MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 12, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  CF publishes latest stats on dead & wounded in Afghanistan
• Afghanistan (2)  “The Canadian Forces has reversed its decision to discharge a Canadian soldier who testified about his struggle for health benefits and his long recovery from injuries suffered in the Afghanistan war.  Vancouver-native Cpl. Glen Kirkland, who almost died while serving in Afghanistan five years ago when he was attacked by the Taliban, was informed by the military he could stay in the army until he qualifies for a 10-year indexed pension.  According to the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, if a CF member is released from duty because of a disability, they are entitled to an unreduced pension if they have accumulated 10 year of pensionable service.  The military’s decision comes a day after Kirkland was notified he was going to be discharged in six months — despite assurances from Defence Minister Peter MacKay in the House of Commons that he would not suffer “ramifications” for speaking out …. Tuesday’s decision comes after Mackay called Vice-Chief of Defence Staff Bruce Donaldson late Monday night and ordered him to reverse the military’s decision to discharge Kirkland.  The outcome of that call was revealed on Tuesday when NDP MP Peter Stoffer asked MacKay in the House of Commons if he was going to follow through on his promise that Kirkland would not suffer any ramifications for testifying about his experience as an injured veteran …” - here’s an exchange with the Liberal defence critic earlier in the session confirming the same thing
• Taliban Propaganda Watch  Taliban Info-machine:  Islam says suicide bombing is wrong, so we do “martyrdom operations” instead! (links to non-jihadi site)
  
• “Canadian Forces Base Kingston went into lockdown Tuesday afternoon after a gunshot was heard.  A soldier stationed at the base was found in a wooded area shortly after the shot was heard, which drew a response from Kingston and Military Police.  The soldier died at the scene.  “Shortly before 3 p.m., we did receive a call regarding an incident on base at CFB Kingston,” said Const. Steve Koopman. “We’re assisting the military police with an investigation in regards into what we’re describing as an incident.”  While the lockdown was imposed as a precaution, no one else was harmed in the incident. The soldier took his own life.  “At roughly 3:30 p.m., or a little bit after, we feel the incident has been resolved, meaning there’s no direct threat to our knowledge to the public, specific organization or individual at this point in time,” Koopman said ….”
• Nova Scotia, town wants to move an airport to CFB Greenwood to make way for a (possible) factory  “Municipal council in the Annapolis Valley have decided to relocate a local airport in order to make way for a possible expansion of a Michelin Tire plant.  The decision regarding the Waterville municipal airport was made Tuesday following an update to Kings County council on a study exploring the potential expansion of the Michelin Tire plant in Waterville. The plant is located next to the airport.  The French tire giant has said there is no guarantee of an expansion, but it wants to be able to move quickly if it decides to do so.  In a news release, the Department of Economic Development said it would work with the municipality to look at the possibility of relocating the airport at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood.  The department said a letter would be sent to the base to request a feasibility study ….”
  
• Commander in Chief’s headed out east, visiting 5 Wing in Goose Bay today
• Syria  “Canada has no plans to revisit its decision not to send military aid to Syrian rebels, something U.S. President Barack Obama is reportedly considering.  Senior Canadian officials travelling with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a trip to Europe said Ottawa has not changed its position on the issue despite the rapid advances the Assad regime has made in its efforts to crush rebel forces in Syria.  The Harper government has repeatedly expressed concerns about the possibility of weapons supplied to the rebels ending up in the hands of Al Qaeda-linked groups that are part of the forces challenging Syrian President Bashar Assad.  “Arming unnamed people whose identities we do not know and whose objectives we do not understand, I think is extremely risky,” Harper said last month ….”
  
• “The first period of Maple Flag has just ended and, said the program’s co-ordinator, it went well.  Major Forrest Rock said the annual exercise is rooted very much in reality.  “We basically take what exists in the world today and make it unclassified,” in order to train war fighters in state war scenarios, said Rock.  With the exercises, a fighter should be ready to go to war if need be, he added.  Rock said Maple Flag is a graduation exercise for those having taken the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course. Others have taken the Tactical Electronic Warfare Instructor Course.  “There’s a very heavy draw on all the Air Forces resources out there,” Rock commented.  This year’s participants in Period 1 included, besides Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium and, for the first time, Colombia. Period two’s participants will include Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  Rock said Maple Flag’s biggest benefit is “the opportunity to train with NATO and non-NATO partners.” The unrestricted airspace around Cold Lake also lends itself well to the exercises, he added ….” - more on Maple Flag from the RCAF Info-machine here
  
• Way Up North (1)  “A pair of think-tanks say the Harper government should either announce plans to scrap its glitch-plagued submarine fleet — or begin the process of replacing them before any more tax dollars are wasted.  The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Rideau Institute say the Victoria-class submarines, purchased second-hand from Britain in the late 1990s, are within a decade of ending their service life, and have never lived up to expectations.  A report written by defence and law academic Michael Byers and researcher Stewart Webb asks whether Canada, bordered on three sides by oceans, even needs submarines.  Byers says he doesn’t see a strong case for submarines, but remains open-minded and would like to see the government make a coherent case for the capability.  He says the stealth coastal surveillance aspects of subs is rapidly being overtaken by unmanned aerial vehicle technology ….” - more details in the report, “That Sinking Feeling:  Canada’s Submarine Program Springs a Leak,”, here
• Way Up North (2)  Commentary:  why not protect the north from a different part of the north?  “The only reasonable approach to Canada’s northern development and Arctic sovereignty is to focus initial efforts on the Port of Churchill on the west coast of Hudson Bay, and secondarily on Rankin Inlet, which is further up the same coast.  Attempts to support national security, aboriginal communities, scientific research, environmental protection and resource exploration by annual sealifts and air freight are not economically viable. Lower cost and greater frequency forms of logistics and operations are required to provide for a safe and prosperous northern future ….”
• A new face on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (will that make a difference if the rules don’t change?)  “The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, …. announced a new and highly qualified appointment to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB) in Veteran Owen Parkhouse, CD, MA. In addition to his duties as a Member, Mr. Parkhouse will also serve as the Board’s Vice Chair. This marks the first time in the history of the Board that a member with his military credentials has held a senior leadership position.  The appointment was made in accordance with VRAB’s merit-based selection process. Through this appointment, Minister Blaney is continuing to honor his commitment made to Veterans and stakeholders’ organizations to increase the number of Board members with military backgrounds …. Owen Parkhouse began his career in the military within the ranks, eventually receiving a commission before retiring as a lieutenant-commander. Following his military career, Mr. Parkhouse was employed within the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program as a project coordinator, development officer and peer support coordinator ….”
• “Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the country’s top-secret eavesdropping agency is barred from spying on Canadians. He is wrong.  In fact, the little-known Communications Security Establishment Canada is specifically mandated to intercept telephone or Internet communications involving Canadians — as long as it does so in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.  Indeed, when CSEC does think its snooping activities might ensnare Canadians — or even non-citizens who happen to be in Canada — it is required by law to get authorization from the defence minister. In 2011-12, the last year for which figures are available, eight such ministerial authorizations — all of unknown size and scope — were in play ….”
• “Opposition parties are calling for greater oversight of Canada’s spy agencies as questions continued to swirl about the size and scope of super-secret U.S. and Canadian surveillance programs.  Concerns about Canada’s spy agencies existed even before it was learned over the past week that the U.S. National Security Agency and the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) have been mining Internet and telephone records from around the world.  But those revelations have given extra impetus to calls for the need to ensure a proper balance between national security and privacy protection, as well as better ways to monitor the activities of agencies that largely operate in the shadows ….”
  
• “Chiheb Esseghaier shuffled to the prisoner’s dock on Monday, his ankles bound in shackles, for what would be another lesson in his crash course in Canadian law.  Esseghaier is one of two men charged with terror-related offences in relation to a plot to derail a Via Rail passenger train somewhere between Toronto and New York City.  But his demand for a defence based on the Qur’an rather than the Criminal Code has thrown a wrench into even some of the routine proceedings in this case, and is proving difficult to accommodate.  Criminal defence lawyer Nader Hasan, a member of Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association, says he does not believe Esseghaier can get the lawyer he wants.  “You cannot answer those charges without resorting to law based on man-made Canadian Criminal code and Canadian constitutional principles,” Hassan said.  Not only does he think Esseghaier will not find the lawyer he wants, Hassan says the accused is potentially ignoring Islamic law.  “As a Muslim I know enough to know that Muslims, whether they live in a Muslim majority country or a majority non-Muslim county they have an obligation to follow the law of the state,” he said ….” – more here

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 11, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  “As the Taliban launches a series of bloody spring offensives within the walls of metropolitan Kabul, Canada’s final contingent of troops to Afghanistan is mere days away from touching ground in the desert city.  A mixed force of 700 soldiers, including 500 from Land Force Western Area’s major garrisons in Edmonton and Shilo, Man., will be the final deployment for the NATO-led training mission of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).  Preparing to deploy as deputy commander of Canada’s contribution to the operation, Col. Lee Hammond expressed confidence in the ANSF’s ability to defend their people from the Taliban after Canadian troops leave the country in 2014.  “It’s an appropriate time for us to leave,” reflected Hammond from his office at the Edmonton Garrison.  “The Afghans, as a sovereign country, have to be able to move on and address their own problems and Canada has given them the hope and the optimism that they can do that.” ….”
• Afghanistan (2a) “A Canadian soldier who testified about his struggle for health benefits has been notified that he will be discharged in six months, despite assurances from Defence Minister Peter MacKay that he would suffer “no ramifications” for speaking out.  Vancouver-native Cpl. Glen Kirkland, who nearly died in Afghanistan five years ago when he was ambushed by the Taliban in the Zhari district, said he received a notice in the mail of his impending discharge.  Kirkland had said he was ordered not to testify about his concerns or he’ll have no pension when he’s discharged, or be given adequate assistance for covering his medical bills for a long list of injuries.  Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Monday that Kirkland had not yet been released from the military, but appeared to acknowledge the six-month discharge notice.  “There were papers signed and explained to him that they were to do with his future career,” said MacKay. “He willfully signed those papers. But I can confirm he has not been released from the Canadian Armed Forces.” ….” - here’s what the Minister said last Thursday during Question Period.
• Afghanistan (2b)  Here’s what the Minister had to say yesterday during Question Period  “When I heard about the testimony of Corporal Kirkland, I was out of the country doing business on behalf of the Department of National Defence and the country. As a result, I sought assurances from the department that there would be no negative inference as a result of his testimony. If there has been, I certainly would like to hear about it.  If the member has further information, specific to this individual’s case, I would be happy to receive it …. Any Afghan vet injured in combat will not be released as a result of those injuries.  Rather than trying to score political points on the floor of the House of Commons, everyone would be better off had the hon. member chosen to contact my office on behalf of this individual and we could work productively with him, which I am very anxious to do on behalf of Corporal Kirkland.”
• “Canada is one of 19 countries participating in a major military exercise in Jordan that is taking place amid reports government forces in neighbouring Syria are on the verge of a breakthrough against rebel forces.  Jordanian and U.S. officials who are leading Eager Lion 13 say the exercise has nothing to do with events in Syria, where two years of fighting has killed an estimated 80,000 people.  But Canada’s participation is only the latest instance over the past year of this country’s efforts to bolster the Jordanian military’s strength and capabilities in case the Syrian war explodes into a regional conflict.  This is the second iteration of Eager Lion, which will run from June 9-20 and involves 8,000 soldiers from 19 Arab and Western countries.  The foreign contingent includes 4,500 American soldiers who have arrived with fighter aircraft, amphibious assault craft and Patriot missile systems.  The Department of National Defence did not respond to questions about how many troops or what type of equipment Canada has sent for the exercise. It also did not say what role the Canadian Forces is playing ….” – more on EX Eager Lion 2013 here
• “The Department of National Defence is investigating its handling of sexual assault complaints involving a convicted former medical technician who is facing 31 new charges, The Canadian Press has learned.  Complaints involving James Wilks were mishandled, says a lawyer for one of his victims who is suing the former medical technician and the military.  Phillip Millar, who says he is also representing several other women who have come forward to file claims against Wilks, alleges his chain of command knew of complaints against him but did little to act on them.  “People have come forward indicating they reported issues that went unheard and unactioned,” Millar said in an interview from his law office in London, Ont.  “When was the first time a complaint was made internally about this guy and what did they do about it? I think that’s going to be their big problem is that there were previous complaints that weren’t followed up on.”  A spokeswoman with the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service would only say it started looking into the matter last month “to determine if appropriate action was taken by the chain of command of … James Wilks when staff was made aware of his actions in the workplace.” ….”
• “The Canadian air force was told more than year before being rapped on the knuckles by the auditor general that varying its hours of search-and-rescue operations would mean significantly improved response times for people in distress.  The Defence Research and Development Canada analysis, obtained by The Canadian Press, examined in detail the way rescue squadrons do business.  The analysis says tinkering with the schedule would give joint rescue centres more leverage “to save lives without increasing” the staffing levels of air force units.  Despite the conclusion of the March 2012 report, the recommendation gathered dust until the military was taken to task in April by the auditor general, who found the rescue system is close to the “breaking point.”  Examining data over a five-year period in the early 2000s, the report says as many as 20 people — out of 814 involved in rescues during that time — would have benefited from shorter response times.  The report was commissioned by the head of the air force in late 2007 and looked at data over a five-year period ….”
• Way Up North (1a)  “The multinational dimension to improving security and military surveillance in the world’s vast Arctic region will top the agenda when defense chiefs from the eight leading Arctic nations meet (today) 11 in Greenland to discuss future challenges.  Hosted by Denmark, the two-day meeting will take place in the southwestern town of Ilulissat. Besides Denmark, the meeting will bring together defense chiefs from the US, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.  “There is no set agenda for this informal meeting, but the important topics that will be discussed cover air and sea rescue, maritime surveillance, and environmental protection,” said Danish Defense Command spokesman Anders Fridberg ….”
• Way Up North (1b)  Meanwhile, “The first China-Nordic Arctic Cooperation Symposium will start (today) in Shanghai. The Polar Research Institute of China hosts the symposium in cooperation with the Icelandic Center for Research.  Participants will be Chinese and Nordic institutions. The theme of the conference is “China-Nordic Cooperation for Sustainable Development in the Arctic: Human Activity and Environmental Change” ….”
• Way Up North (2)  Think tank report:  ““Saying it ain’t doing it.” Infrastructure gaps in maritime search and rescue in the North of North America.” (5 page PDF)
• “Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canada’s own secretive online and phone metadata surveillance program is “prohibited” from looking at the information of Canadians and is directed at monitoring foreign threats.  MacKay responded Monday to a Globe and Mail report that stated he had approved a program in 2011 that tracks the data surrounding online activity and phone calls searching for suspicious activity, but not the messages themselves.  NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair asked MacKay in question period on Monday if the Conservatives were monitoring the phone and email records of Canadians.  “Let me be very clear, this program is specifically prohibited from looking at the information of Canadians,” MacKay responded. “This program is very much directed at activities outside the country, foreign threats in fact.”  The program was initially brought in by the former Liberal government in 2005, but was later put on hiatus over concerns it could lead to warrantless surveillance of Canadians. The Globe reports the program was quietly reinstated on Nov. 21, 2011 after MacKay signed a ministerial directive, which is not subject to parliamentary scrutiny ….” - more here and here
• “The federal privacy watchdog says she will look into any implications for Canada posed by possible U.S. government snooping on a wide scale.  The issue of data privacy is generating debate in federal circles this week following revelations the U.S. National Security Agency has been tapping into the information banks of American Internet giants.  The office of privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart says the scope of information reportedly being collected raises significant concerns.  Stoddart says while it is difficult to assess the merit of the allegations, she will confer with the watchdog that oversees the Communications Security Establishment — the Canadian counterpart to the NSA — to determine how the personal information of Canadians may be affected ….”
  
• Commentary  “Spy agencies have turned our digital lives inside out. We need to watch them“
  
• “Harper Government engages Canadians through Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security …. The Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security (CCRS) provides a forum for members from a number of Canada’s cultural communities to meet with officials from Canadian government departments and agencies in order to discuss policy and program issues related to national security. The CCRS also helps build understanding between Government and communities, and to identify any issues of shared concern. Together, the CCRS and the Government are building valuable relationships founded on trust and respect.  New members of the CCRS are Dr. Maurice Chalom from Montréal, Québec; Mr. Vahan Kololian from Toronto, Ontario; and Ms. Gbonga Loro from Edmonton, Alberta ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 8, 2013

• Afghanistan  Well done!  “Canadian Special Operations Regiment Members Receive Awards for Valour“  “Taliban insurgents launched a series of coordinated attacks across Afghanistan and against key targets throughout Kandahar City. The attacks were an attempt by the Taliban to shift the fighting from the countryside to the crowded urban streets of the major cities.  On May 7, 2011, shooting rang out close to an Afghanistan Police checkpoint just outside the walls of the Kandahar Provincial Response Company compound.  As the shooting and the attacks around the city started to grow in intensity, the Afghan government decides to call the Kandahar Provincial Response Company to help quell the insurgent surge.  The Kandahar Provincial Response Company was a well-trained and well-led, limited-notice response force comprised primarily of Afghan police who are trained and mentored by members of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. After brief orders were issued to the force, including their Canadian Special Operations Regiment mentors, they moved to the centre of the city to conduct a reconnaissance on the massive building they had been asked to clear by the American Force Commander ….”
• The PM’s Government of Canada’s new plane look is now official – with the PM’s spokesperson digging into the Liberals and NDP on Twitter about having a plane painted red, white and blue.
• Way Up North (1a)  Mark Collins on “Arctic: NATO…or NORAD?”
• Way Up North (1b)  More on NORAD in the Arctic  “Gen. Chuck Jacoby, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command will attend the Northern Chiefs of Defence Meeting to be held June 11-12 in Ilulissat, Greenland.  Chiefs of Defense from eight Arctic nations including the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia were invited to attend. The meeting will further strengthen relations between Arctic nations and broaden mutual understanding of each nation’s abilities to support civilian authorities and perform Arctic search and rescue, mass casualty response, and marine oil pollution response.  Opportunities for joint Arctic training and ways to provide enhanced cooperation to civilian authorities will also be explored ….”
• Way Up North (2)  What one observer says the U.S. needs in a Coast Guard  “…. To exercise sovereignty and operationalize the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, a federal maritime law enforcement presence is a pressing need. Currently, the Coast Guard must, out of necessity, work within its existing limited resource base, on a seasonal basis, to make this happen. But to ensure safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity, the Coast Guard will need an effective capability in the Arctic to provide the same services it offers throughout the rest of the U.S. coasts and EEZ.”
  
• A bit of a display for the change of command of 3 The RCR  “…. Crowds gathered to watch as free falling pathfinders descended onto the Ottawa River to open the show. With spectators squinting to catch a glimpse of the action, a Hercules transport aircraft made a second flight to dispatch a platoon of paratroopers into a spot on the river rechristened Drop Zone Lemure Bay.  The action changed from the sky to the water as a series of powered assault boats zipped past the beachhead, secured by the pathfinders, to unload groups of lightly armed infantrymen in a so-called fast cast insertion manoeuver. With C-7 rifles firmly placed in their shoulders, the troops hastily waded ashore in tactical formation. Meanwhile, along the beach sniper detachments patiently remained in their hidden observation posts providing clear camera images of the objective. Those images were transmitted to television screens for audience members to ponder where they were coming from ….”
• “Eighteen business and academic organizations from across Canada were recognized (yesterday) for their outstanding support to members of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War  MOAR questionnaires for companies to fill out as part of “industry consultation” on a replacement for the CF-18
  
• Defence Minister still on the road  “The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, has concluded his participation in the NATO Defence Ministerial, which took place on June 4-5, 2013 at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium …. During the meeting, Minister MacKay and his counterparts engaged in strategic discussions on defence planning and capability development, including the NATO Defence Planning Process, with a view to determining progress towards the vision of NATO Forces 2020. He also took part in a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, and a session with International Security Assistance Force troop-contributing countries to discuss the future of the Alliance’s mission in Afghanistan.  Minister MacKay, currently the longest-serving Defence Minister in NATO, also conducted a series of bilateral meetings with Allies and Partners, including his counterparts from Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom ….”
• “(Yesterday), the Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Q.C., Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta – Richmond East officially opened the new Base Fire Hall and Emergency Response Centre at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, a project that helped generate approximately 100 jobs in British Columbia ….”
  
• The story of a T-33 that went from scrap to display using “redneck engineering”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 7, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  More from one of the senior officers on the ground (via the Info-machine) “Since I last wrote, much, as they say, has changed. We have moved from our beloved home at Camp ALAMO and now occupy quarters on nearby Camp BLACKHORSE, a much larger base with an already large contingent of fellow Canadians and other coalition partners. In accordance with higher-level decisions, Camp ALAMO has been handed over to an agency of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). In a brief ceremony in the Camp ALAMO Dining Facility, where our military family enjoyed many a good meal and good company, the necessary transfer documents were duly co-signed by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Hall, Commander, Task Force CENTURION, and a GIRoA representative, with yours truly, Commander, Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC). Before this, we also held a short ceremony at Camp ALAMO to mark the end of tour advisor presence at what many of us felt, and still believe, was the best camp in the mission ….”
• Afghanistan (2a)  “A fourth-generation solider who served in Afghanistan said he felt compelled to disobey orders and speak out about his experience as an injured veteran, regardless of the consequences he may face.  Vancouver-native Cpl. Glen Kirkland barely survived a Taliban ambush in the Zhari district of Afghanistan five years ago, and said he fears he’ll have no pension when he’s discharged, or be given adequate assistance for covering his medical bills for a long list of injuries.  The 29-year-old recalled the terrifying attack during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.   “My tour was one of bloodshed, constant fighting and on the second last day of my tour, my platoon was ambushed by an estimated 120 Taliban fighters,” an emotional Kirkland recalled.  He said the rocket that hit his vehicle missed him by “inches.”  Three of the five soldiers in the vehicle died in the attack.  “I had to pull myself while on fire, and through gunfire, to try to extract my dead and dying brothers-in-arms.”  The attack, Kirkland said, resulted in the loss of 75 per cent of his hearing, the loss of some sight and a brain injury that left him forever dependant on insulin.  “I suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) so badly that I haven’t been able to visit my home in Vancouver for years,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “I can’t handle the anxiety of being around crowds. Survivor’s guilt haunts me every day.”  Kirkland recalled the phone call he made to his father while in the hospital in Afghanistan.  “My dad said, ‘Don’t worry, Canada will take care of you,’” he said. “My dad was wrong.”  Kirkland said he had aspirations of becoming a police officer, but his injuries have dashed that dream.  He said he’s been denied certain medical aids upon returning to Canada.  “I cried,” he said. “Not like a person in pain, but as a person who is totally and utterly defeated.”  Kirkland said he’s been told to remain quiet about his experience after returning from battle.  “In the past I’ve been threatened with a dishonourable discharge,” Kirkland told CTV News ….”
• Afghanistan (2b)  Defence Minister promises soldier who spoke to Parliamentary Committee will not face sanctions and receive all benefits – this from Question Period yesterday:  “I have sought and received assurances from the Department of National Defence, from our military, that he will receive every and all benefits to which he is entitled.  I will go further and commit to him and his family that he will suffer no ramifications for his testimony. We need to hear from veterans like Corporal Kirkland, and as well he will not suffer any consequences from coming forward.  In addition to that, he will continue to serve as long as he decides to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces …. Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of National Defence, CPC):  Putting aside the usual feigned outrage from the member opposite, Mr. Speaker, this is now in Hansard so it is in writing.  I will repeat: Corporal Kirkland is a Canadian hero, is courageous for coming forward, but more important than that, he shed blood in the service of his country.  He will of course receive the proper benefits. He will of course suffer no consequences, and will continue to serve in the Canadian Forces as long as he decides ….”
  
• “The class action lawsuit filed against the federal government on behalf of disabled soldiers compensated under the New Veterans Charter is now underway …. On May 31, 2013 the government filed its Notice of Application, and Written Arguments.  These documents are on the Equitas Society web – site, and appear to take an aggressive stance against the disabled soldiers’ position …. The representative disabled soldiers, through their legal counsel Miller Thomson LLP, are required to provide a written response to the governments’ motion to strike out their application for a class action law suit (by 14 Jun 13) ….” – more in a thread over at Milnet.ca here (DISCLOSURE:  I’m a moderator over at Milnet.ca)
• More D-Day anniversary info-machine material from the PM, the Veterans Affairs Minister and the group that went to France
• “Three Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels will be conducting coastal operations and training off the coast of British Columbia until end July. As part of their scheduled port visits, the three warships will also visit Prince Rupert, B.C. and participate in the 35th Annual Seafest from Jun 7-9 ….”
• More on HMCS Toronto’s big drug bust here and here
  
• “Many entry points to Canadian Forces bases are now without guards during the day as part of security changes related to budget cuts hitting the Department of National Defence.  Sources told CBC News more than 60 commissionaires, who controlled access to dockyard gates, have been let go, and some of the sites will be looked after by an expanded duty watch of military personnel.  Documents obtained by CBC News through the Access to Information Act revealed eight officers and a civilian made 38 recommendations earlier this year about how to continue guarding the gates to various DND sites.  Those recommendations were redacted in the document.  The people who attended the January meeting on reducing the operations and maintenance budget at CFB Halifax were warned to be discreet.  “[The chair] reminded all present that because of the nature of this meeting, the contents of this meeting were not be discussed outside or with anyone other than attendees of this meeting,” the documents state.  In Halifax, Stadacona’s main gate is unguarded, as is CFB Shearwater ….”
• “The two main unions representing the 2,000-member civilian workforce at CFB Esquimalt asked members to boycott Wednesday’s annual barbecue to honour civilian employees at the base.  Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of National Defence Employees urged their members to stay away from the event, hosted by Rear-Admiral Bill Truelove, that celebrates Public Service Week.  Capt. Jennifer Jackson of base public affairs didn’t give an estimate of attendees or say if the turnout was affected.  “The people who were there seemed to be really enjoying themselves,” she said.  This is the first time the unions have boycotted the barbecue, said Mark Miller, vice-president of UNDE.  “We’ve got these workforce-adjustment announcements, or layoffs, that have been coming out nationwide, as well as our collective agreement being undermined. We’re saying there’s no way we can be seen as being appreciated when we’re being kicked around,” Miller said ….”
  
• “Old business cards weren’t the only things thrown out when the federal government returned the Canadian Army’s old name recently. Song sheets weren’t far behind.  The Canadian Army adopted a new official march, entitled The Great Little Army, that it feels not only better reflects the land force’s size and character, but is more catchy to boot.  Official marches are important touchstones of a military unit’s identity, and are often played during special events and occasions such as military parades.  The army’s old official march Celer Paratus Callidus, which is Latin for “quick, clever and ready,” was adopted in 1968 when the army was merged with the air force and navy, and renamed Land Force Command.  Despite being the official march for 45 years, Canadian Army spokeswoman Colleen McGrann said Celer Paratus Callidus “is neither particularly tuneful or easily recognizable, and thus has not become embedded in the army’s culture.”  When the federal government restored the army’s old name in August 2011, commanders saw “an ideal opportunity to clearly identify a new army march,” McGrann said ….”
• “In what is being called a first in Canada, a rainbow-coloured Pride flag is to be raised at an Alberta military base Friday in a ceremony to be attended by senior officers and civilian members of the GLBT community.  Master Warrant Officer John McDougall made the request for the flag-raising a few weeks ago through the military chain of command at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton.  McDougall, who is a company sergeant-major in a field medical unit, said he was surprised when his request was quickly granted.  He said times have changed since he joined the army as a private 23 years ago.  “This is a huge turnaround from what used to be. When I first joined, I would never even consider telling anyone that I was gay. It just wasn’t macho,” he said.  “To be at the stage now where it is not only recognized and accepted and tolerated, but the base commander of the one of the largest bases of Canada is willing to have that flag put up, it is just an amazing feeling.”  The Pride flag, a symbol for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, is to be flown near the base headquarters building for one week to coincide with Edmonton’s Pride festival ….”
• “In a new Policy Update from CDFAI, University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow David S. McDonough asks whether or not Canada should rethink its involvement in Ballistic Missile Defence by focusing on four myths that surround the debate ….” – more in the full document (10 page PDF) here
• “Construction of the new HMCS Hunter building is on schedule says the commanding officer.  Work began on the new $16 million project last fall.  It will be a state of the art facility built on port authority land at the foot of Mill Street with a 60-year lease.  “It’s obviously going to be … located right here on the water, which is terrific for us,” said Dan Manu-Popa, Commanding Officer, HMCS Hunter. “It gives us the flexibility and the access both to conduct training and conduct on-water response, should we be tasked to do so.”  HMCS Hunter is currently located in downtown Windsor.  The new facility is not only good for Armed Forces but also good for the Olde Sandwich Towne area, too. It’s anticipated to be a shot in the arm for a business area losing so much lately.  The west end will also get a new park on a parcel of Port Authority land at the foot of Mill Street ….”
• Way Up North  “The World Arctic Forum (Thursday) Announced the Opening of Their Offices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ….”
• No idea why the Veterans Affairs Minister was asked to provide a quote on new proposed new rules for establishing safe injection sites
• So, is THIS (or here or here if the first link doesn’t work) what the PM’s new plane is going to look like?  Here’s some discussion over at Milnet.ca on the PMO’s idea of painting one of the CF’s planes in non-CF colours?  More from media here and here

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 1, 2013

• Afghanistan  Safe travels!  “Another wave of soldiers based at Canadian Forces Base Shilo is shipping out to Afghanistan Saturday.  The ‘family day’ event at the base – the traditional send-off involving loved ones – gets underway at noon and runs until 3 p.m. at the Kapyong Barracks at CFB Shilo.  Approximately 350 soldiers from several military units based at Shilo will be deploying as part of this final rotation of Canadian soldiers serving with OP ATTENTION in Afghanistan ….”
• Delisle/spying  “Four Liberal parliamentarians are voicing concerns about how Canadian security agencies handled the Jeffrey Delisle spy case.  The party’s critics for public safety, defence and foreign affairs joined Sen. Romeo Dallaire to call for greater parliamentary scrutiny of national security matters.  The Canadian Press reported this week that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service monitored Delisle for months but ultimately left it to the FBI to brief the RCMP on the case because of fears about intelligence secrets being disclosed in criminal court.  Delisle was sentenced this year to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to passing classified western intelligence to Russia in exchange for cash on a regular basis for more than four years.  At one point, the Americans, worried about the continuing breach of top-secret allied information, floated a plan to lure Delisle to the U.S. and arrest him themselves.  Liberal public safety critic Francis Scarpaleggia says Canadians are justifiably concerned about the apparent mishandling of the file.  John McKay, the party’s defence critic, said Thursday that Delisle should not have been allowed to continue divulging important information ….”
• “Ottawa has delayed ratification of an international treaty to ban cluster munitions for more than four years. A bill to implement the convention has drawn protest from critics who say it creates a loophole that makes Canada’s endorsement virtually meaningless ….”
• Syria  “Canada is doubling down on its message that the only solution to the conflict in Syria is a political one.  Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird affirmed Thursday that Ottawa will be pushing for both sides to come to the table to seek a resolution to the war now entering its third year.  World leaders are preparing to meet in June on Syria at an international summit organized jointly by Russia and the United States.  While Syrian President Bashar al Assad is reported to have tentatively said he will send negotiators, rebel factions meeting in Istanbul have been unable to agree who should represent them at the talks.  Baird urged the rebel groups to send a united front to the meeting ….”
  
• Wanted:  Vice-chairperson (full-time position), Canadian Forces Grievance Board – Salary range: $105,900–$124,500
  
• Way Up North  “The roots of the Iditarod sled dog race go back about 80 years ago when the freight mushers travelled from checkpoint to checkpoint to bring medicine and mail from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska.  With the arrival of snow machines, people started to abandon travelling with dog teams and, eventually, a majority lost the experience of mushing.  In 1967, Dorothy Page, chairman of the Wasilla-Knik centennial committee, conceived the idea of a sled dog race over the historic Iditarod trail. According to Wikipedia, “the trail runs from Anchorage [the ceremonial start] to Willow [a city in the south central region of the state where the official start takes place] to Nome, Alaska, into the sparsely populated interior and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska …. This year the Canadian detachment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which is adjacent to Anchorage, is the largest military installation in Alaska and home of the USAF’s Alaskan Command and the Alaskan NORAD Region, took part in the race as volunteers; they supported requirements such as food drops, participant registration, communications, race statistics and taking care of some of the dogs ….”
  
• “…. the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence met with his Mongolian counterpart, Minister of Defence Dashdemberel Bat-Erdene, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding that solidifies plans for continued defence cooperation and exchanges between the two nations …. The Memorandum of Understanding sets out further opportunities for defence cooperation between Canada and Mongolia through activities such as information exchanges, visits by civilian and military personnel, military education and training, and international peacekeeping activities including humanitarian assistance ….”
• “An Ontario Superior Court judge has acquitted Toronto police Const. Glenn Weddell on all assault charges arising from the G20 protests nearly three years ago.  Weddell was charged after Dorian Barton’s shoulder was broken on June 26, 2010. Barton alleged that a police officer hit him with a riot shield, knocking him to the ground.  Weddell, the first Toronto officer to go on trial for charges stemming from the protests, pleaded not guilty to assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.  Outside the downtown Toronto courthouse, the 49-year-old officer said the process had been “quite difficult” and he’s “glad it’s over.”  “It’s been hard on me and my family and I just want to get back to doing what I love most, policing in the city,” Weddell said.  During the judge-only trial, Weddel had testified that the only contact he had with Barton on June 26 was to help him up off the ground ….”
  
• “The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, (yesterday) issued the following statement to mark the 111th anniversary of the end of the South African War ….”

What’s Canada Buying? – May 30, 2013

• “The lowest price is no longer the law, at least not when it comes to purchasing equipment for Canada’s military.  Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose announced Wednesday that the federal government is revamping its military procurement system to put a premium on “value for Canada” as opposed to best price.  That means putting a heavy focus on long-term economic benefits for the country as part of the process for awarding the estimated $490 billion the federal government is planning to invest into the Canadian Forces over the next 20 years.  “We will be ensuring our definition of ‘best-value procurement’ explicitly recognizes value to the Canadian economy and the Canadian industry,” Ambrose told a room full of defence company representatives during a major arms-trade show in Ottawa ….”
• Canada’s Defence Industry:  Great idea, Minister Ambrose!  “The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) welcomed the leadership shown …. by Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose with regard to the implementation of commitments to improve defence procurement …. “CADSI members, CANSEC exhibitors, and the defence and security industry were pleased to hear these further commitments today regarding the government’s plan to leverage domestic defence procurement to drive innovation, exports, job creation and growth for the sector, while providing the Canadian military with the highest-quality equipment available,” said Tim Page, President of CADSI ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War  “Lockheed Martin hosted several Canadian companies (yesterday) for an F-35 Industry Recognition Event during the CANSEC tradeshow. Each of these companies has contributed to the development and production of the F-35 Lightning II, resulting in hundreds of Canadian jobs that began more than 15 years prior to the projected procurement of their first aircraft. There are more than 70 companies with $450M contracted and $10B in opportunities over the life of the partnership ….”
• Big Honkin’ Ships (1)  “The head of the Royal Canadian Navy delivered a poignant reminder Wednesday that the fate of Canada’s military is in industry’s hands as he announced that a design for new resupply ships has been chosen …. (Vice-Admiral Paul) Maddison, who retires in just over three weeks, said the three major naval projects — new armed Arctic patrol ships; replacements for the navy’s aging destroyers and frigates; and new resupply vessels — are proceeding.  In particular, he revealed that a design had been chosen for the resupply vessels, also called joint support ships, in late April following an in-depth comparison between two options “based on capability, cost and risk.”  The joint support ships were the subject of a Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report at the end of February, which warned the project could cost more than $1 billion more than the government had budgeted. The government refuted the PBO’s findings.  Maddison would not reveal what design had been selected for the vessels, nor could he say when the joint support ships will be built thanks to a scheduling conflict with the Coast Guard’s new polar icebreaker, the CCGS John G. Diefenbaker ….”
• Big Honkin’ Ships (2)  Canada’s defence industry says buying Canadian’s a good thing  “…. The government has made the right decision to build naval and coast guard vessels in Canada, and to ensure the procurement and sustainment of those vessels delivers long-term economic growth and job creation in a sector of the Canadian economy that is also important for our sovereignty and national security interests ….”
• Way Up North  Wanted:  list of qualifications from potential bidders to build the Nanisivik Naval Facility in Nunavut for ~$56 million
• Wanted:  Someone to build an addition to building Z117 at CFB Petawawa for ~$1.6 million
  
• Fixed Wing Search & Rescue (FWSAR)  “Airbus Military announced it is partnering with Canadian firm Discovery Air Defence Services (DADS) to promote its C295 aircraft as Canada’s next fixed-wing search and rescue platform. A teaming agreement was signed in Ottawa (Wednesday) morning at CANSEC, the country’s largest defence technology trade show ….” – more in the news release here
  

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 30, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  The Info-machine tells us about remembering Canada’s fallen in Afghanistan (seven weeks after the fact)  “In the early hours of 8 April 2013, the Head of Mission (HOM), his Excellency Ambassador Glenn Davidson, the Commander CJOC, LGen Beare and the Commander of CCTM-A, MGen Ferron laid a wreath to mark the completion of the modest Canadian Wall at the Sherpur Cantonment Cemetery, aka the ‘British Cemetery’, in Kabul, Afghanistan.  A year earlier, the HOM, the CDS, Commander CJOC, and Dr Tim Goddard had visited the site, noting the need to complete work stalled in 2006, and consequently, fundraising to finish the commenced wall. The Canadian Defence Attaché’s Office (CDAO) became the champion for the project. The current CDAO team of Col Bob Chamberlain, LCol Andrew Lussier and Sgt Serge Lapierre took up the challenge to finalise fundraising and to initiate an embassy project in the fall of 2012. Assisted tremendously by the generosity of the vast majority of CCTM-A Roto 1 and 2 and embassy staff through individual and group donations, the project concept was conceived and executed in six months ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Mark Collins:  What “invasion” of Afghanistan?
• “Former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr woke up in an Alberta prison Wednesday after months stuck in isolation at a penitentiary in Ontario where an inmate had threatened his life, The Canadian Press has learned.  Khadr was flown to the Edmonton Institution Tuesday, potentially ending a situation in which he had been deprived of prison programming that complicated efforts to seek parole, his lawyer Dennis Edney confirmed.  “Hopefully, this is a positive step in his long journey to freedom,” the Edmonton-based Edney said.  “I hope that this is a new start for Omar, an opportunity for people to see him as he really is — as someone who poses no threat to Canada, someone who has no radical viewpoints.”  The transfer allows Khadr to be closer to his lawyer and should obviate concerns about any negative influence from his family in Toronto, some of whom expressed sympathy for al-Qaida several years ago.  The maximum-security Edmonton Institution is home to about 225 inmates ….”
• Academic’s view of trying to have it both ways on budget cuts and military readiness  “…. the Harper government has cut the military’s budget but has demanded that the military not change its size or cut the big procurement programs. This allows the government to look like it is pro-military and pro-industry. But with these two parameters set, it can only mean that the cuts will come from training, maintenance, and operations …. In Canada, there has been little discussion of the risk that the Canadian Forces will lose their edge because the cuts will reduce training and maintenance. Expensive equipment requires a lot of effort to keep it working. Helicopters, ancient or not, tend to break, for instance. So, if you cannot order parts, one tendency is to cannibalize the broken equipment and use the parts to keep other equipment in the air or at sea or on the road. Keeping the military in fighting form requires hours in the air, it requires practicing combat in the field, and it requires being at sea. All of this costs money that comes from the operations/training/maintenance budgets ….”
• Way Up North  One observer’s opinion  “….  Canada has in the past successfully pursued a course which emphasizes a whole of government, and even multilateral, approach to security matters such as Canadian sovereignty. In an uncertain future it may be even more important to build on this legacy when dealing with both foes and friends alike.”
  
• “An al-Qaida letter obtained by The Associated Press suggests about $1 million was paid for the release of Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler in Niger four years ago.  Fowler, the highest-ranking UN official in Niger, and his colleague Louis Guay, were kidnapped and held for four months before being released in April 2009.  In a book he later published, Fowler said he did not know if a ransom was paid.  The Associated Press says it found the al-Qaida letter mentioning the ransom inside a building formerly occupied by the group’s fighters in Mali.  The letter was sent by al-Qaida’s North African branch to Moktar Belmoktar, who split from the group to conduct his own operations, including the Fowler kidnapping in December 2008.  The letter said that a plan to force concessions in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan was stymied when Belmoktar struck his own deal for about $1 million for both men ….” - more in the original AP article here, and in the AP’s English translation of the letter here
• “(Defence) Minister MacKay to travel to speak at Asia Security Summit in Singapore and to hold bilateral meetings in China”
• Syria  “The Harper government is telling its European allies that arming rebels in Syria is a mistake, warning that the step will lead to “more death and more destruction.”  The European Union’s decision to end an embargo on sending arms to Syria has underlined that the Western world is divided over how to deal with the country’s violence. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird insisted the differences won’t strain ties with some of Canada’s closest NATO allies, even as the United States expressed support for the EU’s position.  At one end of the spectrum are Britain and France, which succeeded in tearing up the EU arms ban so they can send weapons to so-called moderate elements of the Syrian opposition.  And at the other end is Canada, which has refused to provide a political endorsement of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, let alone arm rebel militias.  “My strong view is that the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian people is a political solution, that flooding the country and the region with more arms will lead to more violence, more death and more destruction,” Mr. Baird said Tuesday. “So certainly Canada has no intention of following suit.”  The United States, meanwhile, is in the middle: White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration “welcomes” the EU step, but so far the U.S. is not arming rebels ….”
  
• “People seldom think of Canadian foreign policy when the term “gunboat diplomacy” is used, but they should. It is not just the USA, Great Britain, France or other better-known imperial powers that use military force as a “diplomatic” tool.  For example, Postmedia recently revealed that a Canadian naval vessel stopped a boat carrying Jamaica’s former prime minister. Bruce Golding was aboard his fishing trawler last spring when Canadian forces questioned him just outside Jamaican waters.  This incident led to the discovery that Canadian ships fired .50-calibre heavy machine guns in Jamaican territorial waters without authorization. Ottawa claimed the Canadian Navy’s actions were the result of outdated maps.  While this may be technically true the Canadian navy has long taken an aggressive posture in the region ….” - more on this one here and here
  
• “The Consulate General of Eritrea in Toronto is the African country’s only diplomatic outpost in Canada and it has long been accused of running a collection racket that finances the regime and its armed forces.  As recently as Monday, the head of the mission, Consul Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael, denied that. “I was collecting before and I stopped collecting,” he insisted in a telephone interview. “It’s not a problem.”  But the evidence showed otherwise and on Wednesday the Canadian government ordered Mr. Micael’s expulsion over his persistent efforts to use the consulate to violate a United Nations military embargo.  The expulsion order followed a government investigation that found the consulate was acting as a fundraising front by soliciting a 2% income tax and a $300 to $500 “ministry of defence” fee from expatriates in Canada ….” - more from DFAIT here and CBC here
• Canada’s war poet Suzanne Steele on WW2 Quaker hospitals and Afghanistan

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 29, 2013

• “It’s taking far too long for Canadian Forces members to be reimbursed for the cost of relocating their families or to have their complaints about compensation or benefits dealt with, the military’s ombudsman said Tuesday.  Pierre Daigle’s latest report says some soldiers have to wait as long as four years to settle the bill from their mandatory relocations, while those who grieve compensation or benefits are often left waiting for more than a year.  “This investigation was launched after numerous attempts to raise the issue with senior CF leadership failed to result in any concrete action,” Daigle wrote.  “Delays in adjudication and grievances related to relocation benefits have been growing for five years and they are having a significant impact on CF members and their families.”  The Canadian Forces moves about 16,000 members each year and there have been about 1,500 requests for adjudication of related claims each year since 2009, the report found ….” – more in the CF ‘budman’s report here, and in the CF’s response to the report here
• Delisle/spying  “The arrest of a Canadian naval officer spying for Russia did little to discourage Canada from welcoming that country’s defence chief to a Newfoundland meeting of Arctic nations last year.  The visit underscored the puzzling lengths to which the Harper government went to carry on a business-as-usual relationship with the one-time Cold War adversary in the wake of the Jeffrey Delisle case.  Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show that when the scandal involving Delisle broke in January 2012, Canada had not yet asked a group of Arctic nations to an April meeting of chiefs of defence.  And yet — despite the damage caused by Delisle’s espionage on behalf of the Russians — Gen. Nikolai Makarov was invited to and attended the get-together, meant to enhance co-operation between Arctic countries ….”
• Afghanistan (1)  Canadian academic book review:  “…. Despite heavy losses in recent years, the insurgency shows no sign of giving up. Meanwhile, attempts to establish a credible and legitimate Afghan government have been similarly disappointing. President Hamid Karzai, once hailed as the country’s democratic savior, came to be seen instead as the leader of one of the most corrupt regimes on the planet, a perception that has damaged his government’s legitimacy both at home and abroad. Afghanistan’s development and human rights indicators have improved, but it remains to be seen if these gains can be sustained as the international effort is scaled back ….”
  
• Afghanistan (2)  “Graeme Smith, former foreign correspondent for The Globe and Mail and award-winning reporter on southern Afghanistan is back on the ground in Kabul as a Senior Analyst for the International Crisis Group. OpenCanada talked to Graeme about Afghanistan’s political progress, his soon-to-be-released new book, and Canada’s ongoing responsibility to help those living in Kandahar ….”
• “Aircrews from Canada’s allies and partners will fly alongside the Royal Canadian Air Force in Exercise Maple Flag 46. This large-scale, international air combat exercise is hosted annually at 4 Wing Cold Lake, and will take place this year from May 27 to June 21 ….”
  
• CF Chief Warrant Officer Robert Cleroux is preparing to retire – best of luck in the next phase.
• “Two years ago, I placed my first-ever call to the Department of Veterans Affairs. With the Afghan war winding down, I suspected a new generation of young, skilled veterans — with incredible diverse and valuable experience — would soon be hitting the job market. Most will make very valuable employees. But what, I wanted to know, was the federal government doing to help vets start businesses?  Several days and a few phone calls later, the answer came back: Nothing. I made a mental note to move to a smarter country.  But last year I discovered Based in Business, a program founded by a group of students at Memorial University in St. John’s, Nfld. Privately, with the co-operation of the Armed Forces and the socially minded St. John’s business community, the free, week-long program has been turning retiring forces members from across the country into entrepreneurs since 2009 ….”
• “A Winnipeg-based war vet who fought in Afghanistan has completed a lengthy run to raise money for cancer research.  Cpl. Jean Francois Dion ran for 85 kilometres — the equivalent of two marathons.  He started the run from Southport near Portage La Prairie just after midnight and ran parts of both the Royal Canadian Air Force Run and the Manitoba’s Highway of Heroes.  Dion finished Sunday at the 17 Wing Whytewold gate in about 10 hours.  “When I saw the city sign at the Perimeter, I got an energy boost,” he said chuckling ….”
  
• Disarmament think tank on Canada as peacekeepers:  “…. Canada has the capacity to greatly improve UN peacekeeping. Many peacekeeping veterans still serve in the Canadian Forces, and Canada’s ability to train new peacekeepers from less experienced countries around the world is unparalleled. Our equipment, especially large transport aircraft purchased to supply the war in Afghanistan, is needed desperately by the UN for its global missions.  Our reputation is waning in the international community — demonstrated by our recent loss of a coveted seat on the UN Security Council to Portugal. Now is the time for Canada to return to the United Nations through international diplomacy, backed by a renewed commitment to United Nations peacekeeping.”
• Disarmament think tank on Canada buying UAVs:  “The federal government should think very carefully about the military’s push to obtain drones, experts and critics say.  “These drones have a psychological impact on the countries that possess them and the militaries that use them, and they tend to use them for targeted killings,” said Steven Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa-based think-tank ….”
  
• Way Up North (1)  “The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) presented a plan May 21 designed to “ensure safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic,” according to the plan’s preamble.  Premiering the Arctic strategy at a Washington policy and research institute, USCG Commandant Admiral Robert Papp described the Arctic as “the emerging maritime frontier, vital to our national interests, economy and security.” The USCG is responsible for maritime governance and safety ….” – you can check the policy (48 page PDF) here
  
• Way Up North (2)  Commentary:  “…. If Russia does initiate a full-scale drive to develop and settle its far north, it will probably break the Russian economy just as the Soviet economy collapsed in 1991. Considering Russia’s potential relative to that of the Soviet Union, its proposed “war with the cold” is probably more than it can handle.”
  
• “The former head of Canada’s spy agency watchdog, who received prestigious appointments from different levels of government and was nearly honoured with a street in his name, has been arrested abroad on fraud charges.  Arthur Porter has been detained by Panamanian authorities, along with his wife Pamela, several months after Quebec police announced they wanted to charge him in connection with the province’s ongoing corruption scandals.  The pair’s arrest was announced in a statement Monday by Quebec’s anti-corruption police watchdog, which said the operation was carried out with the help of the RCMP and Interpol.  “Extradition proceedings are being undertaken against the two,” the statement said ….”
• Commentary:  “It has become a disgusting habit of contemporary journalism that every time some deranged yob goes off the deep end with a carving knife shouting Allahu akbar, a battalion of television crews surrounds and lays siege to the local mosque until heartfelt on-air disavowals and loud declarations of civic loyalty are extracted from whichever hapless imam happens to answer the doorbell.  This really needs to stop ….”

What’s Canada Buying? – May 27, 2013

• Big Honkin’ Ships (1)  Opinion:  “…. The navy needs ships and the province and the country need jobs. The government’s approach of building, virtually from scratch, a small, unsustainable industry is liable to ensure neither goal is realized ….”
• Big Honkin’ Ships (2)  Senator on ships for the Arctic  “When people wish to amuse themselves with logical fallacies, they often turn to books like Alice in Wonderland, where logic spins on its head. Years from now when Canadians are searching for such nonsense, they may well turn to the history of the development of Canada’s Arctic offshore patrol ships. Not nearly as funny a story, to be sure. But certainly as illogical as anything Lewis Carroll ever dreamed up.  The government plans to purchase eight of these Arctic patrol vessels. Or six. Or, according to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, maybe just one. It doesn’t seem to matter. All that matters, apparently, is that Canada proves it can build a ship. No matter the cost ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War  Aussie defence blogger Eric Palmer on Pratt & Whitney’s “cry for help with the F-35 program”
• “…. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of the Department on National Defence (DND), intends to remediate the COL-43 site located at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt DND Colwood Refuelling Facility which is located approximately 10 km to the west of Victoria, BC (Drawing 1) …. (for) between ($)650,000.00 to 700,000.00 ….”
• Wanted:  someone to upgrade the monitoring system for the research nuclear reactor at Royal Military College
• Wanted:  someone to take apart old ammo and bits of old ammo
  
• “After 30 years in Canada and a number of top-10 placings in the Canadian Defence Review’s rankings of defence contractors, Medicine Hat-based Meggitt has taken the top spot for 2013.  Meggitt beat out the Canadian arms of Boeing and General Dynamics, not to mention Bombardier and last year’s winner, Irving Shipbuilding.  The company’s president said he’d like to see Meggitt help Alberta grow and diversify its economy. But, he’d like more advocacy from government at the local level federally and provincially in helping to develop Medicine Hat into a technological hub for the emerging unmanned aerial vehicle industry ….”
• “A Burnaby manufacturer has been awarded a contract with Boeing to help build helicopters for military missions, from counter-terrorism efforts to medical evacuation.  Weatherhhaven is a re-deployable shelter systems provider that will work with Boeing to modify special equipment shelters for 15 of Canada’s CH-147F helicopters ….”
• More on those buses the CF is buying  “Winnipeg’s Motor Coach Industries has inked a new deal to make buses for the Canadian military.  The Canadian Armed Forces will get four new highway cruiser buses for transportation of personnel under the terms of the $2.2-million contract announced Friday. An option for six more buses is part of the deal.  The buses will be built at the Winnipeg facility, which employs 900 people.  “We are so excited to be able to provide a product that makes our troops’ lives more comfortable and safer as they travel,” said Bryan Couch, MCI vice-president and general manager of operations ….”
  

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 25, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  New Canadian boss incoming  “Major-General Dean J. Milner took command of the Canadian Contribution to the Training Mission – Afghanistan during a change of command ceremony here (yesterday) at Camp Phoenix.  Major-General Milner assumed command from Major-General Jim Ferron, who completed a year-long tour commanding the Canadian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan. Like his predecessor, Major-General Milner will also hold the position of Deputy Commander for Operations of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan …. Major-General Milner assumes command at a critical juncture for Canadians in Afghanistan.  This summer, Roto 3 – the final rotation of personnel for Operation Attention – will arrive in Afghanistan. During this rotation, the Canadian Armed Forces will begin a gradual draw-down of personnel ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Foreign Affairs Minister pissed at latest attack in Kabul  “Canada strongly condemns today’s attack that took place in central Kabul killing at least two people and injuring many others, including members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), security personnel, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization.  This was a cowardly attack, demonstrating that the insurgents continue to have complete disregard for human life. Those responsible must be held accountable to the Afghan people for this injustice.  We commend the quick and effective action of the ANSF, who are clearly demonstrating that they are a capable force in combatting those who attempt to perpetrate acts of violence against the people of Afghanistan.  Canada continues to work together with the Afghan government and the international community to help build a more stable and secure Afghanistan ….” – more on the attack here (via Google News)
• “An Edmonton soldier no longer wishes to accept responsibility for a sex attack on a tourist at a downtown Halifax hotel in 2010.  Andrew Norman Wilson, 24, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of sexual assault and was to be sentenced Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax.  Instead, defence lawyer Patrick MacEwen informed the court that his client wishes to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial after all.  Wilson’s change of heart didn’t sit well with the complainant, a Florida woman who flew to Halifax with her sister on Wednesday at Nova Scotia taxpayers’ expense ….”
• Those Toronto elephants may have to wait a bit for a ride south with the CF (if they get a ride with the CF at all)  “The Department of National Defence says it’s still in talks to help move the Toronto Zoo’s three resident elephants to California, but says the animals will have to stay put until the fall.  Animal welfare activists had previously said the zoo was in talks to borrow a Canadian Forces plane to transport the pachyderms to an elephant sanctuary in California.  The Defence Department issued a statement Friday saying it was in talks with the zoo, but that no arrangements could be made on time to move the elephants before warm weather sets in.  Animal rights groups were calling for the three elephants to be relocated before the end of June.  The department says the earliest the animals could be relocated would be the fall, adding there has been no final decision on whether a military aircraft would be available at that time.  The department said it receives many requests for help each year and makes decisions based on logistical and financial considerations ….”
• Military historian:  time for a bit more light to be shone on what JTF-2 has been up to  “…. Joint Task Force 2, much like the entire Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, has operated in such secrecy that myths began to develop. The Americans, British, and Australians have capable Special Operations units too, and somehow they push the bounds of operational secrecy open just enough to reveal something of their work …. Operational secrecy is a necessity, and the identity of JTF 2 personnel needs to be protected.  But after-the-fact details on successes and failures should be offered to the public. That way, the myths will not build up; that way, a website debunking them will never be necessary.”
  
• Some elements of the CF Info-machine merge  “After nearly a century of separate service and in a move that was several years in the making, Canadian Armed Forces public affairs officers and imagery technicians have amalgamated under the umbrella of the military’s public affairs branch.  The unification of the two occupations grew from the impetus that their work complimented each other and it was felt the time had come to bring both together ….”
  
• Way Up North  Mark Collins letter to the editor published (but not in its entirety)
• “Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Iroquois and her embarked helicopter air detachment will participate in the United Kingdom’s Battle of the Atlantic commemoration ceremonies in Liverpool, United Kingdom on Sunday, May 26 …. Highlights of HMCS Iroquois’ participation will include a commemorative service at the Liverpool Cathedral where Commander Matthew Coates, Commanding Officer of HMCS Iroquois, will deliver a reading. Members of the ship’s company will line the steps of the cathedral for the departure of the guest of honour, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal.  The service will be followed by a parade through the city and fly past by historic World War II aircraft.  The Second World War era Iroquois participated in similar ceremonies at the Liverpool Cathedral in 1944 ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Corneliu Chisu, Member of Parliament for Pickering–Scarborough East, will speak at the Korea Veterans Appreciation Day in Oshawa. The event will include a traditional remembrance ceremony, wreath laying, plaque dedication, speeches from dignitaries, and a military fly past (today) ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification, and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, will attend a cenotaph rededication ceremony to honour Canadian Armed Forces personnel (tomorrow) ….”