# Airborne Regiment of Canada



## Luis_Rancagua (16 Mar 2006)

With an election promise by Harper's Tories to re-instate the Airborne Regiment, I was wondering if there has been any moves by the newly elected Conservative government to move forward with this proposal as quickly as possible. Has anyone here on this forum heard any recent rumours about the Airborne Regiment???


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## Rubes (16 Mar 2006)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Harper propose to stand up an airborne battalion, not re-instate the Airborne Regiment?


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## QV (16 Mar 2006)

I thought it was having an airbourne capable regiment.  Which CSOR will fill.


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## Bobbyoreo (16 Mar 2006)

I know the CSOR was the liberal thing...but I'm sure they fall along the same line as the CAR.


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## Scoobie Newbie (16 Mar 2006)

Gents take it to the CANSOFCOM forum.


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## MikeM (16 Mar 2006)

With the standing up of CSOR, another new unit would be tough to fill up.


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## beenthere (16 Mar 2006)

The promises were probably  politicaly motoveaed (votes) and poorly conceived. An "airborne battalion" of 650 in Trenton and one in Comox. 
Trenton doesn't have the real estate to accommodate a battalion other than to basically house one. No room for training areas or any of the other things associated with troops and equipment. I'm not that familiar with Comox but would expect that it's not much better.
The reasoning for Trenton was that the troops would be closer to aircraft for para training. That part would be logical but para training is only one aspect of training and they would have to go elsewhere for everything else.
Sounds like they must have hatched the plan on their way to Trenton to rustle up some votes as it wasn't given much or maybe not even any coverage elsewhere other than Comox.


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## Michael Dorosh (16 Mar 2006)

beenthere said:
			
		

> The promises were probably  politicaly motoveaed (votes) and poorly conceived. An "airborne battalion" of 650 in Trenton and one in Comox.
> Trenton doesn't have the real estate to accommodate a battalion other than to basically house one. No room for training areas or any of the other things associated with troops and equipment. I'm not that familiar with Comox but would expect that it's not much better.
> The reasoning for Trenton was that the troops would be closer to aircraft for para training. That part would be logical but para training is only one aspect of training and they would have to go elsewhere for everything else.
> Sounds like they must have hatched the plan on their way to Trenton to rustle up some votes as it wasn't given much or maybe not even any coverage elsewhere other than Comox.



give your head a shake and pay attention; 

Mortars - were infantry, now artillery
Pioneers - were infantry, now engineers
Medics - some were infantry, now all in fd ambs of CFHS
Wpns Techs - some were in inf Bns and Armd Bns, now all in Svc battalions
So...
Paratroopers - were infantry, now part of the Air Force.

Just like the Fallschirmäger of WW II, so makes sense when you think about it.

PS - umm...was a joke..... :


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## Eowyn (16 Mar 2006)

Michael Dorosh said:
			
		

> Wpns Techs - some were in inf Bns and Armd Bns, now all in Svc battalions


I believe that is just in the Army Reserve.


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## beenthere (16 Mar 2006)

No need to shake my head. The base at Trenton is mostly all occupied by an airfield and the infrastructure to support the base's operations. The property is quite small and the troops would have to go to Petawawa to do any range or field training and the only function that Trenton could provide would be para.

It would be logical to build an airfield at Petawawa and base the troops there where they already have the required support but there is no logic in the election promise.

As a matter of fact the way that it was expressed was that they would create 650 more jobs/payrolls for the area by locating the unit in Trenton. I haven't heard any more about it since the election. Maybe some other forum members have something to pass along but it certainly isn't a topic in the Trenton area.

Personally I suspect that some small unit may be established in Trenton. Possibly something that is actually a detachment of a unit in Petawawa combined with something from the airlift/Tactical Airlift function in Trenton to coordinate activities and with that they can fool the public into believing that they have done what they promised. It would probably be of no benefit to the military but it would create another unit which would enhance the appearance of growth. It doesn't take much to fool most people as they usually never read farther than the headlines.
Pardon my sceptical take on the matter but I've seen similar things in the past and I really don't believe the words of politicians particularly when they're on the campaign trail.


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## JSR OP (16 Mar 2006)

Hmmm,
How about this.  Base them in Trenton, that way the 650 jobs there "stir up the local economy".  Load them all on Hercs, fly to Petawawa, literally drop them off for training, and then bus them back to Trenton to spend thier money.  No need for training facilities on the airfield!


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## Armymedic (16 Mar 2006)

JSR OP said:
			
		

> Hmmm,
> How about this.  Base them in Trenton, that way the 650 jobs there "stir up the local economy".  Load them all on Hercs, fly to Petawawa, literally drop them off for training, and then bus them back to Trenton to spend thier money.  No need for training facilities on the airfield!



Hell we bus down there so we can jump up here...it would work the other way too.


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## TCBF (17 Mar 2006)

Buy back Camp Picton.  It's what, 20 minutes from the DZ anyway?  How about building at CFB det Mountain View?  Or Boeing Arnprior or CFB  Borden?  

Put them in Dundurn?  Use the Saskatoon Airport (ex RCAF field anyway). 

What about the old Barracks/PMQs at Uplands?

Jump start ASU Chilliwack?

Here's my favourite: the old USAF  base on the West coast of  Newfoundland (Ernest Harmon AFB, near Stephenville) or, to be cheap, Gander or Goose Bay.

Or, we could dig up the old RCAF concept for an airbase  at Lake Hazen - on Baffin Island...

Tom


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## TCBF (17 Mar 2006)

Better yet, NORTH BAY!

Wikpedia

"CFB North Bay (22 Wing) is a Canadian Forces Base located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

The base was originally constructed in 1933, as a logistics and contruction coordination site for a series of airbases being build across northern Ontario. During World War II it was used fairly extensively as a refueling and emergency diversion airbase for aircraft being ferried from Canada and the US to England. In particular it was one stop along the ferry route for Avro Lancaster bombers being built at Victory Aircraft in Toronto, as well as US-built B-24 Liberators. The base closed with the ending of the war.

The base was re-activated in 1951 as a training base, and the runways were improved. With the rise of the cold war the base became a logistics center once again when construction started on the Pinetree Line which ran quite close to the base. The runways were again extensively lengthened and the base became the primary air defense site for Toronto and southern Ontario. Typically two wings of night fighters and a single wing of day fighters were stationed there, originally the CF-100 Canuck/F-86 Sabre, and later the CF-101 Voodoo.

With the formation of NORAD in the 1950s and the US's introduction of the SAGE system, CFB North Bay was selected as the Canadian counterpart to the US's Cheyenne Mountain control center. A SAGE installation was set up at the base starting in 1959, but unlike their US counterparts which were at ground level, in North Bay the entire standard three story installation was buried underground in what became known as "the hole". Later the base was also used as the control center for the Ontario portion of the two-site BOMARC missile system installed in the 1960s.

The BOMARC missiles were decommissioned in 1973, and the SAGE installation in 1983, with parts of the North Bay SAGE computers ending up in the Computer History Museum in California. From 1972 on only a single fighter wing was stationed there, the 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron.

CFB North Bay remains Canada's primary NORAD site, monitoring all air traffic over Canada and North America by the North Warning System, across the Canadian Arctic, coastal radars on the east and west coasts of Canada, and Airborne Warning and Control System Aircraft. The personnel monitoring the air is called the 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron. Any unidentified aircraft, aircraft in distress or suspicious aircraft are intercepted by CF-18s.

With the general scaling-back of air defences at the end of the cold war, CFB North Bay was originally slated for closure and the 22nd Wing was to move to central command in Winnipeg. However the city of North Bay was worried about the loss of jobs, and entered into a cost-sharing arrangement to service the base. Part of this arrangement is the proposal to replace the underground command center with a new one on the surface. Construction of the new above ground command center began in the spring of 2004 and is set to be completed in the summer of 2005.

CFB North Bay is also home to the 22nd wing military concert band, the foremost volunteer band in Canada. It has played across Canada and the world. Its membership is primarily volunteer, led by an employee of the Canadian Forces.


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## beenthere (17 Mar 2006)

I searched the net for anything related to this idea and apart from a huge number of references in pre election articles I found only one comment on it and it reflects the reality of the situation in that there's no room in Trenton.
Politicians just don't consider reality before they speak on this sort of matter and will do anything for a few votes. That includes the MND who appears to have a limited sense of reality on some matters. Apart from this matter I can't comment on his knowledge or credibility but he certainly blew it on this call.
http://www.communitypress-online.com/template.php?id=26888&RECORD_KEY(News)=id&id(News)=26888


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## TCBF (18 Mar 2006)

Lots of room at trenton - move the Cadet Camp.


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## armyvern (18 Mar 2006)

TCBF said:
			
		

> Lots of room at trenton - move the Cadet Camp.


Yep. I agree. Lots of room for the cadet Camp at Mountainview. I remember the days when I was posted to Trenton and they said there was:

no room for CPC
no room for the Dart
no room for the CMed Det
no room for the JNBCD


Plus those new Air Force buildings and extensions that have gone in.


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## HollywoodHitman (18 Mar 2006)

Kick start Chilliwack again.....Training areas, infrastructure, the Chilliwack economy, Harpers promise to bring Regular Army to the Wet Coast.....

$.02


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## youravatar (18 Mar 2006)

Ditto to the above.


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## Navy_Blue (18 Mar 2006)

Did he not promise a Rapid Reaction Force in Bagotville too?  Do they have much training area there?  I know its a fighter base but they must have space up there.

Also does Pet not have a dirt strip or runway capable of CC-130's.  I know they have a ATC tower and a pad for Helo's close to the assault tower as I recall.  Airborn was there before why not do it again?


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## TCBF (19 Mar 2006)

Fixed wing loaded jumpers a Brown's Airfield (Pembroke Airport), or Trenton (jumpers bussed from Pet - and bussed BACK if there was a stop-drop).

Fling-wings loaded right in front of the DZ shack, or one of the pde squares (rare).

Or on the DZ at Cobden, before DZ Anzio was built.


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## TCBF (19 Mar 2006)

We don't own any LAND there - most of it was a long term lease from the Sarcee FN.

The 3PPCLI building at Namao DOES face the 14,000 foot runway - too bad it is closed to other than helicopters, or I would say move them to Edmonton and put 1PPCLI or the Strats in Dundurn, where there is a trg area and a city close by of 240,000 - Saskatoon.


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## Scoobie Newbie (19 Mar 2006)

I would laugh my ass off if they put any major unit in Dundurn


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## Bobbyoreo (23 Mar 2006)

"The 3PPCLI building at Namao DOES face the 14,000 foot runway - too bad it is closed to other than helicopters, or I would say move them to Edmonton and put 1PPCLI or the Strats in Dundurn, where there is a trg area and a city close by of 240,000 - Saskatoon."

Thats as dumb as moving 2vp to Shilo.....oh ohhhhhh....nevermind!!!!


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## Hopkins (25 Mar 2006)

From what I've heard the CSOR Combat Regiment is pretty much just like the Airborne regiments...I'll let ya know more... 
LAST PART EDITED FOR PERSEC


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