Canada has lost one of its best. Sergeant Andrew Doiron, from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), was killed by friendly fire on Friday afternoon in Iraq.

Kurdish security forces fired upon Doiron’s detachment on their way back to their observation post “inside the wire”.

"Members of the Special Operations Forces were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish forces following their return to an observation post behind the front lines," the Canadian Forces press release stated.

Three other soldiers were wounded during this friendly fire incident and are now receiving medical treatment. Their condition is stable.

"He was known as 'Drew' or "Digi.' One of the original founders of CSOR, he was known and respected for his skills and his warrior spirit, [sic] we lost one of our best 'gunfighters' but I know Digi will be up there making sure to keep us in check," one of his brother-in-arms told me via email.

(Sgt. Doiron's CSOR brothers are honouring him by sharing this picture, which was one of his favourites.)





Sergeant Doiron’s death comes at a critical time with the end of the Canadian mission in Iraq on April 7.

However, Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson was clear that Canada will not “stand on the sidelines.”

The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command — CANSOFCOM — has been actively training the Iraqi security forces under Operation IMPACT and have had a real positive impact indirectly on the battlefield.

"Every member of Canada’s Special Operations Forces Command feels a great loss at Drew’s passing. He was a gifted special operator and a great leader. He loved his job and the people he soldiered with," read a statement from Brig.-Gen. Michael Rouleau, commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.





TheRebel.media contributor Jonathan Wade served in the Canadian Forces with distinction for more than fourteen years prior to his honourable discharge in June 2014, a career which led him to travel across the globe, deploying to Afghanistan in 2009 to mentor and advise the Afghan National Army—where he was awarded the Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation—and shortly to Haiti following the earthquake of 2010.