A soldier found dead at CFB Gagetown this week is being remembered as a great friend and father.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Warrant Officer Mark Boychuck are being described as tragic, and one of his friends says more must be done for military members -- both serving and retired.
When a military member passes away, the flag at the entrance of the base flies at half-mast from the day of the soldier’s death until sunset on the day of their funeral.
“He was such a mild human with a warrior spirit when needed, but walked through life as a good human, a good friend, a good soldier, a good dad, a good father,” said friend Fabian Henry. “So, when something like this happens to a young man like that, that shocked the hell out of me.”
Boychuck's body was discovered on base Monday morning. The circumstances surrounding his death are tragic and mostly unknown at this time.
The commander of 5th Canadian Division Support Group is asking everyone to “refrain from speculation.”
“Let's take this time to remember Mark's contributions to Canada, the international community, and the Canadian Armed Forces, and for those that knew him personally, how our relationships with him enriched our own lives,” Commander Keith Osmond wrote.
What we know about Boychuck paints a picture of a devoted soldier who did four tours overseas -- three in Afghanistan and one in Bosnia.
The 41-year-old was born in Montreal and spent most of his 20-year military career as a combat engineer, according to Henry, who served with Boychuck and considered him a friend.
“He was a loving type of guy, full of love, so it's a big shock,” Henry said. “You think you're getting desensitized to hearing things about such tragedies, but when it's a good guy, that has never done, as far as I know, anything wrong, this is unforeseen territory for me.”
Since leaving the military, Henry has been advocating for more support for soldiers.
He says serving overseas was dangerous, but coming back can be too.
“What happens when you get injured and you do need to take a knee, is, the resources in place don't seem to be effective,” Henry said.
He desperately wants leaders from across the country to pay attention; that includes those in Ottawa, in New Brunswick, in health care and in the military.
“There should be some alarm bells going off,” Henry said. “Not pointing fingers, but just shining light on we need to come to the table as a group, everyone have a voice and come up with solutions to reduce the suffering.”
The flag at CFB Gagetown flew at half-mast until Friday night.
According to base officials - it represents a collective sense of sorrow for those left missing a friend and colleague.
The investigation into his death has been handed over the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.
New Brunswick's Coroner Services says it was notified of his death earlier this week and is also investigating.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
