MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – August 20, 2012

• HMCS Regina good to go in the Arabian Sea  “…. Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Regina arrived in the Arabian Sea today to join the multinational coalition fleet conducting maritime security operations in the region. HMCS Regina will replace HMCS Charlottetown, which has been in the region since April …. HMCS Regina left her home port of Esquimalt, B.C., on July 3 to replace HMCS Charlottetown on Operation Artemis, Canada’s contribution to Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), the multinational flotilla conducting counter-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, and the Indian Ocean. HMCS Charlottetown is heading home after a deployment of more than seven months ….”     
• Kidnap worries at CFB Comox  “The RCMP and military police are investigating a report of an attempted abduction of a nine year-old girl at Canadian Forces Base in Comox.  The girl was riding her bike back from the Glacier Gardens Arena and Recreation Centre at 19 Wing Comox about 4 p.m. Friday when a blue van with two men in it slowed down.  One of the men allegedly asked the girl: “Have you ever been kidnapped before?”  The girl, who lives in military housing on the base, rode home and told her mother, who reported the incident to military police, said Capt. Julian White.  The girl gave detailed descriptions of the men.  The driver was white, about 50 years of age, had a scar on his left cheek and was clean-shaven. He was wearing jeans and a navyblue T-shirt.  The passenger had a star tattoo on the left side of his neck. He was white, had blond hair, a moustache, a small scar under his lip. He was wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt ….”     
• Point:  If we hounour athletes, we must honour vets  “…. Even in a time of restraint, support needs to be available for screening and treatment of mental illness for soldiers and those who have served.  We are talking about men and women of courage, discipline and physical and mental strength.  They are the best we can train.  They represent Canada on an international stage.  When they return home they should be assured of continued support and bright futures.  It is their due, and our privilege.”
• Counterpoint:  We’re working on it  “…. Although fiscal responsibility requires all CF elements to contribute to deficit reduction, there have been no cuts in suicide prevention programs, PTSD research capability, or the number of mental health care providers.  CF members merit the best possible health care by virtue of their extraordinary risks and sacrifices in the service of Canada.  Although the CF faces the same mental health staffing challenges as civilian health authorities, it has been nationally and internationally recognized as a mental health leader with a strong and comprehensive program ….”     
• Honouring vets via youth sport  “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue …. announced a contribution of up to $25,000 to support the 36th annual Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships, which officially open in Charlottetown tonight. The event will include a focus on the 70th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid and a salute to the women of the Canadian Forces in recognition of 70 years of service ….”
  
• Next CDS:  Whoozit gonna be? (1)  One columnist’s very specific guess  “….  The fact that army officers have held the post for the past two terms in no way precludes the fact that another army lieutenant-general could be promoted to replace Natynczyk.  If that is the case, army Lt.-Gen. Peter Devlin would be an excellent choice.  Throughout the course of his career, Devlin has proved his mettle in action — he was wounded in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1992 and impressed his United States peers during an exchange posting that saw him deployed to Iraq from 2006 to 2008.  More importantly, Devlin’s leadership appears to inspire confidence and loyalty from those who have served with him.  While he is not considered a front-runner in the media’s chief of defence staff replacement sweepstakes, if one takes the time to read the comments after those stories, Devlin’s name is repeatedly put forward by his former soldiers.  There is no doubt that the Canadian Forces will be facing some challenging obstacles in the months ahead, and they will need a chief of defence staff they can trust to put their collective best interest first.  Devlin has that trust.”
• Next CDS:  Whoozit gonna be? (2)  More speculation  “…. the new chief will need to balance the military’s traditional demands for elaborate, foreign-going forces against the closer-to-home reality of terrorism, human smuggling and contraband traffic.  At minimum, Canada’s armed forces should match in quality the threat they face and in strength, overmatch it. To that end, the chief must advise the political level about potential threats but also warn against spending on imaginary menaces.  What isn’t clear is whether the Harper government wants that advice or just a uniformed figurehead to carry out its political objectives ….”
• Survey Says:  Canadians worried about eco-terror  “The Conservative government’s verbal attacks on “environmental and other radical groups” have sparked a fear, most prevalent among Conservative voters, of an eco-terrorist attack on Canada’s energy infrastructure, a new poll has found.  And the government would find strong support not only among its own supporters but from all Canadians, the poll finds, of using the RCMP and CSIS to spy on environmental groups as one of the means of preventing attacks on Canada’s pipelines, refineries and hydro dams.  The poll, commissioned by Sun News Network and done by polling firm Abacus Data of Ottawa, finds that one in two of those surveyed believes the threat of an attack on an energy infrastructure facility to be either high or moderate.  Among those survey respondents who identified themselves as supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada, two-thirds rated the threat of an eco-terrorist attack as high or moderate. Even among NDP supporters, 47% saw the threat as high or moderate ….” - more from the survey company here (news release) and here (detailed tables).
  
• Way Up North  “Sorrow and remembrance will hang over a newly built memorial near a tiny Arctic hamlet Monday as the families of 12 people killed in a fiery plane crash gather on the pebbled tundra where the jet went down one year ago.  “Just a simple few prayers said and we’ll say our goodbyes,” said Aziz Kheraj, a hotel owner in Resolute, Nunavut, who lost friends, employees and a six-year-old granddaughter when the First Air 737 that he had chartered flew into a hill near the airport.  “Every day’s a tough day. Every day is different. Some days are harder than others, but all you do is put your head down and plug away. Not much else one can do.” ….” - more here and here.    
• Former Liberal political operator suggests a new way to find ways to honour Canada’s history  “…. The federal government should consider creating a new advisory body — a Canadian Historical Council. Comprised of a nationwide panel of respected historians, political scientists and other similarly qualified experts, its mandate would be twofold. First, to offer annual recommendations to Parliament on ways in which the celebration of Canadian history could be elevated and better promoted. And second, to submit a specific list of projects each year to recognize and honour Canadian historical figures — political and otherwise ….”
• Remembering Dieppe, 70 Years On (1)  The G-G/Commander-in-Chief:  “…. On that day, with courage and determination, Canadians and Allied forces fought side by side to ensure that peace and freedom would triumph. The sacrifices they so willingly made so that we would be free from the yoke of tyranny embody the heavy price paid in times of war. Those of us who have the opportunity to live in a free and democratic society must never forget the tremendous debt that we owe them ….”
• Remembering Dieppe, 70 Years On (2)  The PM:  “…. As we mark this anniversary, we say thanks to the thousands of selfless Canadians who fought for our country on this solemn occasion. We also thank current members of the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to serve with great pride and distinction, upholding our most cherished values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world ….”
• Remembering Dieppe, 70 Years On (3)  The Minister of National Defence and the troops:  “…. we remember a dark but courageous chapter in Canadian military history …. While the outcome of the Dieppe Raid was tragic for thousands of heroic Canadians, the lessons they learned played a crucial role in the success of future military actions. Those who participated in the Dieppe Raid were among the more than one million brace Canadians who served during the Second World War, and whom we shall never forget ….”
• Remembering Dieppe, 70 Years On (4)  The Minister of Veterans Affairs:  “ …. communities across our country and in France will pay tribute to the brave Canadians who landed on the beaches of Dieppe 70 years ago …. Our mission is to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten. Our Government will ensure that the torch of remembrance is passed on to our younger generations ….”
• Remembering Dieppe, 70 Years On (5)  The historian:   “…. The poor planning, the utter military incompetence of those in command at Combined Operations HQ, had guaranteed that Dieppe would be a shambles. The soldiers, as is always the case, paid the price. Fortunately, the D-Day invasion two years later would be better planned.”