Genius
Posts: 787 
Location: Ontario
Location: Ontario
October 22nd, 2005, 03:35 PM
You failed to answer my question.
No matter what the glorious history of the CAR, following the events of Operation Deliverance, how could the Canadian government send the regiment on another sensitive peacekeeping mission with that stain on its escutcheon?
While the actions of some elements of the CAR following Operation Deliverance left much to be desired, do you really believe that they could have taken part in another action, especially any into Africa?
I can see no different fate for the CAR, other than keeping them as a palace guard, never to be tasked outside of Canada. This, obviously, never was in the cards.
After a disgrace such as the Somalia Incident, it was only to be expected that a drastic scrutiny and reorganization of problem areas would follow. Undoubtedly, this scrutiny and reorganization would both damage morale within the military as well as depress recruitment. As bad as that would be, to try to ignore the problem could be potentially worse.
As a result of the dispersal, the good soldiers could be cycled into health regiments, the “bad apples” could be discharged, or move to positions where they would remain under scrutiny. The effect to be sought being that no other such incident should ever occur.
Finally, in disbanding the CAR, the government demonstrated to those present in the military, to nonmilitary Canadians (especially possible recruits) and to the world at large (allies and enemies alike) that no such conduct is tolerated in the Canadian military, nor would it be in the future.
As a result, it is my contention at least, that Canadian troops both at home and abroad are better regarded than if the government had attempted to sweep the incident under the carpet.
Finally, I appreciate that many fine soldiers suffered in the aftermath of the Somalia Incident, and endured more suffering following the disbanding of their regiment.
Hopefully, they will learn the lesson of their failure. They may have done nothing wrong by themselves, but they had tolerated in their ranks, prejudices which they must have known most civilians would not share, which ran counter to the spirit of fifty years of Canada’s military missions, and was in direct violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights.
If they have learned the lesson of that defeat, they will be more scrupulous about ensuring the maintenance of an ethical standard. If not, they will blame their misfortune on the government.
You failed to answer my question.
No matter what the glorious history of the CAR, following the events of Operation Deliverance, how could the Canadian government send the regiment on another sensitive peacekeeping mission with that stain on its escutcheon?
While the actions of some elements of the CAR following Operation Deliverance left much to be desired, do you really believe that they could have taken part in another action, especially any into Africa?
I can see no different fate for the CAR, other than keeping them as a palace guard, never to be tasked outside of Canada. This, obviously, never was in the cards.
After a disgrace such as the Somalia Incident, it was only to be expected that a drastic scrutiny and reorganization of problem areas would follow. Undoubtedly, this scrutiny and reorganization would both damage morale within the military as well as depress recruitment. As bad as that would be, to try to ignore the problem could be potentially worse.
As a result of the dispersal, the good soldiers could be cycled into health regiments, the “bad apples” could be discharged, or move to positions where they would remain under scrutiny. The effect to be sought being that no other such incident should ever occur.
Finally, in disbanding the CAR, the government demonstrated to those present in the military, to nonmilitary Canadians (especially possible recruits) and to the world at large (allies and enemies alike) that no such conduct is tolerated in the Canadian military, nor would it be in the future.
As a result, it is my contention at least, that Canadian troops both at home and abroad are better regarded than if the government had attempted to sweep the incident under the carpet.
Finally, I appreciate that many fine soldiers suffered in the aftermath of the Somalia Incident, and endured more suffering following the disbanding of their regiment.
Hopefully, they will learn the lesson of their failure. They may have done nothing wrong by themselves, but they had tolerated in their ranks, prejudices which they must have known most civilians would not share, which ran counter to the spirit of fifty years of Canada’s military missions, and was in direct violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights.
If they have learned the lesson of that defeat, they will be more scrupulous about ensuring the maintenance of an ethical standard. If not, they will blame their misfortune on the government.
on dbl secret probation
Posts: 202
Location: Chillliwack, BC
Location: Chillliwack, BC
October 27th, 2005, 10:05 AM
As for scattering the best of the CAR to other units, well, all that down is draw down an elite unit and dilute their effectiveness into the coed politically correct units, that have reached their top level of potential by directing traffic at street corners in Bosnia. The leader of the CAR, an officer of great honour and potential at the time of its disbandment, LCol Kenward, has had his career sidetracked into menial desk work. He is forbidden from commenting on the regiment. He would simply point out the incompetence and the cowardice of the Liberal government in disbanding a unit that is critical to the overall integrity of the Canadian Armed Forces..
Quote:
What a load of crap. The government and senior officers were warned of the state of the CAR prior to its deployment to Somalia. That state was a direct result of pc meddling by the government of the day. It chose to ignore those warnings, sack the officer who made them and subsequently scape goated everybody else but themselves (the Mulroney/Chretien continuum) for things they themselves were culpable of when things went wrong. General Lewis McKenzie, one of Canada's best known generals, remembered the calls he received from fellow general officers in the American and Nato forces expressing astonishment that a unit they considered amongst the best in the world was pilloried and eviscerated by such a mediocre sack of pond skum like Chretien and his henchmen.
how could the Canadian government send the regiment on another sensitive peacekeeping mission with that stain on its escutcheon
As for scattering the best of the CAR to other units, well, all that down is draw down an elite unit and dilute their effectiveness into the coed politically correct units, that have reached their top level of potential by directing traffic at street corners in Bosnia. The leader of the CAR, an officer of great honour and potential at the time of its disbandment, LCol Kenward, has had his career sidetracked into menial desk work. He is forbidden from commenting on the regiment. He would simply point out the incompetence and the cowardice of the Liberal government in disbanding a unit that is critical to the overall integrity of the Canadian Armed Forces..
