daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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MGEN William "Brian" Vernon, CD (Retired)
- Thread starter daftandbarmy
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medicineman
Army.ca Legend
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He was my first brigade commander in Calgary. Funny story...Pte MM was in the changing room at the base gym getting ready for a unit sports afternoon and this dude was changing and said hi to me and the other guy with me. It was February and about -25-30C outside...dude remarks "Ahh, this is a great day for winter warfare training"...I looked up and blurted out "Winter and warfare are two contradictory terms". Dude looks back quizzically "Oh really? Why do you say that?" I says "Nothing works right - people, machines, nothing works properly after a certain temperature'. "Interesting thought" dude remarks, looking at my name tag and unit flashes, and then goes about getting dressed.
Now about this time I noticed my buddy, who's normally a very talkative Newfoundlander, was very quiet...I looked over and noticed what looked like a jump smock in Dude's locker...and he was putting on jump boots. Garrison dress was just coming into vogue in Calgary, and only 4 people on Base had it at that point - the Base Commander and RSM and the Brigade Commander and RSM - there were BGen epaulettes on the jacket.
Dude tossed his jacket on and wandered out with "Have a good day Gents", leaving me wondering if I'd be visiting my RSM in the near future...that was my first introduction to BGen Vernon. And no, I didn't have to see my RSM...at least about that anyway.
Not sure about the combat arms units, but we never had to do stand by your vehicle inspections for GOC's parade with him - he wandered about the unit lines and sat and chatted us up in our cages - he was more concerned about how we did in the field. When Pte MM and Pte C stopped my OC, CSM, Him and the Brigade RSM coming onto our position and refused to let them in because our OC was being a dink and refusing to give us the password, he just smiled, and the B/RSM howled out loud. He wandered into the Brigade Pharmacy in the field one year when I was the storesman/Pharm Tech and stated "I understand from Capt So and So that you're the biggest drug dealer this side of Columbia". "Yes Sir, so I'm told". I understand he was very hard on officers, especially those related to him, but seemed reasonably decent to us normal folks.
Anyway, RIP Sir
Now about this time I noticed my buddy, who's normally a very talkative Newfoundlander, was very quiet...I looked over and noticed what looked like a jump smock in Dude's locker...and he was putting on jump boots. Garrison dress was just coming into vogue in Calgary, and only 4 people on Base had it at that point - the Base Commander and RSM and the Brigade Commander and RSM - there were BGen epaulettes on the jacket.
Dude tossed his jacket on and wandered out with "Have a good day Gents", leaving me wondering if I'd be visiting my RSM in the near future...that was my first introduction to BGen Vernon. And no, I didn't have to see my RSM...at least about that anyway.
Not sure about the combat arms units, but we never had to do stand by your vehicle inspections for GOC's parade with him - he wandered about the unit lines and sat and chatted us up in our cages - he was more concerned about how we did in the field. When Pte MM and Pte C stopped my OC, CSM, Him and the Brigade RSM coming onto our position and refused to let them in because our OC was being a dink and refusing to give us the password, he just smiled, and the B/RSM howled out loud. He wandered into the Brigade Pharmacy in the field one year when I was the storesman/Pharm Tech and stated "I understand from Capt So and So that you're the biggest drug dealer this side of Columbia". "Yes Sir, so I'm told". I understand he was very hard on officers, especially those related to him, but seemed reasonably decent to us normal folks.
Anyway, RIP Sir
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When he had brought in the Warrior badge, and then he got a Silver not Gold (IIRC due to the FFO run) someone made a snarky comment in his earshot - I don’t recall if he was the LFCA commander or the FMC commander at the time - he didn’t miss a beat and pointed out he was (IIRC) 52, and still on better shape than the majority of his command, but was still needing to work on his PT levels.
He was the only GO that stood up for the CAR when everyone else was busy trying to throw the entire unit under the bus. Had he be willing to sell his soul or at least bite his tongue, he would most certainly have had higher rank - one more thing that I certainly respected about the man.
He was the only GO that stood up for the CAR when everyone else was busy trying to throw the entire unit under the bus. Had he be willing to sell his soul or at least bite his tongue, he would most certainly have had higher rank - one more thing that I certainly respected about the man.
Probably LFCA. MGen Vernon never commanded Mobile Command.
Haggis
Army.ca Veteran
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The Warrior Program was the ancestor of what we now call IBTS. I was an RSS Ops WO when he commanded LFCA. I recall the Warrior Program vividly (still have my Warrior manual out in the garage) and how his HQ jumped into the program with full fervour. We used to receive tasking messages that read "only Gold Warriors need apply". That lasted only a few short weeks until he was told how many tasking were going unfilled.
His son, Mike, was Crse O on my (then) QL7 Infantry CSM Crse.
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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RIP sir VP
He inspected the Regimental Band and found them wanting.
The troops liked that as they were all musicians who wore PPCLI accoutrements but weren’t really part of the Regiment
He inspected the Regimental Band and found them wanting.
The troops liked that as they were all musicians who wore PPCLI accoutrements but weren’t really part of the Regiment
FormerHorseGuard
Sr. Member
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The Warrior program come on under MGen Nick Hall, I just came off my CLC in 1992 and it was put in place. It was the first lecture I official taught. LCol Ike Kennedy ( former PWOR CO) was the OIC of the program. I taught map reading and how to use the protractor to HQ persons.
I just dug up my copy. Not sure who created the program, but then BGen Vernon was a big proponent. RIP
