MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 10 Sept 11

• Libya Mission (1)  INTERPOL wants to have a chat with Mohamar, his son and the former head of military intelligence.
• Libya Mission (2)  Happy 18th Birthday HMCS Vancouver (even if you’re downrange).  “No cake, no singing, no champagne. Grapefruit juice was the strongest available beverage. In an atmosphere more vigilant than festive, the ship’s company marked the 18th anniversary of HMCS Vancouver’s commissioning as the frigate headed out of Agusta Bay on the east coast of Sicily for her first patrol of Operation MOBILE. Her destination: Libyan territorial waters, off the port of Misrata ….”
• Libya Mission (3)  Welcome back!  “Hugs and tears were shared on Friday at a Winnipeg air force base as 24 military men and women returned to their families from a summer assisting a NATO mission in Libya. Largely part of the Winnipeg-based 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, the Canadian Forces contingent landed at the 17 Wing base on a Hercules CC-130 plane as their family members watched on the tarmac. Six-year-old Kayden Maher held a welcome sign for his father. Master Cpl. Ryan Maher, an air frame technician, told reporters they “have no idea” how much he had missed his children during the past four months. “It’s just so nice to see them again, and be part of their lives,” Maher said, also with two-year-old daughter MacKenzie and wife Shauna ….”
• 9/11 Plus Ten (1)  7 Sept 11:  MILNEWS.ca tells you 9-11 is going to become a “National Day of Service.”  9 Sept 11:  PM says 9-11 is going to become a “National Day of Service”.  More on this here.
• 9/11 Plus Ten (2)  “The threat level for a terror attack in Canada has not increased following information of a possible plot of a car bombing in Washington or New York on the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 the RCMP says. “The RCMP has no information at this time that indicates that Canadians are more at risk than usual,” RCMP Sgt. Julie Gagnon told CBC News. Counterterrorism officials in the U.S. have been chasing a credible but unconfirmed tip that al-Qaeda has plans to set off a car bomb in New York City or Washington, with bridges or tunnels as potential targets. It was the first word of a possible “active plot” timed to coincide with commemoration of the group’s attacks in the United States a decade ago. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews backed the RCMP assessment. “In respect of Canada, I can’t point to any specific threat that might occur during this weekend but I think that all of our agencies are on full alert on a weekend like this,” Toews (said)….”
• 9/11 Plus Ten (3)  “Soldiers paid price for war on terror in blood, Trauma: Each day in Afghanistan a roll of the dice”
• 9/11 Plus Ten (4)  The CF Info-Machine’s “Domestic and Continental Defence and Security Accomplishments Post 9/11″
• 9/11 Plus Ten (5)  “U.S. President Barack Obama thanked Canadians on Friday for their hospitality and support in the wake of the 9-11 attacks, recalling the “comfort of friendship and extraordinary assistance” in a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “It is often said that the United States and Canada are great neighbors, trading partners and the best of friends,” Obama wrote in a letter that was delivered to the prime minister on Friday. “In one of the darkest moments in our history, Canada stood by our side and showed itself to be a true friend.” ….”
• 9/11 Plus Ten (6)  Even the Taliban has to make itself heard for the anniversary, suggesting we don’t REALLY know what happened during the 9/11 attacks – riiiiiiiiight…. (link to non-terrorist site)
• Andrew (Boomer) Eykelenboom, 1982-2006, R.I.P.  “Just over five years ago, Cpl. Andrew (Boomer) Eykelenboom was killed by a suicide bomber while serving as a medic in Afghanistan. Today, more than 50 cyclists will take part in a 180-kilometre bike ride to raise money for the Boomer’s Legacy foundation. The Boomer’s Legacy Ride has been taking place annually on Vancouver Island for the last four years. Today will be the first Atlantic ride, which starts at CFB Greenwood and ends at CFB Halifax ….”
• The Leslie Report/CF Reorg (1)  You can now download the report and read it yourself here (PDF at CF page) or here (PDF at alternate download site)
• The Leslie Report/CF Reorg (2)  What the Minister of National Defence has to say about the report:  “…. our government will be taking a close look at spending right across government to identify the savings needed to eliminate the deficit: this includes the Department of National Defence …. This report will inform our approach to the Government’s Deficit Reduction Action Plan, the results of which will be presented in Budget 2012. At all times, support for our frontline troops will be our priority ….”  More on this here (Postmedia News) and here (QMI/Sun Media).
• The Leslie Report/CF Reorg (3)  What the Chief of Defence Staff has to say about the report (via Army.ca – PDF downloadable here if link doesn’t work):  “…. The fiscal and operational environment in which the recommendations must be assessed and implemented has become even more complex. As well, while the report was being prepared, new budgetary reduction targets were announced as part of the government s deficit reduction action plan. Taken together, this creates a difficult backdrop for interpreting the potential advantages and drawbacks of recommendations made in the transformation report …. A concerted analysis has been underway since the transformation report was submitted, involving both CF and DND personnel. The goal of this effort has been to determine which elements of transformation are already being implemented through the Strategic Review, which options merit implementation in concert with the deficit reduction action plan, and which options have second and third-order consequences that require additional study. This level of analysis takes time, but only when it is complete will it be possible to decide and communicate which parts of the transformation report should be implemented right away, which must be phased in over the medium term, and which will be deferred ….” 
• What’s Canada Buying? (1)  Could Mark Collins be a touch skeptical re:  the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard getting new ships anytime soon?
• What’s Canada Buying? (2)  Remember the new JPSU building for CFB Petawawa (bullet 9) (map and floorplan downloadable here via Army.ca) ?  Here’s the Ottawa Citizen’s update:  “A new building to house military staff who work in a unit that provides help for ill and injured military personnel and their families is to be built at CFB Petawawa. The building is to replace a trailer currently used for staff members of the regional element of the Joint Personnel Support Unit for Eastern Ontario, according to a military spokesman. It’s expected that six staff members will work in the new building, although there will be space for a few others. Defence Construction Canada, a Crown corporation responsible for Department of National Defence construction, has issued a $1.3-million tender for the one-storey building to be built. The start and end dates of the construction are unknown, but the contract is to be awarded within the next three months ….”
• “The Canadian Forces have confirmed a body was found on the grounds at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Thursday morning. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating, but details regarding the cause of death, gender or identity have not been released. “They are investigating the discovery of a body on the grounds,” Canadian Forces Capt. Karina Holder said. “We never speculate on timing or when an investigation may or may not be completed.” “
• “The Canada Army Run is proving to be a big hit with runners. The Sept. 18 event in Ottawa has already attracted more than 16,000 participants and is sold out. The event is the fastest-growing run in Canada and the second-largest running event in Ottawa after Ottawa Race Weekend. It started four years ago with 7,000 participants. The Canada Army Run has five-kilometre and half-marathon events and raises money for Soldier On and the Military Families Fund ….”  More info on the run at the Army Run website here.
• A bit of mechanical Canadian military history being honoured this weekend.  “During the final months of the Second World War, as Allied armies waged a brutal campaign to liberate Europe, a rough-hewn band of Canadian soldiers revolutionized ground warfare with an unusual new technology.  They were called the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment, assembled to drive Kangaroos, tanks modified to carry troops. The unit laid the groundwork for the tactics of today’s light armoured vehicles, protecting soldiers from gunfire while they travelled to enemy lines, but was swiftly dissolved at war’s end and its history was largely forgotten …. In a ceremony this weekend, the regiment will get some overdue credit. After decades of obscurity, veterans alerted the Department of National Defence that they wanted formal recognition of the unit, and found a serving regiment to take up the Kangaroos’ battle honours, ensuring its story will be perpetuated …. At a ceremony in St. Thomas, Ont., on Saturday, the (31 Combat Engineer Regiment, also known as the) Elgins will accept a standard listing the Kangaroos’ honours to hang in their armoury. A Kangaroo bought by the Canadian War Museum – one of only a handful that still exist – will be paraded in the streets ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 22 Jun 11

• More help coming for Canadian military families?  We’ll see later today.
• A Winnipeg Free Press editorial on the Universality of Service provisions keeping some wounded warriors from being able to serve again. “Canadian military doctrine emphasizes flexibility and the ability to adapt to new circumstances, but when it comes to integrating wounded soldiers into the regular force, the generals and admirals at the National Defence Headquarters seem trapped in the past. The story of Cpl. Ryan Elrick is a case in point. Mr. Elrick was a combat soldier who lost both legs to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan five years ago. His combat days were over, but Mr. Elrick refused to throw in the towel and terminate his military career. Instead, he soldiered on, learned to walk with two prosthetic devices, and eventually found success in a new career as an air force intelligence analyst in Winnipeg. His superiors recommended him for promotion, but the brass in Ottawa sacked him instead. The case is now before the courts …. a policy of routine reintegration would be bad military policy. The military’s job is to prepare for the worst and its soldiers are trained to survive under harsh conditions with little food and no medical attention. The soldier-first policy doesn’t mean that seriously maimed soldiers cannot serve. Capt. Simon Mailloux lost a leg in Afghanistan but learned to run and carry heavy loads with his new prosthetic leg. As a result, he was redeployed as a brigade staff officer in Kandahar Airfield, basically an office job, albeit in a war zone …. Mr. Elrick is not a threat to the military or to its valid concerns about maintaining an effective fighting force, but the Armed Forces’ rigid attachment to doctrine could undermine the broad support it has received from Canadians.”
• Libya Mission (1)  Update from the big boss there coming up today.
• Libya Mission (2)  Good question.  “Canada’s involvement in Libya is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the country has in a short period of time boosted its international reputation and thus, its influence among the leaders in NATO. “(Canada’s contribution) is a very big effort for a military that still has a major presence in southern Afghanistan,” a senior NATO officer, who was not authorized to be quoted, told the Globe and Mail. Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also heaped praise upon his country’s northern neighbour. In a speech at a NATO gathering in Brussels, he commended Canada for being among a handful of members that has “managed to punch well above their weight” in a transatlantic alliance that faces a “dim” future due to American belt-tightening and European indifference. The international community is undoubtedly paying attention. But, as the stalemate continues and the number of civilians killed continues to rise, Canada risks being part of an increasingly unpopular conflict ….”
• Libya Mission (3)  No surprises from a ceasefire.ca online survey on the Libyan mission.
• Afghanistan (1)  Canada’s mission continues to shift.  “As the last troops dribble in from the former Taliban heartland of Panjwaii, ending Canada’s bloody five-year combat commitment in southern Afghanistan, the Canadian army has already begun tackling a new, less dangerous mission in the north. Nearly 50 Canadian trainers started working with Afghan army recruits two weeks ago at a joint Afghan-NATO Regional Military Training Centre on the outskirts of Kabul ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Brace for detainee political fracas!  “The heated political debate over whether Canada was complicit in the abuse of Afghan detainees will suddenly re-emerge Wednesday, as the federal government releases thousands of pages of documents related to the issue. The long-awaited release of the records comes a year after the Conservatives, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois formed an ad hoc committee of MPs to review 40,000 pages of uncensored documents. The records focus on how the Canadian Forces transferred detainees to Afghan authorities during this country’s military mission, and whether there is any truth to allegations that Canadian soldiers and officials knew — but failed to act — on abuse and torture of those detainees by Afghans ….”  More from the Canadian Press here.
• Afghanistan (3)  Remember the Canadian kidnapped last year by the Taliban in Afghanistan?  Not much to say during Question Period about what Canada’s doing to help – this from the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs:  “…. the government is aware of this case. Due to security and privacy concerns, it would be absolutely inappropriate for us to comment on this case.”
• Afghanistan (4)  Former CF soldier tells the War on Terror story via a chess set.  “A chess set of Taliban fighters featuring Osama bin Laden as the king and a suicide bomber as the knight is selling hundreds of copies to coalition troops in Afghanistan. The Terror Chess sets feature hand-painted Taliban militants with a woman in a burka as the queen. Ranged against the insurgents are soldiers from a choice of coalition countries including American, Canada and Britain. In the British set, the king is Tony Blair and the queen is Queen Elizabeth, while the rook is Big Ben. In the American set they are replaced by Barack Obama, the Statue of Liberty and the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Jeffrey Train, a 48-year-old former Canadian soldier who designed the figures, said he had sold around 1,500 sets, mainly as souvenirs to troops serving in the 140,000-strong international coalition in Afghanistan. Read it on Global News: Canadian-designed Taliban chess set latest craze for troops ….”  Global TV story here, and more from terrorchess.com here.
• Afghanistan (5)  Wonder what folks who’ve been there, done that had to say about the season premier of “Combat Hospital” (usual Wikipedia caveats) on Global TV last night?  A bit of feedback here at Army.ca.
• Andrew James Eykelenboom, 1982-2006, R.I.P.:  Mom of one of the fallen honoured for her work.  “Ninety-four strapped on helmets and sunglasses on Friday and spilled out from Courtenay Civic Cemetery onto Mission Hill to begin the two-day Boomer’s Legacy Bike Ride to Victoria. Their purpose was the same as last year and the year before – to raise as much money as possible for the Boomer’s Legacy fund. Cpl. Andrew “Boomer” Eykelenboom may well have been among the riders last week, were it not for the suicide bombing that claimed his life in Afghanistan back in 2006. The young medic had often asked his mother, Maureen, to send him items for the women and children he saw each day during his duties – many of whom would be in want of basic medical or other necessities. But after Andrew was killed, Maureen vowed to keep continue her son’s dream of helping vulnerable Afghan civilians, and founded Boomer’s Legacy in 2007. Four years and four cycles later, Boomer’s Legacy has raised over $400,000 – a benchmark that earned special recognition from Canada’s chief of defence staff, Gen. Walt Natynczyk, just a few feet away from Boomer’s grave. Natynczyk presented Maureen with the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service, the highest military honour for a civilian ….”
• It appears Prince William will be doing a bit of military flying while visiting Canada later this summer.  “Prince William will help perform the daring manoeuvre of landing a (Sea King) helicopter on water during the royal visit to Canada. William and Kate arrive in the country next week on their first foreign trip, and details of their eight-day itinerary were released today by the Canadian government. William – who was at work as an RAF search and rescue pilot in Anglesey today, on his 29th birthday, – will join members of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a co-pilot, as they carry out the “waterbirding” technique in a Sea King. The prince’s private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, said: “The Sea King, which operates below 500 feet or in a hover when conducting anti-submarine warfare or search-and-rescue operations, does not always have a safe landing site should an emergency occur – the closest ship or land could be miles away ….”  In case you didn’t know, Prince William’s day job is flying search and rescue helicopters (Sea Kings, specifically) with the RAF.  More on the Royals’ itinerary here.
• Some Canadian fighters are back in the U.S. training, and helping others train. “…. Salina (Kansas) residents have become more accustomed to the sounds of freedom and our neighbors to the north are feeling more at home as the Salina Municipal Airport is now a regular forward operating location for the Canadian Army and Air Force. CF-18s on the flightline in Salina. Canada’s Tactical Fighter Squadrons have an economic impact of close to $2 million each deployment. “Salina always treats us well,” said Capt. Tyler West, detachment commanding officer. “We really enjoy it here. It’s good training.” The Canadian Air Force is supporting the Army during forward air controller training. The Army FACs will be training to serve as the eyes on the ground for the Air Force pilots. Through a number of methods, FACs communicate with the inbound pilots, guiding them to destroy enemy targets and minimize collateral damage. A composite squadron of airmen and equipment from 409 and 425 Tactical Fighting Squadrons along with U.S. Navy and U.S. Army exchange pilots have come together for this vital mission ….”
• (Belated on my part) Happy Air Force Appreciation Day, Canadian Air Force!
• Remember this incident where Jamaican troops (trained, in part, by Canadian special forces) stormed a jet and arrested a man wanting to hijack the plane about two years ago?  The convicted hijacker is appealing his 20 year sentence.