Within Canada's military there is a tight-knit and uniquely qualified group whose motto is "Ubique," which means "everywhere."

"The combat engineer reconnaissance team is an exceptionally well-trained group so any losses are significant ones," said Wesley Wark, a professor of military history at the University of Toronto.

"Our engineers are some of the most important soldiers in our task force because they are the guys that go out and disarm that stuff and shut it down," said Lee Windsor, deputy director for the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick.