- Afghanistan (1) The “Combat Mission is Over – Officially, Signed-off Over” story array, as covered by the Associated Press, The Canadian Press, Postmedia News/Global TV (more), the National Post, QMI/Sun Media (more), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and The Telegraph (UK).
- Afghanistan (2) Funny how this wasn’t making it into the media earlier – pity. “Lt. Mahmoud Siddiqi clearly didn’t get the official memo. Which goes something like this: All fine here in Panjwaii District, nothing to fear, we’ve got a handle on it, and safe trip home Kanadjans. Instead, sitting cross-legged in his exceptionally neat officer’s quarters — brass teakettle on the portable stove, plastic flowers in a vase, handwoven Afghan rugs spread across the floor — he says this: “If foreigners don’t help us, we’re doomed.’’ His naturally hangdog face droops further as Siddiqi contemplates a post-Canadian Panjwaii — Maple Leaf disappearing, Stars and Stripes flying instead at this forward operating base ….”
- Afghanistan (3) An overview of some of the numbers. “Canada’s combat role in Kandahar ended Thursday with a death toll of 154 men and three women soldiers, and four Canadian civilians. About 25,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and air personnel have served in Afghanistan in groups of between 2,500 and nearly 4,000 troops at a time, doing tours of between six months and year. A new training mission that will eventually number 950 advisers and training staff began two months ago in Kabul. All but a handful of the Canadians to have been killed in Afghanistan died in Kandahar. Of the 157 military deaths, 137 were combat casualties. The other 20 died in what the military describes as “non-hostile incidents.” ….”
- Afghanistan: Canada’s Legacy (1) MORE second guessing Canada’s legacy: “On Thursday, in the wake of the deaths of 157 brave Canadian soldiers and the wounding of hundreds more, the U.S. Army officially took over Canada’s battle space in Kandahar. Ours was a job well done, and it is now farewell ….”
- Afghanistan: Canada’s Legacy (2) “On Tuesday, Canada officially ended its combat mission in Afghanistan. It should never have started. The war has been a dismal failure. It did not achieve its primary aim of capturing or killing terror chief Osama Bin Laden. A U.S. assassination squad operating in Pakistan finally did that. Nor has it defeated the Taliban. As Canadian and other NATO-led troops prepare for their final 2014 withdrawal, the insurgents remain dangerous, active and unbowed. They will almost certainly be playing a role in government again — probably soon ….”
- Afghanistan: Canada’s Legacy (3) “…. on balance, was the Afghanistan mission a success? I’d argue it made the army better, gave it confidence, and it won respect for Canada among nations of the world that matter. So Canadian lives lost were not in vain, and indeed did their country proud.”
- Afghanistan: Canada’s Legacy (4) “…. You can’t guarantee any military mission will unfold seamlessly, scoring victory after victory as it marches relentlessly towards success. But in cases that deserve it, and which demand a response, you can, and should, try. Which is what Canada did, and we should all be proud we did.”
- Afghanistan: Canada’s Legacy (5) Someone finally gets it right about Canada’s legacy. “Was Canada’s war in Afghanistan worth it? It is an obvious question as Canada formally signs away its combat responsibilities in Kandahar to a U.S. task force Thursday morning. But this is surely a matter that will be far better answered by historians in 20 or 30 years than by anyone today, no matter how familiar they are with this beguiling, frustrating, immensely complicated country and Canada’s efforts since its first infantrymen set foot here nine years and five months ago ….”
- So, what’s next for the CF, glass is half empty version? “With the Kandahar killing fields now officially clear of Canadian soldiers, a daunting military challenge lies ahead. The new enemy is boot camp boredom, the recalibrated target is surplus staffing, the likely result is the return to a military funding decade of semi-darkness. Now in the post-Afghanistan era, Canada’s armed forces have lost their mojo — and that’s a very dangerous dangle in front of a government looking for easy deficit elimination routes. In short, no bullets flying, no big bucks flowing ….”
- One former officer’s take on “peacekeeping”: “…. The time has come to close the book on peacekeeping in Canada. We should render appreciation and thanks to those who have served, but now get on with dealing with new realities. Current operations in Libya are one example of the latter. Rather than peacekeepers, Canada and its allies are applying combat power to defeat a tyrant who has oppressed his people. It is that type of fight – for justice and liberty – that we should commemorate, and continue.”
- Libya Mission: HMCS Vancouver on its way downrange to Libya.
- CDS says he’s not going anywhere, even if a top NATO job is opening up soon. “…. Gen. Walter Natynczyk was named chief of defence staff by Prime Minister Stephen Harper three years ago. The appointment usually lasts about three years and Natynczyk has just recently celebrated his third anniversary. “The mandate of the chief of defence staff isn’t codified,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “As I look through the rogue’s gallery for chiefs of defence, one went nine years and another went five. Rick Hillier went 3 1/2. “I will go as long as the government of Canada asks me to serve.” Natynczyk said one of his main goals right now, with the end of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan, is to make sure he continues to improve conditions for every soldier under his command. There has been speculation that Natynczyk could be in line to become NATO’s top military commander. There will be a vacancy next year when Italian Admiral Giampaolo di Paolo steps down as chairman of the NATO Military Committee. “My name’s not in the hat. I know that some of my colleagues have tried to recruit me to throw my name in the hat, but, again, I serve at the pleasure of the country,” Natynczyk said ….”
- CF helping evacuate sick, elderly from remote northern Ontario First Nation – more here.
- Journalists-in-training help the CF by printing faux papers, propaganda sheets as part of exercise (via CF Info-Machine).
- Condolences to family, colleagues and friends (1) “Police on Tuesday found the body of a military officer from CFB Kingston who went missing during an early morning swim in Lac Saint Laurent near Gatineau, Que. Maj. Damon Murray, a member of 1 Wing Headquarters at CFB Kingston, was reported missing on July 4. He had set out for an early morning swim that day and never returned ….”
- Condolences to family, colleagues and friends (2) “Friends and fellow soldiers were remembering Trooper Troy Barnes Thursday praising a young life suddenly cut too short. Flags were half-mast outside the regimental headquarters of the Royal Canadian Dragoons as the 24-year-old armoured soldier was being remembered by his commanding officer as a “big, burly likable man” who will be sorely missed by his comrades. “He was a quiet, inquisitive fellow,” remarked Lt.-Col. Dyrald Cross, who had just returned from meeting with the trooper’s family. Trooper Barnes’ sudden death earlier this week shocked the unit. On Tuesday, his armoured troop went over to Dundonald Hall for an afternoon game of beach volleyball. During the match, the soldier walked off the court showing signs of distress. He then collapsed. Along with soldiers, Personnel Support Program (PSP) workers and an off-duty base firefighter made several attempts to resuscitate him. He was then rushed to Pembroke Regional Hospital where he died an hour later. A post-mortem has been scheduled ….”
- What’s Canada Buying (1) A Canadian company – FlightSafety Canada – is being chosen to do simulator training for the CC-138 Twin Otter for between US$300K and US$400K. Any objections?
- What’s Canada Buying (2) Now that we’ve done a tender to collect samples to do research to improve blood testing for divers (more here), we need someone to analyze all the data.
- What’s Canada Buying (3) Wanted: panel of medical experts to independently review medical research into Tasers and other “Conducted Energy Weapons” – more details about specialties and questions to be answered in Statement of Work downloadable (7 page PDF) here.
- East coast air force worries about a proposed wind farm? “The Canadian military says that a wind farm proposed for the Annapolis Valley will interfere with flight operations at its large airbase at Greenwood. CBC News has learned that the Department of National Defence notified Sprott Power several months ago that its proposed wind farm would interrupt radar coverage. The military’s concerns became public at a meeting in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia on Tuesday. The conflict between wind towers and radar installations is a national and international concern, but this is the first time the issue has been raised in Nova Scotia. The military believes wind towers can’t coexist with the radar coverage needed for aircraft operations in and out of CFB Greenwood. Sprott Power of Toronto has proposed to build a 12-tower wind farm on Hampton Mountain about 40 kilometres from Greenwood ….”
- Condolences to family, colleagues and friends (2) “Friends and fellow soldiers were remembering Trooper Troy Barnes Thursday praising a young life suddenly cut too short. Flags were half-mast outside the regimental headquarters of the Royal Canadian Dragoons as the 24-year-old armoured soldier was being remembered by his commanding officer as a “big, burly likable man” who will be sorely missed by his comrades. “He was a quiet, inquisitive fellow,” remarked Lt.-Col. Dyrald Cross, who had just returned from meeting with the trooper’s family. Trooper Barnes’ sudden death earlier this week shocked the unit. On Tuesday, his armoured troop went over to Dundonald Hall for an afternoon game of beach volleyball. During the match, the soldier walked off the court showing signs of distress. He then collapsed. Along with soldiers, Personnel Support Program (PSP) workers and an off-duty base firefighter made several attempts to resuscitate him. He was then rushed to Pembroke Regional Hospital where he died an hour later. A post-mortem has been scheduled ….”
- What’s Canada Buying (1) A Canadian company – FlightSafety Canada – is being chosen to do simulator training for the CC-138 Twin Otter. Any objections?
- What’s Canada Buying (2) Now that we’ve done a tender to collect samples to do research to improve blood testing for divers (more here), we need someone to analyze all the data.
- What’s Canada Buying (3) Wanted: panel of medical experts to independently review medical research into Tasers and other “Conducted Energy Weapons” – more details about specialties and questions to be answered in Statement of Work downloadable (7 page PDF) here.
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