Hometown Swift Current, Saskatchewan and member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.
Born in Swift Current on Aug. 11th 1983, Byron Greff moved and grew up in Lacombe and Morinville, Alberta.
He joined the military in 2001 and was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was killed. He was a qualified paratrooper and a member of the battalion’s reconnaissance platoon.
He was serving as a mentor and trainer on “Operation Attention”, the Canadian Forces contribution to the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. His role was to advise Afghan National Army trainers working with Afghan soldiers. He was among the 900 Canadian soldiers who are training Afghan military personnel in the country until 2014.
MCpl Byron Greff died on October 29th, 2011 at 28-years-old. He was killed during a Taliban suicide attack. A car packed with explosives (approximately 700 kilograms) rammed their armoured ‘Rhino’ bus while travelling between bases in Kabul. Seventeen other people were killed in the explosion.
He is survived by his wife Lindsay, son Kellar and newborn daughter Brielle.
Greff will always be remembered for his sense of humour, and his laugh. He was hard-working and highly respected by his fellow soldiers. Greff enjoyed hunting and hockey in his free time.
He was the 158th Canadian personnel killed since the Afghanistan mission began in 2002. Greff was the first Canadian soldier to die since Canada ceased its combat operation in Afghanistan and started a training mission.
Fallen Saskatchewan soldiers in Afghanistan.
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