Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh

Born to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer on August 8 1973, Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh was a Canadian Forces soldier, killed while on duty in Afghanistan by another Canadian soldier. Both were members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

The father of three children, Walsh arrived in Kandahar on August 3 2006[2]. Six days later, Walsh was riding in a G-Wagon with Master Cpl. Robbie Fraser, when Fraser's gun accidentally discharged, killing Walsh.

Fraser was charged by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service with manslaughter and negligent performance of duty. On October 14, 2008, charges against Fraser were dropped.

OTTAWA – Captain (Navy) Holly MacDougall, the Canadian Forces Director of Military Prosecutions (DMP), has withdrawn the charges of Manslaughter and Negligently Performing a Military Duty against Master-Corporal Robbie Fraser in the shooting death of Master Corporal Jeffrey Scott Walsh.

On August 9, 2006, while deployed to Afghanistan, Master Corporal Walsh was killed in a shooting incident. On March 12, 2007, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) brought charges against Master Corporal Robbie Fraser. These charges were then referred to the DMP by the chain of command on July 11, 2007.

“In this case the defence counsel demonstrated to the prosecutors a possible reconstruction of the events that led to the death of MCpl Walsh,” says Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce MacGregor, Deputy Director of Military Prosecutions and prosecutor at the Court Martial of MCpl Fraser. “The evidential foundation to this reconstruction was provided by the accused over the Thanksgiving weekend, although he was under no obligation to do so. The prosecutors in this case analyzed the evidence that was not previously available and the defence theory and spoke with key witnesses including an RCMP ballistic expert to determine if the theory was reasonable. Once it was established that this scenario provided a reasonable explanation for the shooting, the prosecutors concluded that they no longer had a reasonable prospect of conviction and had a duty to withdraw the charges.”

The charge of Manslaughter was contrary to Section 130 of the National Defence Act, which incorporates Section 236 of the Criminal Code. The charge of Negligently Performing a Military Duty was contrary to Section 124 of the National Defence Act.
MCpl Fraser is currently a soldier with the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), in Shilo, Manitoba.

Military prosecutors consider two main issues when deciding whether to prosecute a charge at court martial: whether the evidence is sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction and whether the public interest requires a prosecution be pursued. They continually reassess these issues as new information about the case becomes available.

The DMP is a separate and independent authority for military prosecutions who exercises prosecutorial discretion within the military justice system, free of influences, and based on legal principles and criteria.

Blackwater USA Trains Canadian Forces Soldiers

The Canadian Forces is using a contentious personal protection firm to educate some of its soldiers that are sent to Afghanistan.

Select Canadian soldiers have been sent to Blackwater U. S. A. in North Carolina for specialized education in guarding and marksmanship skills. Other soldiers have taken counter-terrorism evasive-driving courses with the private military company now at the center of an inquiry into the killings of Iraqi civilians and mounting concerns about the competitive tactics of its workers in the area.

Critics of Blackwater tag the firm as a mercenary organisation and interrogate why a professional military such as the Canadian Forces can't make its own education in specialized areas. But Canadian officials tell the party was selected because it is a leader in its speciality areas, which drift from weapons training to executive security.

But Canadian military officials mentioned Blackwater was selected because it is a leader in its speciality areas, which drift from weapons training to executive security.

Blackwater boasts on its website that its instructors are "ranked the better in the world."

But Blackwater has establish itself under fierce examination since a Sept 2007 incident in Baghdad in which 11 people, including a pair and their baby, were killed during a firefight. Iraqi officials place the blame for the killings on the Blackwater soldiers, but the party has denied its men fired on innocent civilians, saying instead that its convoy had been attacked by insurgents.

Condom Usage Stats by Canadian Soldiers

Canadian military leaders have clearly decided that preventing disease is more important than being overly judgemental about sexual activity.

Condom usage by Canadian military personnel has increased dramatically since 2002. More than 2300 Canadian troops are deployed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In 1999, Canadian soldiers used 295,200 condoms supplied free of charge, no questions asked, by National Defence. That number fell to 25,355 condoms in 2002, but has been increasing ever since, and reached more than 300,000 in 2005.

Canadian military authorities give no explanation for the fluctuating numbers, but the increases may appear more dramatic than they really are. Year over year condom distribution to the Canadian military looks like this:

-1998: 219,312 condoms

-1999: 295,200 condoms

-2000: 158,991 condoms

-2001: 84,684 condoms

-2002: 25,355 condoms

-2003: 173,769 condoms

-2004: 285,751 condoms

-2005-March 2006: 306,522 condoms

In other words, there were more condoms purchased for distribution in 1999 than in 2004. Although Canadian military authorities offer no explanation, the lower numbers in 2001 and 2002 look like aberrations, possibly explained by differences in reporting methods.

In the Canadian forces sex between military personnel is strictly forbidden, as is sex between military and non-military personnel such as journalists, interpreters and other support staff.

But sexual activity between soldiers and either other soldiers or support and ancillary staff must certainly go on, given the consistent number of condoms handed out by the military. The attitude tends to be "Sexual activity is against the rules, and if two people decide to break those rules it's their decision."

In fact, it is well-known that soldiers have often used visual cues to indicate "Do not disturb." For example, at the now-closed Camp Julien base, when a white T-shirt was draped over the back of a light armoured vehicle it was understood this meant sexual activity was going on inside the vehicle. Signals like this are as old as military activity itself.

Canadian military leaders have clearly decided that preventing disease is more important than being overly judgemental about sexual activity. As one spokesperson has said, "Our (role) isn't to be judgmental. It's to keep people safe."

This underlines the official policy position of the Canadian military. They distribute free condoms to help keep soldiers safe and healthy. Both at home and abroad the official policy is "Don't ask, don't tell."

Even among the general public there seems to be a recognition that young men and women will be sexually active when confined in a typical military environment. While there may be concerns about the influence this could have on the family life of soldiers, or the possibility of strained relations between military personnel, health concerns generally take precedence.