The body of the latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan will return to Canadian soil Tuesday afternoon.
Sapper Sean Greenfield, who grew up in Petawawa and trained at the eastern Ontario base, was killed when the light armoured vehicle he was riding in hit a roadside bomb on Saturday. The other soldiers in the vehicle were unharmed.
Greenfield, 25, is the eleventh soldier to be killed since December. Those who knew him remembered him for his charm and charisma.
"He was a great kid, the kind of kid you knew would go on to be a success in whatever he did in life," said Gary Serviss, Greenfield's high school teacher.
"Sean was someone who always had a smile on his face -- it was infectious. He was fun-loving, good-natured, a bit of a trickster but loved by everyone, really good kid," added Debra Rantz, principal of General Panet High School.
Greenfield was a member of an engineer regiment taking part in an operation to dismantle explosives outside Kandahar City. Those who knew his work say he contributed to the success of the dangerous mission.
"He'll be remembered for being that really outgoing young vibrant part of the community and his regiment," said Col. Dean Milner.
News of his death has sobered the Petawawa community, which recently mourned the death of Trooper Brian Richard Good who was killed three weeks ago.
"It's quiet, people want to talk about it, but they don't want to talk about it. You can see it in the sadness in people's eyes, I don't know how else to say it," said Petawawa resident Donna Fowler.
"Any death is going to be tragic to the family, and to everybody who has known them," added Dan Whitman, who works with the military's casualty administration office.
"With local guys it's even more difficult because they're from here, from the village and the village is very small and it impacts everybody."
Since 2002, 108 Canadian soldiers have died while serving in Afghanistan.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Maggie Padlewska
