Reinstate the Airborne Petition

[Pte Lickers]

Might be.
The innoculation for malaria is known to cause anger and mood swings that could be violent. My old man had to take them to go work in Costa Rica and he wasnt pleasant to be around after the shot.

 

[30 for 30]

I think the most valid beef with the disbandment issue is that the Airborne cleaned themselves up after Somalia and showed their professionalism in a number of ways, yet they were shut down anyway for absurd political reasons. The hazing videos that were released a while after Somalia were years old and Crouton basically dropped the axe to appease the media, not to mention the fact that he simply didn‘t and doesn‘t give a **** about the Canadian Forces.

 

[McG]

For those who are interested in the Airborne debate, have a look at these threads:

Resurrect the Airborne Regiment? Yes/No?!
Do you guys think the Airborne Regiment will ever be brought back?
Resurrect the Airborne Regiment, Possible??
Airborne Engineers
Paratroopers

 

[Doug VT]

They tortured him to death(THOSE INDV RESP) but they did not "display him as a trophy" They took some very inappropriate pictures, but then again, the whole incident was inappropriate.

The drug that the Airborne Regiment used was Lariam. Also known as Mefloquine. Possible side effects include- nausea, vomiting, dizziness, light headedness or loss of balance, headache, sleepiness, inability to sleep, ABNORMAL DREAMS, loose stools or diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In rarer cases- loss of appetite, abnormal heart beat, itching of the skin or skin rash, hair loss, eyesight problems, muscle pains, convulsions, and DISTURBANCES OF MOOD(depressed mood, mental confusion, anxiety states)may occur.

The drug comes in tablets, in a box of 8 sealed in 2 - 4 tablet blister-packs. It is taken once a week. You start the drug one week before you leave and continue taking it four weeks after you leave.
The AB Regt took the drug on "Nightmare Wednesday"
It may have played a factor in the incident, however we will never really know. The drug is still used by the CF and will be used in the upcoming operation to Afghanistan, as I‘m sure it was used by 3VP on their tour.
Lariam is the CF‘s drug of choice however there are two other drugs that are available should you come to find that Mefloquine isn‘t good for you. The other drugs aren‘t as convenient, you have to take them every day vice once a week.

I start taking Lariam tomorrow since Monday is the day of the week that Op Athena wants to have it‘s nightmares!

I‘ll keep everyone posted on my wonderful side effects...

Airborne...

 

[Duotone81]

This is an excellent site with tons of pics and info on the regiment and their disbandment. Very good reading. It‘s actually owned by a former member of the regiment.

www.commando.org

 

[gate_guard]

In my opinion, the status of airborne capability in the CF is severely lacking. As I stated in another thread, the army needs another CAR like QRF. Do I foresee the Liberal gov‘t approving the reinstatement of the CAR? **** no. Not for monetary reasons because we all know that the Liberals won‘t let such a petty thing as wasting public funds get in the way of implementing their policy. But, there‘s no way they are going to admit they were wrong in disbanding it by bringing it back. If such an anomaly were to occur, you best believe that it won‘t be called the CAR.

 

[Cycophant]

That‘s very true about the current Liberal government. However, I feel there is a miniscule amount of hope with the expected win of Paul Martin. If nothing else, I can see him enstating such things simply to spite Chretien

Plus, our new Defense Minister appears to have a firm desire to improve things. Whether or not he gets replaced, or gets help from the Federal Government though, is another story, as you said.

 

[hijack]

They are coming back, with a different name most likely , but hopefully with the same professional expertise. "In every barrel there are a few bad apples", which need to be weeded-out.

 

[mht]

"Canadian Parachute Regiment" perhaps?

 

[blackhat56]

this reminds me of after they disbanded the Queen‘s own, Black watch, Cdn guards and the Fort Gary horse, every body was climbing on their high horses to bring back these reg regts, but to no avail, sure they live on as reserve units but alack thats all.
and all you have to remember is that no matter what you feel about the government of the day, they are the bosses and call the shots, and polies like to play games and back the flavor of the month, sure the alliance is calling for the CAR to come back but hey just watch, something new will catch their eye and that will be it eh

 

[BradT]

It is in the Canadian Alliance White Paper Defence plan to bring back the airborne, and to that they may not keep their promise, from the CA MP‘s i‘ve seen, the promise they might not keep is they may spend more money on the military then they say they will, they seem to be pretty hardcore on military spendings, which would be great.

 

[BradT]

http://www.canadianalliance.ca/pdf/StrongAndFree.pdf

If anyone is interested in the Canadian Alliance Defence plan.

 

[nULL]

...at what cost?


Ever wonder why the Canadian Alliance will NEVER get into power?

 

[Marauder]

Uhhhh, because the Liberals pander to the lowest common denominator and indulge in good old fashioned fearmongering? (Like papa Johnny‘s missive about having to take money from health care spending to pay for a military than is actually healthy viable in the long term).

 

[mht]

Just about every party, party member and politician pander to the lowest common denonminator. Politics is a shady game my friends.

Maybe Minister of Defence should be a civil service/advisory position? Staffed by a ret‘d CF member with NO political affiliation? Perhaps that might help keep the politics out the way.

Could you take the Jump companies of the PPCLI, RCR and Vandoos and create a Parachute Battalion? Of course, it probably won‘t be called Airborne, but why not the Canadian Parachute Battalion? That can‘t possibly offend anyone, or dig up "painful" memories.

 

[Jarnhamar]

When im at work and the conversation drifts to the airborne regiment i usually turn some heads by saying "just let the f**king regiment rest in peace".
I think in almost every case i‘ve spoken to a reservest or cadet jumper about the subject they‘ve somehow spoke more about the airborne regiment and seem to be more pissed off and heart broken then the actual ex CAR guys i‘ve worked with. To me the reg force guys approach the subject with a quiet pride, others seem to hold the idea like some kind of valhala or promised land.
The airborne regiment is gone, bringing them back is like us getting the gold medal for figure skating after france or whoever got it. It‘s like adding insult to injury. I do however think we would do well to raise a parachute regiment or even battalion. If anything just to get some more reg force infantry and lighten the load re nato/un tours.

 

[GrahamD]

I read a bunch of this thread but not all of it, so i don‘t know if these points were made.

To my knowledge(based on an investigational news program), the Somalia incident was only part of the reason for the disbanding of the regiment. They did assess blame in the incident to a specific number of the troops (I think it was 3, buts thats like a 50-50 guess) However the investigational program I recently watched had a number of the troops who were there claiming it was mainly 1 induvidual who commited the worst of the acts, and he was of questionable nature to begin with. I also heard that he ended up taking his own life during the course of the investigation.
Beyond this incident I heard that there were rampant behavioural problems, and that the hazing rituals were nearly out of control. I remember seeing pictures of the hazing on the news at the time that they were actually disbanded.

Before anyone goes crazy flaming me if I have made an incorrect point, this is just info I have been fed via the CBC. And personaly I think it‘s really lame that the regiment was disbanded, I wish it wasn‘t so (I think most Canadians felt a sense of pride when the Airborne was mentioned). It‘s a goal and an honour that would motivate many induviduals in ways that other trades can‘t neccesarily do.

 

[GrahamD]

I just read the post above my own, and I agree with the formation of a parachute regiment, that would be awesome. If I get on any course in the military I want to get on a jump course.

When I‘ve read through the possible specialty courses for infantry at the recruiting center, the one that really motivates me is "Freefall Jumpmaster".
I suspect this would be an extremely competetive position, but someone has to do it, and I want it to be me. So hopefully if/when the time comes to get serious about competing for this job, I would have my civilian rating, and some experience behind me.

 

[Jungle]

Ghost778 said:

When im at work and the conversation drifts to the airborne regiment i usually turn some heads by saying "just let the f**king regiment rest in peace".

I noticed from your previous posts that you seem to have something against the CAR. You wanna talk about it, fine... but "the f@#*ing regiment" is crossing a line, you did not earn the right to talk like that.
You think reactivating the CAR would be "adding insult to injury", I don‘t think so. It would be repairing a big mistake, and recognizing the hard work and sacrifices of the Men who served in it. According to your logic, if the Army was to activate a new RegF Brigade, the Infantry Regt couldn‘t be called "The Black Watch" or "The Queen‘s Own Rifles". We would have to invent a new Regt to ensure we don‘t "add insult to injury" after those Regts were taken off the RegF order of battle...
You‘re taking this PC crap to a new level.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Lemme try and clairify that, maybe adding insult to injury came across in the wrong way.

I don‘t have anything against the CAR at all. I remember as a kid picking up a book, i think it was esprit de corps or maybe some other military magazine. On the cover it had a soldier wearing green combat pants and a maroon t-shirt sitting on a bed packing a barracks box holding a browning 9mm. It was talking about the Airborne regiment getting ready to deply to somalia. (think i still have it lying around somewhere too) I read it, became interested and asked my uncle who was military about the airborne. Had a jump course but never worked in the car. Anyways long story short i became interested in the army and 4 or 5 years later i went down to the local armories and signed up. I don‘t know much about the car at all thats why i try to not comment on the subject. What really bothers me is people who have NO idea about the regiment talking about it, ad nasium. Airborne this airborne that, oh god we need the regiment back %&$(ing liberals, thats what we need to save the army. These guys have no clue about the regiment save for what they read or hear from guys who were in it( and among those guys i find they don‘t talk about it very much) It would be like me talking about how $hity it was having to walk across europe in ww2. It wasn‘t my time, i dont have much right to talk about it.
WHen i say ****ing regiment i mean it like ‘for ***k sakes, leave them alone‘. Nothing negitive towards the car.

I honestly think calling it the airborne regment (or the new airborne regiment etc..) would be a bad idea. Right from the start there would be an overshadow on it. "Will history repeat itself, will the same mistakes be made" bla bla. The media would turn it into a field day. Also, would the guys from the CAR even want it to be called the airborne regiment again? I‘d imagine some would while, given the condition of the new army, some would be really pissed off. Thats why i think it‘s better to start with a new unit. Of course this is from someone who wasn‘t in the airborne regiment.
Maybe if the goverment would admit that they screwed up in disbanning it and decided to reinstate the airborne regiment and do everything possible to stop the media from blowing it out of perportion we could ressurect the regiment and pay proper tribute to those that deserve it. Hope that clairifies what i was trying to argue a bit. ‘***king‘ was just used to express my dismay at some peoples attitudes towards the car, not them in general.

Either way anyone looks at it, irregardless the cost of it, we need more regiments, especially one of atleast battalion size. I know we have 3 jump companies but i don‘t think they have much time working with each other and if we ever needed to use all 3 at once it would be chaos. I have a feeling in the near future were going to get called upon to do more peacekeeping/making missions wether we have the equipment or not and the US won‘t be interested in excuses.