Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to MacNeil and sent condolences to the soldier’s family, friends and comrades. “May you be consoled by the knowledge that an entire country stands behind you in your grief,” Harper said in a statement.
The prime minister said MacNeil “was a courageous, dedicated soldier who gave his life trying to help the Afghan people build a better future for themselves and their country.”
In Kandahar, Vance said: “For each IED that Canadian soldiers find and disarm, Afghan lives are spared and the processes of rebuilding their communities can continue.”
“Through constant patrolling and maintaining a presence in that community, Afghans know to trust both Canadian and Afghan soldiers and respect their efforts to bring them security from all sources of harm.”
MacNeil was with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based at CFB Petawawa.
He was the epitome of excellence and professionalism, said Vance, who called him a “proud Cape Bretoner” and who couldn’t stay No to a social gathering and was inevitably “the life of the party”.
Vance said MacNeil was known for his good sense of humour and, according to his men, was a great person to work for.
“He was blessed with a permanent smile and eyes that could not conceal the mischief that he was no doubt contemplating.”
Vance said that after MacNeil’s last deployment to Afghanistan, and before his promotion to sergeant, he was recognized as the top master corporal in 2 Mechanized Brigade Group.
We have to keep taking the fight to the Taliban, let them know that the people of Afghanistan and Coalition Forces supporting the Afghan National Army have freedom of movement and are not afraid of the Taliban, or afraid of their cowardly tactics. By virtue of Coalition Forces being there, all other methods of negotiation have failed with these cowards.