Posted by
ghallman <[email protected]> on
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 13:55:21 -0400
The present state of our military really depresses me. I‘ve been in the
militia for a year and a half so I don‘t really don‘t have the view of the
military as say, a RCR or PPCLI soldier but my view from the "outside" is
rather discouraging. In my short time in the military, I can‘t say that
anything I‘ve seen have made me want to make a career in the Canadian
military, when most of the comments you hear are complaints it doesn‘t
create an aspiration to be all you can be. All I‘ve really wanted to be is
a career soldier, I know I‘m capable of going far but there really doesn‘t
seem to be anywhere to go. Think about the opportunities available to say
an American soldier in the infantry. Light or Mech infantry -- then
Airborne -- then Ranger -- then Special Forces -- then......well Delta
Force but not bloody likely. The only thing the Canadian Armed Forces has
going for it seems to be its pay rates but pays only goes so far when you
hate your job because you‘ve been doing the same damn thing for 10 years
with not much chance of advancement. This supposed loss of 3PPCLI‘s
parachute capability just really compounds the problem, but did you not
expect it? Civilian opinion and our own opinion of the military is rather
negative. Just when we seem to think it can‘t get an worst they give us
some new Gore-Tex kit, a grenade launcher and new APCs then cut the
training budget. Well you can give anyone off the street a uniform and a
weapon, from what I‘ve heard it was or is our training that sets Canadian
soldiers apart from the average soldier of another country‘s armed forces.
As to Patrick Cain‘s idea, yeah that sounds great and it really is a nice
dream but it would take World War III for that to happen. While we‘re
dreaming why don‘t we create a Canadian Royal Marines Corp. All these
ideas are great but the money isn‘t there and neither are the soldiers.
>From what I‘ve seen from other militia soldiers in my region I don‘ think
the majority are willing to train hard enough to augment, expand, or
replicate their corresponding reg-force unit. There just aren‘t enough
civies out there looking for a life in the Infantry either. Everyone that
I‘ve talked to think we suck, and I live in the Maritimes. Why would
anyone want to join an army that they think sucks. I think the general
opinion in this country would be different if we would of kicked some ***
during the Gulf War but we guarded the rear instead. I know this isn‘t the
soldiers fault, I think or like to think that most of the infantryman we
sent over would of loved to be out in the desert kicking some *** but the
political will just wasn‘t there. I guess my brain just kinda exploded and
I‘m probably going to get charged or something but I guess I just had to
say this **** to get it off my mind. There are a lot of other things I‘d
like to discuss with someone who shares some of my opinions.
At 07:29 PM 25/02/2000 PST, you wrote:
>3PPCLI‘s Alpha Company may lose its parachute capability on return from its
>Bosnia tour of duty. Over the last 5 years, our airborne capability with
>damn near everything elsehas been slashed repeatedly. From a Regiment to 3
>companies, and from that to maybe 2. 240 paratroopers is ludicrous as an
>airborne force. We need at least a battalion.
>
>Any thoughts?
>
>Totis Viribus
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