Gov Gen screwing the Troops?

[Armymedic]

What will they think of next.....

Maybe if we had a couple more planes then this wouldn‘t happen?


http://www.canada.com/national/story.asp?id=7B5EFCBE-697C-4F5F-BAC1-8FCBF0740F44

Clarkson‘s plane use strands soldiers

Chris Wattie
National Post


Thursday, October 02, 2003


The homecoming for 150 Canadian soldiers who were to fly back to their Edmonton base last week after a six-month tour in Bosnia has been delayed for up to 11 days, because the only backup for their military transport plane was taking the Governor-General on a much-criticized world tour.

Canadian Forces spokesmen said the soldiers‘ return to Canada was delayed on Saturday when a mechanical problem grounded their CC-150 Polaris transport, the military version of the Airbus A-310.

"That aircraft developed a hydraulic leak in Edmonton and was unfortunately grounded for 24 hours," said Captain Dave Muralt, a spokesman for the First Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg. "So that one chalk [load of troops] had to be cancelled."

The air force has five Polaris transports, but Capt. Muralt said two of them are mainly cargo carriers, a third is undergoing maintenance and the fourth is in "VVIP configuration," to fly Adrienne Clarkson on a 20-day, $1-million tour of northern nations.

Without a backup, the military had to squeeze returning soldiers onto later flights or fly them home on commercial airlines.

Capt. Muralt said some of the troops are still waiting for a flight. "The delay could have been up to 11 days," he said.

Said Jay Hill, the Canadian Alliance defence critic: "This is inexcusable. These [soldiers] have waited months to be re-united with their families and it‘s indefensible that they‘d be forced to wait because of this high-priced junket by the Governor-General."

Defence officials could not say whether the aircraft carrying Mme. Clarkson on her tour would have been available to pick up the soldiers in Bosnia had it not been with the Governor-General.

But the "VVIP" Polaris can be converted to a troop carrier and was used last month to carry Canadian soldiers to Kelowna, B.C., to fight forest fires.

Elsie Wayne, the Conservative defence critic, said Mme. Clarkson should have known better than to use a military aircraft. "For the Governor-General to be using that Airbus when it was needed by Canadian soldiers, well, I‘m just absolutely dumfounded," she said.

"That‘s a disgrace."

While the soldiers were waiting on the tarmac in Bosnia, the Governor-General was arriving to a red-carpet welcome at the northern Russian city of Salekhard, visiting monuments and museums, and meeting with regional officials.

**************************************************

This is just an excerpt of the entire article.

I agree with our Head Of State using CF planes to take her trip, and her trip in itself is a great idea, but you‘d think someone would have mentioned the scheduling conflict. Oh well, more fodder for the Defence Buget fight I guess.

Personally, I am one of those troops going to Bosnia that are waiting for my flight to depart.

I was suppose to leave today, but am delayed 48 hrs because of this.....

and my kids do not mind one bit...

 

[Devlin]

ArmyMedic

Enjoy the extra time with the kids and good luck to you over there.

Mme. Clarkson

I hope it‘s cold in Russia

 

[Jarnhamar]

When i first came on the site i mentioned something about how i thought it was a waste of money that people like the governer general (lets say VIPS) come to bosnia etc.. to "visit the troops" and end up spending a day with them while they spend the next 9 days touring europe having little functions and staying in plush hotels. People jumped all over me.

‘Your probably one of the soldiers who complains when the CO gets a cot to sleep on when you have to sleep on the ground‘ which was not a good example in my opinion but whatever. It‘s interesting to see things come full circle.

The flight delays screwed me over , i was on chalk 3 to bosnia and i ended up running back and forth to petawawa (3 hours each way) for 3 days. (Didnt mind the extra time, dont get me wrong) The screw up in flights gave the guys on the ground a heck of a lot of work trying to make up for the lack of people.

 

[Devlin]

‘Your probably one of the soldiers who complains when the CO gets a cot to sleep on when you have to sleep on the ground‘ which was not a good example in my opinion but whatever. It‘s interesting to see things come full circle.

Who are you referring to here?

 

[SNoseworthy]

While I certainly don‘t agree with the GG taking that Polaris transport to make a visit to Russia to promote Canadian culture (for the most part), and in the process strand troops who wanted to come home in Bosnia even longer, it‘s really a non-issue. The GG is the Commander in Chief of the Canadian Forces and it‘s her perrogative no matter how much of a jerk it may make her look like.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Devlin - he meant me! Though I think I‘m being quoted out of context.

Grow up, troops. The G-G doesn‘t pick which airplane she‘s going to use, some staff weinie does that for her. She‘s been the best G-G in decades as far as supporting our soldiers.

 

[Jarnhamar]

You can‘t take the credit for that one, they were insinuating *i* would have a major heart ache over it.
Always trying to steal my spotlight eh michael, even if it‘s catching me with my hand in the cookie jar

I‘ve heard good things about her though if you talk to the governer generals foot guards some of them will have some interesting things to say. It was interesting when she said she was above politics. She probably ment it in a good way that shes above all the crap but im sure many people took it the wrong way.

 

[McInnes]

Yeah, she said that she didnt mean to be above politics, but she is above politics. I took it as, its not really her fault that she‘s the queen (basically).

 

[Spr.Earl]

I learnt of this from a email from one of those effected before it hit the news!!!

They were not happy!

But the one the Gee Gee is using is the one that can be made up into the flying hotel!
One Air Bus is reserved for the political crowd but with lot‘s of work can be readied for troop‘s.

But there agian flying by Air Bus is A1 for those of us who have been in over 20yrs!!!\
God the old 707‘s my knee‘s still feel it!