Canadian Soldier killed in training crash on Alberta base

A senior military commander from Ontario was killed Wednesday morning during a training exercise on a northern Alberta military base.

Lt.-Col. Dan Bobbitt, commanding officer of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Garrison Petawawa, Ont., died when a light armoured vehicle rolled over during a training mission for Exercise Maple Resolve 2014 at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.

Four other soldiers from the same regiment were injured; two were taken to hospital in Edmonton in fair condition while two others were treated at the base and released.

Bobbitt was commanding officer of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery out of Petawawa. He served in two deployments to Bosnia, as well as during operations in Afghanistan. He was also the senior instructor of field artillery at the Royal Canadian Artillery School.

The soldiers were taking part in Exercise Maple Resolve 2014, which brings together 4,000 Canadian soldiers with troops from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the US military, and Britain. The Canadian Forces calls it the largest readiness-training exercise being held this year.

Agencies/Canadajournal