In the military there are people who think that being an ADC for our Governor General is a Jam Job. The position of ADC has been in place since the year DOT in one form or another. This position carries Honour and Dedication to Duty, Queen and Country. To leave this position of relative safety and return to the battlefield of Afghanistan takes a dedicated remarkable soldier. Remarkable ? Why? you may ask Captain Simon Mailloux 25 of Quebec City returns to the country where he lost a leg as well as two brothers in arms in an ied blast in 2007.
Nearly two years later, Mailloux, now a captain, is sporting a high-tech prosthetic leg and is preparing to return to the war-torn country in November.
Gone for now will be the days of Escorting our Governor General to events world wide and meeting world leaders. Back to the dust and grime of Afghanistan. A proud Canadian and even prouder soldier.
Parti pour sera maintenant les jours d'Accompagner notre Gouverneur-gnral aux vnements dans le monde entier et rencontrer des chefs mondiaux. En arrire la poussire et la crasse de l'Afghanistan. Un Canadien fier et mme prouder le soldat.
Capt Mailloux greeting the Emperor of Japan in his native language.
Although there were some rough patches, my determination to go back never faltered, he said in an interview yesterday. I want to finish the work we started.The Quebec City native lost the lower portion of his left leg when the armoured vehicle he was commanding struck an improvised explosive device on Nov. 17, 2007. Two other soldiers - Cpl. Nicolas Beauchamp and Pte. Michel Lvesque - were killed in the blast. Mailloux had to undergo four operations, but recovered surprisingly fast. He is believed to be the first soldier to return to Afghanistan after a major amputation. Historically he follows Douglas Bader a ww2 Spitfire pilot who flew into combat with 2 tin legs.
Bien qu'il y ait quelques pices rugueuses, ma dtermination de retourner jamais n'a affaibli, a-t-il dit dans une interview hier. Je veux finir le travail que nous avons commenc. L'indigne Qubcois de La ville a perdu la portion plus basse de sa jambe gauche quand le vhicule blind qu'il ordonnait a frapp un artifice explosif improvis le 17 novembre 2007. Deux autres soldats - Cpl. Nicolas Beauchamp et Pte. Michel Lvesque - a t tu dans le souffle. Mailloux a d subir quatre oprations, mais s'est rtabli tonnamment vite. On croit qu'il est le premier soldat rendre en Afghanistan aprs une amputation importante. Historiquement il suit Douglas Bader un pilote de Tte brle ww2 qui a vol dans la bataille avec 2 jambes en tain.
Mailloux said he didn't get preferential treatment and had to prove he could handle the rigours of redeploying to AfghanistanI'm not as fast as I used to be, but I passed all the physical tests, he said, noting that with his prosthetic leg he walked 13 kilometres with a 27-kilogram load in two hours, 22 minutes.
When Mailloux lands in Afghanistan he won't be going back to his old job. He'll work at staff headquarters, laying out field plans for long-term campaigns.It's going to be a big challenge but I have field experience and I know the villages in Kandahar province, he said.
In preparation Captain Mailloux practices applying a tourniquet on a fellow soldier.
In another news byte today soldiers over the age of 50 are re enlisting, this too shows that Canadians are ready to combat the cowardly taliban.
Please show your support visually today, Red Friday. God Bless and may God speed Captain Mailloux to his duty and return him safely to his loved ones. Members of Canada's Invisible Army
Remember Everyone Deployed
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
