Profiles of courage: serving in Afghanistan
Afghanistan u Although he's about 10,000 kilometers from his current home in the Ottawa Valley, and missing his family and friends every day, Campbellton native Warrant Officer Derek Marcoux has no doubt about his mission and why he's back for a second tour to Afghanistan. For him it's all about honouring fallen comrades and carrying out the task to the best of his ability, despite scorching heat, 12-hour days and a constant and relentless enemy.
"It's important to live as well as you can, to honour the people who have paid for our standards, freedoms and privileges, with their lives," says Marcoux, who serves with 2 CER (Combat Engineer Regiment) at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. "We have a monument here with pictures of the fallen on it, just outside our building, that I visit periodically. I never thought, in my generation, I would have a ‘wall' to visit. But I do. And some friends I know personally are on it…so the sacrifice is very real to me. Only those who have walked the mile understand the mile. And, I can tell you that for those who fought over the ground here, they know that a mile can mean eternity."
At the tender age of 18, Marcoux was looking for work in his hometown of Campbellton and the army had a job that appealed to him. "I didn't know anything about the army," he says. "I just wanted to get in, and the engineers had big trucks, bulldozers and blew stuff up."
Marcoux started out as a sapper (private) with 22 Field Squadron (now 4 Engineer Support Regiment) at CF Base Gagetown, N.B. and was deployed to Croatia/Bosnia in 1992. As a sergeant, he was sent to Bosnia again in 2003 with 23 Field Squadron of 2 CER at CF Base Petawawa. He deployed on his first mission to Afghanistan with the same squadron in 2005.
With 18 years in now, Marcoux certainly knows all about military life and how it translates for him in his present duties.
"Previous missions to the Balkans were different primarily because of the geography, but also because the level of violence directed at us was much lower. And, although there was much destruction in the Balkans, there was still a relatively modern society that was educated and skilled and therefore, could rebuild relatively quickly."
In comparison, he describes Afghanistan as a "harsh place" with a population with a very basic level of education. "Things are much easier said than done over here. There are no quick and easy solutions. I wish that Canadians had the patience that our enemies have. Time means nothing to our enemies. And all the while there are people here who want…who need our help to get a hand up and take care of their own business. That only comes with education and a sense of ownership, which we try to provide at every opportunity.
"I view the average Afghan, who just wants a good life and a healthy family, with sympathy and a desire to help them get to a place where they can influence their own destiny. I view the enemy, the Taliban and their allies, as hypocrites and power-abusing scum."
Marcoux's role in Afghanistan this tour is to advise the task force engineer on what it's going to cost in terms of manpower and resources to execute any given task. "I work with a couple of other warrant officers and officers who all have various backgrounds in engineering. We work together to give the task force engineer accurate estimates so he can advise the commander on what is a reasonable expectation of what the forces under his command can deliver."
His experiences in Afghanistan have also helped him appreciate his own limitations and the stark reality of the risk he and his fellow soldiers take on every mission.
"During my time on these rotations I've discovered that you cannot walk away thinking you have solved everything and that your way was the best way to do something. I've learned you can have all the power and technology in the world but when your day to die comes, you will die, and there is nothing you can do about it, so don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise. Some have died when there is no sound explanation for it. And others have lived when there is no way they should have lived.
"I've also learned that there are varying degrees of ‘good' in terms of performance. When lives are on the line ‘good enough' just doesn't cut it. So when I'm doing my job here my thoughts are with the guys who will have to execute whatever plan we cook up. ‘Good enough' isn't good enough, so we get as much input as possible from the people it will affect. I for one am open to any and all critique. A bruise on my ego is a whole lot easier to take than to walk up to that wall and face a friend."
Although a great many Canadians show their support for our soldiers, many don't understand the Afghanistan mission or why the soldiers are there. For Warrant Officer Derek Marcoux it's simply a matter of "doing his job".
"I go where the army tells me to go because I swore an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen and her representatives in Canada," says Marcoux. "The army tells me to go because the government tells the army where to go. The government does what the public wants because that's how a democracy works. So my desire has nothing to do with this. I happen to agree with this mission so it makes it relatively easier to head out the door."
In between planning tasks for his comrades and catching some sleep, Marcoux likes to work out, read something unrelated to work, and catch the odd show or movie.
The most difficult part for any soldier serving overseas is leaving behind family and friends. "So much life passes you by when you are here. I miss the tall red pines in Deep River, the Laurentians, and the Ottawa River. I miss my family and I miss the people I know there. I don't have to carry a gun in Canada. So, really I think (when I get back) I will make a point to cherish all those things and enjoy them…even on the ‘tough' days."
What does he miss the most? "Seeing my boys, being with my wife and friends. Knowing I'm waking up in Canada, in the Ottawa Valley. That place is freaking beautiful! Four seasons, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Hockey Night in Canada, beer, chicken wings…basically everything we take for granted in Canada."
And he already knows what he'll do when he gets home next spring.
"I'm going to hug all my loved ones and tell them thanks for waiting for me, and thanks for supporting me. Then we are all going to go for a drive in my truck that is waiting patiently to see me as well."
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