Amputee soldier heads back to Afghanistan

wow, what an inspiring story

Nice to see how hard these guys work to get back while many others make a career out of working even harder to avoid deployments or even EX's, then are very proud to display their Canada 125 and Golden Jubillee medals, as most people don't know the difference.

No reason to not be allowed! Fantastic!

Bravo Zulu, Captain!

A Canadian soldier who lost his leg in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan two years ago is returning to duty to "do good."

Capt. Simon Mailloux, 25, says he has unfinished business in Afghanistan. He left the country in 2007 following an attack that severed his lower left leg and killed two other soldiers and an Afghan interpreter.

'It was already in my mind. I was meant to go, finish this mission with the boys.'
—Capt. Simon MaillouxMailloux, a commander with the Royal 22nd Regiment at La Citadelle in Quebec City, spent two years at home healing, adjusting to his prosthesis and undergoing excruciating rehabilitation.

He said he's always known he wanted to go back to Afghanistan, from the moment he was injured. "It's never an easy decision, and it's never something that comes logically," he told CBC News.

"It's always been in my mind, from minute one. I asked my major when I was on the treatment table: 'I'll be back in a week. Just wait for me, I'll be there.'

"Of course, [I had] no idea of my wounds and how long the rehabilitation process would be, but it was already in my mind. I was meant to go, finish this mission with the boys."

Mailloux said his fiancée was surprised by his decision but expected he would opt to go back if given the choice.

"You want to do good, you want to make sure that this gonna happen well so the people [in Afghanistan] have the same chance as you," he said.

Mailloux underwent all the physical training required of soldiers heading out to mission.

He is being deployed to Afghanistan in November to serve as a staff officer at the Kandahar Airfield headquarters.

The Department of National Defence believes he is the first Canadian soldier to return to a combat zone after an amputation.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story ... ldier.html

Wow. Amazing.

I wouldn’t call it amazing, he is just a guy who got injured and decided to go back. It's a feel good story and a fluff piece, I'm sure he has enough people patting him on the back and calling him a hero.

No, pretty sure it's amazing.

How so?

Sure he was injured and went back, what about the other soldiers who survived IED strikes and agreed to go back, knowing full well they will likely get into another one and might not survive. The fact that this officer has a immediately visible injury and chose to return to a desk in KAF is not amazing or brave.

He is a soldier, going to war zones is what soldiers do, nothing amazing in the slightest.

He did have to pass physical tests again, so yeah, it's impressive.

I'll give you impressive, that he was able to pass the basic fitness test, but not amazing.



That is amazing.

There is more than just physical. Having the psychological stability and determination to return to combat theatre after having your leg blown off is incredible.



That man is one helluva soldier.

Again, Im not disputing that. To spotlight him as some sort of disabled champion is misleading however; many soldiers have suffered mental injuries and have chosen to return. Again it is impressive, but not all that extraordinary. Im quite sure if he hadnt lost a leg he would still have returned, which would have made him just like the others who have done the same.

Not many soldiers with missing limbs return to the front lines. I think he might be the first actually.

Hardly a fluff piece.