Battle casualties or accident casualties?

[3rd Horseman]

From Iterator -g. Wounds or injuries inflicted by our own, allied or coalition forces' projectiles (or parts of them) when these have been fired at real or perceived hostile forces;
.

This is new to the regulations since I was in, they changed it I guess in 03, before the regulations said only direct contact with the EN, Friendly fire was not in and the odd randun shot directed at a EN but hits you by accident ie UN ops observer missions you don't qualify. This issue got me in a heated debate a year ago as the regs had changed and I was arguing from the old regs of the late 90s. I am a little on the fence about the issue, I don't want to make the WIA stripe to be like the purple heart in the US.

 

[the 48th regulator]

UN ops observer missions you don't qualify.

Huh?

I was wounded in '94 on UN mission, and qualified benefits (although I had ti fight hard to get more) and my wounded stripe.

dileas

tess

 

[3rd Horseman]

"the odd randun shot directed at a EN but hits you by accident ie UN ops observer missions you don't qualify."

48th ....this was the full quote above. The incident that you were involved in is not what I was pointing out it was the odd random shot not the direct unloading of a AK into a jeep. You were not on a UN observer mission. I shall explain in detail, if a UN observer was hit with shrapnel from a mortar fired at a EN position and the UN Observer was near that area and was not directly targeted then he did not get a WIA stripe.

Clearer I hope.

 

[Gunner]

http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/cfpn/engraph/11_03/11_03_wound_e.asp or

Wound stripes FAQ

Following the precedent set in the First and Second World Wars, the CF awards wound stripes to battlefield casualties. The narrow gold braid stripe is a dress distinction recognizing a physical or mental injury received as a result of armed conflict.

Who is eligible?
All CF Regular Force and Reserve members, members of other military forces on exchange duties with the CF, and CF Personnel Support Agency personnel and contract employees are eligible. Consult ADM(HR-MIL) INSTRUCTION 03/03 at http://hr.dwan.dnd.ca/docs/instruction/home_e.asp (Intranet users only) for comprehensive information about wound stripes.

What kind of injury merits a wound stripe?
A wound stripe recognizes an injury directly attributable to hostile action, received in honourable circumstances in an operational area, and requiring medical treatment beyond local first aid.
What kind of injury does not merit a wound stripe?
Injuries received in accidents in special duty areas, on domestic provision of service operations, or on training exercises do not qualify for wound stripes. Wound stripes are not issued posthumously.

Who determines if I'm eligible to wear a wound stripe?
If you think you are entitled to a wound stripe, you may initiate a claim with your CO. The authority to wear a wound stripe is granted by your CO, who verifies your eligibility, referring doubtful cases directly to NDHQ, attention Director Casualty Support and Administration (DCSA).

When do I receive my wound stripe?
As soon as your eligibility has been confirmed and a presentation is practicable, your CO or a representative will formally present the wound stripe to you. It's up to you whether the presentation is made publicly or privately. You will also receive a Certificate of the Award of Wound Stripe.

How do I wear my wound stripe?
A wound stripe is worn on the left sleeve of undress and Service Dress jackets only, positioned either 12 cm above the bottom of the sleeve or 1.2 cm above an existing badge. Visit http://hr.ottawa-hull.mil.ca/dhh/downloads/cfps/cfp265.pdf (Intranet users only) and view figure 3-6-1 on page 119 of the CF Dress Instructions.

Where can I get more information about wound stripes?
Consult ADM(HR-MIL) INSTRUCTION 03/03 at http://hr.dwan.dnd.ca/docs/instruction/home_e.asp (Intranet users only) for comprehensive information about wound stripes.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/instructions/engraph/0303_admhrmil_e.asp

Qualification for Wound Stripes: Wounds or injuries requiring medical treatment beyond local first aid (i.e., treatment at a medical facility of more than 5 days duration, not necessarily consecutive) that are due to hostile actions and would be a qualification for a wound stripe include, but are not limited to:
Injuries due to blast;
Injuries due to rescue work in bombed buildings or defences;
Injuries due to collision of a vessel or a vehicle with a mine;
Injuries sustained by aircrew or passengers as a result of an aircraft crash, or aircraft damage, or fire in an aircraft, provided that these are due to hostile actions or take place during an operational sortie. Injuries sustained by eligible personnel who rescue, or attempt to rescue, aircrew and passengers in such circumstances would qualify for the wound stripe;
Injuries due to mine or bomb disposal duties;
Injuries due to terrorist attack (attempted assassinations, car bombs, etc) by hostile forces when Canadian military forces are the targets. Incidents such as these do not necessarily need to take place in an operational area;
Wounds or injuries inflicted by our own, allied or coalition forces' projectiles (or parts of them) when these have been fired at real or perceived hostile forces;
Injuries that require not less than one week's treatment in hospital (or equivalent) as a consequence of:
exposure at sea in open boats and life rafts directly due to hostile action;
exposure in the air following attacks on aircraft by hostile forces;
inadequate or harsh treatment by hostile forces as a result of being captured or detained; or
the employment of nuclear, biological or chemical agents by hostile forces.
Operational stress injuries may qualify for a wound stripe if treatment of not less than one week in hospital (or equivalent) is the direct result of a traumatic incident caused by hostile forces in a combat zone.

 

[the 48th regulator]

"the odd randun shot directed at a EN but hits you by accident ie UN ops observer missions you don't qualify."

48th ....this was the full quote above. The incident that you were involved in is not what I was pointing out it was the odd random shot not the direct unloading of a AK into a jeep. You were not on a UN observer mission. I shall explain in detail, if a UN observer was hit with shrapnel from a mortar fired at a EN position and the UN Observer was near that area and was not directly targeted then he did not get a WIA stripe.

Clearer I hope.

So a patrol caught in the middle of enemy crossfire, as it happened in Cyprus and Yugo (Medak), falls under your statement wouldn't you agree?

dileas

tess

 

[3rd Horseman]

Enemy cross fire is not an "odd random shot", in particular I would suggest that Medak and if you mean airfield in Cyprus 70s were not UN Observer missions, and our troops were diredtly targeted, then no I don't agree. The rules changed in 03 so I guess it is all inert now anyway. The example that was in my head when I detailed my response was a soldier on UN Observer status that was in a small town when the towns defenders were shelled, he took some shrapnel, he was not directly targeted. Now if the en had shelled the UN op or that individual then yes he would qual.

 

[the 48th regulator]

So he was wounded doing his duty, as a "peacekeeper" due to shelling, and he does not deserve a wounded stripe or any benenfits?

dileas

tess

 

[3rd Horseman]

Benefits were not and are not part of my discussion.
Wound stripe...under new rules yes he would get, my under standing is under old rules no. I'm on the fence on the issue, my concern is that we become more like the US and we start handing them out with little to no appropriate rules. Again it is subjective. I'm not sold yet.

 

[the 48th regulator]

From Iterator -g. Wounds or injuries inflicted by our own, allied or coalition forces' projectiles (or parts of them) when these have been fired at real or perceived hostile forces;
.

This is new to the regulations since I was in, they changed it I guess in 03, before the regulations said only direct contact with the EN, Friendly fire was not in and the odd randun shot directed at a EN but hits you by accident ie UN ops observer missions you don't qualify. This issue got me in a heated debate a year ago as the regs had changed and I was arguing from the old regs of the late 90s. I am a little on the fence about the issue, I don't want to make the WIA stripe to be like the purple heart in the US.

Benefits were not and are not part of my discussion.
Wound stripe...under new rules yes he would get, my under standing is under old rules no. I'm on the fence on the issue, my concern is that we become more like the US and we start handing them out with little to no appropriate rules. Again it is subjective. I'm not sold yet.

3rd,

I am not trying to be facetious, I just do not get what you are talking about.  I was wounded in '94, which is the early nineties.  Yet you state that the government has only recognized this in the new millennium.

There are no "New" rules.  That is what I am trying to state.  They have been around for quite some time, well over a decade!

dileas

tess

 

[3rd Horseman]

48th,

   Had to get out the old oxford for that word. ;D

  As was I wounded in 95, the document that was put out in the 90s for the wound stripe which was used to grant me mine had a different criteria then the one quated above in 03. That was what I was referring to. That maybe the confusion, I was posting under the assumption people knew they had been changed.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

"Operational stress injuries may qualify for a wound stripe if treatment of not less than one week in hospital (or equivalent) is the direct result of a traumatic incident caused by hostile forces in a combat zone."

Would that be one of the 2003 changes?

 

[3rd Horseman]

I guess that would mean I get another one to add to the collection.

Yes I do believe that was one of the changes along with friendly fire.