Canadian soldier, Sgt. John Wayne Faught, 44, has died in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan. He was the first Canadian casualty in the war torn country this year.
Faught was killed after stepping on an improvised explosive device in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province while on a joint foot patrol.
He was a member of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Edmonton.
Faught was described as a "father figure" among the soldier, who was affectionally known as "Toast" because he was "hard and crusty."
"He could always be counted on to tell it like it is when asked for his opinion," Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said late Saturday.
"He was a very conscientious and thorough section commander who always put the needs of his soldiers above his own."
Faught was from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
"A career soldier, his life revolved around the army," Menard said.
A family member of Faught reached by The Canadian Press said the family would not be commenting.
On a Facebook memorial page called "R.I.P Sergeant John Wayne Faught," friends and family offered their thoughts about the man many referred to as "John Wayne."
"My beloved cousin Johnny was a true hero not only across the way in Afghanistan but here at home too. He was all about family and friends and he will be remembered by so many people whose lives he touched in some way," Leslie Faught Tackney wrote on the group's wall.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his condolences in a statement Saturday.
"The courage demonstrated by Sergeant Faught speaks volumes of his dedication to our country and to this mission," Harper said. "He gave his life not only to protect Canadians and our national interests, but also to provide hope to Afghans for a better future."
The explosion occurred at about 2 p.m. local time on what was described as a routine foot patrol, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.
No one else was hurt in the incident.
There have been 139 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and two Canadian civilians.
The death was the first since Dec. 30, when four Canadian soldiers, Sgt. George Miok, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, Cpl. Zachery McCormack and Pte. Garrett Chidley -- along with Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang were killed when their armoured vehicle was struck by a massive roadside bomb.
With files from The Canadian Press
