# Do CDN politicians visit the troops?



## MAJOR_Baker (27 Nov 2003)

I was wondering if CDN politicians ever visit deployed CDN troops?


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## Art Johnson (27 Nov 2003)

Yes but quite frankly I wish they wouldn‘t. They are a pain in the butt.


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## mattoigta (27 Nov 2003)

just last month Chretien visited, or was it before that?


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## Devlin (27 Nov 2003)

The best is watching them (politicians) try and come across as one of the guys. Even better during a "VIP" visit on a field EX one local politician sat down for an IMP with us. 

His question --- wait for it....

"Do you guys only eat these things in emergency situations?"

Guess he didn‘t like what was for dinner...


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## onecat (27 Nov 2003)

I find it funny when people like Jean Chretien visit the troops.  If they had there way there would be no CF at all, and yet they come and visit, and pretent they actaully care.  Its one of the things I‘m not looking forward too, once I get in.  I;ll just have to pray that if it‘s a politican like Jean that he won;t stop and ask me a question.


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## Ex-Dragoon (27 Nov 2003)

When we were in the Gulf we had the Governor General come to the Canadian Task Group, at first didn‘t think much on it but appreciated the gesture after.


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## nULL (27 Nov 2003)

> Originally posted by radiohead:
> [qb] I find it funny when people like Jean Chretien visit the troops.  If they had there way there would be no CF at all, and yet they come and visit, and pretent they actaully care.  Its one of the things I‘m not looking forward too, once I get in.  I;ll just have to pray that if it‘s a politican like Jean that he won;t stop and ask me a question. [/qb]


Must be hard for the politician too, to pretend that their valuable time is appreciated in what is only meant as a goodwill gesture.


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## Spartan (28 Nov 2003)

the Gov Gen has (of late) had christmas dinner with those on operations  (at sea etc)


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## Enzo (28 Nov 2003)

The odd one will travel abroad for whatever reason. That‘s fine, maybe they‘ll learn/see something which will affect them in a positive way. But all things considered, I‘d rather a visit from Natasha Henstridge


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## toms3 (28 Nov 2003)

S_Baker

He went to Afghanistan.  

Cheers


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## btk_joker (28 Nov 2003)

I think that John McCallum just got back from Bosnia


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## onecat (28 Nov 2003)

"Must be hard for the politician too, to pretend that their valuable time is appreciated in what is only meant as a goodwill gesture."

yep I‘m sure it is hard for then.  I do appreciate the time, just not the visit.  If its some who actually cares about the Forces and missions like McCallum... then sure its great.  But for politician Like Jean... I prefer that they just stay in Ottawa.


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## Gunnar (28 Nov 2003)

> If its some who actually cares about the Forces and missions like McCallum


You really think so?  I haven‘t heard much about the Defence Minister from anyone, good or bad.  To me he seems to be a somewhat clueless, hard-working manager type.  He‘s made some attempt to learn, and I think he plays the manager game they all play a little too efficiently, but you believe on balance that he‘s a good guy who cares about the Forces?

Just wondering.  I haven‘t heard too much postive or negative about him from Forces people...


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## Jarnhamar (28 Nov 2003)

Wonder when the last time some people went to ottawa to support "them"   

It‘s always a hassel having VIPS go out on excersises or operations. You have to disrupt your day to day patter, you might miss out on some sleep, internet time or a meal here and there. It‘s annoying having everything turned up side down for them. i still appriciate the fact that they make the effort. Is it basically a paid vacation? Sure is. They fly over for a week, get doted on ahnd and foot and get to fly around and see all the cool stuff and not deal with the crap. They ALSO get to see what really goes on in person and not just from one of their lackies in NDHQ telling him how great the troops think the iltis is.   VIPs visiting is a perfect example to tell them what joe private really thinks. Now if the soldier sticks to his guns and is truthful OR if he just nods his head and tells the VIP what he‘s suposed to hear is another question all together.

Theres going to be some goofs who let it go in ear and out the other but theres also going to be some who listen. Operation Clothe the Soldier started after one troop complained to a visiting VIP about how stupid it turning their goretex kit in after their tour.  I don‘t mind someone eating the crappy food next to me while im wearing a goretex parka and wind pants when its freezing out.


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## SNoseworthy (28 Nov 2003)

IIRC, DND has a program in which it chooses half a dozen or so Members of Parliament each year to participate in a program that shows them first hand life in the military. Not sure what the troops think of this plan, but from a civilian point of view, I think it does help somewhat when the politicians know (albeit they only learn a little) about the military and how it operates.


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## mattoigta (28 Nov 2003)

re: McCallum

I was doing some reading  about him and apparently even after he was the MND he had never heard of a place called Dieppe.


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## onecat (28 Nov 2003)

Conpared to Chretien, McCallum is a great guy.  I didn‘t say he was best just that conpared to Jean. I would prefer to have to him doing the inspections.  There all Liberals, so none are going to be very good at it.  Just that McCallum has actaully tried harder than the others that have been in the post.


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## Andyboy (28 Nov 2003)

As you can see here sometimes the CF has "Take your crazy grandfather to work days".

 http://www.combatcamera.dnd.ca/photoarchive/HiRes/%212003/112203/IS2003-6079.jpg


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## Gunnar (28 Nov 2003)

That‘s the funniest thing I ever heard.  Crazy granpa to work day....and the pic really looks like it too...

--
Yeah, about trying harder than most...that sort of what I got out of him too...trying hard, but as a Liberal, not really getting what the CF is for, so to some extent crippled in his ability to learn.  But at least trying.  Although he had no idea what Dieppe was (and he was a former Cadet, at that!  I know, it‘s not the military, but it would be like being in the Boy Scouts and having no idea where BP got the idea for "scouting"), he learned about it when it was pointed out that he knew nothing.


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## gate_guard (28 Nov 2003)

All things considered, the program that SNoseworthy mentioned can only help. If nothing else, at least it‘ll give a few MPs some insight into the world of the military and best case scenario, actually keep their experience in mind when the military is being discussed in Ottawa. The biggest waste of time (and money) I‘ve seen was when the LFRR group came to visit in Bosnia. They basically let us bitch at them, but then replied "Okay we‘ll consider that" to everything we said. Then when one NCO apparently went a little to far, he got sh!t on for doing so. As Ghost said, sometimes these things are a waste of time and just another unneeded disruption in your day. It seems to me that the civilians (MPs) visiting take away a more sincere experience than the higher ups in uniform. All they seem to do is tell you to shut up and soldier on, it‘s like "Thanks for the advice sir, but I‘m already doing that. Now go away and let me do my job."


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## Enzo (28 Nov 2003)

I‘ve no problem with VIP‘s on "fact finding" missions. Thing is, I‘d prefer to see them hop in a Iltis and go out on a patrol. Bring their enhanced security along, I‘m still thinking a few moments of "worry" will creep into their hearts. Be good for them to feel that. Wonder what would come out of such an exercise? More than Jean‘s, "we already give them the best and they just ask for more."


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## Slim (30 Nov 2003)

I was part of a ex ( as a track dvr) where the CF in Gagetown was hosting a group of enviormentalists for a week in the field.

We started off hating them (there were 15, half were girls) but by the end of the week we had become pretty good friends...They seemed like they really wanted to learn what it was all about. We even let them drive the tracks on the last day ( a four foot high french girl named Marie-Clair managed to throw me off of an M113-She was driving!)
I think they went away with something valuable but who can tell?


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## cheechue (3 Dec 2003)

The MP of Kingston Ontario - Peter Milliken - visits the troops on most special occasions. I remember seeing him at Remembrance Day Parades, Change of Command Parades, Change of Colour Parades.


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## Armymedic (3 Dec 2003)

Since we have been here in Bosnia, I believe we have had a MP (I believe he was the under secratery to the assistant for the Deputy minister of defence   ) and a Senator come to visit. No othe Canadian politicians aside from the Canadian Ambassador to BiH have visited us.
The MND had the good graces to anounce that we are pulling out of Bosnia in Nov 04 while he was visiting the troops in Kabul. 

If anybody atually cared, we may have been upset with him doing it over there.....

Sometimes its nice to be left alone.


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## Jarnhamar (3 Dec 2003)

Kingston‘s MP is a pretty good guy.  I‘m surprised you saw anything on rememberence day cheechue, with that last cut you had and all   

So army medic were pulling out completly in nov 04? I was under the impression we would run MOST teams for quite some time not to mention keep open zgon and VK


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## cheechue (5 Dec 2003)

lol punk!!! that was change of command


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## Jarnhamar (5 Dec 2003)

Yes, uh i knew that. I was just seeing if that blow to your head had any lasting effects


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