We regret to advise of the death of Sergeant James Patrick MacNeil in Afghanistan at the age of 28 on 21 June 2010.
Sgt. MacNeil was killed by the detonation of an improvised explosive device while on a joint foot patrol with the Afghan National Army near the village of Nakhonay. Nakhonay is in the Panjwaii district which is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. It has been a bloody battleground for Canadian troops since they arrived in Kandahar province in strength in 2006.
A native of Glace Bay, NS, Sergeant MacNeil enrolled in the Canadian Forces at Sydney NS in January 2000. After completing his Combat Engineer training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering he was posted to 2 Combat Engineer Regiment at CFB Petawawa. During his tour with 2 CER he had filled every position in a field engineer section - from section member, section driver, gunner, storeman, and Second-in-Command to Section Commander - all of them while deployed in an operational theatre. In 2009 Sergeant MacNeil earned the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group "Top Master Corporal" award for his outstanding junior leadership and he received an early promotion to Sergeant that Fall. Sgt MacNeil was on his fourth Afghanistan deployment.
Visitation will be at McGillivray Funeral Home, 16 Reserve Street, Glace Bay, NS on Wednesday 30 June and Thursday 1 July from 1400-1600 hrs and 1900-2100 hrs. The funeral service will be held Friday 2 July at 1400 hrs at Immaculate Conception Church, 468 Kings Rd, Dominion, NS.