Archive for the ‘Military Ethos’ Category
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – February 9, 2015
Attacks on CF in Canada
- “Liberals support handing control of Parliament Hill security to RCMP”
- “Letting RCMP patrol Parliament Hill could raise constitutional issues”
#CANvsISIL
- “Infantry: Canadians Teach What They Know In Iraq”
- “Canadian veteran who fought ISIS in Iraq reveals his near-death — and surprise return home — Exclusive interview: Dillon Hillier says his war was cut short by U.S. military advisors, whom he says pressured Kurdish generals to stop allowing foreign volunteers ….”
- “The radicalization of John Maguire — Ottawa’s John Maguire understood that his enlistment as a foot soldier in the Islamic State would confound his friends, family and countrymen ….”
- Commentary “How did ISIS get this far?”
- Iraq Situation Report: February 7-8, 2015
- Iraq Situation Report: February 5-6, 2015
- “Coalition Military Leaders Discuss Operation Inherent Resolve”
Internal Security
- “FBI agent tells terror trial of unlikely road trip with alleged VIA Rail plotter” – “Bridge was a potential target in alleged Via Rail terror plot, court hears”
- “Canadian terrorists tied to Muslim Students Association”
- “Harper government argues Security Intelligence Review Committee is ‘robust’ “
- “Canada′s spy agency finds a friend in Prime Minister Harper — Canada has proposed new legal tools for its spy agency in a recently tabled anti-terrorism bill. However, critics say the bill lacks the proper oversight to prevent potential abuse ….”
- Commentary “Talking terrorism: Harper and Obama sound like yin and yang” – “Criminalizing terrorist propaganda: Does it help or hinder our safety?” – “A ‘war on terrorism’? No thanks. There are smarter ways to meet the threat” – “Bill C-51: Harper’s Attempt To ‘Arrest His Way Out Of Terrorism’ “ – -
Way Up North
- “Canadian Rangers Attract Soldiers to Winter Survival Exercise (in Northern Ontario)”
- “Light visors solve sleeplessness at CFS Alert — Newly published Canadian military research has found a solution to the sleep problems of some soldiers stationed during winter at the most northerly outpost on the planet. The $60,000 study at CFS Alert found simple “light visors” effectively countered sleep problems caused by four months of total darkness ….”
- “Vladimir Putin Wants an Arctic Air Army for 2015″
Ukraine
- “Merkel asks for face time with Harper as Putin meeting on Ukraine looms — The influential German leader will meet our prime minister late on Monday to discuss how to end a conflict that has taken 5,300 lives ….”
- “Frontline Ukrainian troops await military aid — As U.S. ponders sending arms, those fighting against superior Russian-made weaponry on the Ukrainian front say military aid cannot arrive too soon ….”
- Commentary “Canada should think about selling defensive weapons to Ukraine — Canada should be open to selling defensive weapons to Ukraine, and so should a few other Western countries. Up to a point, the armed forces of Ukraine, a pre-existing military organization, have some advantages over the pro-Russian militant rebels ….” - “It’s Time for the West to Arm Ukraine — Renewed heavy fighting and a breakdown of ceasefire talks have dispelled any hope of a quick, diplomatic end to the conflict raging in Eastern Ukraine ….” – “Don’t Arm Ukraine — For America to supply Kiev with weapons would only make Russia a more reckless adversary ….” – “Tough talk is easy but it doesn’t help Ukraine”
- “Donetsk militia blocks strategic highway near embattled Debaltsevo”
- “Mobilization, Lviv: Over 1,000 mobilized men swear oath of allegiance to Ukrainian people” - “Dnipropetrovsk Military Hospital receives U.S. humanitarian medical aid” (UKR MoD)
- UKR President statements: “The Normandy format meeting is planned for Wed, Feb11 in Minsk – “Ukraine remains a strong supporter of peace”
- “Kiev Must Hold Dialogue With Donbas to End Conflict – Russian President”
- “Fighting leaves 100,000 citizens without water in self-proclaimed LPR”
Veterans & Helping Veterans
- “Dying veteran’s hospital bills covered”
- Commentary “No Veterans Should Have to Repeatedly Prove They’ve Lost Limbs”
Other
- “SAR Tech swept away by Alberta avalanche” – “Mark Salesse swept away by Alberta avalanche on military training exercise” – “Mark Salesse’s family ‘preparing for the worst’ “ – “City soldier feared dead in slide” – “Searchers unable to reach site of missing search and rescue technician” – – more
- “CAF trialing adjusted SAR response times”
- “Former senior air force officer stripped of military merit decoration — A high-ranking military official has been stripped of a significant decoration after pleading guilty last fall to wearing medals on her uniform that she didn’t earn ….” – Governor General’s statement “Termination of Order of Military Merit Appointment”
- Oopsie …. “National Defence investigates edits on Rehtaeh Parsons Wikipedia page — The Department of National Defence is investigating its personnel for using government computers to wipe mentions of the alleged sexual assault of Rehtaeh Parsons from her Wikipedia page and for suggesting her death was not a suicide ….”
- “CJOC wants to be ‘main player’ in global intelligence”
- “Canadian SOF: What Does it Mean to be Special Forces? — Being Special Forces is about being the quiet and consummate professional at work and at home, about the pursuit of a more effective way of doing business ….”
- “BC Establishes Military Liaison to Canadian Armed Forces”
- “Great event for Forces and Families and Leafs — Capt. Rory Johnston says there’s nothing like a little appreciation to boost troop morale ….” – “Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night | Watch the video”
- “Great warriors need great education: Canadian Brig.-Gen Wayne Eyre”
- From the Info-machine “(Belated) Happy Birthday, Billy Bishop!” – “RCAF Flyers wrote Olympic (hockey) history”
- “Minister of National Defence meets with counterparts on international security – The Honourable Rob Nicholson represents Canada at the 51st Munich Security Conference”
- “(Liberal former CF’er): If Anyone “Distrusts” The Military It’s Harper”
- “More U.S. soldiers in Canada could be sent back for court martial on desertion charges”
- Ooopsie …. “Lost Canadian turns up on live-fire range — Lost Canadian turns up on (California) live-fire range ….”
- “The mask of U.S.-Saudi friendship is finally slipping — New accusations, from a convicted 9/11 conspirator, that Saudi princes were among al-Qaeda’s key patrons is driving a new wedge into U.S.-Saudi relations, one that was already more of a public show than anything else, Neil Macdonald writes ….”
Afghanistan
- Joshua Caleb Baker R.I.P. “Darryl Watts will not face new trial after winning appeal in fatal training accident — A military reservist who won an appeal of his conviction in a deadly Afghanistan training accident will not face a new trial ….” – more
- Oopsie …. “Army loses three GPS-guided artillery shells while leaving Afghanistan”
The World Wars
- “10th annual military studies conference focuses on First and Second world wars”
- “Meet the Devil’s Brigade, WWII’s original special ops team”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – November 17, 2014
#CANvsISIL
- Latest “boom-boom” update from the Pentagon Info-machine “…. In Syria, nine airstrikes near Kobani destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions, suppressed another ISIL fighting position, destroyed four ISIL staging areas, and struck one tactical ISIL unit. Two airstrikes near Dayr Az Zawr struck an ISIL crude oil collection facility and destroyed one ISIL tank. In Iraq, four airstrikes near Ar Rutbah destroyed nine ISIL trucks, two ISIL excavators and one ISIL front-loader, and damaged one ISIL vehicle. Three airstrikes near Fallujah destroyed two ISIL vehicles, one ISIL bulldozer and one ISIL front-loader. One airstrike southwest of Mosul Dam destroyed one ISIL bulldozer and struck one tactical ISIL unit. Two airstrikes west of Mosul struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed one ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fighting position. Three airstrikes near Kirkuk struck one tactical ISIL unit, and damaged one ISIL tank and destroyed another. One airstrike southwest of Al Qaim destroyed one ISIL vehicle. One airstrike in Tel Afar struck one tactical ISIL unit. Five airstrikes near Bayji struck two tactical ISIL units and one large ISIL unit and destroyed one ISIL tank, one ISIL vehicle, and four ISIL fighting positions ….”
- Commentary “CF-18s fly a lot, don’t hit much”
- “Minister knew Canada wouldn’t meet Syrian refugee commitment”
- Iraq Situation Report: November 14-16, 2014
Internal Security
- Commentary “Dear Muslim Leaders: I am a Convert not an “Extremist” “ – “Zarqa Nawaza: Mosques need better social safety nets”
Way Up North
- “Canada Falling Short on Arctic Sovereignty — Canada’s Harper government has failed to achieve its goal of asserting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic ….”
- “Russia Patrolling the Artic”
Ukraine
Other
- “Alleged phoney soldier could face more charges: police” – “Ottawa cops praised for charging ‘fake’ soldier”
- Anti-military commentary “Only Tory politicians and TV stars are allowed to play military dressup in Canada”
- “New study to examine use of cannabis to treat PTSD”
- Commentary “Returning veterans deserve the best care”
- “2 Service Battalion takes over Beeton (Ontario)”
- “HDMS Niels Juel visits Halifax” – more from the Shipfax blog out of Halifax here
- From the Info-machine “From air to space to operator–RIFL2E technology demonstrates high speed satellite communications and advanced information management for airborne surveillance ….”
- Another Boss Bio from the Info-machine “Breaking ice with the new commander series: 2nd Canadian Division”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – November 16, 2014
Attacks on CF in Canada
- Nathan Cirillo, R.I.P. “Ottawa shooter’s remains still being examined at coroner’s office”
#CANvsISIL
- “Grisly video claims Islamic State group beheads a dozen people, including US aid worker Kassig” – “White House Confirms Death of US Aid Worker in ISIS Video” – “US review of IS video confirms American’s death” – “Australia PM Calls IS a Death Cult Over Beheading” – Google News Peter Kassig
- “Peace talks between the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria”
Internal Security
- “Depleted spy watchdog SIRC scrambles to keep up with CSIS — The weakened watchdog group overseeing Canada’s ever more powerful spy service says it is “struggling to operate efficiently” and falling behind at investigating complaints ….”
- “Hassan Diab charged with first-degree murder in Paris”
Ukraine
Ebola
- “US’s quarantine-fighting nurse clubs Canada’s Ebola policy”
- “Fort Bragg troops leave for West Africa to help humanitarian groups in fight against Ebola”
Other
- “Franck Gervais charged with impersonating soldier” – Ottawa Police Service news release – more – “Man faces four charges of impersonating decorated soldier ….” – “Franck Gervais, alleged soldier imposter, arrested and charged in Ottawa” – Commentary “Why I feel sorry for Franck Gervais: Menon”
- Steven Allen, R.I.P. “Veteran ticketed escorting body of Private Steven Allen”
- From the Pentagon Info-machine, some photos “Canadian Deputy Minister of Defense, Dick Fadden meets with Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., in order to discuss matters of mutual importance Nov. 14, 2014″ - more here, here, here and here
- More from the Pentagon Info-machine “Polish and U.S. Soldiers join together to celebrate Poland’s Independence. Includes sound bites from 2nd Lt. Jacek Wijcik, Language and Cultural Advisor from Canada and Brig. Gen. Andrzej Kusnierek, Commander of the (Polish) 2nd Mechanized Brigade ….”
- Well done! “Six Canadian Navy members on shore in Turkey help battle fire” – Info-machine version
- “The final front: Veterans versus Harper in 2015″
- MP Commentary “Vain and Self-Serving Government Forgets Veterans”
- Meanwhile, “Minister of Veterans Affairs honours service men and women at Canadian Football League’s Veterans Remembrance Tribute“ and “Service pays tribute to Veterans in Garden Village“
- Alternative commentary “Canada’s quiet coup – An off-shoot of the CIA helped install Stephen Harper as Prime Minister ….”
World War Two
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – November 14, 2014
#CANvsISIL
- “(Canadian) Colonel says ISIS ‘on defensive’ “ – “Two weeks in and the Canadian military is having difficulty finding targets in Iraq”
- “IS ‘Changing Tactics’ In Iraq, Making Militants Harder To Strike”
- From the Info-machine “Taking matters to task – Air Task Force-Iraq sets up in Kuwait”
- “Harper says he doesn’t support war on Mideast countries, only ISIL — PM says Canada does not support war on the Syrian government or any Middle East nation …” – “Harper in New Zealand: ‘our only military fight is with ISIL’ “ – “Harper says he has no interest in toppling Syrian regime, fight only with Islamic State” – “Harper says Canada prepared to attack ISIL in Syria, but not Assad regime”
- Analysis “In Iraq and Syria, it’s too late, too little”
- Commentary ” ‘War’ is the wrong term for fight against terrorism”
- Satire “Everything fixed after Canadian forces in Iraq for 2 months”
- From the Pentagon Info-machine “Military airstrikes continue against ISIL in Syria and Iraq supporting Operation Inherent Resolve”
- “Israel Ready to Provide ‘Informal’ Help to Anti-IS Alliance: Embassy”
- “IS Group to Mint Its Own Coins”
- More on Canada’s Operation IMPACT here, and on news from around that part of the world here (list of links) and here (Twitter list)
Attacks on CF in Canada
- “Baird says attacks bolstered resolve — Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said the fight against terrorism has become the “great struggle of our generation” as the country deals with the fallout of attacks last month on its military. The attacks have bolstered Canada’s resolve to battle terrorism as the country participates in airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq, he said ….”
Internal Security
- “Ottawa’s Hassan Diab extradited to France early Friday”
- “Calgary man’s picture found in documents revealing underbelly of extremist group – The face of Salman Ashrafi, a Calgary man who drove a bomb-laden car into an Iraqi military base outside Baghdad last November, killing 46 people, appears amid a treasure trove of documents and videos that lay bare the bureaucratic underbelly of ISIS. The documents and videos provide a new weapon for coalition forces fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ….”
- “CSIS allowed targeted assassination of 2 residents on Canadian soil, says ex-spy in court docs”
- “Ten years after the Arar Inquiry, what has changed?”
Way Up North
- From the Info-machine “AETE team tests Chinooks in Canada’s North” – more on the Aerospace Engineering & Test Establishment (AETE) here
- “(U.S.) Army general: Bunny boots, leadership key to dominance in Arctic — Other military branches emphasize icebreakers, submarines and drones to project U.S. power in the Arctic. For the Army, good leaders and good cold-weather clothes are priorities, said the commander of U.S. Army Alaska at Thursday’s Arctic Day forum on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus ….”
- “How the North Pole Could Become the World’s Next Battlefield”
- Alternative commentary “The Big Chill: Tensions in the Arctic — Tensions in the Arctic – you don’t have to be next to the ice to want to be a player. China may be a thousand miles from the nearest ice floe, but as the second largest economy in the world, it has no intention of being left out in the cold ….”
Ebola
Other
- Dean Hicks, R.I.P. “Dean Hicks, Canadian Forces member, found dead at CFB Halifax – Foul play is not suspected ….” – more – more – more
- “AgustaWestland Congratulates RCAF 442 Squadron Rescue 903 Crew on Winning The 2014 Cormorant Trophy”
- Well done, sir! “Mystery man who paid to upgrade (Canadian) sailors’ flight found”
- (Faux) Sergeant Franck Gervais “Why people impersonate soldiers” – “Fake soldier suspended with pay, employer says” – “Franck Gervais, Remembrance Day ‘sergeant,’ now receiving threats” - “The real deal: This Canadian soldier earned his bravery medal — A combat engineer who earned the Governor General’s medal of bravery by crawling into a small culvert in Afghanistan to defuse a bomb has one question for Franck Gervais: Why? ….” – Commentary “Pity Franck Gervais, the fake soldier. Then forget him” – From a retired Pathfinder “To everyone who is ganging up on the stupid putz who has been dressing up as a Pathfinder. Back the f$%k off ….” – Satire “Government to punish fake soldier by treating him like a real veteran”
- “Veterans house planned for CFB Rockcliffe lands; $1.5 million needed for project”
- “Cape Breton veteran fighting to get Veterans Affairs offices reopened”
- “Uber teams up with military members to drive their business”
- “Military ‘vehicle convoys, soldiers on foot patrol’ in Beeton next week”
- From the U.S. Army Info-machine “U.S. Army Soldiers, along with their NATO counterparts, turned out with vehicles, weapons and equipment to show off and meet the local residents of Pabrade, Lithuania, Sunday, as part of a groundbreaking NATO exercise being held nearby …. Iron Sword 2014 (links to Lithuanian military info-machine page, in English) is the first such exercise in Lithuania to include multinational troops from NATO members. Nine NATO member countries are participating, including Lithuania, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg ….” - some Lithuanian Info-machine pix of some Canadians here
- Commentary “Cookie cutter branding and a Remembrance Day post to forget”
- “US Warns Russia Over Military Flights Near American Shores”
- Alternative commentary “Canada deeply implicated in US’s anti-China “pivot” “
- From the Info-machine “Fated to become a Canadian soldier, Major-General Dean J. Milner shares some of his journey”
World War One
- “In Flanders Fields: Canada does Remembrance well”
- “City (of Ottawa) officially renames south-end span Vimy Memorial Bridge”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – October 6, 2014
Canada in Iraq
- “Canadian Forces personnel already headed to Middle East” – more
- “Iraq air combat mission: MPs debate six-month deployment” – “Five things we learned in QP Monday” – “Iraq mission could go beyond six months” – “Iraq mission could go beyond six months” – “Canada wouldn’t lose face by refusing to help in airstrikes, say Liberals” – “Elizabeth May speaks against military intervention in Iraq in Parliament”
- More from the Debate tomorrow morning, once the Hansard gnomes finish preparing and posting the transcript from today’s debate
- “Coalition airstrike casualties weigh on Canada’s decision”
- “Parliament to Vote Monday on ISIS Combat Mission”
- “Canadian army to train Peshmerga forces”
- “Military force essential to stop ISIL: Clinton — Hillary Clinton said Monday that military action against Islamic extremists is essential. But she was careful not to tell Canada what to do ….” – “Hillary Clinton tells Ottawa crowd combat missions ‘essential’ in Iraq” - “Hillary Clinton says military action ‘critical’ in fight against ISIS”
- “Civilians may be sent on Canada’s mission against Islamic State — Spokeswoman for Defence Minister Rob Nicholson could not immediately say how many civilians would be part of the deployment….”
- From the Info-machine “Baird Announces Measures to Counter ISIL’s Brutal Acts of Sexual Violence — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced in the House of Commons today that Canada will undertake renewed action, in coordination with our allies and partners, to respond to the heinous acts of sexual violence and other human rights abuses being committed by ISIL, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, against women and children ….”
- “Canada speeding up Syrian refugee intake”
- “Airstrikes against ISIS needed to fight ‘direct threat’ to Canada: Nicholson”
- “Muslims Facing Tomorrow” news release: “We in Muslims Facing Tomorrow (MFT), with our Canadian Muslim and non-Muslim friends and partners, welcome and greatly support Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government’s motion, to “join our allies and partners…in launching air strikes against ISIL”, for debate in the parliament ….”
- Commentary “War vote carries risks for Justin Trudeau: Tim Harper” – “Canada’s air combat role justified” – “Going to war in Iraq to defend a legacy of utter failure” – “No to Canadian Soldiers in Iraq and The Illegal Bombing of Syria for ‘Regime Change’!”
- “Jesuit based in Syria urges caution as Canada debates military action”
- Russian media article “Canada’s Joining Anti-IS Campaign Could Put Local Expatriates at Risk: Journalist (Paul Tadich)” – “MA Journalism | Student Profiles | Paul Tadich”
- More on whazzup in Iraq here (Twitter list), here, here and here (news searches)
Ebola
- “Canada sends military (plane) to deliver needed protective equipment to Ebola zone — Canada has sent a military jet to West Africa to deliver protective medical equipment the World Health Organization badly needs there ….”
- “As West Africa’s Ebola outbreak continues to rage, some experts are coming to the conclusion that it may take large amounts of vaccines and maybe even drugs – all still experimental and in short supply – to bring the outbreak under control ….”
Ukraine
- “Parliamentary Secretary Bezan Reiterates Canada’s Commitment to the People of Ukraine”
- “Ambassador Bennett to Visit Ukraine to Reaffirm Canada’s Support”
Way Up North
Other
- “Lt.-Col. pleads guilty to three charges in medals scandal” – more
- Commentary “Afghanistan still ruled by bickering warlords while Taliban eludes defeat”
- “Statement by Minister Nicholson to mark Mental Illness Awareness Week”
- “RCAF honorary colonels volunteer their services”
- “442 Squadron honoured with Cormorant Trophy at SAREX 14″
- “New commanding officer for the Cape Breton Highlanders”
- World War One ” ‘Enemy Aliens’ – Canadian War Museum explores internment ….”
