daftandbarmy
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Based on recruiting numbers during the GWOT, I'd go with 'yes'.
CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia
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Based on recruiting numbers during the GWOT, I'd go with 'yes'.
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Those trains left the station a long time ago…
They haven’t forgotten Katyn…like an attack dog straining on its leash…
At least there wasn’t also a 117, 163 and 9820 in the photo…
If they were two of the them could be talking on the same wave form
HavokFour
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(Permanent?) may become reality.
Military considers permanent bases in Latvia as part of Canada's NATO commitment
Military considers permanent bases in Latvia as part of Canada's NATO commitment
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If that happens, I see the total number climbing upwards eventually as well. Possibly an air detachment as well.
Halifax Tar
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Lahr part deux.
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Halifax Tar
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And here I thought that was just a Navy thing lol
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As much as I support the Latvia mission, I think recent experiences with our Southern neighbour make me somewhat leery of any "permanent" commitments. Certainly move to postings vs rotational deployments to ease the personnel issues and upgrade the facilities as required but is there really a strictly military need that requires a "permanent" commitment vs an ongoing mission that we can continue to renew going forward?
My concern is that Russia is in long-term decline and while that poses a definite risk in the near term and requires a strong deterrent response from NATO, we are also seeing some pretty seismic geopolitical shifts around us. Ongoing US commitment to NATO is in question and there are also concerns about how long our political goals will continue to align with our European NATO partners.
Nationalist and far-Right parties are increasingly seeing electoral success in many European countries. Hungary already has Orban. The UK Reform Party is leading in the poles. The National Rally may win in France. The AFD could possibly win in several Eastern German states in the next election. The Law and Justice Party when in power in Poland had a major illiberal bent. Italy has the Lega Nord and The Brothers of Italy. Geert Wilder's Party for Freedom is the largest party in the Netherlands House of Representatives. Nationalist/Right Wing parties have increased their share of the votes in recent elections in many other European countries as well, including the Denmark and Sweden with whom we are partnered in the Latvia mission.
I think it's important to remember the words of Lord Palmerston:
“Therefore I say that it is a narrow policy to suppose that this country or that is to be marked out as the eternal ally or the perpetual enemy of England. We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.”
QV
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If you took away the media and political amplification of everything, what would the recent experiences with our Southern neighbor actually amount to? Accountability in defence spending?
MilEME09
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Excuse me as my unit better start dusting off 4 Svc Bn's stuff
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We're on the same wavelength. I think "postings" are essential if we're to stop the rotational rot that is going to be the demise of the army unless we stop it.
The issue of what is "permanent" is the question. I don't think that a system of three-year postings (preferably for single folks) isn't synonymous with "permanent" just because some reporter or even staff officer uses it. That's a political decision and in politics virtually nothing is "permanent."
My view is that the bde HQ, the arty Regt HQ, the battlegroup HQ and rifle coy and tank squadron be posted there together with a strong logistics and maintenance group and that everything else be on a prepositioned flyover basis with at least two to three exercises in Latvia each year. That way you can easily expand the force by prepositioning more equipment and designating more flyover folks without the turmoil that rotations cause. IMHO the light battalion should be replaced by another mech battlegroup which would significantly strengthen the MN Bde.
I've discussed the issue of 3-year postings with some folks and the general position is the difficulty of managing that organization in light of the local economy. Personally I don't care. I expect a country of almost two million can absorb the infrastructure of a thousand Canadians posted in rather than 2,000 rotating every six months in and out quite handily. If not, that's the price of our being there. What matters is that our army is able to shed this burden of lengthy rotations and get on with fixing itself.
MilEME09
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A perm base also brings its only challenges with modernization, unless we do stand up a new brigade, we would have pieces of the Maneuver division stationed in Latvia. This would create it's own command challenges when you have part of a mech brigade, part of a fires brigade, protection brigade etc It feels like from a C2 perspective it would be a mess
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Not posted there but the answer is - mostly no. There were a lot of jobs from Canex to bars to secretarial, but meaningful and professional were very limited.
It was for much of the time there different generations altogether where the traditional nuclear family was still very much in vogue and second income families somewhat rare. My guess is that Latvia would be similarly limited in opportunities.
QV
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Ah, you still waiting to be annexed? I think you will be waiting a long time... not because Canada is resisting but because the US isn't even trying.
MilEME09
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Now the CAF would likely need to invest in second language training for spouses to get jobs in the local economy, which might cause its own friction with the localsNot posted there but the answer is - mostly no. There were a lot of jobs from Canex to bars to secretarial, but meaningful and professional were very limited.
It was for much of the time there different generations altogether where the traditional nuclear family was still very much in vogue and second income families somewhat rare. My guess is that Latvia would be similarly limited in opportunities.
We were there from 71-74 and as you say it was pretty much entirely the traditional nuclear family and not a lot of working outside the house for spouses (or as they were then, wives...). Canex, the community centre, the youth centre, a few civilian jobs in offices or at the AMU but not much (my oldest brother would come over in the summers and work on the airfield). There were also Germans working in some of the civilian jobs. A very small number of dependents who could speak German might also have worked on the economy.Not posted there but the answer is - mostly no. There were a lot of jobs from Canex to bars to secretarial, but meaningful and professional were very limited.
It was for much of the time there different generations altogether where the traditional nuclear family was still very much in vogue and second income families somewhat rare. My guess is that Latvia would be similarly limited in opportunities.
Also, a lot of the civilian jobs were actually filled by people brought over to fill them, particularly the teachers, but also some of the staff at the BMO branch, some in the hospital (our "family" doctor was a civilian as was our dentist), and the CFN staff.
Mind you, the different times with regard to family lives also played out back in Canada when postings like Cold Lake or Bagotville were perhaps not as problematic when spouses weren't expected to also have jobs.
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That would depend on the "profession" of the spouse. By the time of my last three postings over there (to the bde until closure was announced, then up to Baden to close the BHosp, then back down to Lahr to close the CFH/base clinic), CFE was a reasonably well rounded Canadian community with many of the same services that would be found in two "small" rural towns. While many of the "professions" were filled by military (medicine, nursing, law, social work, etc) these were rounded out by qualified civilians, in most cases by dependent spouses (my civilian staff in the hospitals ranged from a quarter to a third of total pers). One of the largest employers of civilian "professionals" was the school system - grades K to 12 in both official languages - many of the teachers were hired in Canada and had no previous connection to the CF, but it was also an employment option for dependents. Those with a background in banking or accounting usually tried the Bank of Montreal (there were branches in Lahr and Baden) or with NPF. Back then, if someone was with Customs, it was an attractive posting either as full-time in Lahr (there was only a single permanent spot in Baden) or during the APS when they augmented the staff due to increased F&E shipments.
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There is an air detachment
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