The General Hillier Years. The Merged Superthread

[NCRCrow]

He was at our NATO Change of Command on Friday, ( I did not get to meet him as he was gone in a flash back to Ottawa)

I think he is doing an outstanding job.  Even the recruiting commercials (which I like also) are realistic and I think are waking up the Canadian people. When I joined if was "Ask us about you" LOL

Huge plus one from me.

 

[gaspasser]

It will be very difficult to fill his shoes   combat boots when he departs the military.  I think he has done more; equipment wise, morale wise, and publically, for us since...since...I can't remember the last-good CDS.
Kudos to Uncle Rick. 

 

[retiredgrunt45]

Gen Hilliar is #1 for the job, we haven't seen this level of command in decades, past CDS's were to busy ass kissing to the politicians and forgetting why they were there in the first place.

"Hilliar for Primeminister"!!

 

[CrazyCanuck]

"Hilliar for Primeminister"!!

Does that come as a bumper sticker

 

[armyvern]

Does that come as a bumper sticker

Only if it gets spelled properly!! 

 

[gaspasser]

I'd put one on my car!!
Uncle Rick for PM!!

 

[geo]

The fun part is to figure out if we're gonna go onto the old merry go round and give the navy a turn at the wheel.

While the CDS is green, he has looked after requirements within the air force.  Have the recent demos of lack of cash within the navy anything to do with the CDS or Piss poor management by the navy?

Will the next CDS be looking after all the branches of the service the same way?

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Wasn't a sailor supposed to be the current CDS? I remember hearing something about Martin breaking tradition and going with another soldier, in the end it was probably the best thing he did as PM.

Quick question for the knowledgeable here: How long is Hillier going to be CDS? is it a set term or just until he decides to quit?

 

[geo]

...or until such time as the boss decides it's time for him to go.............

 

[midget-boyd91]

And that boss isn't going to be sending Hillier away anytime soon.

One more post geo and youve hit 4000!!! wow, army.ca addict maybe???

 

[geo]

Addiction?... nope, not one minute, I can quit anytime, really,......

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

...or until such time as the boss decides it's time for him to go.............

This has been discussed before in another thread but that is basically the answer if I remember rightly...he serves at the discretion of the Government.

Geo at first I was loathe to reply to your statement about the Air Force being looked after and the possibility of piss poor management within the Navy but you've got my dander up.
I think the CDS is a great guy and he's doing a heck of job....however the feeling of a lot of Senior Officers in the Navy and the Air Force is that this is a very Army-centric administration.
The Air Force is getting C17 heavy lifters and medium lift helicopters...it can be argued that all of this stuff benefits the movement of troops...i.e. the Army. what about fast air...are we moving ahead with any plans for that....or is it still very long term? What about replacements for the Auroras??
The Navy is being asked to look at the BHS...again a system for moving troops and equipment that belongs to the Army....what is being done to replace the DDH 280? a command and control ship that is old and needs replacement soon? When will we begin to think about the replacements for the Frigates which are now 10-15 years old?
How much of the expensive equipment purchases being made now are mission specific to this Afghanistan mission and what will happen when we're done there? Will we have geared ourselves in the other two services to keep up the sovereignty patrols that the Maritime Aircraft (Auroras) maintain and the ships maintain? Will we be able to play with our NORAD partners in the interceptor role? Or will we be left with big planes and big ships that are specifically geared to facilitate Army missions on the other side of the Globe?
Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of the CDS. I think we've got more credibility than we've ever had since I've been in the outfit but let's not be saying that we've got piss poor management in the Navy and that everything is hunky dory in the Air Force.

 

[CrazyCanuck]

This has been discussed before in another thread but that is basically the answer if I remember rightly...he serves at the discretion of the Government.

Geo at first I was loathe to reply to your statement about the Air Force being looked after and the possibility of piss poor management within the Navy but you've got my dander up.
I think the CDS is a great guy and he's doing a heck of job....however the feeling of a lot of Senior Officers in the Navy and the Air Force is that this is a very Army-centric administration.
The Air Force is getting C17 heavy lifters and medium lift helicopters...it can be argued that all of this stuff benefits the movement of troops...i.e. the Army. what about fast air...are we moving ahead with any plans for that....or is it still very long term? What about replacements for the Auroras??
The Navy is being asked to look at the BHS...again a system for moving troops and equipment that belongs to the Army....what is being done to replace the DDH 280? a command and control ship that is old and needs replacement soon? When will we begin to think about the replacements for the Frigates which are now 10-15 years old?
How much of the expensive equipment purchases being made now are mission specific to this Afghanistan mission and what will happen when we're done there? Will we have geared ourselves in the other two services to keep up the sovereignty patrols that the Maritime Aircraft (Auroras) maintain and the ships maintain? Will we be able to play with our NORAD partners in the interceptor role? Or will we be left with big planes and big ships that are specifically geared to facilitate Army missions on the other side of the Globe?
Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of the CDS. I think we've got more credibility than we've ever had since I've been in the outfit but let's not be saying that we've got piss poor management in the Navy and that everything is hunky dory in the Air Force.

+1

 

[aesop081]

+2

 

[retiredgrunt45]

In a perfect world all 3 branches would get an equal share of the pie, but with the war in afghanistan and the state of our army before our people shipped out, how would you have our troops fight, maybe throw rocks at the enemy, because thats about all the army had up until these past few years.  yes most of the budget is being spent on the army with good reason and no its not because the navy or airforce has bad leadership, its because we don't have and american type military budget to rebuild all 3 branches at once from years and years of neglect by Ottawa.

But at the moment the focus is on Afghanistan and keeping our troops safe and alive with the best kit possible and that takes money and plenty of it to rekit and entire army.

I'm sure Hilliar would like nothing better than be given a blank check to rebuild the whole of the military, but until we leave Afghanistan it's going to be a slow process.

 

[Shamrock]

In Hog Signo, are you insinuating the world doesn't revolve around the army?

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

In Hog Signo, are you insinuating the world doesn't revolve around the army?

I know it's quite a thought isn't it?

Retired Grunt I agree with what you are saying. 40 years of cutbacks and neglect is hard to reverse overnight and I fully agree that we are in the middle of a fight that requires our best resources...no argument there.
The Navy and Air force are behind the CDS too IMHO but there is concern that we not lose sight of other tasks that we have to be equipped to perform. For e.g. the amphibious assault capability is one we have not possessed for a long time and will be tremendously expensive to acquire. In addition we will have to assign a significant number of pers to that task and the recruiting targets for naval trades do not point toward us doing this with anything other than our present manning level. Do we then tie up ships like the 280s which are multi purpose Command and Control vessals or other assets? Do we lose expertise in ASW warfare etc because we need deck hands on an Army ferry?
The number one priority of DND is still to protect Canada and her sovereignty...as a three ocean/coast nation we have to rely air and sea patrols to meet that goal.

 

[geo]

IN HOC & Aviator....
To be honest, I agree with you that, for the most part, the CF has pushed forward projects that persue the acquisition of gear that picks up and delivers the troops that are expected to take the fight to the enemy,  close with same, defeat same and hold the terrain we have liberated.

In a perfect world (oxymoron No 1) navy ships would be refurbished & built on an ongoing basis,  aircraft would be refurbished & purchased on an ongoing basis, Ground troops would have all the equipment resources they need to train and deploy..... but we are not in a perfect world and we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The ability of Canada to defend itself adequately has been mortgaged to the hilt by successive governments (BOTH conservative & liberals) and we are where we are.

The current CDS has made being a member of the Cdn military socially acceptable again... something that many green, blue & black CDS' have been unable to do.

The CDS has so many things to fix that he had to start somewhere - and he started where he HAD to.  The Gov't sent us to Kandahar - so the green guys are priority No 1 right now...

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

IN HOC & Aviator....
To be honest, I agree with you that, for the most part, the CF has pushed forward projects that persue the acquisition of gear that picks up and delivers the troops that are expected to take the fight to the enemy,  close with same, defeat same and hold the terrain we have liberated.

In a perfect world (oxymoron No 1) navy ships would be refurbished & built on an ongoing basis,  aircraft would be refurbished & purchased on an ongoing basis, Ground troops would have all the equipment resources they need to train and deploy..... but we are not in a perfect world and we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The ability of Canada to defend itself adequately has been mortgaged to the hilt by successive governments (BOTH conservative & liberals) and we are where we are.

The current CDS has made being a member of the Cdn military socially acceptable again... something that many green, blue & black CDS' have been unable to do.

The CDS has so many things to fix that he had to start somewhere - and he started where he HAD to.  The Gov't sent us to Kandahar - so the green guys are priority No 1 right now...

I agree GEO. It is, however, still the responsibility of the grown ups in the other elements to stand up and remind the senior leadership of the other things we have to do and have plans to do them. Let's not blame them when the cash isn't there to do it.
When the big boss holds his O Group and gives the orders then everyone gets their heels together and gets on with it.
I agree that our standing in Canadian society and the importance of our role in that society has been enhanced enormously by the brilliant leadership of our CDS. His ability to get the Government's attention and hold it is amazing. He is truly a gifted leader.

 

[geo]

The thing that baffles me the most is "how is it possible" that previously planned ops & exercises, with our allies & in our own home waters.... how do you come about emptying out the bank account and not have enough cash for a full tank of gas?... and how is it that theses same said activities are cancelled at the last minute?  Surely someone in the Controllers shop shoulda seen this coming... no?