# Myths, Urban Legends Surrounding Red Fridays



## The Bread Guy (21 Oct 2006)

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act - http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/act-e.html#rid-33409

*Troop Red Fridays rife with urban myths*
Randy Richmond, London Free Press, 21 Oct 06
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2006/10/21/2087038-sun.html

A Super Bowl beer commercial, online urban legends, flea collars and some of Canada's media have a London soldier seeing a little red on Fridays. 

Capt. Alexander Peterson of London wants to dispel the myths circulating online and in print about the campaign supporting Canadian soldiers through the Red Fridays campaign. 

"People's hearts are great, but all they are doing is perpetuating myths," says Peterson, public affairs officer for 31 Canadian Brigade Group. 

Some of the myths are laughable, some are merely inaccurate and some are doing more harm than good. 

First the laughable. 

Beer giant Anheuser-Busch ran a commercial during the 2005 Super Bowl showing U.S. soldiers being applauded as they walk through an unknown Midwest airport. 

Online, that heart-warming commercial has turned into "true stories." 

Bloggers and e-mailers are sharing stories about seeing troops being applauded at airports around the world. 

At each airport, from Melbourne, Australia, to Atlanta, Ga., the same thing happens. 

The troops are applauded. A little girl named Courtney -- obviously a popular name worldwide -- asks a soldier to give her daddy overseas a kiss. Everyone ends up in tears. 

The Internet has the exact same incident happening in Toronto, where troops do not get off planes and at CFB Trenton, where troops get off planes but the public is not allowed anywhere near them. 

The story is often used to advance the cause of Red Fridays. 

According to snopes.com, a website devoted to debunking urban myths, the airport story has been repeated in Canadian media. 

Peterson hasn't seen that yet, but he does see a mistake cropping up in the Toronto- centred national media -- that the grassroots campaign encouraging Canadians to wear red on Fridays was started this year by soldiers' spouses at CFB Petawawa near Ottawa. 

In fact, the grassroots campaign started first in the U.S. and was brought into our country by soldiers' wives in Western Canada, which sent troops in earlier rotations to Afghanistan, Peterson says. 

"It's fair to say the wives in Petawawa popularized it in Eastern Canada," Peterson says. "There is a lot of support right across Canada." 

Some of that support is a bit misguided, he notes. 

*Across Southwestern Ontario, people have been collecting magazines, video games and other items to send to soldiers. 

Unfortunately, the military rarely has room to take non-operational items overseas, unless they're addressed to specific soldiers. 

Canadian soldiers would love to see people back home send books to libraries and send video games to children's hospitals rather than to troops overseas, he says. * 

Some people, worried about sand fleas that make life uncomfortable in Afghanistan, have been collecting flea powder and flea collars to send overseas. 

"Please," Peterson adds with a laugh, "send the flea collars to your local animal shelter."


----------



## RHFC_piper (21 Oct 2006)

milnewstbay said:
			
		

> Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act - http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/act-e.html#rid-33409
> 
> *Troop Red Fridays rife with urban myths*
> Some people, worried about sand fleas that make life uncomfortable in Afghanistan, have been collecting flea powder and flea collars to send overseas.
> ...



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!










I think I might have peed a little...

I don't think i need even comment on the silliness of these myths.


----------



## Haggis (21 Oct 2006)

RHFC_piper said:
			
		

> I think I might have peed a little...



Too much information, thanks...


----------



## Coyote43D (21 Oct 2006)

Our OC just came back from his Tac Recce and he told us that guys over there *were* wearing flea collars around their ankles.


----------



## RHFC_piper (21 Oct 2006)

Coyote43D said:
			
		

> Our OC just came back from his Tac Recce and he told us that guys over there *were* wearing flea collars around their ankles.



I spent 2 1/2 of the 3 weeks I was there out in the field (by field I mean sleeping in the sand) and the sand fles weren't that bad.  A few guys were bit "pretty bad" and it was just a little rash.  I personally had no problems with the fles.

And for the most part, the guys who were bit bad were the ones who didn't 'Dip' their combats in the bug goo before deploying... it's like we do it for a reason or something  :.

No one I've talked to, who's still over there, has said anything about wearing flea collars... but then again, people do some pretty odd stuff overthere.


----------



## Mike Bobbitt (21 Oct 2006)

The US military has already found flea collars to be useless and unsafe for this purpose. I'd hate to see someone get sick over bad advice.


----------



## GO!!! (21 Oct 2006)

Strange, we had flea collars issued in 2002, for use as boot bands.

I appreciated every single care package I got, from the stuff from friends and family, to the thoughtful gifts from legions and members of the public, addressing packages to "any Canadian soldier". These included magazines and video games, along with alot of other things, like newspapers, contact solution, gold bond powder and a million other things. We loved it, and wrote heartfelt thank - you letters to the senders.

I think Captain Pederson should "stay in his lane" as a militia PAffO, and comment on what he _knows_ to be true, and affects his unit and his operational experience directly. He gave this reporter information that is* false*, and does nothing to support the mission or the morale of deployed troops.


----------



## captjtq (22 Oct 2006)

I definitely appreciate every care pacakge I've received so far, as well as the letters - some from folks I don't even know (a couple from the NL Granny Brigade). I'm surprised that the CF couldn't/wouldn't find room for stuff to send over to "any Canadian Soldier" - even the generic magazines, DVDs, etc. would end up being appreciated, even if they only end up at the PRT or Canada House.

I've seen some pretty nasty pictures from folks who have worn the flea collars - or at least attributed to the collars. Seems to leave a fair rash when exposed directly to the skin.


----------



## armyvern (22 Oct 2006)

captjtq said:
			
		

> Isome from folks I don't even know (a couple from the NL Granny Brigade).



Ahhh Gladys, I have received at least one letter from her on every tour I've done. That lady supports our troops!!


----------



## Haggis (22 Oct 2006)

The Librarian said:
			
		

> Ahhh Gladys, I have received at least one letter from her on every tour I've done. That lady supports our troops!!



So have I, and I took the time to respond.


----------



## armyvern (22 Oct 2006)

So have I. In the Golan in 2001 she sent us some pics of St John's during that massive snowstorm. She said she planned on being 'shut-in' for quite awhile so might as well write some more letters!! She is a national treasure.


----------



## The Bread Guy (22 Oct 2006)

GO!!! - I'm curious, did the medics issue the collars, or someone else in the chain of command?  Considering what little I've found through the US Army online: 
http://www.mccoy.army.mil/vtriad_online/04252003/tickcollars.htm
http://afpmb.org/coweb/guidance_targets/ppms/flea%20and%20tick%20collar%20fact%20sheet.pdf (I didn't even _know_ the US Army had a Pest Management Board)
seems kinda scary.

On the PAffO quoted, I don't know him, but as a federal worker who speaks to media as part of my job, I'm guessing any PAffO, militia or not, gets pretty clear direction on what is the case, what isn't, and what to say about either, from on high in the system (and I think those messages are vetted at some level by Reg Force PAff types).  If he's spreading false information, I'm reasonably sure someone is going to jack him up first thing Monday AM. 

Also, based on everyone's experience with the media around here, if the flea collars were standard issue, what do you think the media would focus on once they heard that factoid?  Not the 95% of good news, surely  :


----------



## Gunner (22 Oct 2006)

He is just giving the party line.



> The mission re-supply system is designed to move operational and operational support equipment. Donated goods do not qualify as such, and can only be moved when space is available. Such space is extremely limited and its use requires extensive coordination in order to keep it under control. Therefore, in order to avoid disappointment and to ensure that CF logistics system is not overburdened, individuals wanting to conduct donation campaigns are encouraged to do so in accordance with the "Support our Troops" programs.



http://www.cfpsa.com/en/psp/Donations/index.asp


----------



## The Bread Guy (22 Oct 2006)

Wow - in light of this policy, I'm glad the care packages I sent to AFG managed to get through on a pretty damned timely basis.


----------



## GO!!! (22 Oct 2006)

While the individual in question may be giving the "party line" as he understands it, it does'nt excuse the errors. He's a PAffO, he's supposed to be up to speed on these things.

If he *does* know about the ability of the Canadian public to send care packages to "any Canadian Soldier" and omitted it, for any reason, I would say he is doing a pretty serious disservice to those of us who have been on the recieving end of those generous packages.

If he *does'nt* know about it, he should, and I would call into question his familiarity with deployed ops and soldiers in general. 

If he is trying to discourage people from giving bulk orders of donated goods to MFRCs and other CF administrative arms for dispersal to deployed troops at CF expense, he should state that.

The message *should* have been, in my mind, that people are welcome to donate anything they wish (within reason) but they should be prepared to donate the postage as well. 

As for the flea collars, I wore them as boot bands at some times, and wrapped them around the legs of my cot after that, And I did get a few bites. They were issued, and Capt. Petersons ignorance of that is pretty shocking, given his position and mocking of it to the media.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (22 Oct 2006)

I understood that they did not accept care packages addressed to "Any Canadian Soldier" If so I will send one off.


----------



## Gunner (22 Oct 2006)

GO!!! said:
			
		

> While the individual in question may be giving the "party line" as he understands it, it does'nt excuse the errors. He's a PAffO, he's supposed to be up to speed on these things.
> 
> If he *does* know about the ability of the Canadian public to send care packages to "any Canadian Soldier" and omitted it, for any reason, I would say he is doing a pretty serious disservice to those of us who have been on the recieving end of those generous packages.
> 
> ...



Go!!! I would submit that you have no idea what Capt Peterson actjally said to the reporter.  You are reacting to the reporter's (and his/her editor's) interpretation of Capt Peterson's comments.  



> The message should have been, in my mind, that people are welcome to donate anything they wish (within reason) but they should be prepared to donate the postage as well.



Postage is non-issue, it is the space it takes on airplanes that is the issue.


----------



## Zell_Dietrich (22 Oct 2006)

http://www.dix.army.mil/PAO/post03/post041803/Fleacollars.htm

Humans react differently to the chemicals.  It is a bad idea.


----------



## GO!!! (22 Oct 2006)

Gunner said:
			
		

> Go!!! I would submit that you have no idea what Capt Peterson actjally said to the reporter.  You are reacting to the reporter's (and his/her editor's) interpretation of Capt Peterson's comments.


While direct quotes can be taken out of context, I think the message is pretty clear in this case.



> Postage is non-issue, it is the space it takes on airplanes that is the issue.


...which is why I stated (twice) that mail sent to individual soldiers (including "any canadian soldier" mail) gets to theatre while bulk shipments of goods presented to the CF may not. The postage I spoke of is to Trenton.

To simplify further; if you send a package of anything to "any Canadian soldier", it will find it's way into a soldier's hands as it goes with the regular mail. If you drop off a tri-wall full of magazines and toiletries to your local ASU, it probably will not. The PAffO should have known that.


----------



## Haggis (23 Oct 2006)

GO!!! said:
			
		

> To simplify further; if you send a package of anything to "any Canadian soldier", it will find it's way into a soldier's hands as it goes with the regular mail.



Only bundled postcards/letters addressed to "Any Canadian Soldier" are accepted.  Parcels and packages from the general public are not.  A specific addressee name must appear on the label.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/community/messageboard/index_e.asp


----------



## captainj (8 Dec 2006)

The folks who go to Red Fridays meetings are well meaning people who do it from the heart. The gent who started it all is a super fellow with a big heart. These folks just want to say thank you for what we do and stand for. This is also the case with the greeat folks who send those care packages. I would suggest the PAO in question has not been on tour missing his wife and Canada in general. Perhaps he should and then he might sing a better tune. I am the founder of THE SAPPER MIKE McTEAGUE WOUNDED WARRIOR FUND and get letter and chques in a daily basis from these "misguided" people. Let me tell you that I tear up with most of them as these are Canadians who care about the troops. To suggest they are misguided goes beyond the pale. These folks are the salt of the earth.  It is in fact outright rude. I think I speak for most CF members when I say thank you Red Fridays, and thank you for those little packages you kind folks send.


----------



## GO!!! (9 Dec 2006)

+1  captainj - nice post.


----------



## Michael OLeary (11 Jan 2007)

The following was received from Capt Alex Peterson and is provided to clarify some of the issues discussed in this thread.  (All are advised that any further responses are to address the issues, without personal attacks.)



> Instead of the conjecture and supposition, in the discussion at: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/52107/post-466254, I submit the following facts for the discussion thread:
> 
> The tone of the article in question was that of the reporter not the person interviewed.  This has already been addressed directly with the media outlet.
> 
> ...


----------



## camochick (11 Jan 2007)

I've given up on the support stuff. I support my husband, I tell people I know about why it's important to support our troops, heck i will still tie ribbons if called upon, but having seen the wrong side of these campaigns, that were started out with good intentions and then turned into a media whoring event, I no longer feel the need to participate in "organized support". Same reason why I wont put a yellow ribbon magnet on my car. I know that when called upon the MFRC dropped the ball when it came to deployment support, so I won't further fund their support campaign. But to each their own.


----------



## armyvern (11 Jan 2007)

camochick said:
			
		

> I've given up on the support stuff. I support my husband, I tell people I know about why it's important to support our troops, heck i will still tie ribbons if called upon, but having seen the wrong side of these campaigns, that were started out with good intentions and then turned into a media whoring event, I no longer feel the need to participate in "organized support". Same reason why I wont put a yellow ribbons my car. I know that when called upon the MFRC dropped the ball when it came to deployment support, so I won't further fund their support campaign. But to each their own.



Well, Camochick sorry to hear about your own personal experience regarding deployment support; however, let me assure anyone else reading this thread that through all of _my_ various tours, my family has received nothing but _excellent _ support and/or referral services from the MFRCs that they have dealt with on numerous bases, in 3 different enviornmental commands. And I, for one, truly appreciate what they do.


----------



## Groucho (11 Jan 2007)

On the any soldier packages  when I was in Iraq in 2004 with the British Army (I am TA in Scotland ) I worked in the Log Support Regt in RHQ radio det! We got about every three weeks three packages for this retired couple ( the husband being ex- Royal Engineers). We could give most of the stuff sent to the troops and they would take it! The thing we had problems with was bars of soap! People took offence because they believe the rad ops where tooking the piss! We got 30 bars of soap at a time! When the word got round about how we got the soap then the troops would take it! When written to by the troop Sgt the couple said that they send the packages to a unit on each tour because they believe that the troops needed the support and these were the things the husband had trouble getting when he was in the Middle East! This was the first time anybody write back! A new list was sent to the couple ! They may still be sending packages over to the troops today!


----------



## simysmom99 (11 Jan 2007)

I think it is great that every day Canadians are taking time out to support our men and women overseas.  From sending care packages, to yellow ribbons on cars to participating in Red Fridays.  At the end of the day all these people are well meaning.  I also believe that when the pictures get to our deployed people and the families see the support from the general pubic, it makes it just a bit easier to get up and do the job that they are doing.  I know when my husband was deployed, I smiled every time I saw these things and heard about the public support.


----------



## GO!!! (12 Jan 2007)

Quotes from Capt Pederson's letter to Michael O'leary.

Captain Pederson is wrong in reference to a number of points he presents as facts. I will only comment on the ones I have experienced personally, and know to be true.



> ...has led people to believe that CF flights routinely use Canadian civilian airports to deploy soldiers overseas and that Canadian soldiers spend a year or more in-theatre on a single rotation.


Wrong.

I have been deployed from a civilian airport, and returned to the same airport (international arrivals, Edmonton international) in uniform, both times.



> US programs are mistaken for Canadian policy when it comes to packages for overseas. The "Any Soldier" program, is an independent, non-military, non-government effort strictly in the US.  Canadian policy is "packages from known sources addressed to named soldiers"


Wrong.

The CF *had* a policy of delivering mail to "Any Canadian Peacekeeper" in the past, and mail addressed to "Any Canadian Soldier" was given to me in Afghanistan in 2002, it *was* Canadian policy, though it is no longer the case. It was a case of identical policies, not Canadians mistaking a US one for being ours. I wrote to this program as a child and recieved mail from it as a soldier, to which I responded.



> Many lists circulating for items to be donated have US origins and include items like lip balm and sunscreen that are in the Canadian military supply system already...


Half true.

I requested that my family send both of these items because there was a shortage of them in theatre at the time, and when they were there, they were of such quality that led to me purchasing my own. Just because an item is supplied, does not mean that it is effective, it just means it is supplied. Look at pictures of soldiers deployed today. How many infantry soldiers are wearing the issued Tac Vest or boots?



> Flea collars and flea powder appear on many donation lists - again a practice that has originated with the US in Iraq.  The US has issued orders that the practice of wearing flea collars and using flea powder be stopped. Checking with the CF PMed and the medical chain-of-command, I found that there are directives on this subject NOT to use these items.


Wrong.

Flea collars were issued to us in 2002, and many wore them as boot bands, wrapped them around the legs of their cots, and a great many people were bitten by fleas (myself included). While I would'nt wear them against my skin, and it is rightly forbidden to do so, they do have a use.

Once again, I find Captain Pederson's information to be incorrect or misleading. He should stick to the facts which he knows by experience or documentation to be true. 

I further respectfully submit that there would not be speculation into his experience or professional abilities if he provided the correct information the first time.


----------



## Mike Bobbitt (12 Jan 2007)

Could it be that while flea collars were issued in 2002, now in 2007 they've changed direction policy so that they are no longer issued? I'm not being sarcastic - I have no way to know - just suggesting things may have changed so that both you and Capt. Pederson are right on that point...


----------



## PMedMoe (12 Jan 2007)

The Canadian Military does not issue flea collars.  It may be okay to use them on the legs of your cot, but definitely not recommended for personal use.


----------



## Mike Bobbitt (12 Jan 2007)

Ok before a flame war begins here... GO!!! is saying he was issued collars in 2002, and all evidence seems to indicate that they are no longer issued. I think that makes everyone "right" without accusing others of lying.


----------



## PMedMoe (12 Jan 2007)

No flame war, Mike, just wanted to assure people that they are not issued now.    
As far as using them as boot bands, if you had boots on and your pants properly bloused, why would you need the flea collar?  ???


----------



## 2 Cdo (13 Jan 2007)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> No flame war, Mike, just wanted to assure people that they are not issued now.
> As far as using them as boot bands, if you had boots on and your pants properly bloused, why would you need the flea collar?  ???



I remember getting issued flea collars in '02 but it was for the legs of our cots, not our own legs!


----------



## PMedMoe (13 Jan 2007)

That I can understand.  Had to use ant spray on the legs of my cot in Pet in summer of 2005 or wind up having "company" in your sleeping bag!!


----------



## Gunner98 (13 Jan 2007)

Capt P states: "Those submitting posts used defunct terms like "militia" and "PAffO" - to be accurate, the terms are "Army Reserve" and "PAO" and have been in use for several years now."

Accuracy is relative to being understood.

Although the Public Affairs Office and Officer's may call themselves PAO which has been in use in some military documents such as DAODs since 1998, many Regular Force Public Affairs Offices and Officer's still use PAffO because that is what their Commanders understand.  For those of us with a CD on their chest, you will recall that PAO was used to identify a Pay Accounts Office or Officer, which was an equally important place and person.  Needless to say it may be interchangeable so long as the reader understands the abbreviation, it is appropriate to use it.

A sample website with the PAffO abbreviation is 3 ASG @
http://www.army.dnd.ca/cfb_gagetown/organ/3asghq_e.asp

National Defence Audiovisual Database that does not have PAO in its Lexicon @
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/avdb/lexicon_e.asp?strIndex=P

Since Canadians have been referring to the Army Reserve as the militia since 1855 when it was created under the Militia Act of 1855.  http://www.cflc.forces.gc.ca/general/about/about_e.asp

Some things that are well-used and understood are hard to change in people's minds.


----------



## GO!!! (13 Jan 2007)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> No flame war, Mike, just wanted to assure people that they are not issued now.
> As far as using them as boot bands, if you had boots on and your pants properly bloused, why would you need the flea collar?  ???



Because when you hang out in a trench which alternately fills with bugs and water, for extended periods of time, the smaller bugs can actually still get to your ankles and legs - even with boots tied all the way up and tightly bloused.

The flea collars as boot bands did work, although I can see how they are hazardous to your health, there was no direction issued with them as to how they were to be used.


----------



## PMedMoe (13 Jan 2007)

GO!!! said:
			
		

> Because when you hang out in a trench which alternately fills with bugs and water, for extended periods of time, the smaller bugs can actually still get to your ankles and legs - even with boots tied all the way up and tightly bloused.
> 
> The flea collars as boot bands did work, although I can see how they are hazardous to your health, there was no direction issued with them as to how they were to be used.



I can see where that would be a problem.


----------

