow paramedic killed in action in Afghanistan.

Cpl. Michael Starker, a Calgary paramedic and member of the 15 Field Ambulance unit, died after he was shot during an ambush while on foot patrol in an attack that injured a fellow soldier.

Flags outside Calgary EMS headquarters were lowered to half-mast as staff reeled from the news they had lost one of their own.

"He never hesitated to help people and, indeed, he was doing just that in Afghanistan," Chief Tom Sampson said at an emotional news conference.

"I think he went to help there. Such a shame that he should die while trying to help like that."

Unlike the Calgary Police Service and the city's fire department, Calgary EMS had not seen a death in the line of duty until Starker.

"It's not a membership we wanted to join," EMS chaplain John Hein said.

Those who worked closely with Starker, 36, weren't on shift on Tuesday as news filtered back to Calgary from overseas. His platoon is due back at work today.

"Which, I'm sure, will be a challenging day for them," CUPE Local 3421 president Bruce Robb said.

Starker joined Calgary EMS in June 2005 and worked as an emergency medical technician before graduating as a paramedic in 2007.

He had also served with the Canadian Armed Forces a decade ago, Sampson said.

He left for Afghanistan in December for one last tour.

An photo of him and fellow Calgary paramedic Travis Lanoway, captured days before they both were sent overseas, hangs in the hallway of EMS headquarters.

On Tuesday, a flower and flag had been set up near the image of the two men smiling, standing next to an ambulance.

Sampson said he heard, indirectly, that Lanoway is interested in being involved in bringing Starker back to Calgary.

The loss is significant not only to EMS, but the city and the entire community, Sampson said.

"It touches every Calgarian because he was there when you dialed 911," Sampson said, breaking down.

"And he was there for the people in Afghanistan."

Chaplain Hein anticipates Starker's fellow medics will be grieving for the compassionate man.

Sampson added, "When people leave us before their time, and it is in our opinion, the sun went down while it's still day."

grichards@theherald.canwest.com