Mods can we combine this thread with the prior one mentioned by GAP above.
Patricia's Outside The Wire in Afghanistan: The Regiment As A Family
The Empey Lecture, Dr Anne Irwin, University of Calgary
22 October 2007
Imagine a room full of professional women, listing with rapt attention to the description of "piss tubes" and communal latrines. A photo flashes on the screen as the narrator continues with " well not only do you converse with your neighbour, but you have all these other guys walking by", you just hope there is not a mortar attack before you finish".
Introduction
Dr Irwin began her research with the 1st Bn PPCLI beginning in 1992 and continues to this day. The lecture was designed to give a brief portrayal of the events of the section Dr Irwin travelled with while in Afghanistan in 2006. Accompanying the lecture was a series of photographs designed to give a visual picture of the day to day life of the "Regimental Family". She described the regiment as "a rigid hierarchy, but in practice a structured dualism, the CO and RSM having a clear division of labour acting as a team". Hence the parents of a family. The CO being the father, concerned with the larger picture, policy and the public face. While the RSM being the mother who provides "nurturing care", supervises the daily functions such as feeding and morale and looks after the discipline that does not appear in the public eye. ( Sort of "boy you are in for it this time Pte Bloggins, just wait until your father gets home", "but Mom...............) The regimental structure was described as a series of 'nesting dolls' which was a perfect analogy. You have one big doll, the regiment, you open it to find smaller dolls, the Bn's, you open those to find yet smaller dolls, the companies, opening those are even smaller dolls the platoons. In each of the aforementioned there is the similar "structured dualism" but at the platoon level sometimes the role of mother and father are reversed in that the platoon officer is often many years younger than his platoon W/O. The smallest doll is the section which was described as a "single parent family". The Section Commander being both mother and father with the 2 I/C described as the oldest sibling.
Operations in Afghanistan
An excellent narrative began with the section/platoon/ coy getting ready to pull out from Kandahar, explaining the various rituals "that settled the nerves, vehicle loading, passenger manifests, dvr/crew "o" groups and then proceeding to the threshold area. As weapons are locked and loaded she describes a "sense of seriousness" settling in. Outside the wire the "life of a nomad" begins, uncertainty, 4 day ops turning into 21 days, 30 hrs of 10 minute notice to move, the "ultimate experience of lost time". Describing the soldier's view as " do not plan to far ahead as there is constant change, Don't think ahead it makes you weak !" A medic who dashes out to rescue two wounded soldiers with out waitting for suppressive fire is put to the audience as a "real hero".
Eating Together Forms a Family
Breakfast, lunch and dinner a social not nutritional affair. the junior member of the section is labelled "cook", ration boxes are turned over and the guessing begins. As "war is uncertain desert is eaten first", and care packages become section property. As often happens in the North American household dinner is just served and mother is called away. In this case the Section Commander off to an "O" group, "while the bantering and teasing amongst siblings continues." They are all "jokers" states the Dr. except for the single parent of this family, responsible, lonely, separated from his peers who are with their own "families" or sections. "Regiment is where the real family begins, as mothers complain they have been replaced, the new family of quite professionals marches forward".
Q and A
Question: Where does your research go asks one young female, what does the military do with your research ?
Answer: I try to understand not make policy.
Question: How do they deal with loses asks an older gentleman ?
Answer: Sometimes there is not time to grieve due to the operation, missing the Ramp Ceremony was/is particularly hard. They lean on each other, cry, talk and then carry on.
Question: What about prisoners comes from the back of the room.
Answer: In the [aforemention circumstance] a Sgt and two Cpl's captured an [insurgent] just after he shot and killed one of their section. Despite being out of sight and having every reason to kill him, they returned with the prisoner handling him with perfect professionalism.
