Announcemnt by Minister of National Defence

[Nfld Sapper]

Media Advisory
Announcemnt by Minister of National Defence
August 14, 2008

GAGETOWN –The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, will make an announcement at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in Building F-6 Carleton Barracks Officer’s Mess at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow (Friday, August 15th) on an upcoming deployment.

Where: CFB Gagetown, Building F-6 Carleton Barracks Officer’s Mess
Date: Friday, August 15th, 2008
Time: 9:15 a.m. (Atlantic)

- 30 -

NOTE TO EDITORS: This announcement will take place in Bldg F-6, Carleton Barracks Officer’s Mess. Please confirm attendance with CFB Gagetown Public Affairs at 506-422-2000ext 2466 (Media Line).

 

[medicineman]

And here I am waiting to go on some learn to sail course...

MM

 

[Haggis]

GAGETOWN –The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, will make an announcement at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in Building F-6 Carleton Barracks Officer’s Mess at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow (Friday, August 15th) on an upcoming deployment.

Georgia??

 

[TacticalW]

Well, I can see how it'd be more aesthetically pleasing for Canada to be there in a peacekeeping position. I'm looking forward to seeing what this upcoming deployment will be. Maybe in the future it might be a bigger benefit than I thought to be fluent in Russian >.>

 

[Spanky]

Re-opening Lahr???  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

Re-opening Lahr???   ;D

Would be nice, but it is too late for that.  It has changed quite a bit in the last few years.......Same goes for Baden.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Georgia??

I'd bet a loony on this one.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Probably parts of 403 SQN deploying.

 

[Adamant]

I would think they would deploy another 1 Wing squadron before they needed to pull from the Training Squadron...

 

[Strike]

Probably parts of 403 SQN deploying.

Not gonna happen...for that Sqn anyway.

 

[Adamant]

CFB GAGETOWN -- Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canada will send five soldiers to Kosovo to help a NATO-led peacekeeping force.

They will be deployed for 12 months to NATO's peacekeeping headquarters in Pristina, capital of the former Serbian province.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080815/mackay_kosovo_080815/20080815?hub=Canada

 

[the 48th regulator]

CFB GAGETOWN -- Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canada will send five soldiers to Kosovo to help a NATO-led peacekeeping force.

They will be deployed for 12 months to NATO's peacekeeping headquarters in Pristina, capital of the former Serbian province.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080815/mackay_kosovo_080815/20080815?hub=Canada

Further in the news, they may be armed, wear uniforms, and have a head dress the colour of blue.....

:

dileas

tess

 

[dapaterson]

A not so subtle jab at our Russian friends, this one...

 

[vonGarvin]

Perfect timing.  Just as Russia ignores the internationally recognised borders of Georgia to stop that nation's military from attacking a "break-away" district, without UN sanction, Canada sends "peacekeepers" to Kosovo, where in 1999 NATO ignored the internationally recognised borders of Serbia to stop that nation's military from attacking a "break-away" district, without UN sanction.

I'm sorry, but I find this all too chilling and reminiscient of the dark days of pre 1990.

 

[medicineman]

Wow, a whopping 5 people...

MM

 

[Rodahn]

Hardly what I would call an earth shattering announcement..... I wonder why all of the hoopla for this?

 

[vonGarvin]

Slightly OT:
Rodahn: love those sig blocks!  Google is my friend.

Back On T:
I agree with Tess.  Much ado about nothing, I suppose, or, to paraphrase in Latin:  Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus

 

[Bzzliteyr]

I was going to make a funny, smart ass comment.. but the announcement put me to sleep and I forgot to...

 

[Nfld Sapper]

News Release
Canadian Forces to Deploy to Kosovo
NR 08-028 - August 15, 2008

OTTAWA - The Government of Canada is making a commitment to peace and stability in the Balkans by deploying Canadian Forces personnel to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) for approximately twelve months.

“Canada, alongside its allies, is proud to support the people of Kosovo as they start a new period in their history,” said the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. “Our government is utilizing the special expertise of the Canadian Forces to make a lasting impact on Kosovo’s democratic transition.”

Five CF members will work as defence planners at KFOR Headquarters, where they will be responsible for the management and streamlining of funds and equipment received from donor countries.

“The Canadian Forces’ contribution will provide KFOR, NATO’s second largest mission, with well trained and experienced personnel who will make a lasting contribution to Kosovo’s future security,” said General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff.

Kosovo declared independence on February 17, 2008, with Canada recognizing Kosovo’s independence on March 18, 2008. With a new constitution that came into force on June 18th, 2008, Kosovo has begun the process of standing up state institutions.

The new deployment builds on the work of thousands of CF personnel who were deployed to the Balkans during Operation Quadrant and Operation Kinetic.

Further information on all current and past missions is available on the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) website (www.cefcom.forces.gc.ca).

 

[The Bread Guy]

Hardly what I would call an earth shattering announcement..... I wonder why all of the hoopla for this?

There is a problem (Russia/Georgia, with "Russia as bad guy" narrative).

Ottawa needs a solution (what are we doing, dagnabit?!?)

Ottawa gets solution (nix participation in an ex, send a few people to Kosovo)

Therefore, Ottawa (hopes to be seen as) acting.

Follow-up question - does solution solve problem?  Discuss