Petty Officer (second class) Craig Blake was trained to defuse IEDS
A Canadian soldier specially trained to defuse bombs on the battlefield was killed in Afghanistan yesterday when his convoy was struck by an IED. Petty Officer (second class) Craig Blake was returning to Kandahar Airfield after successfully disposing of another improvised explosive device when a second bomb went off. The 37-year-old, who was just a few weeks into his first tour of duty, leaves behind a wife and two young children. “He was a compassionate and approachable leader whose positive attitude motivated other soldiers to achieve great results,” said Brig.-Gen. Dan Menard, the Canadian commander in the region. Blake’s death brings the number of Canadian troops who have died in Afghanistan to 143, since the mission began in early 2002.