Was Admiral Robertson that bad at raising the Navy's profile?

[FSTO]

According to some he was:

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/01/29/will-mcfadden-s-appointment-stop-the-navy-s-slide-into-obscurity.aspx

In his defence it was pretty tough to compete with the likes of General Hillier and the high profile of the mission in A-Stan.

But our job is to protect the sea-lanes of communication, project and protect Canadian interests abroad and support forces ashore. These are all jobs that are done over the horizon and out of sight of all Canadians. So what can the new CMS do to raise our profile?

 

[Harley Sailor]

Some of us in the Navy have been saying that for a few years now.  Everything is going to support the "A-Stan" and the rest of us are being loft out.  That includes money, recurits, and yes publicity.

 

[ltmaverick25]

The Afghanistan profile is certainly a distraction in terms of public perception as far as the navy is concerned.

However, I beleive that with the right PR campaign, or rather any PR campaign to begin with, this can be turned around pretty fast.  The navy has several advantages to recruitment if used properly.  First of all, the idea of being a combat soldier to Canadians, unfortunately, is still a bit taboo.  People are still being ignorantly hard headed about our supposed role as peacekeepers.  As aggrevating as this is, the navy can exploit this as an advantage.  In the Navy, you are deployed primarily in defensive operations.  Heck, even the more aggressive missions like blockades and boarding can be spun in a defensive sort of way.

The other advantage, and this I beleive is powerful... Eye candy.  We're damn sexy!  Im being serious.  I was in the army for 14 years prior to switching to the navy.  As one who beleives in increasing the CF profile overall I was not shy about wearing my uniform in public, on the way to or from work ect...  When I started wearing the navy uniform, heads started turning fast.  Im not talking about NCDs either.  The DEU types.  They look impressive and they are rare.  People are getting used to seeing CADPAT, its on TV alot afterall, but nobody is used to seeing the naval uniform, unless you are in Halifax or Victoria of course.  I have people come up to me all the time and ask me questions.  Half the time they think I work for a cruise line, which is bothersome to say the least, but at least they are asking and as a result walking away with just a tiny bit more information then they had before.  I have successfully recruited 2 officers into my unit just by being visible.

We as individual members can increase our profile just by being out there and participating in society.

Certainly the CMS can also do this on a much larger scale.  I firmly beleive that if we had an effective PR campaign we would be able to attract and recruit more then enough people to fill our spots.  We have lots of inherent advantages, we just need to make use of them.

 

[Journeyman]

Yes, the fact that a goodly portion of us are involved in fighting a war in a land-locked country kind of... stacks the deck.

But in no particular order......

Some of us are very aware that the Navy has been pretty much constantly busy, especially on the other side of the Med (or this side, if you're Esquimalt). When something happens in the Persian Gulf, or a piracy issue off of Somalia, it makes one press release. Start acting like sailors of old -- draw & quarter a PAffO or two, dammit!!

The last poster, and one mod, both "claim" to be navy; yet one has an Arty avatar, and the other one, Dragoons. Perhaps 'Navy pride' starts at home?

Finally, accept that youngin's tend to join for "the excitement." A land-based war is "game on" -- that's where the 'kids' are most likely to go, regardless of what any CMS says.


Just some thoughts -- I'm out of the Navy threads now, and back in my lane.

 

[ltmaverick25]

I am indeed in the navy, I just become a MARS officer.  Though I spent the first 14 years of my career in the army as an NCM and I got my start with the artillery.  I use it as my avatar out of nostalgia or sentimental value.  Besides, I hardly need to promote the CF or the Navy on the navy.ca forums, something tells me you all are very aware of our navy and what it can do.  My mission is not with the choir, rather with the general public at large!

 

[Journeyman]

Fair enough; as said, just some random thoughts.

And as a lead preacher of 'stay in your lane,' ;D  ..... the Navy isn't my forte -- so I'll back away.

 

[ltmaverick25]

Fair enough; as said, just some random thoughts.

And as a lead preacher of 'stay in your lane,' ;D  ..... the Navy isn't my forte -- so I'll back away.

meh, I am inclined to preach "to hell with lanes" 
On another note, in the interests of the spirit of this thread, I suggest you consider a VOT to a navy trade.  Every day in the navy is like xmas compared to the army  ;D

 

[Journeyman]

Oh, I'm "familiar" with the Navy

PM inbound  (where is that slave being lashed 'smiley'?)

 

[geo]

The only problem I can see with the Admiral is that he didn't get very far pushing for the new AORs or the super duper JSS ships the Army/Navy/Air needs for the next 40 some years.

Lotta talk for a while about the JSS project until the treasury board got "sticker shock" .... and then NOTHING!
The current AORs are withering away, the Tribals are withering away....

So.... we're going to charter ships & drag out the retirement age of the current batch of Tribals & AORs by XX years - then what ???

General Leslie is visible, you see him, you hear him.....  from the little I have seen of him - can't say quite so much about Admiral Robertson....

 

[PMedMoe]

PM inbound  (where is that slave being lashed 'smiley'?)

Off topic: 

;D

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

The last poster, and one mod, both "claim" to be navy; yet one has an Arty avatar, and the other one, Dragoons. Perhaps 'Navy pride' starts at home?

There is no claim involved if you looked hard enough you will find my DND email. :

As for using the Dragoons avatar they say you never forget your first regiment and whether for good or for ill the RCDs shaped me into the servicemember I am today and its my way to pay homage to my former regiment. Read my posts and they do nothing but advocate the naval point of view.

or the super duper JSS ships the Army/Navy/Air needs for the next 40 some years.

A good percentage of us are happy the JSS never went any farther then it did. We need AORs, we need AAD/C&C platforms, we need amphibs. We don't need a James Bond style monstrosity that can do all of those capabilities and none of them to the point where we need them to be accomplished.

 

[geo]

Ex - not arguing with you about that... but once the gov't had recognized the impossibility of doing the big ship (due to big bucks), shouldn't we have brought out the plans for a good ole AOR replacement & ones for AAD/C&C platforms.

TO me, the Navy has been surprisingly quiet about what it's going to do next  now that the JSS concept doesn't fly.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Ex - not arguing with you about that... but once the gov't had recognized the impossibility of doing the big ship (due to big bucks), shouldn't we have brought out the plans for a good ole AOR replacement & ones for AAD/C&C platforms.

TO me, the Navy has been surprisingly quiet about what it's going to do next  now that the JSS concept doesn't fly.

They are still examining their options. If you look at the Flag Officer list that Mark submitted, you will notice they put a Commodore in charge of the SCSC/DRP (you chose the acroynm flavour of the day). Usually its been a Captain(N), so I am hoping with the higher pay grade in charge the project will pick up steam.

 

[dapaterson]

They are still examining their options. If you look at the Flag Officer list that Mark submitted, you will notice they put a Commodore in charge of the SCSC/DRP (you chose the acroynm flavour of the day). Usually its been a Captain(N), so I am hoping with the higher pay grade in charge the project will pick up steam.

Until there's a shipbulding strategy, AOR, SCSC and AOPS are all grounded; that's the thread that sets everything else in roder.  I suspect having a Flag officer working the issue will help get all the shipbuilding moving again, not only SCSC.

 

[Sub_Guy]

TO me, the Navy has been surprisingly quiet about what it's going to do next  now that the JSS concept doesn't fly.

They are sitting behind closed doors trying to figure out how to break it to the people of Canada that they are going to by from another country.... 

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

They are sitting behind closed doors trying to figure out how to break it to the people of Canada that they are going to by from another country.... 

If it gets us quality warships in the water I have no issues with buying overseas.

 

[ltmaverick25]

If it gets us quality warships in the water I have no issues with buying overseas.

Agreed, I just hope we get ships period at this point.  I am worried with the economic slowdown that any hopes of proceeding with these types of projects will be scraped.  Something tells me the voters wont be sorry to see them go.

 

[dapaterson]

There's a vocal pro-shipbuilding lobby on both coasts; and there is willpower to keep SCSC and JSS (or whatever support capabiltiy it morphs into) advancing.  AOPS has political will behind it as well.

Time is getting short though, as the AORs are aging, as are the DDGs.

 

[ltmaverick25]

I hope you are right, what is SCSC?  Thats the first ive seen that term before.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

as are the DDGs.

you mean the DDHs....

what is SCSC

its been discussed here before but its Single Class Surface Combatant