- Reaction score
- 6,303
- Points
- 1,260
MacLeod is correct that Gen. Hillier's plan, as I understand it, is rooted in unification. Unification, in the correct sense of that word, is a good thing, an operationally essential thing â “ it is integration (purple suiting, etc, with all that entails) which has had and continues to have serious deleterious effects on the Canadian Forces.
MacLeod is wrong when he suggest that: â Å“...welfare of the troops should be his first priority.â ? â Å“Man managementâ ? (looking after the people in the armed forces) is critical but it must be one finger in a clenched fist which includes discipline, training, leadership, equipment and organization. One of the things which went wrong, year after year and decade after decade was that too many people thought (still think) like MacLeod: think that one thing must have an absolute priority. The end effect of such thinking â “ the only, inevitable effect of such thinking â “ is that everything else deteriorates while such resources as are available are directed towards this, that or the other transient â ?first priorityâ ?.
We need balanced, combat capable, combat ready forces â “ because no one, not me, not Bill Graham, not Rick Hillier and not even MacLeod knows what lies around the corner. The only thing in which we can repose a great deal of trust is that Canadian governments, especially Liberal Party of Canada governments, lack strategic vision and, usually, put self interest Ahead of national interest. (The Tories aren't much better â “ they've just had fewer opportunities to do the wrong thing over the past 75 years.)
The specific areas of concern MacLeod cites (run down bases and the Canadian Forces Housing Agency) are only peripheral to the CDS's main business â “ they are, unless I have missed too many re-orgs, within the purview of the Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel who reports to the DM. It is his job to look after bricks and sticks. The CDS needs to worry about selecting, training, retaining, motivating, organizing and directing tough, well disciplined, well trained and well led sailors, soldiers and aviators. The Minster and the DM have the responsibility to tell the CDS how many of those people he can have, how much they can be paid, how much 'welfare' will be available, what equipment they will have and use and where and when they will deploy and fight â “ that's part of the system we almost all signed on to defend. Parliament, wherein the Minister of National Defence looks after the defence of the realm, is sovereign and it, alone, decides how much defence is needed and how much can be afforded. Parliament gives the crown enough money for the tasks at hand and the crown hires people like senior civil servant Ken Calder to manage policy, equally senior civil servant Allan Williams to equip the forces and senior military men like Rick Hillier to lead, train and direct those forces in peace and war.
MacLeod is wrong when he suggest that: â Å“...welfare of the troops should be his first priority.â ? â Å“Man managementâ ? (looking after the people in the armed forces) is critical but it must be one finger in a clenched fist which includes discipline, training, leadership, equipment and organization. One of the things which went wrong, year after year and decade after decade was that too many people thought (still think) like MacLeod: think that one thing must have an absolute priority. The end effect of such thinking â “ the only, inevitable effect of such thinking â “ is that everything else deteriorates while such resources as are available are directed towards this, that or the other transient â ?first priorityâ ?.
We need balanced, combat capable, combat ready forces â “ because no one, not me, not Bill Graham, not Rick Hillier and not even MacLeod knows what lies around the corner. The only thing in which we can repose a great deal of trust is that Canadian governments, especially Liberal Party of Canada governments, lack strategic vision and, usually, put self interest Ahead of national interest. (The Tories aren't much better â “ they've just had fewer opportunities to do the wrong thing over the past 75 years.)
The specific areas of concern MacLeod cites (run down bases and the Canadian Forces Housing Agency) are only peripheral to the CDS's main business â “ they are, unless I have missed too many re-orgs, within the purview of the Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel who reports to the DM. It is his job to look after bricks and sticks. The CDS needs to worry about selecting, training, retaining, motivating, organizing and directing tough, well disciplined, well trained and well led sailors, soldiers and aviators. The Minster and the DM have the responsibility to tell the CDS how many of those people he can have, how much they can be paid, how much 'welfare' will be available, what equipment they will have and use and where and when they will deploy and fight â “ that's part of the system we almost all signed on to defend. Parliament, wherein the Minister of National Defence looks after the defence of the realm, is sovereign and it, alone, decides how much defence is needed and how much can be afforded. Parliament gives the crown enough money for the tasks at hand and the crown hires people like senior civil servant Ken Calder to manage policy, equally senior civil servant Allan Williams to equip the forces and senior military men like Rick Hillier to lead, train and direct those forces in peace and war.
