Officers accused of overseeing unsafe training exercise near Kandahar city
Two Canadian soldiers have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker, who was killed by an explosion in a training exercise outside of Kandahar city in February 2010. In a statement, the Department of National Defence identified Maj. Darryl Watts, the officer in charge when Baker was killed, and Warrant Officer Paul Ravensdale, who was responsible for safety. “It is alleged that proper safety procedures were not followed during the training exercise,” said Defence officials in a news release. Ravensdale and Watts also face four counts of unlawfully causing bodily harm for the four other soldiers who were injured during the exercise that killed Baker. The charges now have to be approved before they will be sent to a court martial. Baker, 24, was the 140th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.