Soldiers from Canada and around the world bid a final farewell to Maj. Michelle Mendes, as her flag-draped casket was lifted onto a military transport on the tarmac of Kandahar Airfield.

Mendes, 30, was found dead Thursday afternoon in her accommodation room at the air base.

"Her tragic death has left many of us stunned," said Padre Martine Belanger during Friday's ramp ceremony, with soldiers on either side of the procession standing in salute.

"We gather this evening, in sorrow, with numb hearts and stunned silence, trying to wrestle with her unexpected demise and untimely death."

In a statement issued early Friday, the military said the soldier's death is under investigation.

"No further details are available at this time, although enemy action has been ruled out," said Maj. Mario Couture in a brief statement.

Mendes was serving in her second tour of duty in Afghanistan. She was working in the headquarters of the Canadian task force at the airfield -- the principal base for most of the 2,700 Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Known as "Mic" to her friends, Mendes hailed from a small town near Colborne, Ont., east of Toronto. Officials have not identified her home unit.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of our lost comrade," said Couture.

"Our primary focus at this time is to provide the best possible support to the family of our soldier and to her colleagues."

Belanger described Mendes on Friday as a person who strived to make life more enjoyable for those around her by baking cookies, making cards "or just being there when you needed a friendly ear.

"She always strove to do her best and was respected for her professional knowledge and work ethic," Belanger said. "The world will be an emptier place without her presence."

Defence Minister Peter MacKay offered his condolences to the Mendes family, who have asked for privacy but are expected to issue a statement in the coming days, according to the military.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time," MacKay said in a statement released Friday. "The Canadian Forces continue to make an immense difference in the lives of Afghans while protecting and promoting both Canadian and international security. Despite our grief, we will continue our important mission to bring peace and stability to the people of Afghanistan."

Jessica Leeder of the Globe and Mail, told CTV's Canada AM that few details had been released to reporters, but more information was expected later in the day.

Typically, Leeder said, the military provides little information about deaths that are deemed non combat-related, and it could be some time before the details of Mendes' death are released.

Mendes' death brings to 118 the total number of Canadian soldiers who have died during the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.

Mendes is the third female soldier to die in the mission. The last Canadian death in Afghanistan was on April 14, when 21-year-old Trooper Karine Blais was killed in a roadside bomb blast. Blais' funeral was held Friday in eastern Quebec, where 600 mourners packed a church in Les Mechins to pay their respects.

Mendes' previous tour

Mendes had previously served in Kandahar in 2006. At the time, her mother, Dianne Knight, told the Colborne Chronicle community newspaper that she was "thrilled" about her daughter's career. She told the paper her daughter wanted "an entire career in the army," and that she eventually opted for intelligence.

"It's right up her alley. She spends the majority of her time reading and analyzing things, and she's so good at it," Knight said.

She told the newspaper that her daughter had a "very positive attitude" about her deployment to Afghanistan. Mendes graduated from Kingston's Royal Military College in 2001 with a history degree.

The Colborne Chronicle profile of Mendes identified her husband as Victor Mendes, who was, at the time, a soccer coach at the military college.