Can you support the troops and be against the mission?

There is much debate taking place in the MSM right now as to what form, if any, Canada's role in Afghanistan should be post July 2011 when the current mission is slated to end.

This is a bit of a political hot potato right now given waning support for the war in general, particularly in Quebec where Harper's hope for a majority government will likely live or die. Unfortunately there is more being said by political pundits than by our Prime Minister or other elected officials, including opposition members.

The central question is: Will Canadians abide by an extension of the current mission irrespective of what form it takes?

For members of the Canadian Forces, the mission is all that matters. Members don't define it or argue its merits, we carry it out. It doesn't matter if that mission is in Afghanistan or in Haiti. Where our forces get deployed is a decision for politicians to make, not for soldiers.

Sometimes I think Canadians forget that we live in a democracy, which means our government ultimately represents the collective will of the people. As as a soldier in the CF I don't see myself serving the government so much as serving the people of this nation.

Obviously it is possible to support the troops while perhaps disagreeing with a particular mission such as the one if Afghanistan. And if it is a high enough priority citizens have every right to push it up the political agenda by contacting their elected officials.

I am actually hopeful of getting the opportunity to be deployed to that volatile region, to see with my own eyes the situation and to understand it better. That may or may not happen depending on the decisions that are made by the powers that be.

But ultimately it should be the will of a majority of the electorate.

Supporting the troops is about more than putting a sticker on your car or observing a moment of silence on the 11th of November. True support means engaging in the political process and ensuring that when CF members are called upon to participate and complete a mission, that the mission itself reflects on the majority will of Canadian citizens.

Are we overreacting to KKK costume at Legion?

Unless you live in a lighthouse, you've probably engaged in, or heard conversation surrounding the events in Campbellford Ontario where a man came dressed in a KKK costume with another man in black face trailing behind with a rope around his neck.

I'm not going to re-hash the story, if you're reading this then you most probably know all the details.

I have heard plenty of comments and read some commentary suggesting that, by and large, this story has been blown all out of proportion. The implication is that in our liberal, touchy feely society, that we've gone overboard. Okay, it may have been in bad taste, but let's not go crazy about it.

I don't know about that. I wonder if there would be suggestions about things being blown out of proportion had the costumes been offensive to a different minority?

What if it had been a man dressed as Adolf Hitler, with a rope around another man dressed like a concentration camp prisoner with a tattoo on his arm?

I wonder if there would be any suggestion that a police investigation and the temporary closing of the offending Legion branch was taking things too far? My overwhelming inclination is that the uproar would have been far worse had the insensitivity been Anti-Semitic in nature.

But then, offending blacks might be more acceptable perhaps?

Any discussion?

The Toronto Sun Lost This Reader...

I've been reading the Toronto Sun for YAHRS...for longer than I'd care to admit. But no longer, not since I found out my favourite columnist has been shown the door after over 20 years of writing for the publication.

Eric Margolis, a Vietnam war vet and resident of NYC has been unceremoniously shown the door. I noticed his column wasn't gracing the pages of the Sunday editions, but that's happened before due to his taking time off. An IM session with a current employee however confirmed that Mr. Margolis was released a couple months back.

The Sun has changed, it used to be a free for all editorially, with all points of view given space. I guess that's no longer the case.

For those sufficiently motivated CLICK HERE to read a blog for former Sun employees.

Apparently all this went down under the watch of one Kory Teneycke. I realize that for hyper observers of all the goings on with Canada's far right neo-cons, that this is very old news.

For those unaware Mr. Tenecyke also had ties to Preston Manning, Stephen Harper and former Ontario Premier Mike Harris. (READ HERE)

The former lobbyist was spearheading the charge for Sun TV, or Fox North as some have dubbed it. I'm actually all in favour of yet another right leaning endeavour clogging the crowded media space. With other conservative minded news outlets bleeding red ink I would enjoy a little schadenfreude at the expense of those trying to hoodwink gullible (they think) Canadians into their failed political ideology.

Margolis would probably still be writing for the Sun in my opinion, had he dealt with issues involving Israel less even handedly.

Passing basic training in your forties

Well, I did it! I passed basic training, on August 26th I was on the parade square at St. Jean garrison in St. Jean sur Richelieu Quebec with 160 other graduates. Finally!!! It did take me a little longer than most, but I take solace in the fact that many my age never complete it. In fact a lot of people aren't able to get through no matter what their age, because it isn't easy.

Let me give you a glimpse into a pretty typical day. At the recruitment centre and through the literature provided I was told that a typical day starts with getting up at 5 AM, I wish!!!

Actually some mornings the first timing is 5 AM, having a morning jog isn't unusual and it usually starts at 5 AM. That means getting up, dressed in your PT gear(physical training, shorts and t-shirt) and formed up downstairs. After 30-40 minutes of jogging, push ups, sit ups, squats...its back upstairs, 5-10 flights (elevators are out of bounds) for a two minute shower and then getting changed for breakfast. Back down those stairs in the appropriate dress of the day, properly shaved, then back up those ####ing stairs again to set up for an inspection that comes at 7 AM.

Think you might want to skip breakfast? Not enough time? Hah, too bad! You have to have your ID card swiped at each meal and meals are mandatory. So if you can't get your kit laid out for inspection in 15/20 minutes, well you'll just have to learn how. And that doesn't include time for 'station jobs', cleaning and keeping tidy the common areas like laundry rooms, bathrooms and hallways.

Sound like fun? Your bed has to be made the proper way, with the sheets tucked in at 45 degree angles....Boots polished with a nuclear shine, all the clothes in your locker properly folded and shirts ironed with starch, rifle dismantled and laid out on the bed in the proper format.

I heard of one guy who lost it just prior to inspection. With only a minute or so left before staff came to inspect his space he was laying out his rain gear, bush hat and gloves...fingers toward the pillow, thumbs toward the wall. Only problem, he slipped and banged his arms on the wall sending everything sprawling across his bed....his gas mask and carrier, boots, weapon. Everything in disarray and with no time to get it back in order he started screaming, "#### IT!!!!", while proceeding to have a tantrum and making a mess of his desk as well.

Inspections normally took about an hour, given that there would be 3 or 4 staff inspecting about 50-60 recruits.

After inspection there might be a class on military knowledge, or a physical training session in the gym or pool. There were also lots of drill lessons: learning how to halt, about turn, present arms....and the older you get the harder it is to learn.

Ruck sack marches of 3, 7 and 13km with up to 75 lbs of gear on your back. Dragging another recruit 20-30 metres along the ground, digging out a box (about 3'x7' and 3' deep) filled with gravel in six minutes. Obstacle courses with climbing walls and logs to run over, crawling through pipes on your hands and knees. And push ups, push ups, push ups. Get some one's rank wrong, gimme 20. Have a button undone? That's 25.

Fitness of course is huge, and you may have seen a very recent article about how the CF has had to make changes to Basic because of so many out of shape recruits. Its true, about 10% of those coming in, based on my observations, are unable to meet the minimum requirements. I had no problem with it, but then I'm not addicted to video games like a lot of younger guys.

Anyway its onward and upward for this middle aged soldier, I'm now posted in Ontario for further training but first I'll be heading out west shortly for a month long training exercise.

Here's a picture from my graduation, sorry for the proof but the real one is on order so it'll have to do for now. Thanks for reading, I probably won't be able to update this space until October sometime.