2017 MARLANT Change of Command Parade

[FSTO]

Anyone on the East Coast attend the COMD MARLANT change of command? I saw pictures and to call it a dog's breakfast would be an insult to dog puke.

The Guard sitting in chairs? WTF?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

It sure looks...different!!!!  You can tell by the looks on their faces just how...overwhelmed they are to be there.  :rofl:

 

[Stoker]

Anyone on the East Coast attend the COMD MARLANT change of command? I saw pictures and to call it a dog's breakfast would be an insult to dog puke.

The Guard sitting in chairs? WTF?

Admiral Newton wanted the guard to sit down and the COC the way it was.

 

[George Wallace]

All I can say is "WOW!"............followed immediately by the dinosaur in me saying "WTF!".


I am sure there are quite a few old RSMs and Chiefs wondering what the Parade Orders were for that Parade....."Into Chairs.....SIT!"  ???

 

[Stoker]

This what Admiral Newton had to say on the comments about the parade.

"I wanted all uniforms to be present including engineers in dirty coveralls. I believe our sailors (and the other service personnel) and civilian workers should be proud to wear their combat and operational uniforms as much as their highest order of dress which seems to make others happy bur creates resentment when you consider how much training and engineering we disrupt by ceremony. Indeed, I wanted the ceremony to be about our people and not as much the officers changing command. I spoke to all this in my remarks. After all, this was a ceremony and not a parade per se."

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Regardless of what he wanted, there are IMO certain standards that should be maintained for things like this.  A guard sitting down, as an example, erodes those standards.

I'm only a small cog, but this is another conversation he is the center of recently that fit into the *UNSAT* category, for me at least. 

 

[Sub_Guy]

Let's do away with these parades all together.  We lost a week of training because of a CoC parade here at 14 Wing this summer.  It doesn't sound like much, but a week is pretty significant. 

Actually the week wasn't lost, we just added a week to the course.  Which is an extra week of TD for our students from Comox, it all adds up.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Let's do away with these parades all together.  We lost a week of training because of a CoC parade here at 14 Wing this summer.  It doesn't sound like much, but a week is pretty significant.

Whine whine whine!  :violin: 

Why do you operational-focus types always try to interfere with the important stuff;  staff work, admin and ceremony!!  :tempertantrum:

;D

 

[FSTO]

Let's do away with these parades all together.  We lost a week of training because of a CoC parade here at 14 Wing this summer.  It doesn't sound like much, but a week is pretty significant. 

Actually the week wasn't lost, we just added a week to the course.  Which is an extra week of TD for our students from Comox, it all adds up.

Sure, lets become just like the Canadian Coast Guard.
Also I've yet to be on a course that wasn't 1 week of actual instruction/training squeezed into 3 weeks of TD.

 

[PuckChaser]

Let's do away with these parades all together.  We lost a week of training because of a CoC parade here at 14 Wing this summer.

I would say the problem isn't the parades, its the fact that someone thinks we require more than a 1 day rehearsal for a CoC parade. Turning right when someone says turn right isn't rocket surgery.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I remember watching parade practices in Gagetown in front of the Battlemall that lasted a full week for all the Officer courses.  Thankfully, I was watching them from inside the Battlemall. 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Also I've yet to be on a course that wasn't 1 week of actual instruction/training squeezed into 3 weeks of TD.

Not so much the case on a flying course.  Delays are ones out of staff control, such as weather or serviceability of aircraft.  (or..parades  )

These folks, if they are from the West coast, have also been away from their postal code for a considerable time already on course before they even get to MOAT (Maritime Operational Aircrew Training) which itself is 6+ months long.

Looks like the navy does parades and TDs poorly then.  Did you guys want to talk to our guys about way to improve??  >

 

[jollyjacktar]

Sure, lets become just like the Canadian Coast Guard.
Also I've yet to be on a course that wasn't 1 week of actual instruction/training squeezed into 3 weeks of TD.

Honestly, who do these parades really benefit?  Not the troops so much.  I have never gotten a thrill from seeing and participating in the ceremony of a change of command.  Maybe it gives the Wardroom denizens a shiver up the spine but I've never once heard the rest of us going oooooo lala over one.  Yes, yes, I get it.  For the two head honchos in question that it's a big deal (because I know you're thinking it) but at the end of the day, not so much for those of us below. Really.  As for the CG crack, at least they get overtime do they not?

 

[FSTO]

Honestly, who do these parades really benefit?  Not the troops so much.  I have never gotten a thrill from seeing and participating in the ceremony of a change of command.  Maybe it gives the Wardroom denizens a shiver up the spine but I've never once heard the rest of us going oooooo lala over one.  Yes, yes, I get it.  For the two head honchos in question that it's a big deal (because I know you're thinking it) but at the end of the day, not so much for those of us below. Really.  As for the CG crack, at least they get overtime do they not?

Then join the fricken CG if you want overtime. (My apologies)


I for one enjoy the parades either when I was a platoon cdr or now when I get the the chance to be the parade cdr. For the general public to see a well turned out UNIFORM parade (not these gawd awful coat of many colours parades) shows us to be a professional force that deserves the honour, responsibility and capability to expend the country's treasure in the defence of the realm. The general public has very few opportunities to see us at sea, in the field or in the air. But when we are on parade in the public eye I'd rather we look sharp, professional and uniform than bags of shyte. Because if we look like bags of shyte or just hide from the public, the razor thin support that we do have will evaporate pretty quick!

Now I know that most here don't believe in Buttons and Bows but there is a place for it because we are not the F'n Coast Guard we are the CAF and we should look the part at all times.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I for one enjoy the parades...when I get the the chance to be the parade cdr.

Most important part quoted  >

Teasing!!

 

[FSTO]

Most important part quoted  >

Teasing!!

Ha ha. I can take it.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Some parade have their place ... others don't. Bet you the Admiral wanted the guard to sit down because he knew the speeches would be long winded affairs.  ;D.

However, in my mind, for a change of Coast command parade, it would have been sufficient to have a guard and Colours party, manned by the PAT platoon, and then one representative platoon from each unit in the command (say 25 pers) simply doing a formed parade in front of the HQ, and have a very short outgoing and even shorter oncoming speech - with no speech from their senior supervising officer there to witness the change.

You do the standard Colours handed to the outgoing commander, passed by him to the senior supervising officer, who passes them to the oncoming commander. That's the symbolic change of command part done. Sign the papers, that's the formal change of command part done, then speeches (short-short-short) and then a general salute by the parade and all the senior bunch leaves ... parade dismisses. You can do all that in one hour, everybody in proper uniform.

The idea of "manning the sides" of the ships for cheering can be relegated to the bin of history as far as I am concerned. It used to be done while the outgoing commander was "rowed ashore" by his senior officers in a whaler going by each ship in the fleet. Well, we don't friggin have rowed boats anymore, so get over it. 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

CofC parades domestically and CofC ceremonies deployed (at least recently) are *in*.  I've never seen the likes like I witnessed any of the times I was at IMPACT.  The MPs had one for pete sakes...that tells me that (1) there are too many MPs there and (2) there are also too many CofC events there, no matter what name they go under (TOC, CofC, COA, TOA, etc). 

http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/gallery/cc_photos/detail/?filename=KW06-2016-0032-001&assetId=56661  If you have time to do this type of stuff, over and over, and it not affect actual operations, then you are * deployment fat* and can send most people home. 

But, new COs coming in likely want their CofC photo ops and outgoings want the departing gift and it will continue.  I've less heartache with the domestic events...the deployed ones made me  :brickwall:.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I haven't seen many change of command parades where there was a huge civilian turn out or interest. I think most guests are soldiers ordered to watch or families of soldiers on parade.

 

[ballz]

I'm not big on drill / parades / ceremonies / etc although I do appreciate them and their purpose... so if you're going to do it, do it right. If not, just don't do it... it's not a big deal either way. But being half-pregnant is always a disaster.

At this point it seems I've seen all sides of the spectrum... from doing it in combats in a drill hall in 5 minutes, to doing it in scarlet's in Officer Square in Fredericton where it was advertised to the city for 2 weeks prior to come out and watch (well-received by the way I think), to a "tactical" theme with helocasting, securing a beach, etc followed by a big smoker. I don't have a problem with any of them, but seeing the guard sitting down with whites and rifles just seems pretty amateur...