On a cold January day in Zangabad, Afghanistan, 22-year-old Cpl. Max Birkner was one of 60 soldiers walking through an alley of a village when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near the rear of the platoon.

Birkner recalled the event for the Courier in person and via email.

"The shock wave that reverberated through the village was massive and I initially thought it had gone off right behind me, which had already happened once about a month previous, while in reality it was 100 metres back," Birkner wrote. "Your heart sinks when you hear a bang like this, though we weren't sure what had really happened yet."

But when he heard someone shout "medic," and saw one of his fellow soldiers running towards the back of the platoon carrying a stretcher, the reality quickly sank in.

At the time Birkner, a reserve infantry soldier with the Vancouver-based Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, was attached to 8 Platoon of Charlie Company of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). He was one of 20 infantry reserve soldiers from the Seaforth, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, attached to the PPCLI for a seven-month tour of Afghanistan that began last October and ended in May.

A few days after the soldiers returned from Afghanistan, the Courier sat down with Birkner and fellow soldiers Emil (Kash) Kowlalczyk, 26, and Josh Muir, 34, at the Seaforth Armoury on Burrard Street. This was Muir's and Kowlalczyk's second tour to Afghanistan.

On this damp Vancouver morning, the soldiers wear the same desert camouflage uniform they'd worn in Afghanistan. Kowlalczyk sports short dark hair and is the tallest of the trio, while Muir is a close second, but his brown hair is slightly longer. Birkner's blond hair has been streaked even lighter by the desert sun. Tall, trim and tanned, they look straight out of a Hollywood casting call.

But this is no movie set and now safely back in Vancouver, the soldiers recount details of the day of the attack in Afghanistan. Kowlalczyk says once it was understood one of their own had been injured, the platoon fell back and formed a protective cordon around the soldiers performing first aid on their fallen comrade. About 15 minutes later, two American Blackhawk helicopters landed nearby to medevac the soldier to safety.

He also recalls the soldiers immediately went on alert for a secondary bomb or bomber, a typical tactic of the insurgents. He initially felt some fear, but says his training quickly took over.

Muir says the explosion took place just behind his position, so close he felt the blast. The most frustrating part of these situations, he says, is not being able to rush to a buddy's aid. Instead, soldiers are commanded to secure the area before the medics can begin their work.

The village was considered friendly, and Birkner had the distinct impression many of the villagers knew what was going to happen that day and were sympathetic to the unit and the injured soldier. Birkner also feels many had, in their own way, tried to warn them of the IED. A fellow soldier later told him that as the platoon walked into the village, he saw a young girl shaking her head at them. "I personally remember a few of the older people making noises with their mouths, like the noise of an explosion," says Birkner. "One of the adults in particular was sitting by a wall and looked me right in the eyes as I was passing talking to some kids, and he made this noise. I thought it was quite strange at the time, but didn't think much about it. Now I wonder if he was trying to warn me."

Sitting on the second floor of the Seaforth Armoury, joined by National Defence public affairs officer Capt. Chris Poulton, the three soldiers, all corporals, described what day-to-day life in Afghanistan was like for members of Task Force 309.

The Seaforth infantry soldiers were attached to the PPCLI to provide security to other military units, such as the field engineers, and had been training with Charlie Company from that regiment since last February. Canada is expected to pull out of Afghanistan some time in 2011.

All three men want to serve another tour in Afghanistan before the withdrawal, but not as part of the infantry. Instead, they'd prefer to return to help the locals rebuild their lives and infrastructure, to mentor Afghan police or military, or go back as part of the Canadian military's provincial reconstruction team. Canadian soldiers are given a set amount of time off between tours of duty. If they want to return sooner, they must sign a waiver that allows them to complete back-to-back missions.

The Seaforth soldiers lived and worked out of various forward operating bases (FOBs) outside of Kandahar City. Birkner describes the living conditions at each FOB as "spartan," with the exception of the one in Kandahar, home of the now famous Tim Hortons coffee shop.

Muir says, when allowed, soldiers were limited to three-minute showers per day. Showers were not an everyday luxury and often the soldiers went two weeks without one, relying on baby wipes and hand sanitizer for basic hygiene in between.

The Seaforths were mostly housed in an old school outfitted with bunk beds and plywood shelves. Books, they say, are the most valuable commodity traded at base camp.

In a letter to the Courier while in Afghanistan, Birkner wrote, "Amid Clancy and Grisham on a dusty shelf I found The English Patient, by Ondaatje and I brought it to [a fellow soldier] who hasn't read it yet. I'm going at Tolstoy with the usual vengeance. And finally the efforts, though tidal at times at their strength, have begun to pay off. I'm more than halfway now. If I read 60 pages a day from now until the end of the tour, War and Peace could be laid to rest in Cyprus."

Laptop computers are a must for keeping in touch with friends, girlfriends, family and the world outside of Afghanistan. The soldiers say girlfriends back home can be both a blessing and a curse. It's common for girlfriends to break off the relationship even when there's just weeks left of a mission.

"People we thought would make it are going down hard," Birkner wrote to the Courier. "And people are starting to realize why we were warned about who we give power of attorney to, or share bank accounts with while over here."

Kowlalczyk packed his poker chips on this tour and it's his prowess at the game that won him the nickname "Kash." Kowlalczyk's prior tour of Afghanistan was tougher because it took place in summer when temperatures reached 55 Celsius. During this recent tour, the temperature averaged in the mid-30s. The soldiers give huge credit to the team of dedicated military cooks who worked hard to feed the men and women with what was available. Tuesdays at the FOB were traditionally barbecue nights, when the soldiers feasted on hamburgers and hotdogs, while once a month they were treated to a much-appreciated steak. It was a different story on patrol, however, when soldiers ate nothing but individual meal packages for weeks at a time, which included such culinary delights as pork and beans, clam chowder and meat loaf. Some of the trio's fellow soldiers would go to great lengths to avoid eating the pre-packaged meals while in the field, instead existing on beef jerky, oatmeal bars and Pop Tarts. The individual meals are part of the 150-plus pounds each of the soldiers carried on patrol, which also included armour, ammunition and water.

A highlight for Birkner during his Afghanistan tour was interacting with the locals, in particular the children who constantly asked for pings (pencils) and biscors (granola bars).

Many soldiers, including Birkner, kept daily journals as a way to remember events and dates, people and places. Birkner also kept copies of the correspondence he sent home to family and friends, some of which he shared with the Courier.

"There is a controversy going on in the [United States] right now," he wrote in one letter. "The American issued scope, called ACOG, has a built-in tube that collects light from the sun and stores this light for use during low visibility conditions. [The Biblical verse] John 8-12 is inscribed on every device as part of the serial number. I looked the verse up and this is what I read, 'Jesus spoke... I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

People can argue until they're blue in the face. I'm indifferent."

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The Courier asked Birkner, just 22 years old, why he constantly referred to his fellow soldiers, and in particular their American allies, as "boys." He explains on average U.S. soldiers tend to be younger than the Canadians, with many joining the military right out of high school.

"A U.S. sergeant that I spoke to at length is 25 and on his third tour," Birkner wrote. "And a tour for them means a year [with the exception of the marines.] He spoke fluent Arabic with some of the locals, this white kid from Mobile, Alabama."

Birkner describes a time when an American specialized light infantry division arrived at the platoon's base camp for several days because its plane was delayed due to a coup in an area commonly used by the U.S. for flights.

"Several of us stand beside the Hesco [bastion] and look with the hard-to-admit curiosity and feigned toughness that fighting units allow each other," Birkner wrote to the Courier during earlier correspondence. "The personal assessment is underway. They have this or that kit [equipment] we say, but we have this, which they don't have. Look at the way they do this particular thing--that's not the way we would do it. Look, they've got that new grenade launcher. I wish we had that."

It wasn't long before the soldiers were swapping gear--boots were traded for jackets, ballistics for gloves. Birkner notes the Canadians had the better bartering skills, something he chalks up to having spent more time in Afghanistan. He says the three-hour shared nighttime guard duty became interesting once again and soon everyone was sharing their life stories.

"Then there's all the young-man banter. Snow driving stories by people from the south who showed up in New York slush," writes Birkner. "Stories of girls. Stories of wild bush parties and smoking crack on the weekends. Stories of wrapping brand-new Jeeps around trunks of trees, and cautious reminders toward the smaller hours. Wyoming hunting stories--fishing with dad stories. Discussions about sisters."

The morning after that first night watch, the Americans brought out M14s for the Canadians to try. Birkner describes the weapons as "looking dusty under the sunlight in new coats of matte paint--sand and dead grass and rocks--and the bi-pods sprung open like the springy legs of hounds on the blood trail..."

As the Americans readied to leave, an unofficial photographer snapped pictures of the American and Canadian soldiers together.

"Ballistic sunglasses hide the young eyes of boys who think that the desert has turned them into men," Birkner wrote. "But some of us know better."

Birkner, a self-described adrenalin junkie, joined the reserves because he was looking for structure in his life. He's not proud of the fact he was kicked out of Kitsilano secondary and attended five alternative schools before graduating. But he is proud of his accomplishments since then with the Seaforths, which he joined while still in high school. Once Birkner joined the reserves he was motivated to complete grades 11 and 12 in the same school year, while finishing his basic military qualifications on the weekends. Birkner wants to further his education and pursue a career in anthropology. He also plans to continue writing, something he showed talent for during his correspondence with the Courier. His immediate plans are to ride his bike across Canada this summer, "just for something to do." Prior to going to Afghanistan, Birkner worked ski patrol at Grouse Mountain.

He's very close to his 25-year-old brother Theo, "the good one," who is a BCIT business and marketing graduate, and his parents, who still live in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, Kowlalczyk wants to train to become a firefighter. He grew up in Vancouver and graduated from Van Tech secondary before joining the Seaforths in 2002. He plans to remain with the reserve unit and would like to take part in a third overseas tour with the Armed Forces, particularly to somewhere he's never been before.

"But I'd go back to Afghanistan, too."

Muir began his military career in Winnipeg in 1994 with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, then moved to Victoria in 1996 where he served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He transferred to the Seaforths that same year, but then in 1999 decided to take a break from military life. He says after a lot of soul searching he rejoined the Seaforths in 2006 with a goal to serve in Afghanistan, which he believes is a worthy mission.

"When I first joined the reserves, it was for boyhood dreams of adventure and glory, a fun job after high school," says Muir. "And when I got back it was to serve and do my perceived duty, as well as to fill a gap in my life. I had always missed the army while I was out."

Muir plans to stay with the Seaforths and go back to school. He also plans to spend more time with his longtime girlfriend and enjoy a regular life at home in False Creek for the first time since 2007.

Muir's brother, who's his roommate, is also pursuing a career in the military with a goal of joining the Seaforths.

While corresponding with the Courier, Birkner recalled another incident during which the soldiers feared for their lives. His section had just returned to the platoon at a police station where they were camped. One morning the soldiers were sweeping a paved road for bombs, with a local police truck parked nearby to show that the Afghans were "running the show."

Birkner says out of the blue, a white Corolla came flying around a corner and careened into the truck. Before there was time to train their weapons, three "fighting aged males" stumbled out of the car. Birkner says a young 20-something Afghan police officer charged out of the truck and drop-kicked the first guy.

"I mean some serious ninja crap," wrote Birkner. "Without stopping he was onto the other two guys and delivered a one-on-three beating that rivaled anything you've ever seen choreographed on TV."

Birkner says the physical attack was accompanied by a verbal lambasting with meaning that was just as clear to the non-Pashtu speaking soldiers as it was to the cheering crowd of local kids who had by now gathered round. At that point the three men got back in their car and "sheepishly" drove away. The young police officer later told Birkner he had been convinced it was a suicide bomb attack and that he had been more afraid for his life at that moment than at any other time.

Several hours before interviewing the soldiers in May, Canadian media reported the death of Col. Geoff Parker by suicide bomber. He was the 145th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan. Parker was also the highest-ranking Canadian soldier killed since the mission began in 2001. The soldiers shared their thoughts on Parker's death, which happened just days after they left the war-torn area.

"It doesn't matter if it's a personal friend or not," Muir says. "It still makes me feel sad. And it's a shame because we're there as guests trying to make their life better."

Kowlalczyk agrees. "Every time I hear about another death I feel bad," he says. "I guess some of them don't understand we're there trying to make a difference, to make their life better."

Birkner, surprisingly, remains quiet. It was the only time during weeks of colourful and lively correspondence, as well as the candid face-to-face interview, that Birkner was silent. He is too uncomfortable to comment.

To date, 150 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan. Afghan civilian casualties are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

sthomas@vancourier.com