POLITICS ASIDE- GOD BLESS OUR CANADA MILITARY, MILITIA, RESERVISTS AND OUR RANGERS.... THANK U
Taking pride in our Canadian Forces
It's not the equipment they have or even their numbers -- it's the spirit of freedom they fight so hard to promote
At times, I’ve found it hard to feel pride in the Canadian Forces.
The budgets have been slowly tapering over the years and the equipment is getting older as time passes.
But even though we may not have the top-of-the-line aircraft or the best equipment, our forces have accomplished great things.
For example, our forces took on one of the most violent provinces in Afghanistan and suffered fewer losses than any other ally in that campaign.
One of the reasons for this is when the Canadians march in, many of the insurgents would see the red maple leaves embroidered into the uniforms and flee, simply because of the reputation of our fighting men and women.
So seldom do we remember the epic battles fought by our troops, despite the obstacles, from Vimy Ridge to Dieppe.
One other such battle happened during the Korean War in the early 1950s.
Following the Second World War, communism and democracy were at odds. The common threat of the Germans now gone, the Russians and Chinese were alone in a world that viewed their system as flawed.
North Korea had embraced the communist ideals, and the South Koreans wanted democracy.
The war started as a battle between the two sides of Korea, but soon after conflict began, the United Nations issued a call to action, with Canada and 20 other nations, including the United States, joining in the fight for democracy.
The Chinese pledged their help to their fellow Communists, thus starting a proxy war between the forces of democracy and communism.
Then-president Harry Truman said at the time he was afraid the communist ideals, like the Nazi regime, would slowly spread across the continent if allowed to continue unabated, an attitude reflected by many of America’s allies.
Thus, in mid-February, 1951, the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) joined in the fight under the command of the 27th British Commonwealth Infantry (BCI), which was engaged in pushing the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel – the line between North and South Korea.
Although it appeared the Communists were losing, in April that year, the Chinese and North Koreans regrouped for a massive counterattack.
In an attempt to quell the resurgence, Canadian, British and Australian troops were ordered to set up defensive positions in Kapyong Valley, which was surrounded by hills and three kilometres wide at its widest point.
If they lost the positions at Kapyong, the South Korean capital of Seoul would be severely threatened.
Each of the three regiments stationed itself on its own hill, with Americans and New Zealanders joining the British regiment.
During the night of April 23, the Australians came under heavy attack, being forced to retreat the following day.
That night, the Red armies took advantage of the position allowed them by the retreat, and attacked with full force against the Canadians, whose flanks had been exposed.
Due to the distance between the Canadians and their allies on the other hill, they could request no help other than artillery strikes.
About 5,000 Red soldiers marched on the PPCLI, which only numbered around 700 men, and due to low numbers of supplies, the battle ended up being a long one, fought mostly hand-to-hand.
At one point, the Canadians called artillery strikes on their own position, taking cover while the shells came in.
Battling all through the night, the PPCLI fought long and hard, sustaining 10 casualties and 23 men being wounded in action.
Despite the gruelling battle, the Canadians were able to push back the Red tide, with the Chinese sustaining over 1,000 casualties, not including those wounded.
Because of battles like Kapyong, Canadians have made a reputation for themselves as being among the most skilled armies in the world.
They have also garnered the love and respect of nations like South Korea, which have benefited from their intervention.
So yeah, we may not have the best equipment, but I’m still pretty darn proud of what our men and women in arms have accomplished, and how they have changed the world for the better because of their sacrifices.
http://didsburyreview.ca/article/20131105/DID0801/311059951/-1/did08/taking-pride-in-our-canadian-forces
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First female admiral reflects on women's military roles
Rear Admiral Jennifer Bennett, Canada's first female admiral, urged people to remember the Canadians who served in all conflicts and in all roles at a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club 1918 Monday.
At the Caboto Club, Bennett told the stories of Canadians who served and died in Afghanistan and a variety of peace missions in addition to the First and Second World Wars, the traditional focus of Remembrance Day. She also talked about the role women have played throughout Canada's military history.
"When we think of veterans and service members, the image that most often comes to mind is that of a man. But women have played an essential role in all of the armed conflicts in which Canada has taken part for more than a century," she said. "Initially in traditional support roles as nurses, clerks and communicators, but now fully integrated across all military occupations and in key leadership positions."
Bennett is one of those women who has taken up a key leadership position. Bennett is Canada's chief of reserves and cadets and is also the national champion for women in defence.
There's still a scarcity of women in the military's highest leadership positions - Bennett is still the only Canadian woman to ever achieve the rank of admiral. But she said she doesn't think that will be true for long.
"I'm the only one serving at this time, but I'm sure there are lots behind me. There's lots of potential," she said.
Bennett said she thinks flexible human resources policies for service people who want to take leaves will help the military attract and retain more women. She also said it's important for people in Canada and abroad to have visible female role models.
"Think of how inspiring it has been for Afghan girls to see Canadian women in uniform, leading a combat infantry company, conducting patrols, driving and maintaining vehicles or providing medical care," she said.
http://www.windsorstar.com/First+female+admiral+reflects+women+military+roles/9125894/story.html
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Nova Scotia Remembers
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Regina students connect to soldiers of past and present
Regina
Students visit SK Legislative Building to talk about Remembrance Club November 7 2013. Adriana Christianson/CJME
Remembrance Club writes letters to veterans and connects with current service men and women
Reported by Adriana Christianson
From Juno Beach to the Canadian Forces Base in Afghanistan all the way back to the halls of a Regina elementary school, one group of students is connecting to soldiers of the past and the present to ensure they will never be forgotten.
“I think it’s really important to remember all year round and not just on one day because it’s very important what they did,” explained 11-year-old Ainsley Pirddell
She is part of an extracurricular club at Ecole St Andrew in Regina that does research and community service projects to support veterans and soldiers all year. Their efforts span everything from connecting with armed forces in Afghanistan to making knitted poppy toques and sending cards to older veterans at the Wascana Rehab Centre.
Knitted poppy hat beside display of projects and lettters from students at Ecole St. Andrew. Adriana Christianson/CJME
Knitted poppy hat beside display of projects and lettters from students at Ecole St. Andrew. Adriana Christianson/CJME
Pirdell said she especially loves connecting to older veterans to make sure they know kids today don’t take them for granted.
“The cards, I think they really enjoy those just to know that somebody still cares,” she said.
On Thursday Pirdell and her fellow students visited the Legislative Building with their teacher Carolynne Kobalskey. They brought a Saskatchewan flag that the group sent to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan who signed it and sent it back.
Saskatchewan flag signed by soldiers in Afghanistan for Regina students.
They also had letters from current service members and the sister of a soldier who died in World War II.
Letter from family of a soldier from WW II. Kobalskey explained that the club started in 2007 with a research project on one soldier from the Royal Regina Rifles who died in World War II. The students bought a commemorative brick for the Juno Beach Centre Memorial Kiosk.
“For them it just drives it home that this was a real person,” she explained. “There’s thousands and thousands of graves in France – just to look at it there isn’t any connection they can make but when they learn about one person it just brings it home and drives that message that this is really important.”
She credits the students’enthusiasm and dedication for making the program grow.
“They understood that their sacrifice hadn’t ever been forgotten and wouldn’t be forgotten for years to come,” Kobalskey commented.
This year the group also created a Hall of Heroes at the school where they asked everyone from the school community to submit names of veterans in their own families and put them up on the wall.
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Shaun Francis: Doing more than simply wearing a poppy
Shaun Francis, National Post | 09/11/13 12:01 AM ET
More from National Post
It was just over five years ago that my group, True Patriot Love, staged its first inaugural dinner. That event originated from a challenge issued by former Canadian Forces Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier. He wanted to raise the profile of our military and their families at a time when our fighting men and women were at war with the Taliban in Afghanistan. We never thought about starting a foundation. But with the success and momentum of our initial event, it was evident that we had a responsibility to carry on.
Since then, True Patriot Love has attained significant momentum. We have raised several million dollars to disburse to grassroots military charities across the country. We measure our success in the number of military family members we affect — such as the family of Master Corporal Mark Antsey, whose non-verbal autistic son, Owen, now has a support worker thanks to True Patriot Love funding.
During these last five years, I’ve seen again and again the way families are affected by a soldier’s service in the Canadian military. When Dad or Mom is overseas, someone else stays back home, holding down the fort, usually on or near a base, far removed from extended family and friends. And if Dad or Mom returns injured, either physically or mentally, the family “normal” never returns.
Related
‘What helps is somebody caring’: Children of military personnel who died in the line of duty receive scholarships
House passes bill to restore death benefits to families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan
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Earlier this week, the military’s ombudsman released a comprehensive report that describes the challenges faced by military families. The report’s impetus was an increase in the number of family-related complaints made to the ombdusman. In April, 2012, the ombudsman launched a systemic review into the well-being of military families. The research involved talking with 370 current or recently-retired families on 10 Canadian Forces bases.
“Few occupations or professions expose the overwhelming majority of its people to recurring geographic relocation, relentless separation and elevated levels of risk as a matter of course throughout much of their careers,” the report noted.
Military families move three times more compared to civilians. As the report points out, the families have “limited influence” over where they’re posted, or how long they’re to stay there. The relocations make it difficult for military spouses to find sustainable work.
The parental separation can lead to behavioural issues for many children, triggering sleeping problems, depressing academic performance and increasing incidences of sickness
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Matters become worse for the family when the soldier deploys on a mission. The report describes the way non-serving partners are forced to assume all the household, domestic and parenting responsibilities. The kids have it tough, too. Unpredictable relocations make it difficult for them to integrate socially or academically in their new schools. The parental separation can lead to behavioural issues for many children, triggering sleeping problems, depressing academic performance and increasing incidences of sickness.
Health care is a challenge. The moving makes it difficult for families to retain a general practitioner, so military families are four times less likely to have a family physician. As a result, the report notes, “Military families go through protracted periods of bouncing from one waiting list to the next, rarely making it to the top.”
So what does all this mean? It means that our mission at True Patriot Love is more critical than ever. There’s a fear among many military men and women that Canada’s declining presence in Afghanistan will lead to decreased mindshare for the military among civilian Canadians; that our nation will backslide to the days when civilians never thought of our military men and women. It was out of sight, out of mind.
Blair Gable/Reuters
Blair Gable/ReutersPoppies are placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa November 11, 2010...
The report written by the Canadian Forces ombudsman illustrates the sacrifices made by our military men and women, and by their families. Those sacrifices deserve to be celebrated. We have a world-class military. We need to embrace our soldiers and assure them that their country appreciates and recognizes their sacrifices.
True Patriot Love will continue to raise the profile of today’s veterans and their injuries. We’ll do that by staging events like the one we hosted in Toronto this week, which mixed together civilians and uniforms in the city’s Metro Convention Centre. The idea is to ensure that Canada has a national foundation that addresses the numerous needs of today’s veterans and their families, which for one reason or another can’t be addressed by government.
Over the next few days, consider doing more than simply wearing a poppy. Recognize the sacrifices made by our military men and women and their families. Donate some money to one of this country’s many veteran-facing charities. And if you run a business or are in a position to influence hiring practices in your firm, consider hiring a veteran. By doing any of this, you’re ensuring that our military families feel the support of everyday Canadian citizens.
National Post
Shaun Francis is the chair of the True Patriot Love Foundation, which addresses the needs of Canada’s military men and women and their families
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/11/09/shaun-francis-doing-more-than-simply-wearing-a-poppy/
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Soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment demonstrate the firing of a Carl Gustav recoilless rifle to the students of the Canadian Forces College and civilian guests as part of Collaborative Spirit 2013, 16 October 2013 at Garrison Petawawa. Photo by Cpl Schombs, Garrison Petawawa Imaging
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Canadian warship makes drug bust on Arabian Sea
HMCS Toronto seizes more than 180 kg of heroin
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canadian-warship-makes-drug-bust-on-arabian-sea-1.1914314
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Stress training for soldiers before deployment may help curb PTSD says a University of Alberta researcher
By Allison Salz ,Edmonton Sun
Pre-deployment training given to soldiers to help them handle the stresses of a mission overseas is going far in preparing them for the job, says a University of Alberta researcher.
Doctor Ibolja Cernak, Canadian Military and Veterans' Chair in Clincial Rehabilitation at the U of A, recently returned from a month-long trip to Afghanistan, to track how soldiers cope with stress throughout training, while on deployment, and in the years following.
Cernak hoped that by studying the impacts of operational stress, researchers can better develop therapies and programs to preemptively combat mental health issues and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Canadian Forces.
Cernak said life in Kabul, Afghanistan, is "still not safe" and "full of surprises," but that soldiers seemed more than ready to handle whatever comes their way.
During pre-deployment training, the solders' reflexes, impulses, memory and emotions are tested using short computer simulations.
Saliva and urine were collected so Cernak could monitor hormones and enzymes that relate to stress coping.
"Their mental health balance was actually better than in pre-deployment training," she said.
"The pre-deployment training did quite well to prepare soldiers to perform as best as they could in a stressful environment."
However, Cernak said, there is room for improvement; she and her team identified several areas that training could be improved to assist with soldiers' physical and mental well being.
Soldiers were less proficient with short-term memory, multitasking and troubleshooting, she said.
Over 120 soldiers from the Edmonton Garrison and the Canadian Forces Base in Shilo, Manitoba, volunteered for the study.
Further tests will be done following the soldiers' return to Canada, and three more times at the one, three, and five year marks.
With proper therapy and training, Cernak says soldiers who develop PTSD symptoms such as memory loss have a better chance for recovery.
Cernak is a world-renowned researcher; her 30-year career has been dedicated to the health and well-being of soldiers.
She was recruited by the U of A in 2012 and at the time, the university said it hoped her leadership would go far in assisting veterans.
Cernak hopes to one day extend the study to include other high-stress fields such as emergency responders.
allison.salz@sunmedia.ca
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/11/06/stress-training-for-soldiers-before-deployment-may-help-curb-ptsd-says-a-university-of-alberta-researcher
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Canadian forces join exercises
Sgt. Joel Dunville of the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre (CAAWC) prepares his parachute and drop bag for a jump into the scene of a major air disaster search and rescue exercise. Dunville and six other members of the CAAWC flew on board an Alaska Air National Guard C-130 aircraft as part of the joint Canada/U.S. Arctic Search and Rescue Exercise
Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/11/05/3160621/canadian-forces-join-exercises.html#storylink=cpy
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Challenges price of admission to Afghanistan
Justin Justin Crann
Capt. Ryan Donovan reflects on eight-month Kabul advisor tour
One of Capt. Ryan Donovan's greatest victories in Afghanistan was — as part of a team — convincing Afghan Air Force staff to recruit more educated students into its university.
"One of the problems (the Afghans) had at their academy was, they would get new students, but those students would be illiterate in their own language," Donovan, recently returned to Canada, told the Times-Herald Wednesday. "They would try to train them as mechanics to fix planes, but these were uneducated people.
"We worked with the Afghans at the Air Force University and drafted a proposal to the Chief of the Air Staff to say, 'only accept students who have Grade 12 education.' They bumped it down to Grade 10, and that was a compromise that we came to, but they passed it," he added.
Donovan served for eight months in Kabul as part of a 16-man Canadian advisory team to the Afghan Air Force.
"We were advising them on how to set up a university to train incoming Air Force personnel to be mechanics, pilots — anything involved in running an air force, really," he said. "I, specifically, worked with the commander of student squadron. He was in charge of housing all of the students, making sure they have clothes, and making sure they get to and from classes and the meal hall."
Donovan's stay in Afghanistan was not without it's challenges, and illiterate students were just the tip of the iceberg.
Differences in rank structure and dealing with chains of command in separate forces were also hurdles to be leapt, said Donovan.
"(The Afghan command) structure is not the same as ours. I'm a captain, and a captain is sort of the lower end among officers, but it takes something to become a captain here, so you do have a measure of respect and are usually put in positions where you gain respect," he said. "I find they don't have that respect, in their culture, unless you are a Lt.-Col. or higher. They sort of look down on their captains and don't give them a lot of responsibilities. … The ranking system was skewed, I found."
The problem was compounded by the fact the man Donovan was advising held the rank of Lt.-Col.
"I had to show him I was a hard worker and willing to work with him and gain his respect," Donovan added. "(He) had a lot of experience in the Afghan military. He wasn't a young guy who didn't know anything. So it was best to respect him, treat him well, and work together to find a solution he wanted."
« I got to be part of it — what's going on in the world. It's part of our history.» - Capt. Ryan Donovan
Finding solutions the Afghan Air Force wanted was another important challenge, said Donovan.
"One of the natural things for someone to do is go in and say, 'I'm Canadian, and this is how we do it in Canada.' That's not necessarily going to work for them," he said. "What you have to do is work with them and say, 'This is how we do it, but how do you want to do it?'"
Keeping morale up among the Afghans was also a problem, added Donovan.
"Some of them were very disheartened. Some of the guys I worked with over there have a lot of experience, and they were trying, but they were just frustrated with their government and the situation," he said. "They were working, but their hands were tied in different spots."
Navigating bureaucracy and the virtue of perseverance were both lessons Donovan had to help teach the Afghan personnel he worked alongside.
But in spite of the challenges, Donovan said, he was still happy to have went.
"Going to Afghanistan is something I'd wanted to do on a professional and personal level, and I'm glad I got to do it," he said. "Being an air traffic controller, the nature of our job in Canada is that we don't always have extra personnel to deploy … to deploy me was rare, but my unit got me deployed and I really appreciate it because it's something I'll carry on with me for the rest of my life.
"I got to be part of it — what's going on in the world. It's part of our history," added Donovan. "How it works out in the end, we don't know — hopefully it works out well — but I got to play a small part in it, and I'm happy for that."
You can follow Justin Crann on Twitter or like him on Facebook.
http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/News/Local/2013-11-06/article-3469943/Challenges-price-of-admission-to-Afghanistan/1
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Remembrance Day has special meaning for Afghanistan veteran
Scarborough ceremonies planned for Sunday and Monday
Capt. Ben Lee grew up wanting to do his part for Canada, and knowing what Remembrance Day was.
It’s an important time of the year, “a day for us to commemorate what generations of Canadians - not just soldiers, but Canadians - sacrificed,” he said this week.
Around 2007, though, Lee, who joined the army in 2001, began to see Remembrance Day differently.
People he knew or trained with were showing up on the television news, casualties of the war in Afghanistan.
“I started to see some of my friends get hurt, or even worse,” said Lee, 29, who commanded a satellite company of the Queen’s Own Rifles in Scarborough.
There would be more fallen comrades, and ramp ceremonies to mark their return home, for Lee to think of on Nov. 11 after he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as the psychological operations platoon commander for Task Force Khandahar.
“There’s a lot of people who are not having the opportunity to be where I am now, so I should do my best to remember them,” he said.
“For some of us, we remember a lot more frequently than once a year.”
His older brother Sgt. Don Lee had been at Khandahar seven months before Lee arrived to work with his own unit, which put up billboards, broadcast radio messages and tried to influence Afghan leaders and elders.
Lee’s grandfather fought against the communists in the Korean War, and uncles later served in the South Korean army, one of them in Vietnam.
Those who understand Remembrance Day, including today’s veterans, need to teach younger generations about it, said Lee, now the officer commanding parachute training at Canadian Forces Base Trenton’s Advanced Warfare Centre.
“I will always wear the poppy when it comes time for it.”
This coming Monday, Nov. 11, Remembrance Day ceremonies in Scarborough will take place, starting at 10:45 a.m., at the Scarborough Cenotaph standing between Kingston Road and Danforth Avenue.
Another ceremony begins at 10:55 a.m. at the Waterside Theatre of the Toronto Zoo, where admission for veterans and guests at the ceremony is free from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
The zoo said parking that morning will be free for veterans, as well as other persons in uniform, including members of the emergency services and TTC.
Another long-standing annual ceremony takes place at Scarborough Civic Centre on Sunday, Nov. 10, starting at 2 p.m., with marchers forming beforehand on Borough Drive to enter the building’s rotunda.
There will also be an indoor Remembrance Day ceremony at Bridlewood Mall, which is at Finch and Warden avenues, Monday at 10:50 a.m.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the Friendship Club and I.R.I.E. Program for Caribbean and West Indian older adults at Warden Woods Community Centre “come together to profile, educate and reflect with veterans from Jamaica, Guyana and the historic Second World War.”
“As a token of thanks,” the centre on Firvalley Court said in a release this week, all veterans will be served a free hot lunch at the event.
Southwest Scarborough MP Dan Harris is asking what residents of his riding to send him stories showing what Remembrance Day means to them.
They can be sent without postage to Harris at the House of Commons in Ottawa, K1A 0A6.
In a letter, Harris recalled his grandmother Ivy Harris, worked as a teenager for the General Engineering Company south of Eglinton Avenue in Scarborough at a plant which produced 250 million munitions during the Second World War.
When she later heard her ‘beau’ Freddy had been killed in Sicily, and his remains not found, Ivy “had cut his face from a photograph of his company and wore it in a locket throughout the war years.”
After the war, Harris added, “Ivy placed the cut-out back into the photograph, which the family still has today.”
http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/4200128-remembrance-day-has-special-meaning-for-afghanistan-veteran/
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Tech closes gap between students, overseas soldiers
By Kyle Wells - Goldstream News Gazette
Published: November 08, 2013 4:00 PM
Updated: November 08, 2013 4:46 PM
Belmont secondary students joined peers across the country last Friday morning for an online Remembrance Day ceremony that included some special guests.
Schools from Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and elsewhere connected digitally with one another, as well as with Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan, to reflect on the sacrifice of soldiers and the importance of remembrance.
Belmont students were chosen to recite In Flanders Fields for the ceremony and were first to ask a few questions of the serving soldiers.
Three students asked questions such as whether language barriers play a role in their duties in Afghanistan and how often the soldiers get to talk to their families.
The soldiers spoke of learning some basic phrases and of the complexities of regional dialects. They also answered that thanks to technology like that which made the pan-Canada ceremony possible, they are able to video-phone their families daily.
“It’s one day of the year, so we can remember who died for our country,” said Nikki Galet, Grade 11. “We’ve never done anything like this before. We’ve done a conference on video before, but not this big.”
“It was definitely a cool and unique experience,” said Julianna MacDonald, Grade 12. “My grandpa was a soldier in one of the wars. He passed away not because of the war, so it’s cool to remember all the people that he fought with. He fought alongside a lot of soldiers that didn’t make it past the war.”
http://www.vicnews.com/neighbourhoods/west_shore/231225071.html
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Canadian veterans charity gets $132K boost from Glenfiddich
Scotch maker donating $2 for every bottle of its 15-year-old single malt sold in Canada
CBC- Posted: Nov 06, 2013 5:10 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 07, 2013 11:28 AM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-veterans-charity-gets-132k-boost-from-glenfiddich-1.2416929
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Woman’s ‘quiet mission’ is to educate Canada about its role in Afghanistan
Melanie Graham is touring Canada to share the Tell Me a Story Soldier ... The Afghan Mission Film Festival, which tells the story of the conflict in Afghanistan through the words of soldiers who served and their families. She made stop in Corner Brook Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 at the Royal Canadian Legion and will be in Stephenville at the Legion on Wednesday, Nov. 6 for one showing from 3-6 p.m.
CORNER BROOK — For most people, all they know of Canadian soldiers who have served in Afghanistan are the names of those who have died there or who have done something to make headlines for the wrong reasons.
Melanie Graham, a retired public affairs officer with the Canadian Forces, knows there is a special story behind every single soldier who has done duty in Afghanistan since Canada joined the international mission there not long after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Graham has volunteered to make an effort to tell as many as those stories as she can. She is in the process of touring Canada with the Tell Me a Story Soldier ... The Afghan Mission Film Festival.
During each stop she makes, she shows a selection of films that tell the stories of the conflict in Afghanistan through the words of soldiers who have served and their families.
At each stop, she is also hoping to reach out to more soldiers and families to see if they too are willing to tell their story.
For the past week, Graham has been in Newfoundland and Labrador. She was in Corner Brook Tuesday and will be at the Royal Canadian Legion in Stephenville from 3-6 p.m. today.
Only one person came out to the Royal Canadian Legion in Corner Brook and that person was not someone who served in Afghanistan.
Graham said that has been par for the course during many of her stops and she is not deterred from completing this important personal mission of hers.
“The toughest part of this whole project has been getting those who served to tell their story,” said Graham. “They are very reluctant to.”
To try and get soldiers — as well as police and civilians who have served in Afghanistan — to tell their stories, Graham’s approach is to first show the documentaries that tell aspects of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan.
What films are shown depends on the audience. Some venues request specific films in advance, or Graham will choose what she feels would be the most appropriate documentaries for that location.
Either way, Graham feels Canada should get better acquainted with what its military does and what it did in Afghanistan. Eliciting more stories by touring the country, she hopes to improve that understanding.
“Canadians don’t know their military,” she said bluntly. “They don’t know them as people. They know them as nameless, faceless strangers who turn up once a year for Remembrance Day or come home in a casket or they are in a scandal.”
The goal of the tour is to create a commemorative album that details Canada’s mission in Afghanistan from the perspective of those who were there. Funding, a publisher and a distribution deal are already in place and the book containing the stories and photographs will be released on Remembrance Day in November 2014.
Anyone who wants to submit their story about Afghanistan has until May 1 to do so.
There is a website, www.afghanistanacanadianstory.ca where the documentaries can be viewed and submissions can be made.
Graham will be at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on Nov. 10 and will then do three viewings in Alberta in the middle of the month before heading back home to Vancouver on Nov. 21.
“I have a quiet little mission to introduce Canadians to their military as the people down the street ... just ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” she said.
http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2013-11-06/article-3469039/Woman%26rsquo%3Bs-%26lsquo%3Bquiet-mission%26rsquo%3B-is-to-educate-Canada-about-its-role-in-Afghanistan/1
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Artists program helps sketch a rare glimpse of Canadian military life
By Michael Woods, OTTAWA CITIZEN November 8, 2013
Scott Waters in front of one of his paintings.
Photograph by: Bruno Schlumberger , Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — It’s unusual to serve three years in the military, and then return decades later to the same unit for an entirely different reason. But that’s exactly what Toronto painter and writer Scott Waters got to do.
Waters, 43, served three years with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry from 1989 to 1992. Twenty years later, he spent nearly a month with the very same battalion, this time in Afghanistan.
Waters was part of the Canadian Forces Artists Program, which was created in 2001 and allows Canadian artists access to soldiers at home and abroad. He was one of the artists showcased at the Canadian War Museum Thursday night.
Waters arrived in Kabul in December 2011, at the beginning of Canada’s training mission in Afghanistan.
Many of the troops he stayed with for nearly a month had been in combat in Kandahar, he said. As a result, they were actually fairly bored.
“Numerous times people said to me, ‘Make sure you tell them about the boredom,’” he said. “I tried to figure out a way to talk about boredom, to think about ways in which stories get told.”
One of his paintings showcased on Thursday featured two soldiers drinking coffee, for example.
“The two soldiers drinking the coffee was my literal manifestation of the daily routine, which is kind of filling up the hours, not for everybody but for a lot of the guys,” he said.
Thursday’s showcase featured works by artists who were in the program in 2010 and 2011. Overall, the program has given about 50 Canadian artists access to Canada’s servicemen and servicewomen.
There’s no oversight of the artists’ work, or remuneration. The artists are transported there and back, fed and given a place to stay.
Filmmaker Charles Stankievech, from Dawson City, spent two weeks making a film at Canadian Forces Station in Alert, the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited place.
Stankievech, 35, who now lives in Berlin, visited in the winter, a time of permanent darkness.
“It was an eerie feeling to wake up in the morning and you think: ‘I will not see anything today unless I flip a lightswitch.’”
He shot his film, The Land Beyond the Land Beyond, as an eerie, science-fiction movie. It’s in black and white and he used a computer-controlled motion system to film it.
Because it was so dark, it took Stankievech one minute to shoot each frame of the film. With each second of film taking 24 frames, it took him 24 minutes to shoot each second of the movie.
So it’s a 10-minute film, but he was at CFS Alert for two weeks or so. “It’s a very laborious process,” he said.
There are strategies at the station to keep morale up amid the extreme isolation and darkness, he said. There are strategies at the station to deal with that, he said. For example, whenever anyone leaves or arrives at the base, the entire 66-person staff gathers together to applaud them.
Maj.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk, deputy commander of the Canadian Army, did the introductions on Thursday. He told the Citizen that personnel take great pride in seeing their day-to-day lives and experiences recorded.
“We’re incredibly blessed that many of these artists actually devote their talents to portraying and recording the activities of our servicemen and servicewomen,” he said. “With art you can just capture experiences in a very unique way that endures the test of time.”
The panels displaying the work of the artists will be on display at the War Museum for the next few days.
Applications for the 2013-14 period of the program are due on Nov. 30.
mwoods@ottawacitizen.com">mwoods@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/michaelrwoods
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More than 7,000 people gathered at the Credit Union Centre on Nov. 11 for the annual Remembrance Day Celebrations, Francois Biber/News Talk Radio
Sask. reservist reflects on Remembrance Day
Saskatoon man says he will carry on the tradition
Reported by Karin Yeske
First Posted: Nov 8, 2013 12:04pm | Last Updated: Nov 8, 2013 1:02pm
Remembrance Day is about carrying on tradition for a Saskatoon army reservist.
Lt. Rod Dignean spent the summer in Kabul, Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces Health Sciences. He was advising the Armed Forces Academy of Medical Science, a component of the Afghan National Army, on how to run a hospital.
Dignean said Nov. 11 is a day to remember.
“I see myself as someone who can hopefully continue that tradition. I was there for my ancestors and my relatives and all of those in uniform who went before me,” Dignean said on John Gormley Live.
He believes that being in Afghanistan gave him a better appreciation of how important his role is in the future.
“These are the people that you probably walk by every day in your life here back at home without realizing that that person was a soldier who willingly went and served,” he said.
After nearly a dozen years in the country, Canada’s training mission in Afghanistan is winding down. Dignean said in his personal opinion, Afghans are ready to secure their own country.
“From what I experienced, I believe they are ready to take it over. They are going to trip, they are going to stumble, but ultimately they are going to have to do it in the Afghan day,” he said, back home in Saskatoon.
“In my experiences with the local Afghan people, I found they want what we want. They want security, peace, jobs and I was telling somebody, they even want their roads repaired.”
Canadians are interested to know that the Canadian Forces are still over in Afghanistan training and advising, said Dignean.
“They still see that as an important role as well as an important part of sort of drawing down the whole mission in itself.”
In the heavy heat that never cooled to below 30 C Dignean, who is First Nation, found more similarities between his culture and the Afghans than differences. They include family and tribal connections, and the emphasis on honour and duty, he said.
“In particular, the emphasis on relationships and trust building,” he said.
Dignean was stationed in an American compound and three times a week he would go “outside the wire” and mentor at the hospital.
“They made us very cognizant that when you went up there that there was probably a Taliban presence. You had to be switched on every time you left that gate until you came back, he said.
kyeske@rawlco.com
http://cjme.com/story/sask-reservist-reflects-rembrance-day/154767
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Remembrance Day: Reservist acts as advisor in Afghanistan mission
Col. Bryan Gagne is senior advisor to Afghanistan's vice chief of defense, Lieutenant Mohammad Akrm -
A Ladner man is helping with Canada's current mission in Afghanistan. Col. Bryan Gagne, 46, is the senior advisor to Afghanistan's vice chief of defense, Lieutenant General Mohammad Akrm. He's involved in the dayto-day functionality of the vice chief 's office and helps steer the staff through very tight timelines. "It's a pretty all encompassing position," said Gagne, a reservist with the Canadian Forces for over 25 years. Gagne, who owns an appraisals company in Ladner, has been in Afghanistan for five months. He explained this is the third rotation in Canada's training mission, having transitioned from the combat mission in Kandahar, to a training and mentorship mission centered in Kabul. He was one of a contingent of support personnel, mentors and advisors who deployed last summer to assist with "institutional capacity building." Gagne described the vice chief as a former governor and weathered soldier who certainly knows how to administer an army. He was governor of Kandahar when Canadians were fighting the insurgency in the province. Gagne said the vice chief oversees the Afghan National Army budget, oversees the logistical supply chain of the army, looks at the overall readiness, both of personnel and equipment, and also deals with infrastructure and facilities management. Asked about any achievements he's made or any challenges he's faced during his time in Afghanistan, Gagne mentioned being able to synchronize in a culturally diverse office and help the vice chief tackle attrition in the Afghan National Army as accomplishments. Gagne will be coming home in mid-March, he said. "When you come from a relatively high stress environment, the down cycle can sometimes be a journey. They've got the right mechanisms in place for us to transition back.
http://www.delta-optimist.com/remembrance-day-reservist-acts-as-advisor-in-afghanistan-mission-1.689341#sthash.OFndJzTR.dpuf
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Just 2 give u an idea- Here is a Chart- of Canada's War Dead - Peace of Christ
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=705641966120495&set=a.153203521364345.32932.100000240949070&type=1&theater
App charts graves of Canadian war dead
TU THANH HA The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Nov. 08 2013, 8:19 PM EST
In Canadian military annals, few campaigns were as remote and forgotten as the Siberian Expeditionary Force, which sailed from Vancouver to the Russian port of Vladivostok at the end of 1918 in a vain attempt with other foreign forces at blocking the Bolshevik revolution.
The 4,000 Canadian troops departed after one winter, leaving behind the graves of 16 soldiers and a Mountie at two locations near the borders between Russia, China and North Korea.
Today, the names of those 17 men can be found when one peruses a new digital map, part of The Fallen, a free tablet application that a Toronto mobile development firm, Good Digital Culture, is releasing for Remembrance Day. The app charts the burial locations of 118,000 Canadians who fell in military service, from the days of the Boer Wars to the Afghanistan mission.
The designers were looking for a new way to tell the stories of those who had given their lives. What they discovered was the breathtaking scope of Canada’s military engagement since it became a nation 146 years ago. Until 1970, because of the scale of casualties in conventional warfare, Canadian troops were interred where they fell.
“It wasn’t until the map plotted itself that we realized there were Canadians buried in every continent except Antarctica,” recalled one designer, Tim Robertson.
The app is a reminder of how a nation with a small population took an active part in military actions around the world because of its ties to other powers, first as a part of the British Empire, then as a member of NATO, a peacekeeping nation and an ally of the United States.
“Is this a source of national pride or is it a series of human tragedies? I guess it’s both,” said historian Terry Copp, of the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.
Prof. Copp said that, starting with the Boer Wars, Canada has a long history of joining overseas military actions without being involved in the strategic decisions behind them. Canada’s first wars were the imperial wars of Britain, which also explains the lack of enthusiasm from French Canadians in those conflicts, he noted.
By the First World War, often under British command, Canadian troops were present in many theatres, from the campaigns in Palestine and Mesopotamia to the Austro-Italian front. “In the mountains of northern Italy, there’s the familiar maple leaf on the graves. It means that a Canadian engineer, or technical officer or signals person was sent there,” Prof. Copp said.
The data in the app is succinct and is meant to be a starting point for contributions from the public or further research, its designers say.
For example, the Canadians buried at Vladivostok’s Churkin naval cemetery include Private Edwin Howard Stephenson, a medic from Tillsonburg, Ont., who died in May, 1919. A Google search shows he was an Anglican priest before he enlisted and that he died of smallpox just days before he was to sail home.
The app underlines that Canadians were also present in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign against the Ottoman empire. Among dozens of Canadians buried on Turkish land is Private Edward Bewhey, who died in 1915, at age 19, at Suvla Bay. Online records in Newfoundland show that he was a labourer from St. John’s.
“Although his loss to me was indeed a very heavy blow, yet I feel that my loss was his country’s gain, and this assurance helps to lessen our sorrow,” his mother, Ellen, later wrote in a letter.
One of the app’s designers, Sonia Chai, said the software aimed to give a sense of the men and women who had died over the years. “Who are these people and why were they there?” she said. “We hope that if we put this out, conversations will start to happen and those conversations are how we memorialize.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/app-charts-graves-of-canadian-war-dead/article15361265/
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Beautiful comment from Afghanistan- we love u so much
COMMENT:
Mohammad Farid Wahidi · Kabul Medical University
We Afghans respect the sacrificies made by the Candadian military in an effort to bring peace and stability into the country, as part of its international committment in the framework of the UN Security Council resolutions for Afghansitan.
Canada’s last Remembrance Day in Afghanistan evokes poignant memories
KABUL, Afghanistan — After a 12-year slog, Canada’s last Remembrance Day in Afghanistan is to be marked by 620 Canadian military trainers at several NATO bases in the capital that are surrounded by the dazzling, snow-capped mountains of the Hindu Kush.
It is likely my last such ceremony in this country, too, after dozens of trips here beginning with one to Kandahar in the spring of 2002.
I went to Kandahar to see Lt. Colonel Pat Stogran and the Alberta-based Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. His battalion was attached to a U.S. airborne brigade from Kentucky that had been searching in mountains near the Pakistani border for Osama bin Laden and those in al-Qaida who protected him.
Those were tough days for the Patricias. Four of them had just been killed and nine others had been seriously wounded during what became known as the Tarnak Farms friendly fire incident. A U.S. air force F-16 pilot had tragically mistaken the Patricias for enemy troops during a ground live-fire exercise and dropped a bomb on them.
These had been the first deaths that Canada had suffered at war in almost half a century. This is perhaps why the loss of Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer and privates Nathan Smith and Richard Green may have been more keenly felt by their countrymen than most of the other 154 Canadian troops deaths in Afghanistan. A few days later a standing-room-only crowd grieved for these soldiers at a memorial at the rink in Edmonton where Wayne Gretzky used to weave his magic.
Claire and Richard Leger, parents to the late Sgt Marc Leger, have planted flags in their garden for every Canadian who has died in Afghanistan.
Claire and Richard Leger, parents to the late Sgt Marc Leger, have planted flags in their garden for every Canadian who has died in Afghanistan.
Ten months later I was staying at Camp Julien, which was Canada’s new base on the outskirts of Kabul, on the night that two soldiers from the Petawawa, Ont.-based Royal Canadian Regiment became the first Canadians to die in combat since the Korean War. Sgt. Robert Short and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger were killed when their armoured vehicle hit a stack of landmines. Their deaths resonated with me as I had come to know them a bit through their good friend and mine, Stephen Thorne of The Canadian Press.
Short and Beerenfenger were immensely popular guys. Stephen, like the Royals, was deeply traumatized by their sudden loss.
Aside from the solemn ceremonies that have been held here every Nov. 11 to remember Canada’s war dead, the signature event seared into the mind of all those who have served in Afghanistan has been the ramp ceremonies at Kandahar Airfield for the soldiers who died there.
Although each battle group handled this heart-rending ritual slightly differently, the main elements never changed. As several thousand NATO troops stood silently at attention, a flag-draped casket was borne to the parade ground in the back of a Light Armoured Vehicle which crept slowly across the tarmac. O Canada was played, a padre told those assembled a bit about the person who had died before offering prayers. Eight pallbearers hoisted the casket on their shoulders and slow marched the deceased past the troops and into a military transport aircraft for the long journey home.
At a guess, I attended 40 ramp ceremonies. Despite the sameness of these observances, they were all memorable. One on an especially hot afternoon in September, 2009 remembered Maj. Yannick Pepin, a combat engineer who told me only a few weeks earlier how deeply he had been affected by the death of one of his sappers. Another in June, 2010, was a tribute to Master Cpl. Kristal Giesebrecht. I had not known the 34-year-old medic. What I do know was that no other soldier was so fondly remembered by her comrades. Although her fellow medics had so often dealt with the death and tended to the wounded, her loss hit them like a brick.
Journalist Michelle Lang's casket is the first of five slain Canadians to be carried by pallbearers into a military transport aircraft New Year's Day 2010 to begin the 10,000 kilometre to Canada. Lang, of the Calgary Herald, and four Canadian soldiers were killed Wednesday when their armoured vehicle stuck a homemade landmine while returning from a patrol near Kandahar City. DND Photo by Sgt. Gemma Bibby of the Royal Air Force
Journalist Michelle Lang’s casket is the first of five slain Canadians to be carried by pallbearers into a military transport aircraft New Year’s Day 2010 to begin the 10,000 kilometre to Canada. Lang, of the Calgary Herald, and four Canadian soldiers were killed Wednesday when their armoured vehicle stuck a homemade landmine while returning from a patrol near Kandahar City. DND Photo by Sgt. Gemma Bibby of the Royal Air Force
Nor shall I ever forget the ramp ceremony on Jan. 1, 2010 for my Christmas replacement, Michelle Lang. A gentle, caring soul from British Columbia who wrote for the Calgary Herald, Michelle had been killed just before New Year’s along with four soldiers when the LAV they had been riding in was struck a giant homemade bomb on a muddy road just south of Kandahar City.
I returned to Kandahar just hours before Michelle and the young men who died with her were given a final salute. It was a brisk, sunny morning as, not much more than a stone’s throw away from the ceremony, fighter jets and helicopters thundered and clattered into the sky to continue the war.
Michelle had lost her life a few minutes into what was her first trip “outside the wire.” Standing alone above her pristine aluminum casket in the belly of the plane that would take her home to her family, I recalled what my father, who saw a lot of combat with an armoured regiment during the Second World War, had told me about the extremely capricious nature of death in war.
We will remember them.
Twitter.com/mfisheroverseas
Read more Articles from Matthew Fisher
http://o.canada.com/news/canadas-last-remembrance-day-in-afghanistan-evokes-poignant-memories/
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Standing on guard
Neil Godbout, Managing Editor
There was once a worry that Remembrance Day ceremonies would die out and disappear - the idea being that as the veterans from the Second World War passed away, natural-born Canadians would become increasingly separated from their military past and new immigrants wouldn't care about Vimy Ridge and Dieppe.
Many people thought Prime Minister Stephen Harper's insistence on returning the word Royal in front of the official names of the Canadian armed forces, passionately marking the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and increasing federal spending on the military for the first time in decades was political pandering to traditionalists. Instead, it's now clear that Harper was slightly ahead of the curve and saw the approaching wave of new popularity for Canada's military history and the men and women who currently wear the uniform.
Former Governor-General Michaelle Jean recognized it, too, which is why she wore the formal green Canadian Forces uniform with Prince Charles to the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the cenotaph in Ottawa in 2009. It was the third time Jean had donned her military uniform (the word "general" is in the job description for a reason - the Governor-General is the official commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces) but it was the first time a Governor General had worn it on Remembrance Day in 25 years.
She was praised across the country for her proud tribute to past veterans, as well as to the Canadians still serving at the time in Afghanistan (she had worn her uniform when she visited them two months earlier).
And that was from an immigrant from Haiti.
Afghanistan has certainly played a role in reinvigorating Remembrance Day in Canada. In the earlier days of the Afghan conflict, the federal government tried to hide the caskets draped in the Maple Leaf that were coming home. They quickly realized that the uproar wasn't about Canadians dying needlessly in a stupid war on the other side of the world but about the government not letting the public pay its respects. Canadians may have questioned the length and the cost of the Afghan mission but even the most dovish and anti-war residents understood that after 9-11, Afghanistan needed more than a hug and rousing version of "Give Peace A Chance."
Residents across the nation were particularly proud that our soldiers weren't just peacekeepers in Afghanistan but were actually fighting a real opponent (the Taliban) who had helped a mass murderer kill 24 Canadians on Sept. 11, 2001.
But the new interest in Remembrance Day is about more than the novelty of seeing young veterans at the ceremonies or feeling the loss of three former Prince George residents who died during the conflict in Afghanistan: Cpl. Matthew McCully, Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick and journalist Michelle Lang.
More than ever before, present-day residents are now coming out to Remembrance Day ceremonies to pay tribute to their ancestors.
On Thursday, we published the Second World War story of Alfred Morris, who lined up with his fellow veterans since moving to Prince George in 1967 but died recently at age 91. He left behind journals, photographs, maps, medals and his camera from his years of service aboard the HMS Illustrious in the British Royal Navy.
In today's paper, we tell the story of the Lebel family, which has seven family members who have worn the uniform.
There was a time when the newspapers had to work hard to find new stories to tell on Remembrance Day, because of the reluctance of the veterans to share their experiences. Their children and grandchildren have no such reluctance. This year, we actually turned away people coming in with great Remembrance Day stories, asking them to come back right after Halloween next year because those stories are also worth telling and particularly on Nov. 11, they never grow old.
Remembrance Day isn't about celebrating war, it's about celebrating the accomplishments of our ancestors and our present-day peers who put their lives on the line to fight for our freedom, with some paying dearly for their sense of duty.
We are right to be so proud of those whose service to their country should never be forgotten.
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20131108/PRINCEGEORGE0302/311089959/-1/princegeorge03/standing-on-guard
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Alberta introduces new licence plates honouring soldiers Calgary Herald
"Albertans admire the men and women of the Canadian Forces who put their lives on line, away from the comforts of family and home, as they stand up for the
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RICK HANSEN- Canadian Hero
The thing about veterans: They make a difference
Rick Hansen
Contributed to The Globe and Mail
Last updated Monday, Nov. 11 2013, 6:00 AM EST
Remembrance Day is one of the most important days we have on our national calendar – a time, as the leaves fall and take us into winter, to reflect back on the men and women who have given it all for their country, community, family and friends.
It’s a tribute to a simple truth in life: Ordinary men and women are what make a difference in the world, in big and small ways
Nov. 11 is about remembering those who have given their lives to fight for peace, on the brutal battlefields of the First World War and all others. Laying a wreath at the National Military Cemetery – as I will do Monday – is one of the greatest honours a Canadian can be offered.
But I would also like to suggest that Remembrance Day is about more than looking back to those who have fallen. It is also about recognizing the singular quality that unified all these men and women: They were all difference makers. They were people who felt compelled to do their duty, large or small, to protect us and build a better world.
When I began trying to make a difference by propelling myself around the world almost three decades ago, to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities and find a cure for paralysis after spinal cord injury, I was always moved by what people said about Canada because of our veterans, perhaps our greatest ambassadors.
People remembered us as liberators, as people who made history by collectively putting their lives on the line for others. In many countries throughout the world, it was a common and moving message. Our veterans made a difference to their lives and history. They were not forgotten, and neither was Canada.
Our men and women in uniform continue to make a difference today, carrying on this wonderful Canadian tradition of putting ourselves on the line to do the right thing. As Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Forces Joint Personnel Support Unit, it’s an honour to represent Canadians who have not forgotten about the disabled, wounded and ill members of our military and their families. I am inspired by the stories of these men and women who continue to overcome challenges after their public service, and are difference makers in their communities.
Like millions of Canadians, I will take a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to remember, and to thank the veterans who have defended our country and freedoms, often giving the ultimate sacrifice.
But I also invite you during that moment of contemplation to ask why Remembrance Day is such a vital part of our national tradition.
To me the answer is simple. As a nation, we intuitively know that a great society is based on a shared understanding – and dare I say the shared duty – of every citizen to be a difference maker. It is our collective attempt at making a difference, in whatever way, that makes a better Canada. And a better world.
Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line to be difference makers. And every time we pin on a poppy, we acknowledge that their sense of honour and sacrifice made a difference that isn’t forgotten.
Rick Hansen is founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation. In 2012, he was among the first to be honoured in Canada Post’s Difference Maker stamp series.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/veterans-make-a-difference/article15352270/
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VIDEO
Canada's First Peoples- 10,000 years
Desiree Dorion- He Fought 4 Peace
http://aptn.ca/pages/firsttracks/desireedorion/
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Prince Edward Island- Afghanistan veterans' names not yet on Cardigan memorial
CBC News Posted: Nov 10, 2013 3:22 PM AT| Last Updated: Nov 10, 2013 3:22 PM AT
The Royal Canadian Legion in Cardigan, P.E.I. is fundraising to put the names of local veterans who served in Afghanistan on its memorial.
The cenotaph includes the names of local soldiers from previous wars, but now the legion wants to add the names of the nine Afghanistan veterans from the area.
It's one of the first places in Canada to do so.
“The amount of pride out there is very obvious on each and every November 11th,” said legion president Grace Blackette.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/afghanistan-veterans-names-not-yet-on-cardigan-memorial-1.2421803
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CANADA- 'In Flanders Fields' poet to be honoured with statues - John McCrae WWI
In late April of 1915, John McCrae, an experienced Canadian soldier and surgeon, was deep in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium.
It was where some of the worst fighting of the First World War played out, with the Germans using deadly chlorine gas against the allied troops. Canadian forces continued to fight, and McCrae tended to hundreds of wounded soldiers.
In early May, one of McCrae’s closest friends was killed. And there, in a place known for its wild poppies -- flowers that were already blooming between the crosses that marked the graves of dead soldiers -- McCrae penned arguably the most famous Canadian poem about the horrors of war.
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow,/ Between the crosses, row on row,” he wrote.
In Flanders Fields is a poem certainly familiar to most Canadians. And a century after he wrote it, the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is making plans to pay tribute to McCrae by constructing two statues of him.
“He'd actually originally discarded the poem because he wasn't happy with it,” McCrae’s great-great nephew, John McCrae Kilgour, told CTV’s John Vennavally-Rao on Monday. “But it was picked up by a fellow soldier and published.”
The poem was originally printed in the British magazine Punch in 1915, and quickly grew in popularity. For decades, the poem has been read every Nov. 11 at schools and ceremonies across the country.
The plan now is to construct two larger-than-life versions of McCrae, with one expected to remain in his hometown of Guelph, Ont., and the other to be unveiled in Ottawa.
While money still needs to be raised for the creation of the final statues, a scaled-down model by renowned sculptor Ruth Abernethy shows McRae sitting on a broken tree trunk amid the horrors of war, with his medical bag at his feet.
In 1918, McCrae died of pneumonia and meningitis. He was buried with full military honours in a cemetery not far from the fields in Flanders.
“We want to honour him and acknowledge what he did for all of us, every Canadian,” McCrae Kilgour said. “What he brought to Remembrance Day.”
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/in-flanders-fields-poet-to-be-honoured-with-statues-1.1538861
comment:
I'm an American and we memorized this poem in my elementary school in the 1970s. I still can recite it. I also note on trips to Canada how patriotic eveyone is in wearing the poppy and probably due to this poem. I agree that something to honor this man is in order.
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The Rileys and the Argylls – the reservists remember
VIDEO
VIDEO: Hamilton Reservists share their thoughts on Remembrance day
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Rileys) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Argylls)
bMark McNeil
One marches to brass horns and woodwinds, the other to bagpipes.
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One has a motto in Latin, the other Gaelic. One has the Duke of Edinburgh as colonel-in-chief, the other is officially led by the Queen. One does training at the John Weir Foote V.C. Armouries on Tuesday nights, the other Wednesday evenings.
But one thing Hamilton's two army reserve regiments -- The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Rileys) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Argylls) -- have in common is the experience of the horror of war, everything from gas attacks in France during the First World War to suicide bombers in Afghanistan.
With Remembrance Day Monday, members of both reserves will reflect on the nearly 3,000 Rileys and Argylls who died in Europe during the First and Second World Wars. And while neither regiment suffered casualties in the recent Canadian military operation in Afghanistan, a total of more than 120 soldiers from both units risked their lives in the dangerous mission.
This week, The Spectator met with a Riley and Argyll veteran of Afghanistan to ask what they will be thinking about on Remembrance Day Monday, their experiences in a modern war-zone so far from home and what it means to be part of a reserve regiment with such storied past.
Capt. Adam MacInnis
32 years old
10 years with Argylls
Occupation: Works for American Iron and Metals in Hamilton doing administration.
Deployments: Two deployments in Afghanistan in 2010 for a total of eight months. He remembers the stifling heat with temperatures reaching 60.6 C. He worked in the All Source Intelligence Centre, a critical centre at the Canadian headquarters in Kandahar that supplied intelligence to soldiers in the field as well as Ottawa.
MacInnis says he joined the Argylls because "they sounded like the kind of people I would like to hang around. They worked hard and played hard."
As time went on, he said, "I just ate it up. I came to like everything about being an Argyll -- the history, the kilts, the swagger. We are a little bit different as a regiment. We have bagpipes when we march. There is a lot of history. I just got taken up by the Argylls and everything that is part of it."
He says he finds it deeply moving when he hears the pipe band. "There is an adrenaline rush and you think of all the years of history and pride. Your brothers in arms are with you in a parade. The city is watching us and we are representing the Canadian forces and the history of our regiment."
He says the Rileys and the Argylls have "a friendly rivalry, like a sibling rivalry, like brothers and sisters in the same house." But when we need to work together, which is often, we quickly fall together as a team, he says.
On Remembrance Day, MacInnis will be a guest speaker at Glendale High School in Hamilton, talking about the meaning of the day and his experiences as an army reservist. He says he hopes to get across the idea that "veterans aren't only from World War I and World War II but from Afghanistan and some of their family members and friends might be veterans as well."
Maj. J.P Hoekstra
49 years old
32 years with the RHLI
Occupation: History teacher and department head at R.H. King Academy in Scarborough. (He is from Burlington but moved to Scarborough eight years ago. He commutes to Hamilton for his work with the RHLI. )
Deployments: He was deployed in Kandahar for several months through 2008-2009. He also took part in a training mission in Nairobi, Kenya and was involved in a United Nations operation in South Sudan.
He joined the RHLI in 1981 at the age of 17 while he was a student at Nelson High School in Burlington. "I worked my way up through the ranks for the next 23 years or so and taught basic training and many military trade and leadership courses during summers and other school holidays."
Remembrance Day has always been a solemn time of the year for him, he says, but after his time in Kandahar, those feelings intensified. "I think 17 Canadians went home in caskets draped in Canadian flags while I was there...You had the red maple leaf of our home country bordered by those two red bands. To me the red bands represented the blood that was spilled not just by those Canadians but by all the other Canadians in Afghanistan and across the decades who have served overseas. Ever since then, the Canadian flag has had a huge personal meaning for me."
On Remembrance Day, he will lead a special assembly at his school where he hopes "to impress upon the students the kinds of sacrifices that so many soldiers, sailors and airmen have made for Canada across the last century and a half or so. Tremendous sacrifices have been made so we can continue to live in a free country.
"As a solider, this is a very poignant time of year. I think about the 100,000 plus Canadian soldiers who have given their lives so we can continue to live in a free country. I think about trying to uphold that tradition and honour, the example that they have laid down for soldiers today."
mmcneil@thespec.com
905-526-4687 | @Markatthespec
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4201508-the-rileys-and-the-argylls-the-reservists-remember/
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Ex-soldier will only hire Canadian Forces veterans
By Gordon McIntyre, The Province
From commanding a light tank worth nearly $2 million during combat, to cleaning gutters, Cpl. Avi Barzelai has seen a lot in his 27 years. And now he's seeing his business grow, a business that employs only Canadian Forces veterans.
Barzelai started Veterans Contracting Canada, fittingly enough, in November a year ago.
After serving two combat tours in Afghanistan, he started out on his own in civilian society, cleaning leaves out of eavestroughs and doing handyman work in the Lower Mainland.
From that he's graduated to having a handful of employees who do renovations,
decks, fences, landscaping, painting - you name it.
"It's essentially a construction company," Barzelai said. "It's still in a startup phase, but in the past year we've developed something I think is unique in Canada."
After graduating from Magee Secondary in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighbourhood, Barzelai enrolled in the Forces and was stationed at CFB Shilo outside Brandon, Man.
That transition for the skiing and rock-climbing buff was almost as jarring as the one from Canada to Afghanistan when he was 21.
During his first tour he drove a light-armoured vehicle called a LAV III, an eight-wheel-drive machine with a small cannon and two machine-guns that can hit speeds of
100 km/h. His unit was based near Sperwan Ghar in the hot-spot southern province of Kandahar, and regularly engaged the Taliban in frontline counter-insurgency missions. For his second tour, he was a helicopter gunner. An image of him crouching at the open door of a 'copter, machine-gun in hand, graced the cover of Esprit de Corps, a Canadian military magazine.
"As a young soldier, it was extremely challenging and a lot of responsibility to have the lives of the LAV III crew, not to mention millions of dollars in equipment, in your hands," Barzelai said. "That kind of thing is commonplace for veterans. You come back from overseas, it is not commonplace for the average employee of a company."
That's the type of thing that Barzelai sees vets having trouble communicating to prospective employers in civilian society.
Outside of specific skills a soldier may have learned, vets have a host of other skills to offer: Hard worker, good team player, loyalty, honesty, integrity, leadership, ingenuity.
"Society has difficulty recognizing what skills veterans have," said Barzelai, now a reservist with the Seaforth Highlanders. "And, as strange as it sounds because soldiers are macho A-type personalities, veterans don't project the skills they have.
"... Whether employers see it or not, military men and women have the fundamental skills that make up an ideal employee."
gordmcintyre@theprovince.com
http://www.theprovince.com/news/soldier+will+only+hire+Canadian+Forces+veterans/9141722/story.html
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BOOTH: Take time to remember all our veterans
Michael Booth / Surrey Now
November 7, 2013 10:51 AM
Remembrance Day, the one day a year where Canadians are expected to take the time to salute our country's military veterans for the service and sacrifice they have made on behalf of the rest of us.
The somber services at cenotaphs across the country and on television strike an emotional chord with those in attendance or watching from afar. The parades of veterans and marching bands and flyover by vintage aircraft provide a poignant reminder of how lucky we are to live in a country like Canada.
The fact is, however, there are more veterans around than we realize. They're not just the people with veteran plates on their car driving below the speed limit in the fast lane on the freeway with their left signal light flashing for 10 minutes. They're all around us, working hard to pay off their mortgage and raise a family while pursuing the Canadian dream. They're just like the rest of us, except they know first hand the price that has to be paid for us to enjoy the lifestyles that we take for granted.
When I was a kid, Remembrance Day meant standing in the cold with all the other boy scouts watching a parade of old guys with white hair covering their heads and medals covering their chests. We would stomp our feet, rub our hands in an effort to stay warm, but the veterans never flinched.
This was the early 1970s, so most of the veterans we saw those mornings were from the First World War. The Second World War and Korean War vets never really stood out in our consciousness because, well, most of them were our dads.
After the Korean War, Canada went through a prolonged period of peace, more than 45 years without participating as combatants in a major conflict. And through it all, we still produced military veterans.
Canada's role as international peacemaker was backed up by our military sending personnel to serve with the U.N. Peacekeeping units in trouble spots around the world. These soldiers and RCMP officers would be sent into hellholes around the globe with the express goal of preventing the locals from killing each other. Needless to say, their efforts were not always welcome by either side of the conflict and some of the things they witnessed cannot be fully comprehended by those of us back home.
Take for example my lunatic cousin Eddie. He could always be counted on to do something utterly jaw-droppingly outrageous when the situation called for tact and refined social graces. For instance, he liked to bring a camera along when he went on three-day benders. Once he sobered up, he would drop off the film at the photo lab to find out what he had done.
As a memory recall technique, it worked well for him, but not so much for the customers at London Drugs who would watch the photos coming out of the machine at the lab.
So when Eddie decided he wanted to join the military, well, nobody was surprised. Just Ed being Ed.
Ed joined up, was trained as a field engineer and, in the aftermath of the first Gulf War, was sent to Kuwait to clean up the hundreds of thousands of land mines left behind by the retreating Iraqi troops. Unfortunately, the Canadian sappers weren't the only ones clearing explosives. Small children - some as young as five and six-years-old - were being paid the equivalent of 25 cents for every mine they recovered. Ed and the rest of our troops spent a lot of time carrying dead and mangled kids to first aid posts for treatment after the mines exploded.
Ed doesn't look at his pictures from Kuwait very often.
A year or two later, Ed and the field engineers were back in the frying pan, this time in Bosnia where they were charged with creating peace in a land of brutal ethnic strife. Ed's job was driving a truck that shuttled men and materials to the assorted hot spots as they popped up.
Ed never took many pictures in Bosnia, nor does he speak about what happened there other than to describe his job as "driving a target" for random snipers from all the assorted factions involved in the conflict.
When his time was up in the military, Ed mustered out, got married and embarked on a career as a long-haul truck driver. He doesn't perform outrageous stunts anymore; that side of him disappeared somewhere between Kuwait and Bosnia.
There are plenty of other Eds in this country, plus thousands more who served without having to witness the horrors of Kuwait, Bosnia or Afghanistan. I play hockey with at least two of them each week and I regularly talk to another one every time I call home to see how my father - who served in the navy in the 1950s - is doing.
Canadian war veterans as a group may be anonymous, but we all know guys like my father and Ed and Wally and Perry.
The least we can do is take an hour on Monday morning to gather and recognize their service.
- See more at: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/booth-take-time-to-remember-all-our-veterans-1.688165#sthash.3d4YUjwe.dpuf
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USA
Wounded warriors get rehab alongside pro athletes
By MELISSA NELSON-GABRIEL
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/wounded-warriors-rehab-alongside-pro-101225977--spt.html
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Canadians mark event in Afghanistan
Ceremony: Final Remembrance Day for troops still in country
By Matthew Fisher, Postmedia News
On a sunny, chilly morning before an audience of several hundred coalition soldiers and an honour guard that included Mounties immaculate in red serge, the mournful skirl of a lone piper's lament preceded the laying of wreaths Monday during the Canadian Forces' last Remembrance Day gathering in Afghanistan.
The solemn occasion, which took place as most Canadians slept, commemorated their 158 countrymen who lost their lives in Afghanistan as well as the thousands of other Canadians who have died on distant battlefields.
"Today we stand as one nation and one family, not only to honour the fallen, but in these few moments to show our respect and to acknowledge the pain that comes from the loss of a family's greatest gift to the nation, their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, dads and moms," said Padre Kevin Olive of the Shilo, Man.-based 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
"But on a day like today, we are also reminded that in war we often see the greatest acts of humanity. We see self-sacrifice and selfless courage and a determination to defend the oppressed. We see a nation rising up and stating with our actions, 'We are our brother's keeper and we will not shrink back from the darkness.'" His voice choked with emotion, Capt. Olive added, "The pain and loss felt by a mother and father from Winnipeg, whose son looked so invincible in his tan 'cadpad' uniform, rings just as true as (it) did in the hearts of those mothers and fathers who lost their sons and daughters some 99 years ago."
Brig.-Gen. Hamed Habibi, who commands an Afghan army brigade that fought alongside Canadian troops in Kandahar for several years, flew north to Kabul to thank the Canadians, as did several other senior Afghan officers.
"The sacrifice of those Canadian soldiers who died helped our country," Habibi said. "You helped develop Kandahar City. You built asphalt roads between Panjwaii and Zahri and in Dand. You built and repaired schools. You helped us with the Dahla Dam. Because of you, we have better governance. You left Kandahar, but before you did you gave us better security. You have much to be proud of."
With only about 100 days left in Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, which began late in 2001, this Nov. 11 represented one of the last chances for the 620 Canadian military trainers still mentoring Afghan soldiers and police here to quietly reflect on their fallen comrades and the future of this war-weary country.
"It used to be that old guys would come and talk to us about Remembrance Day," said Sgt. Matthew Aseltine of Consort, Alta., who has served four tours in Afghanistan. "I am only 33 but I am a veteran now. And the public knows more than it did before. People do not only regard it as a day off work.
"I've done a lot of ramp ceremonies. But this is my first time for Remembrance Day in Afghanistan. It is momentous because it is the last one. I was here at the beginning of Canada's time here in 2002, and in 2006 when we went down to Helmand to help some British soldiers and Americans from the 10th Mountain Division, and now I am here at the end.
"I lost six guys in 2006 and 2008 and I am thinking right now about how their families are doing."
Cpl. Christopher Linehan, a signaller from Victoria and a mentor to Afghan security forces, recalled several good friends who were killed during his three tours here.
"I like to feel that they are looking down on us and approving of what we've done here," Linehan said. "It is incredible how different a world it is out there today than when I first came to Afghanistan in 2006."
Maj. Tim Day, an armoured officer on his third tour in Afghanistan, said proof that those who had died had sacrificed their lives for something good could be seen in the progress since he served in Kandahar in 2008.
"The tour was all blood, sweat and tears. This tour was the total opposite," Day said. "Nobody fired once because Afghanistan is much safer."
Picking up on the same theme, Col.
John Valtonen of Sudbury, Ont., said that "what we leave behind is optimism and resolve. We are now training the trainers. They understand they have to pick up the ball. We played a big role in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013, and that has given Afghanistan a chance to succeed."
Ottawa's new ambassador to Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, told the audience it was a privilege for her to be among soldiers, policemen and policewomen "who so personally wear the poppy."
Addressing the many foreign dignitaries in attendance, she explained the unifying role of the Highway of Heroes, where Canadians gathered to honour those who died in Afghanistan after they arrived back in Canada.
"It is a touchstone for Canadians who support their armed forces," she said.
Lt.-Gen. Stu Beare, who as commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command oversees all Canadian troops overseas and an Afghan veteran himself, came from Ottawa to mark Remembrance Day.
"Commemorating the sacrifices that have been made allows us to put purpose to the risks that our military took," Beare said in an interview. "It puts purpose to the jobs we continue to do here today. The sense of ownership and the relationship that Canadians have with their military now, compared with many years past, is quite something to see."
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canadians+mark+event+Afghanistan/9153505/story.html#ixzz2klXMk68T
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A final salute for Canadian soldiers buried in Italy
Mackayla Beaumont of Brandon, Man. and a classmate lay a wreath made by Manitoba students in Moro River Canadian War Cemetery in Ortona, Italy on Nov. 11, 2013.
http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/a-final-salute-for-canadian-soldiers-buried-in-italy-1.1538199
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Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Remembrance Day
November 11, 2013
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on Remembrance Day:
"Today, Canadians across the country gather to remember and honour the generations of Canadian men and women in uniform who left the warmth of their homes and the comfort of their families to face the hardships of conflict. We pay tribute to those who have and continue to defend our country, and promote and protect the universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law that we continue to hold dear.
"Across the centuries, Canadians have always answered the call to defend their nation. During the War of 1812, English and French-speaking Canadians joined with First Nations allies and British forces in defending Canada against invasion. This year, November 11 marks the bicentennial of a critical battle of that war, the Battle of Crysler's Farm, where early Canadians from Upper and Lower Canada, as well as First Nations allies, fought with courage and determination to defend their homes and communities.
"In the two centuries that have followed, more than two million Canadians have served in South Africa, in two World Wars, the Korean War, and in many other international military efforts, such as more recent missions in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Libya and Mali.
"Their valour still echoes throughout the world in places like Vimy Ridge, Ypres, Normandy, Hong Kong, the Scheldt, Sicily, Kapyong, and Kandahar, whose citizens honour the sacrifices made in the name of their freedom.
"Sadly, many of these brave Canadians paid the ultimate price as a result of their stalwart opposition to tyranny. There are no words for the debt we owe them and their families.
"The tremendous determination, courage and devotion of our service men and women in these far off places have generated substantive international respect for our country. They have also generated an immense national pride that has united Canadians, allowing us to reach new heights as a nation.
"The same proud tradition, spirit and values that Canadians in uniform held dear decades ago are still very much alive today in those who continue to serve our great country on land, at sea and in the air through peace support and combat missions.
"On this special day, let us pay our heartfelt tribute to all members of the Canadian Armed Forces - both past and present - whose selflessness, courage and sacrifices have given us the freedom we enjoy, the democracy by which we govern ourselves and the justice under which we live.
"Lest we forget."
________________________________________
Canadian troops mark last Remembrance Day in Afghanistan (with video)
VIDEO
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — On a sunny, chilly morning before an audience of several hundred coalition soldiers and an honour guard that included Mounties immaculate in red serge, the mournful skirl of a lone piper’s lament preceded the laying of wreaths Monday during the Canadian Forces' last Remembrance Day gathering in Afghanistan. The solemn occasion, which took place as most Canadians slept, commemorated their 158 countrymen who lost their lives in Afghanistan as well as the thousands of other Canadians who have died on distant battlefields. “Today we stand as one nation and one family, not only to honour the fallen, but in these few moments to show our respect and to acknowledge the pain that comes from the loss of a family’s greatest gift to the nation, their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, dads and moms,” said Padre Kevin Olive of the Shilo, Man.-based 2 Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. “But on a day like today, we are also reminded that in war we often see the greatest acts of humanity. We see self-sacrifice and selfless courage and a determination to defend the oppressed. We see a nation rising up and stating with our actions, ‘We are our brother’s keeper and we will not shrink back from the darkness.’ ” His voice choked with emotion, Capt. Olive added, “The pain and loss felt by a mother and father from Winnipeg, whose son looked so invincible in his tan ‘cadpad’ uniform, rings just as true as (it) did in the hearts of those mothers and fathers who lost their sons and daughters some 99 years ago.” Brig. Gen. Hamed Habibi, who commands an Afghan army brigade that fought alongside Canadian troops in Kandahar for several years, flew north to Kabul to thank the Canadians, as did several other senior Afghan officers. “The sacrifice of those Canadian soldiers who died helped our country,” Habibi said. “You helped develop Kandahar City. You built asphalt roads between Panjwaii and Zahri and in Dand. You built and repaired schools. You helped
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Canadian+troops+mark+last+Remembrance+Afghanistan/9151320/story.html
----------------
Our Canadian Troops - Philippines - gittin r done
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=705610789456946&set=a.153203521364345.32932.100000240949070&type=1&theater
STORY
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Canadian+military+advance+team+reaches+Philippines/9156542/story.html
------------
Canadians mark event in Afghanistan- Canada's Remembrance Day- Afghanistan
Ceremony: Final Remembrance Day for troops still in country
By Matthew Fisher, Postmedia News November 12, 2013
On a sunny, chilly morning before an audience of several hundred coalition soldiers and an honour guard that included Mounties immaculate in red serge, the mournful skirl of a lone piper's lament preceded the laying of wreaths Monday during the Canadian Forces' last Remembrance Day gathering in Afghanistan.
The solemn occasion, which took place as most Canadians slept, commemorated their 158 countrymen who lost their lives in Afghanistan as well as the thousands of other Canadians who have died on distant battlefields.
"Today we stand as one nation and one family, not only to honour the fallen, but in these few moments to show our respect and to acknowledge the pain that comes from the loss of a family's greatest gift to the nation, their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, dads and moms," said Padre Kevin Olive of the Shilo, Man.-based 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
"But on a day like today, we are also reminded that in war we often see the greatest acts of humanity. We see self-sacrifice and selfless courage and a determination to defend the oppressed. We see a nation rising up and stating with our actions, 'We are our brother's keeper and we will not shrink back from the darkness.'" His voice choked with emotion, Capt. Olive added, "The pain and loss felt by a mother and father from Winnipeg, whose son looked so invincible in his tan 'cadpad' uniform, rings just as true as (it) did in the hearts of those mothers and fathers who lost their sons and daughters some 99 years ago."
Brig.-Gen. Hamed Habibi, who commands an Afghan army brigade that fought alongside Canadian troops in Kandahar for several years, flew north to Kabul to thank the Canadians, as did several other senior Afghan officers.
"The sacrifice of those Canadian soldiers who died helped our country," Habibi said. "You helped develop Kandahar City. You built asphalt roads between Panjwaii and Zahri and in Dand. You built and repaired schools. You helped us with the Dahla Dam. Because of you, we have better governance. You left Kandahar, but before you did you gave us better security. You have much to be proud of."
With only about 100 days left in Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, which began late in 2001, this Nov. 11 represented one of the last chances for the 620 Canadian military trainers still mentoring Afghan soldiers and police here to quietly reflect on their fallen comrades and the future of this war-weary country.
"It used to be that old guys would come and talk to us about Remembrance Day," said Sgt. Matthew Aseltine of Consort, Alta., who has served four tours in Afghanistan. "I am only 33 but I am a veteran now. And the public knows more than it did before. People do not only regard it as a day off work.
"I've done a lot of ramp ceremonies. But this is my first time for Remembrance Day in Afghanistan. It is momentous because it is the last one. I was here at the beginning of Canada's time here in 2002, and in 2006 when we went down to Helmand to help some British soldiers and Americans from the 10th Mountain Division, and now I am here at the end.
"I lost six guys in 2006 and 2008 and I am thinking right now about how their families are doing."
Cpl. Christopher Linehan, a signaller from Victoria and a mentor to Afghan security forces, recalled several good friends who were killed during his three tours here.
"I like to feel that they are looking down on us and approving of what we've done here," Linehan said. "It is incredible how different a world it is out there today than when I first came to Afghanistan in 2006."
Maj. Tim Day, an armoured officer on his third tour in Afghanistan, said proof that those who had died had sacrificed their lives for something good could be seen in the progress since he served in Kandahar in 2008.
"The tour was all blood, sweat and tears. This tour was the total opposite," Day said. "Nobody fired once because Afghanistan is much safer."
Picking up on the same theme, Col.
John Valtonen of Sudbury, Ont., said that "what we leave behind is optimism and resolve. We are now training the trainers. They understand they have to pick up the ball. We played a big role in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013, and that has given Afghanistan a chance to succeed."
Ottawa's new ambassador to Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, told the audience it was a privilege for her to be among soldiers, policemen and policewomen "who so personally wear the poppy."
Addressing the many foreign dignitaries in attendance, she explained the unifying role of the Highway of Heroes, where Canadians gathered to honour those who died in Afghanistan after they arrived back in Canada.
"It is a touchstone for Canadians who support their armed forces," she said.
Lt.-Gen. Stu Beare, who as commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command oversees all Canadian troops overseas and an Afghan veteran himself, came from Ottawa to mark Remembrance Day.
"Commemorating the sacrifices that have been made allows us to put purpose to the risks that our military took," Beare said in an interview. "It puts purpose to the jobs we continue to do here today. The sense of ownership and the relationship that Canadians have with their military now, compared with many years past, is quite something to see."
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canadians+mark+event+Afghanistan/9153505/story.html#ixzz2klXMk68T
----------------
Morning Glory: Canada's own WWI war horse
By Fred Langan , CBC News Posted: Nov 09, 2012 1:40 PM ET| Last Updated: Nov 10, 2012 4:27 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/morning-glory-canada-s-own-wwi-war-horse-1.1259736
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Four-legged sergeant protected Canadian lives in Afghanistan
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/four-legged-sergeant-protected-canadian-lives-in-afghanistan-1.1538689
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Harper eyes Afghan war battle honours
By Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press November 12, 2013
Canadian units that fought in Afghanistan are being considered for battle honours by the Harper government, which is casting around for ways to commemorate the conflict as it draws to a close after more than a decade.
A memorandum to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information legislation, lays out the options for recognizing individual regiments for specific battles and the overall war itself.
"Battle honours are awarded to provide public recognition to combatant military units for active participation in battle against a formed and armed enemy," says the May 13 note by the country's top public servant, Privy Council clerk Wayne Wouters.
"The awarding of battle honours has deep historical roots and must be done in a thorough manner to ensure units are properly recognized."
The fact most of the fighting was against Taliban militants, who chose hitand-run attacks and remotely detonated bombs, may complicate the process but ultimately won't stop the acknowledgment, historian Jack Granatstein said.
There is precedent for the honour set by Canadian units that fought in the Boer War between 1899 and 1902, he said.
Different levels of battle honours - from recognizing an entire theatre of operations to specific campaigns, battles and actions - give the government a choice. For example, the disastrous 1942 Dieppe raid was the subject of a separate action honour.
Such recognition allows the regiments involved to display the name of the battle on their flags or colours. It is a British military tradition that dates back to 1760 and is a point of pride within each unit.
The bigger question is how far the Harper government is prepared to go in publicly commemorating the Afghan war, which divided the country. The recent throne speech laid down a clear marker that Conservatives intend to recognize it. "The question is what they'll do. I doubt there will be a big parade of veterans," said Granatstein, a senior research fellow of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.
"That somehow doesn't seem like something this government would do at this stage for Afghanistan."
The Conservatives "have been backing away from Afghanistan as fast as they can" in terms of political and government attention.
A mission to train Afghan soldiers, involving roughly 950 Canadians, is rapidly winding down with the final boots expected to depart Kabul at the end of March. The exit will allow the prime minister to once and for all consign the messy conflict to the history books, Granatstein says.
"I think basically Harper decided there was no political gain in the military, and in Afghanistan," he said. "My guess is there won't be much of a parade. But who knows? They might surprise me."
Following the Libya air campaign, which saw no Canadian casualties, the government organized a celebration on Parliament Hill, which included a military flypast.
The event cost over $850,000.
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Harper+eyes+Afghan+battle+honours/9154158/story.html
------------
Nicholson learns new role within Canadian Armed Forces
Posted on November 13, 2013 Pat Healey
THE MIDDLE EAST: Master Corporal Mike Nicholson has had a few adjustments to make while on his latest mission serving his country.
The Enfield resident had previously been a member of the Canadian Army Infantry and posted in war zones like Afghanistan, Bosnia, and helping conduct urban search and rescue in Haiti. But his latest mission, he’s posted to HMCS Toronto in the Middle East as part of anti-terrorist operations.
It’s not been an easy adjustment to make either.
“I had to learn how the Navy operates,” said Nicholson, Second in Command of Firefighter Section on board HMCS Toronto in an e-mail interview from the ship. “I had to do several courses that were Navy oriented, even starting with learning Navy terms and language.
“As firefighters, we need to know the ship inside and out, and we have to do it in a very short time. Luckily, most military firefighters are quick learners and very adaptable.”
He began his career as a military firefighter while still in the infantry in New Brunswick—he loved it so much he decided to switch trades.
“I took advantage of the fact that it is possible to change trades in the military and switched from Army Infantry to Air Force Firefighter,” he said.
Nicholson joined the military while in high school in 1994 as a reservist. After graduating in 1995, he joined the regular force. His first posting was to CFB Gagetown after completing basic training and Infantry Battle School. He spent 11 years in the infantry, and while there he participated in a tour of duty in Bosnia from Jan. 1999 to Aug. 1999; and Afghanistan from Aug. 2005 to March 2006. That year is when he began the switch to become a firefighter.
“I was posted to CFB Trenton, and in Jan 2010 to March 2010, I was in Haiti conducting urban search and rescue operations, after their earthquake,” he explained. “In 2010, I was posted to the fire hall in CFB Shearwater. In 2012, I was posted to ships and I have sailed on HMCS Halifax, HMCS Iroquois, and HMCS St. John’s.”
The latest tour of the husband to Denise and father of two started in Aug. 2013 and is scheduled to last until Feb. 2014—a total of eight months.
HMCS Toronto has made the Canadian newswire recently, and for good reason.
“The last group on the ship had several drug busts, and we have had a drug bust as well,” said Nicholson. “All the drug busts were of a significant size.”
He said being on a ship there is no “normal” day.
“As firefighters, we are primarily involved with helicopter operations, whenever the helicopter is going to fly we are ready to respond if there is an emergency,” he said. “We also respond to ship emergencies, we do a lot of training in ship firefighting. We also train the ship’s company in firefighting and fire suppression systems. We do physical training everyday, which is challenging in itself because of the limited room and the ship is always moving.”
Being on a ship makes what he does a little more dangerous, especially since there’s no one coming to assist if they need it.
“As far as the firefighting goes, there is no place to retreat to and no one else is coming to lend a hand,” said Nicholson. “If we, as firefighters, fail in our mission the result is unknown, but certainly catastrophic. That is why all the ship’s company is trained on fire suppression and emergency procedures.
“The ship’s firefighter’s deal with almost every emergency that can happen on a warship, helicopter emergencies, ammunition emergencies, fuel spills are just some examples.”
Being away for extended periods, like he is now, is tough on not only him, but missing special moments with his family.
“My wife has to do it all at home, things like mowing the lawn; shoveling the driveway; things that I normally do, she is great and unfortunately me being away is all too familiar to her,” he said. “I missed my son’s first day of school and Halloween, which both my kids love. I miss sleeping in my own bed. I miss talking to my wife without having a delay on the phone.
“I talk to my kids on the phone and I can tell that they are growing by their voices, they sound more and more grown up every time I talk to them. I even miss doing things that I thought was a pain in the butt like grocery shopping. I also miss going to calls and training with the Enfield Volunteer Fire Department.”
And we salute you Mike, your family and all others, past and present, who are serving to keep our great country of Canada free. On Nov. 11, take a moment to honour our veterans. Lest We Forget.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
http://www.enfieldweeklypress.com/2013/11/13/nicholson-learns-new-role-within-canadian-armed-forces/
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Canadian Joint Operations Commander visits Canadian troops
KABUL, Afghanistan – Lt. Gen. Stuart A. Beare, Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, completed a three-day engagement with Canadian troops serving as part of the International Security Assistance Force and alongside Afghan partners.
“I am heartened to see how much progress the Afghan National Security Forces have made over the years – enabled by the collective service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, our international partners and Afghans themselves,” Beare said. “While challenges still exist, progress is being made. It was a privilege to have been here to recognize the efforts, contributions, and successes of so many on Remembrance Day - the Canadian Armed Forces’ last in Afghanistan.”
During his visit, Beare met with senior officials from the Afghan ministries of Defense and Interior, as well as those at ISAF and the Canadian Embassy. He also visited with Canadian troops and led the final Canadian Remembrance Day ceremony in Afghanistan.
More than 39,000 Canadian troops have served in Afghanistan since October 2001, 158 of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. The Canadian troop contribution peaked during its combat mission between 2006 and 2011. Since 2011, Canada shifted its focus to a train and advise mission based mainly in the Kabul area. Throughout its engagement in Afghanistan, Canada undertook numerous senior leadership roles, to include command positions at ISAF HQ, NTM-A, and Regional Command- South.
Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/116628/canadian-joint-operations-commander-visits-canadian-troops#ixzz2klUifA1d
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Prince Harry and vets prepare to head for South Pole
Stephanie Haven and Maria Puente , USA TODAY 11:25 a.m. EST November 14, 2013
Prince Harry and teams of wounded vets get a send-off for their race to the South Pole for charity.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/11/14/prince-harry-and-vets-prepare-to-head-for-south-pole/3518745/
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God bless Canada's First Peoples 10,000 years.... without who there would be no Canada... the War of 1812 honours our Aboriginals peoples and our Militia .... cause folks we would be the USA 2day... and that's a fact...
Harper marks key War of 1812 battle on Remembrance Day
The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, November 12, 2013 8:31AM EST
MORRISBURG, Ont. -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper took Remembrance Day back two hundred years Monday, to a key battlefield from a war fought before Canada was a nation.
He went to Crysler's Farm near Morrisburg, Ont., south of Ottawa on the St. Lawrence River.
A small crowd of high-school students, soldiers and re-enactors shivered in an icy, driving rain whipping in off the river as they waited for the brief ceremony to begin.
Harper sheltered under an umbrella for the first few moments, but then ditched it to stand bare-headed in the rain with the rest.
The farmland around was the scene of a pivotal battle in the War of 1812, where an American invasion along the St. Lawrence was stopped cold by British, Canadian and aboriginal forces.
Fought on Nov. 11, 1813, the engagement has been referred to as "the battle that saved Canada."
The prime minister recalled the small group of defenders who stood off a much larger American force.
"Today the Americans are our great friends and strongest allies and have been for decades through thick and thin," he said. "But 200 years ago we were outnumbered almost three to one here.
"Yet they won here a great and decisive victory which shows it's not the size of the army in the fight; often it's the size of the fight in the army."
The prime minister went to Morrisburg after attending the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa earlier in the day.
The Harper government has made much of the War of 1812, spending millions to commemorate the war despite the fact it is little known among most Canadians.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/harper-marks-key-war-of-1812-battle-on-remembrance-day-1.1539070#ixzz2klW6AP4j
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Petawawa remembers Afghan fallen
PETAWAWA - The memories of Canadian soldiers lost in Afghanistan were honoured Monday in an emotional Remembrance Day ceremony here.
In one of the largest services held, hundreds lined Petawawa Boulevard to watch as veterans, serving members of the Canadian Forces, cadets and school children as they marched with dignity to the Royal Canadian Legion 517 cenotaph.
Blowing wet snow gave everyone the sense of what the cold battlefields of France must have been like 95 years ago when the Armistice ending the First World War came into effect at 11 a.m. With the exception of the raging Petawawa River, there was barely a sound as the ceremony paused for two minutes of silence.
On parade, Veterans of three wars -Second World War, Korea and Afghanistan -and UN/NATO peacekeeping remained stoic as the "Last Post" and a lament from a piper was played.
“Let us pause for a few moments to think reverently of those of our comrades who by sea, by land and in the air, laid down their lives for their sovereign and country,” remarked Branch 517 president Bob Lescombe. “Their sacrifice will forever inspire us to labour on, to the end that those who survive and need our aid may be assured of assistance, and that the country in which we live and for which they died may ever be worthy of the sacrifice they made.”
Operation Attention, the mission to train Afghan soldiers and police, is coming to an end next March. Earlier in the day, Canadian troops marked their final Nov. 11th ceremony in Kabul. Garrison Petawawa has lost 38 soldiers in Afghanistan since 2003. Their sacrifice was front and centre at this year's ceremony with the appearance of the Afghanistan Poppy Memorial.
Constructed out of a Leopard tank destroyed by a mine strike in Kandahar in 2008, the monument is dedicated the men and women who died in Afghanistan, the families of the fallen and to the soldiers who safely returned home. Ringing the outside of the memorial is a brass plaque with the inscribed names to the fallen 158 soldiers and three Canadian civilians. Erected proudly at the top is a bright red maple leaf.
In a truly poignant moment in the ceremony, those in attendance were hushed once more as Penny Greenfield, this year's Silver Cross mother, removed the poppy from her coat and placed it on the gold-coloured monument. Her son, Sapper Sean Greenfield, a member of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment and a former Petawawa resident, was killed when his armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) near Kandahar City on Jan. 31, 2009.
She was followed by Col. Peter Dawe, commander of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, whose brother, Capt. Matthew Dawe, was killed in July, 2007. Matthew Dawe died along with five other Canadians and an Afghan interpreter when their armoured Nyala hit a massive IED southwest of Kandahar City.
The memorial, on which poppies taken from the last remembrance ceremony in Kandahar in 2011 have been placed, was a project initiated by Warrant Officer Renay Groves, from 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment at Canadian Forces Base Kingston. Each poppy represented a Canadian serviceman or woman who died in Afghanistan. She said she had no problems recruiting a committee of 17 personnel to help with the project. Although it is there to honour the fallen and their surviving families, Groves added there is a third important component to the tribute.
“It's for our soldiers who have come home, lost comrades and feel a sense of loss and guilt,” she said. “We won't forget our fallen sacrifice but we won't forget them because we care.”
The poppy monument will spend most of its time in those Canadian bases that lost the most soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan. Its first stop was Petawawa.
Sean Chase is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2013/11/11/petawawa-remembers-afghan-fallen
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PM provides update on Canadian support for the Philippines
November 15, 2013
Montréal, Québec
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today met with members of Montréal's Filipino-Canadian community to discuss Typhoon Haiyan. The Prime Minister visited the Filipino Association of Montréal and Suburbs, where he paid his respects to all those who have been affected, pledged his ongoing support to emergency relief efforts in the affected areas, and sought input from the community on the government's response to the crisis.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to all those in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan, as well as to the Filipino-Canadians who have felt the impact of this devastating natural disaster," said the Prime Minister. "Our Government has been working closely with the Filipino-Canadian community and relief agencies to provide assistance as soon as possible to those in the Philippines who need it most. I was pleased to receive feedback from the community today on the efforts that we have made."
The Prime Minister commendedMontréal's Filipino-Canadian community for their efforts in organizing donations to send to the Philippines. He also noted that Canadian individuals and businesses have already donated roughly $15.7 million to the aid effort. The Government of Canada has made a commitment to match all donations by individual Canadians.
"These acts of generosity and compassion towards the victims of the typhoon can be seen across the country," added Prime Minister Harper. "I am proud that our Government is matching the generosity of individual Canadians dollar for dollar, in addition to the immediate emergency assistance we are providing and the deployment of elements of the Canadian Armed Forces' Disaster Assistance Response Team and the Canadian Red Cross medical team."
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Canada's response to Typhoon Haiyan
November 15, 2013
Montréal, Québec
The Government of Canada has taken decisive action to provide emergency relief to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. These measures include:
" Providing up to $5 million in support to humanitarian organizations for emergency relief activities;
" Providing an initial allocation of $30,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to help launch relief operations;
" Creating a matching fund by which the government will contribute a dollar for each eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities until December 9, 2013;
" Assisting with the deployment of a Canadian Red Cross 12-person medical team and field hospital to provide emergency health support in the Philippines;
" Sending the Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team to Manila to determine where Canada's help is most needed; and,
" Deploying elements of the Canadian Armed Forces' Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to support Government of Canada relief efforts in the region by providing clean water, medical assistance and logistical support. The DART will address the pressing needs in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz.
In addition, Canada will be prioritizing the processing of Filipino applications on request from those who are significantly and personally affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Requests from Filipino citizens who are temporarily in Canada and wish to extend their stay will be assessed in a compassionate and flexible manner. Canadians without travel documents as a result of the typhoon will have their applications expedited by the Canadian Embassy in Manila.
Prime Minister Harper also spoke with Benigno Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines, on November 11 to extend his heartfelt condolences to the people of the Philippines, and to offer support to the Government of the Philippines in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
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Operation RENAISSANCE 13-1
CANADA =- The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)
News- Philippines
The Task Force
The CAF task force currently includes:
70 DART personnel, including medical and support personnel;
Approximately 50 DART personnel drawn primarily from 4 Engineer Support Regiment from 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown as well as engineering equipment and pallets of kit;
2 DND/CAF personnel as part of the Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team (ISST);
The ISST is the first element of Canada’s whole-of-government humanitarian response. Led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Development (DFATD), it includes representatives from the Canadian Armed Forces. The ISST is ready to deploy at 12 hours- notice to move, and can be in location of a major disaster quickly to consult the government of the affected nation, liaise with international agencies and humanitarian organizations, and make recommendations to DFAIT on potential areas for a Canadian response.
A CC-144 Challenger to transport this team to the Philippines;
19 CAF personnel from the Humanitarian Assistance Reconnaissance Team (HART);
The HART is a group of CAF personnel who deploy to the affected nation with the ISST immediately following a major disaster in order to assist and give advice to the ISST on CAF capabilities and employment. Made up of headquarters staff and a reconnaissance element, the HART liaises with the ISST and the headquarters of Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) in order to prepare for the arrival and employment of follow-on CAF assets.
A 43-member Advance Party of the DART, including medical, logistical, engineering personnel, which will eventually prepare for the arrival of the main body and DART capabilities which could deploy at a later date;
A CC-150 Polaris transporting members of the DART and equipment to the Philippines; and
2 x CC-177 Globemaster flights transporting the first two elements of the DART to the Philippines.
Mission context
On 8 November 2013, typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded,, slammed into the Philippines setting off landslides, knocking out power in several provinces and cutting communications in the country’s central region of island provinces.
The typhoon caused significant loss of life, a large number of injuries, as well as destruction of property, leaving millions of people requiring humanitarian support.
On 11 November, the CAF deployed elements of the DART from Trenton, Ontario to support the Government of Canada’s relief efforts.
On 13 November 2013, the Advance Team of the DART arrived in Iloilo, Philippines and the main body of the DART began to deploy from Trenton on board a CC-177 Globemaster. The flight carried approximately 50 personnel, including an engineering unit from 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR), 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown (5 CDSB Gagetown), as well as pallets of kit and equipment.
On 14 November 2013 a CC-150 Polaris aircraft carrying 70 additional DART personnel, including medical and support personnel, left 8 Wing Trenton.
On 15 November 2013, the CC-177 Globemaster carrying DART personnel, including a unit from 4 ESR arrived in Iloilo, Philippines.
Contingency Plan RENAISSANCE
Contingency Plan (CONPLAN) RENAISSANCE is the Canadian Armed Forces’ plan for rapid deployment to the scene of a disaster overseas, as directed by the Government of Canada. It provides direction to the CAF in the event of a decision by the Government of Canada to respond to a request from another nation for help.
The plan delivers a rapid CAF response that is flexible enough to make an immediate positive impact at the scene of the disaster, and to continue helping people as the situation develops.
The Government of Canada’s response to natural disasters abroad is coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) in close partnership with core departments and agencies, including the Department of National Defence and the Privy Council Office (PCO).
Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team
The role of the Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team (ISST) is to meet with local and international representatives to assess the needs on the ground and to identify potential follow-on response options to the Government of Canada.
Disaster Assistance Response Team
The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) is a military organization ready to deploy quickly to conduct emergency relief operations. It is one component of Canada’s toolkit to respond to natural disasters abroad.
Before the DART is fully deployed, an advance party is sent to prepare for the arrival of the main body and DART capabilities which could deploy at a later date.
The DART is a self sufficient, scalable military capability ready to deploy quickly to conduct emergency relief operations for up to 40 days. Its main elements include the DART headquarters, a logistics platoon, an engineer troop, a medical platoon and a defence and security platoon. DART equipment, stores, and supplies are stored at 8 Wing Trenton and are maintained for immediate deployment by a small supporting staff.
The DART is not designed to provide first response services, such as search and rescue or emergency trauma care. Instead, it can be useful where the capabilities of local governments and humanitarian agencies to provide primary health care and potable water are overstretched.
The DART serves three critical needs in emergencies:
primary medical care;
engineering help; and
production of safe drinking water.
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad/op-renaissance.page
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VOICE OF THE PEOPLE- CHRONICLE HERALD- the good things Vets Celebrate that our Government does do..... and millions of us know this....thank u.
Grateful veteran
As did most able young Nova Scotians, in 1941, I joined up (and served from May 1941 till August 1946 as air navigator, RCAF, in Canada, Iceland, the U.K. — no labour contract ... take your chances.)
Since then, this is what the federal government has done for me:
1. In four years, paid for all necessary tuition to earn a law degree.
2. Paid me an allowance sufficient for my wife and me to have two children and meet reasonable living expenses during that time.
3. Paid me a disability pension (deafness).
4. Granted me over the last number of years VIP status (housekeeping, lawn and snow removal, complete medical care, etc.)
5. With the onset of advanced arthritis, provided me a scooter, porch lift, walker, wheelchair, car scooter lift (coming).
Not bad for services performed, in part, over 71 years ago. It certainly beats any time-based recompense provided upon leaving any other employment of only four years’ duration since.
As the number of veterans is reduced, certainly, a prudent government must reduce the allowance of funds, even for vets.
Despite the experiences gained over 92 years, I am unable to perceive such caring treatment as being the work of a prime minister and caucus who are accused of being dishonourable, callous, contemptible and penny-pinching.
David Waterbury, Mahone Bay
http://thechronicleherald.ca/letters/1167321-voice-of-the-people-nov-15-2013
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Our soldiers 'have much to be proud of'
By Matthew Fisher, The Starphoenix November 12, 2013
On a sunny, chilly morning before an audience of several hundred coalition soldiers and an honour guard that included Mounties immaculate in red serge, the mournful skirl of a lone piper's lament preceded the laying of wreaths Monday during the Canadian Forces' last Remembrance Day gathering in Afghanistan.
The solemn occasion, which took place as most Canadians slept, commemorated their 158 countrymen who lost their lives in Afghanistan as well as the thousands of other Canadians who have died on distant battlefields.
"Today we stand as one nation and one family, not only to honour the fallen, but in these few moments to show our respect and to acknowledge the pain that comes from the loss of a family's greatest gift to the nation, their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, dads and moms," said Padre Kevin Olive of the Shilo, Man.-based 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
"But on a day like today, we are also reminded that in war we often see the greatest acts of humanity. We see self-sacrifice and selfless courage and a determination to defend the oppressed. We see a nation rising up and stating with our actions, 'We are our brother's keeper and we will not shrink back from the darkness.' "
His voice choked with emotion, Capt. Olive added, "The pain and loss felt by a mother and father from Winnipeg, whose son looked so invincible in his tan 'cadpad' uniform, rings just as true as (it) did in the hearts of those mothers and fathers who lost their sons and daughters some 99 years ago." Brig.-Gen. Hamed Habibi, who commands an Afghan army brigade that fought alongside Canadian troops in Kandahar for several years, flew north to Kabul to thank the Canadians, as did several other senior Afghan officers.
"The sacrifice of those Canadian soldiers who died helped our country," Habibi said. "You helped develop Kandahar City. You built asphalt roads between Panjwaii and Zahri and in Dand. You built and repaired schools. You helped us with the Dahla Dam. Because of you, we have better governance. You left Kandahar, but before you did you gave us better security. You have much to be proud of."
With only about 100 days left in Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, which began late in 2001, this Nov. 11 represented one of the last chances for the 620 Canadian military trainers still mentoring Afghan soldiers and police here to quietly reflect on their fallen comrades and the future of this war-weary country.
"It used to be that old guys would come and talk to us about Remembrance Day," said Sgt. Matthew Aseltine of Consort, Alta., who has served four tours in Afghanistan. "I am only 33 but I am a veteran now. And the public knows more than it did before. People do not only regard it as a day off work.
"I've done a lot of ramp ceremonies. But this is my first time for Remembrance Day in Afghanistan. It is momentous because it is the last one. I was here at the beginning of Canada's time here in 2002, and in 2006 when we went down to Helmand to help some British soldiers and Americans from the 10th Mountain Division, and now I am here at the end.
"I lost six guys in 2006 and 2008 and I am thinking right now about how their families are doing."
Cpl. Christopher Linehan, a signaller from Victoria and currently a mentor to Afghan security forces, recalled several good friends who were killed during his three tours here.
"I like to feel that they are looking down on us and approving of what we've done here," Linehan said. "It is incredible how different a world it is out there today than when I first came to Afghanistan in 2006."
Maj. Tim Day, an armoured officer on his 3rd tour in Afghanistan, said proof that those who had died had sacrificed their lives for something good could be seen in the progress since he served in Kandahar in 2008. "The tour was all blood, sweat and tears. This tour was the total opposite," Day said. "Nobody fired once because Afghanistan is much safer."
Picking up on the same theme, Col. John Valtonen of Sudbury, Ont., said that "what we leave behind is optimism and resolve. We are now training the trainers. They understand they have to pick up the ball. We played a big role in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013, and that has given Afghanistan a chance to succeed."
Ottawa's new ambassador to Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, told the audience it was a privilege for her to be among soldiers, policemen and policewomen "who so personally wear the poppy." Addressing the many foreign dignitaries in attendance, she explained the unifying role of the Highway of Heroes, where Canadians gathered to honour those who died in Afghanistan after they arrived back in Canada. "It is a touchstone for Canadians who support their armed forces," she said.
Lt.-Gen. Stu Beare, who as commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command oversees all Canadian troops overseas and an Afghan veteran himself, came from Ottawa to mark Remembrance Day.
"Commemorating the sacrifices that have been made allows us to put purpose to the risks that our military took," Beare said in an interview. "It puts purpose to the jobs we continue to do here today. The sense of ownership and the relationship that Canadians have with their military now, compared with many years past, is quite something to see."
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/soldiers+have+much+proud/9154026/story.html
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Hey Nova Scotia- Our NS Filipino community needs us... Let's give bigtime 2 our brothers and sisters of the Philippines- please... God's watching...
HOW TO HELP
A number of organizations are providing information and collecting money to support relief efforts in the Philippines. The Canadian government has said it will match Canadians’ contributions dollar for dollar.
The Filipino Association of Nova Scotia: www.filipinonovascotia.org
World Vision Canada: www.worldvision.ca or 1-866-595-5550
Chalice: www.chalice.ca or 1-800-776-6855
The Canadian Red Cross: www.redcross.ca
Nova Scotian Filipino group urging public to donate aid money to Red Cross
November 12, 2013 - 7:06pm BY MICHAEL GORMAN STAFF REPORTER
It took 24 hours but Maria Rocy Tendencia said it was a great relief when she finally heard from family in the Philippines.
“I’m praying that all the other Filipinos that are still waiting to hear from family members are able to get information from other people,” she said Tuesday.
As relief organizations around the world mobilize to support those impacted by typhoon Haiyan, Tendencia said the Filipino Association of Nova Scotia is asking people to donate through the Red Cross.
The federal government is matching Canadians’ donations dollar for dollar.
Tendencia said the Filipino association is planning a fundraiser for Dec. 6 in Halifax.
It’s taken time for everyone she knows to get information about loved ones back home, said Tendencia.
In the area most effected, Tacloban City, it’s been especially difficult because communication lines are still down.
Tendencia’s mother told her when people are able to find cellphones that work they are sharing them as widely as possible.
“They’ve been texting like crazy,” she said.
Her mother described the storm as a combination of a tornado and a tsunami that destroyed everything in its path with a power no one had seen before, said Tendencia.
“Grandparents and the older folks have all expressed that they’ve never seen anything like this ever in their lifetime.”
HOW TO HELP
A number of organizations are providing information and collecting money to support relief efforts in the Philippines. The Canadian government has said it will match Canadians’ contributions dollar for dollar.
World Vision Canada: www.worldvision.ca or 1-866-595-5550
Chalice: www.chalice.ca or 1-800-776-6855
The Canadian Red Cross: www.redcross.ca
The Filipino Association of Nova Scotia: www.filipinonovascotia.org
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1166914-nova-scotian-filipino-group-urging-public-to-donate-aid-money-to-red-cross
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AID 4 THE OUR FILIPPINO BROTHERS AND SISTERS.... our Filippino Canadian brothers and sisters walked side by side with us in all our wars.... and peacekeeping.... let's git r done...
POPULATION-
Kuwait
3.25 million
UAE
9.209 million
Canada
34.88 million
France
65.7 million
South Korea
50 million
United Kingdom
63.23 million
Germany
81.89 million
Japan
127,368,088 million
USA
316,668,567 million
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=705558372795521&set=a.153203521364345.32932.100000240949070&type=1&theater
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Governor General of Canada Welcomes President of the Republic of Peru
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1590138#ixzz2klLkBL1T
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Canada War vet fêted for serenading Appleby GO customers :
A war veteran was honoured for singing songs while handing out poppies to customers at the Appleby GO station for the past 25 years.
On Thursday morning, GO Transit president Greg Percy presented Bill Reid, 79, with a framed certificate for his war songs which can be heard in the tunnel at the station.
“It makes their day a little different,” Reid told Breakfast Television.
Watch the video, and click here to read more about the poppy campaign.
November 7, 2013
http://www.citynews.ca/2013/11/07/war-vet-feted-for-serenading-appleby-go-customers/
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Gardens of Remembrance
Re: the Nov. 14 letter from Don James. Over the last few years, I have heard many questions as to why this generation has little knowledge of Canada’s merchant navy.
With some 1,100 seamen lost and over 350,000 tons of metal sunk to the bottom of the sea, they and also their families must all be remembered for their sacrifices.
Within the gardens of the Cobequid Veterans Memorial Park, located in Bass River, stands a monument to these men. Whether they be deceased or still with us, they must all be remembered for their bravery, and all can visit to see these names.
This park is open year-round for visitors to see and reflect on all those who have served, and continue to serve. They have all given us a piece of their lives.
Nova Scotia should be proud that these gardens have been selected as the No. 1 “Gardens of Remembrance” in Canada, and no matter what their veterans’ service, we are honoured and thankful for all that they have done and continue to do.
Ken Jamieson, Economy
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Remembering the sacrifices
http://lethbridgeherald.com/commentary/opinions/2013/11/remembering-the-sacrifices/
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Harper Government Supports Research to Benefit Canada's Veterans - Projects will help better diagnose and treat concussions and improve access to PTSD treatment
Canada NewsWire
EDMONTON, Nov. 8, 2013
EDMONTON, Nov. 8, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, highlighted the Harper Government's support for research that will benefit Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans who suffer concussions in combat or experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Our Government is committed to promoting injury prevention and helping improve the care and recovery of Canadians who suffer injuries," said Minister Ambrose. "In light of Remembrance Day, I am pleased to say that we are supporting research focused on improving the health of the brave Canadian men and women who have been injured in their service to our great country."
The Government recently funded three research projects that will advance our understanding of mild traumatic brain injuries, more commonly known as concussions, suffered by soldiers in military operations as the result of exposure to the blast force of explosive devices.
• Dr. Yu Tian Wang at the University of British Columbia will study the biological changes that take place in the brain following an injury induced by an explosive device and test whether a new drug can restore brain cells affected by this kind of trauma.
• Dr. Ibolja Cernak at the University of Alberta will look for a link between cerebellum damage and the chronic balance, memory and behaviour problems resulting from exposure to a blast.
• Dr. Andrew Baker at St. Michael's Hospital will develop a blood-based test to determine whether an individual exposed to a primary blast has endured mild traumatic brain injury.
These projects will produce new tools and treatments to better diagnose and treat concussions. They will also help better understand the long-term effects of these injuries and ultimately improve the care of Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans.
The projects are funded through a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Defence Research and Development Canada, an agency of the Department of National Defence. They are among 19 concussion research projects announced by Minister Ambrose on November 4, 2013, representing a total investment by the Government of $4.3M.
"Supporting the health, well-being and care of Canada's Veterans is a responsibility that our Government takes very seriously," said Minister Fantino. "Our men and women who have served in uniform put themselves on the line to defend us. It's only fitting that we work to gather cutting-edge information to ensure that injured Veterans can get the medical support that they deserve."
PTSD is another serious health concern for Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans. It carries substantial health, personal and societal costs. However, effective treatments are available.
The Government is helping provide Canadian Veterans with greater access to an effective PTSD therapy. Through CIHR, the Government is supporting a research project that involves a partnership between a researcher and expert in psychotherapy for PTSD at Ryerson University in Toronto and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Together they have trained mental health professionals working in VAC's operational stress injury clinics across the country to provide cognitive processing therapy, a type of psychotherapy that has proven to be highly effective in treating PTSD. The project will assess the skills of the mental health professionals in delivering the therapy and its impact on the symptoms of Veterans accessing this therapy through the clinics.
This project is one of several funded through CIHR that specifically focus on helping Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans and their families overcome the challenges of PTSD. The funding for this work is part of an overall investment of $10.2M in research related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of PTSD since 2006.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
SOURCE Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1576450#ixzz2km4woyyE
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POSTED CORRECTION:
Thank u Healing Waters Ottawa- Petawawa- Soldiers of Suicide of our Canada- he may not have been killed in Afghanistan- but Afghanistan killed his soul... and God is holding this warrior hero close 2 His heart... of that I am sure..... way 2 many of our Canadian warriors had their souls stolen on the battlefield... because of their conscious humanity, decency and good souls and hearts...so 2 me... Sdt. Frederic Coulture actually died in Afghanistan... and everyday Frederic deserves 2 be remembered. Peace of Christ... know ur protecting God till we get there.... love u darlin... thank u.
https://www.facebook.com/nova.scotia.794/posts/705468482804510?notif_t=like
HAD ORIGINALLY POSTED:
Sdt Frederic Couture- Canadian son- killed in Afghanistan... on this Day- 2007 -14 - November- look at this young, beautiful face of our Canadian child - tears, prayers, remembrance and aching soul..... we think of Afghanistan and the incredible millions of pocketfuls of miracles in a country that dared not 2 dream of any kind of freedom or dignity of the everyday people....who we as Canadians identify with- they mattered to Frederic and Nato troops.... they care.... Nato troops with the boots 2 the ground saw and see the eternal hardships of those who just want a basic decent life from fear- the Afghans just want respect, dignity- the Afghans who come from one of the finest cultural dynasties in human history in math, science, art, music and culture, military, historical beauty and courage..... Frederic saw this.... felt this... tasted this.... honoured this quiet determination of a beautiful people 2... just be free ... once again..... The Arabs and Persians have fought since time began.... but spewing their hate so horribly across whole nations is just plain UN sanctioned EVIL..... As we mourn our Frederic Couture- Canadian Soldier 2day.... here is a good thing 2 honour and rejoice... because our Nato troops on this day... are the truly only respected and loved, admired and trusted people on this whole darn planet. We all know Frederic is protecting God waitin on us tarnished angels who have been here since 2001- but God we are weary..... God we are so weary.... then..... we... see... the... faces... like... Frederic Couture, Canadian child .... and ... yet .... again... we... rise... once... more... till ... they .... all... come ...home.
HOWEVER.... Frederic was injured in Afghanistan and commited suicide a year later... our Frederic is a Canadian Soldier of Suicide.... so dear... so loved... so honoured....
COMMENT;
i had posted... that Canada's Warrior Angel was killed in Afghanistan... he was badly injured in Afghanistan by a landmine/ied (same 2 me).... and took his life in despair a year later and is now hugging and protecting God waitin on us Tarnished Angels 2 join him.... probaly playing cards with Johnny Cash, Stompin Tom (please ... we know ya can outdrink God... but don't Tom... God thinks we're right saucy as it is), Waylon, Hank Williams, Hank Snow... and Rita MacNeil is the dealer...along with some fine kitchen music and Chet and Jim Reeves helping out the choir... with Buddy Hully, Jimi, Duane Allman and Janis Joplin playing the tunes...thx my friends 4 spreading the love and devotion to our sons and daughters.... especially those with God waitin.... they define us... imho
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Photos: Canadian Armed Forces installs new Chaplain General
Newly-appointed Brigadier General the Venerable John Fletcher was installed as the new Chaplain General during a change of appointment ceremony and service of installation for the Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces on Wednesday, September 4, 2013.
The newly appointed Chaplain General John Fletcher is Canada's first openly gay chaplain to hold the position of Chaplain General.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Photos+Canadian+Armed+Forces+appoints+Chaplain+General/8870271/story.html
and... from MUSLIM CONGRESS- POPE FRANCIS..
Pope Francis on gays: 'Who am I to judge?'
By John L. Allen Jr. and Hada Messia, CNN
Aboard the Papal Airplane (CNN) - Pope Francis said Monday that he will not "judge" gays and lesbians, including gay priests, signaling a shift from his predecessor and offering another sign that the new pope is committed to changing the church's approach to historically marginalized groups.
“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said in a wide-ranging news conference aboard the papal plane.
Though he was answering a question about the so-called "gay lobby" at the Vatican, the pope indicated a change in tone, if not in teaching, in the church's stance towards gays and lesbians more generally.
The pope was flying back to Rome from Brazil, where he spent the past week celebrating World Youth Day, an international Catholic event that drew millions.
Taking questions from reporters aboard the plane, the pope addressed nearly every hot-button issue facing the Roman Catholic Church: its alleged "gay lobby," Vatican bank corruption, the role of women, abortion, homosexuality and his own personal security.
But it was the pope's remarks on homosexuality - the fact that the head of a 1 billion-member church said that it's not his place to judge gays - that caused the widest stir.
"Pope Francis's brief comment on gays reveals great mercy," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at America, a Catholic magazine based in New York.
"Today Pope Francis has, once again, lived out the Gospel message of compassion for everyone," Martin said.
The pontiff spoke for an hour and a half in the back of the plane that was carrying him back to Italy after his first international trip as pope to Brazil, where he was greeted by massive, frenzied crowds at every turn.
"I'm happy. It has been a beautiful trip, spiritually speaking; it has been good to me. I'm tired enough but with a heart full of joy," he said.
Here are the highlights from his press conference.
On the 'gay lobby' and homosexuality
The pope addressed the issue of an alleged "gay lobby" within the church. Hints that the Holy See contained a network of gay clergy surfaced last year in reports about a series of embarrassing leaks to Italian journalists.
The "Vatileaks" scandal factored in Benedict's shocking decision to resign this year, according to some church experts, as it impressed upon the 86-year-old pontiff that the modern papacy requires a vigorous and watchful presence.
"There's a lot of talk about the gay lobby, but I've never seen it on the Vatican ID card!" Francis said.
"When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency (to homosexuality) is not the problem ... they're our brothers."
The problem, he said was, lobbies that work against the interest of the church.
In 2005, during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican issued directives barring from the priesthood men "who are actively homosexual, have deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called 'gay culture.'"
Francis' brief remarks seem to signal a sharp shift from that policy.
On women
The pope also spoke out about the role of women in the church, saying it needs to be deeper and not end. But he brushed aside the possibility of ordaining women as priests, saying the church had spoken on the matter: "The church says no. That door is closed." He did say that more work needed to be done theologically on the role of women in the church.
On abortion
Pope watchers have noted that Francis said little to nothing about abortion on his trip to Brazil. Abortion is illegal in Brazil, except for cases in which the health of the mother is at risk. Laws were recently changed to allow abortions in cases in which the child would be born with certain life-threatening birth defects.
The pope said he had nothing to say on the trip about abortion because the church teachings against it were clear and this trip was the time for "positive" news.
On divorce
"I believe this is a time of mercy, a change of epoch," the pope said when asked about divorce. He said the group of eight cardinals tasked with reform will explore the issue of whether divorcees can receive Communion, which they are currently barred from doing.
On the Vatican Bank
The pope conceded he was unsure what to do with the Vatican Bank, which is known by its acronym IOR.
"Some say that it would be better if it were a bank, others say that it should be a foundation. Other say to shut it down. These are the suggestions going around. I don't know. I trust the commission's members that are working on the IOR. But I wouldn't be able to tell you how this story is going to end."
And as for what was in the black leather bag he carried onto the plane? A razor, a prayer book, a diary and a book about St. Theresa, but, the pope joked, "Certainly not the keys to the atomic bomb!"
He said he carried his own bags because, "It's normal, we have to be normal. We have to be accustomed to being normal."
CNN's Eric Marrapodi and Daniel Burke contributed to this report.
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.ca/2013/08/pope-francis-on-gays-who-am-i-to-judge.html
AND..
POPE FRANCIS...Francis and homosexuality: ‘This is pope as rock star’
“Who am I to judge?”
“Chi sono io per giudicare?” With those five simple words, Pope Francis made history. In some of the most conciliatory remarks by a pontiff on the issue of homosexuality, the Pope said he won’t judge priests for their sexual orientation – even though homosexuality is against church teaching.
“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” he said. “We shouldn’t marginalize people for this. They must be integrated into society.”
His decisive statement on such a divisive issue rippled across the world, making headlines for its inclusiveness more than for its immediate, tangible effect: Though his words are being widely dubbed a shift in tone, they don’t reflect a shift in church policy, since the universal catechism still maintains that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.”
Nonetheless, his remarks drew praise from those who view them as a step toward openness, including California congresswoman Jackie Speier, a Catholic Democrat, who tweeted: “‘Who am I to judge?’ Thank you, #Pope Francis. As a practicing Catholic, I never doubted this day would come. #LGBT.”
Italy’s first openly gay governor, Nichi Vendola, told reporters that “in only one blow, [Pope Francis] carried out a very brilliant operation, separating the theme of homosexuality from that of pedophilia,” while the president of the Human Rights Campaign in the U.S., Chad Griffin, was more qualified in his praise.
“As long as millions of [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] Catholic individuals, couples and youth alike are told in churches big and small that their lives and their families are disordered and sinful because of how they are born – how God made them – then the church is sending a deeply harmful message,” he said in a statement.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/francis-and-homosexuality-this-is-pope-as-rock-star/article13493542/
and
Pope wants church to drop obsession with abortion, homosexuality
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/pope-wants-church-to-drop-obsession-with-abortion-homosexuality/article14428753/
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Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial unveiled- Video
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/10/afghanistan-repatriation-memorial-was-unveiled
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The Unsung Heroes Who Had No Choice: The War Horses of WWI
http://www.horse-canada.com/horses-and-history/the-unsung-heroes-who-had-no-choice-the-war-horses-of-wwi/
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Honour Roll - Police Service Dog Monument- Valour Row
http://www.canadianpolicecanine.com/valour_row/honour_roll_-_police_service_dog_monument
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Four-legged sergeant protected Canadian lives in Afghanistan- these dogs have saved over half a million lives.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/four-legged-sergeant-protected-canadian-lives-in-afghanistan-1.1538689
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VIDEO-Military, service animals honoured at special service in Bass River, N.S- HONOUR
and
Noah unveils his monument to the Forgotten Heroes- Bass River, Nova Scotia
Young Noah Tremblay was the driving force behind the creation of a monument dedicated to the animals that helped people in times of war, conflict and peace. The idea originated from a heritage fair school project he did. It quickly became the 12-year-old boy’s mission to raise enough money to build a monument.
He collected donations and sold beeswax lip balm and raffle tickets. He also designed the granite memorial, which was erected in 2012 “in memory of all animals and handlers who served in our military and police forces.” The names of the animals and their handlers are also inscribed on it.
The Memorial to Forgotten Heroes is located in Veterans Memorial Park in Bass River, Nova Scotia.
http://aiwdedication.ca/noah-unveils-his-monument-to-the-forgotten-heroes/
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Canadian Forces Tribute-A Single Maple Leaf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGhXtwqTbV0
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Troops in Afghanistan hold special Remembrance Day service
Thousands of Nova Scotians gather to pay respects across the province
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/troops-in-afghanistan-hold-special-remembrance-day-service-1.2422176
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Canada Pride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJqU5vNX440
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A Dedication to the Soldiers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm7sDHtm2hs
Comment: I have just as much respect for our Canadian and English brothers as I do my own US troops. Your troopers fight to defend the security of your nations just as hard as ours do. Hooyah.
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Pierre Elliott Trudea- JUST WATCH ME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7_a2wa2dd4
comment:
Beloved Pierre Elliot Trudeau- after the brutal kidnapping and slaughter by the FLQ of Pierre LaPorte - and the Canada's War Measures Act was called by Trudeau. Canadians stood by Trudeau. Pierre E. Trudreau brought Canada her Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For all ... Pierre Elliot Trudeau was loved globally... much like Obama today. Pls. don't forget we had terroists back then too.... and in2day's world..... we all know what Pierre Elliott Trudeau would do with the 'traitor' Omar Khadr- who went 2 Afghanistan 2 murder our Canadian troops- and when Khadr was captured.... OMAR was still throwing grenades......
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CPAC- Military Vet- now Canada Journalist- incredible special Documentary- non-political-please watch
Scott Taylor previews Homecoming: The Casualties of War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN9PpLlRCVg
SCOTT TAYLOR NEVA CEASES 2 AMAZE ME-
ON TARGET: Remember those who fell in pursuit of peace
November 10, 2013 - 6:54pm BY SCOTT TAYLOR
http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1166611-on-target-remember-those-who-fell-in-pursuit-of-peace
Remembrance week had barely started before the Ottawa-based Rideau Institute blew up a media firestorm by handing out white poppies at the National War Memorial.
The message behind the white rather than traditional red poppies is, “I remember for peace.”
While not explicit in that statement, the implied sentiment is that red poppies somehow glorify war.
I have long known Rideau Institute director Steve Staples. He is a self-professed bear-baiter when it comes to the military establishment.
In this instance, it did not take the bear long to take the bait, with the Conservative government cheerleaders at Sun Media leading the charge.
Although the stunt staged by Staples and a handful of students involved just 2,500 of the controversial white poppies, Sun news went whole hog to ensure the story got plenty of ink and airtime from coast to coast.
To add some depth to their story, the Sun reporters sought out reaction from those most likely to be offended. Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino rose to the occasion, telling Sun News that Staples’ initiative had really gotten under his skin.
“It really does show a lack of respect for what, in fact, Remembrance Day stands for,” Fantino said, adding, “I think (it) is totally disrespectful.”
Conservative backbench MP Ted Opitz is hardly a household name, but since he is a former army reservist, Sun reporters eagerly sought out his predictable input on the white poppy outrage.
Opitz did not disappoint. He described Rideau Institute members as “ideological extremists” and called upon the Liberals and NDP to join him in denouncing the white poppy campaign.
Not to be left on the sidelines, Liberal Veterans Affairs critic Jim Karygiannis quickly sent out media releases claiming that those students distributing the poppies had offended Canadian veterans.
To give the appearance of making this a non-partisan issue, the Sun also sought a response from the NDP. However, rather than soliciting feedback from either the NDP’s Veterans Affairs critic Peter Stoffer or Jack Harris, the party’s defence critic, the Sun selected Alexandre Boulerice.
“I never saw those buttons before, and I don’t know,” was Boulerice’s response when asked what he thought about the white poppies.
The Sun used Boulerice, an obscure NDP MP who admitted to having no knowledge of, or a qualified opinion on the topic, to remind their audience of his past transgression.
Before running for office in 2011, Boulerice wrote a blog entry criticizing the First World War as being a capitalist conflict fought “on the backs of the workers and peasants.”
He also had the audacity to challenge the myth of what was really achieved on the bloody battlefield of Vimy Ridge in 1917.
Sun News had tried to excite interest in Boulerice’s views during the 2011 election campaign, but failed to derail his campaign. Last April 9, the Sun dusted off Boulerice’s six-year-old blog post and hit pay dirt by making an inattentive audience believe he had just published the contentious remarks on the battle’s anniversary.
Obviously, this time around, Sun News was hoping Boulerice would issue a comment in favour of the white poppies so they could skewer him anew. When he failed to deliver, they just regurgitated his old transgression.
Try as they might to stir up a tempest in a teapot, Sun News portrayed the Rideau Institute as some sort of left-wing plot to denigrate the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers.
The fact is this was never the intention.
If one looked closely at the students handing out the white poppies, each one also sported a red poppy purchased from the Royal Canadian Legion.
Knowing that the Legion relies upon the sale of poppies as a government-mandated fundraising venture, the Rideau Institute distributes the white poppies for free.
In explaining his rationale for the venture, Staples explained that in a poll conducted the previous year, fewer than half of the young Canadians questioned had any plans to mark Remembrance Day. By creating the “I remember for peace” campaign, he wants to engage young people and, whether wearing a white or red poppy, at least help them recall the sacrifice.
Despite the rhetoric of Fantino, Opitz, Karygiannis and all the Sun News talking heads who took up this crusade, I think most veterans would also wish to remember those who fell in the pursuit of peace.
Those returning from the horrors of the Great War wanted to believe they had fought “the war to end all wars.”
Following the Second World War, the War Amps of Canada’s motto became “Never Again.”
Hardly words to glorify war.
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Lance Corporal John Shiwak, ca. 1915-1917
Aboriginals in WWI
Although people of aboriginal ancestry from Newfoundland and Labrador fought and sometimes died during the First World War, their histories remain largely unknown. Few documents and little research exist to describe their wartime experiences and motivations for enlisting. Because the country’s military records did not identify all aboriginal recruits, it is unknown exactly how many enlisted. It is also unknown how many died overseas due to enemy attack or illness.
and..
Frederick Freida, n.d.
Frederick Freida, a trapper of Inuit descent from Labrador, served overseas during the First World War. He returned home once hostilities ended and joined the Canadian Rangers in 1951.
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/aboriginals_gw.html
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The Last Post is sometimes known as Butterfield Lullaby. I stumbled upon this information while searching Google for the words. Apparently these have changed a bit through the years. I am sharing one version with you.
Taps
Day is done.
Gone the sun,
From the lake,
From the hills,
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light.
Dim the sight
And a star,
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Gert: “The students are studying the Civil War.”
Mert: “How can any war be civil?”
THE LAST POST:
My Last Post - Canada Tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ7vM5PxfRQ
A tribute for Canadian Soldiers from WW1 till present day conflicts.
I made this video not to glorify war or acts of defense against defiance.
I made it so that my home country of "Canada" ( that has been at the brunt of many a poor joke militarily wise ) can see that I am so very proud of her Canadian military personnel...past and present.
Canadian soldiers do kicks ass.
Winston Churchill once said:
"If I had Canadian Soldiers, American Technology and British Officers, I would rule the world."
I have family and friends past and present that have served in her military, and I'm
proud to be associated with with and everyone of them.
When the diplomatic ways fail and all avenues of a civilized means are done...Canada kicks ass just as well as anyone else.
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The REAL ‘Lone Ranger’ Was An African American Lawman Who Lived With Native American Indians
http://politicalblindspot.com/the-real-lone-ranger-was-an-african-american-lawman-who-lived-with-native-american-indians/
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Canada's International Arctic Partners- long history
http://www.international.gc.ca/arctic-arctique/partners-international-partenaires.aspx?lang=eng
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CANADA'S WARRIORS OF THE NORTH- Idlen No More Canada- 10,000 years First Peoples of the Ameericas
Canadian Rangers: the thin red line patrolling our harshest terrain
Some 5,000, mostly aboriginal reservists keep watch over Canada's Arctic
Sean Davidson, CBC News
Last Updated: Sep 7, 2013 5:12 AM ET
The 5000-plus Canadian Rangers conduct surveillance and report anything unusual to other branches of the military. They are perhaps most respected for their intimate knowledge of the north and its unforgiving climate. The 5000-plus Canadian Rangers conduct surveillance and report anything unusual to other branches of the military. They are perhaps most respected for their intimate knowledge of the north and its unforgiving climate. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
Imagine maintaining a military presence over roughly four million square kilometres of exceedingly harsh terrain using the residents of just one small town — a place like Smithers, B.C., for instance, which boasts a little more than 5,000 people.
That's the tricky thing about keeping "boots on the ground" in Canada's Arctic, where the Canadian Rangers have, since 1947, been patrolling the front lines.
The Rangers enjoyed a rare moment in the spotlight recently when Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a stop on his tour across the North — to spend a night on the tundra and shoot targets with a few of the largely aboriginal part-time reservists who, in his words, "defend our territory from potential threats and emergencies."
Harper goes target shooting with Canadian Rangers
Read James Cudmore on the politics and policy of Harper's tour
Shooting at these threats is not a very big part of the job, mind you. The Rangers mainly watch over the North. The 5,000-plus members conduct surveillance and report any "unusual sightings or activities" according to the Canadian Armed Forces website.
They are the military's "eyes and ears," it adds.
Or — as one Ranger recently put it to author Whitney Lackenbauer — its "eyeglasses, hearing aids, and walking stick."
The Rangers are perhaps most respected for their intimate knowledge of their home territory and its unforgiving climate, says Lackenbauer, a historian at the University of Waterloo whose book The Canadian Rangers: A Living History came out earlier this summer.
"The Rangers ensure that the military's footprint doesn't crush communities," he says. "They’re not trained for combat, so they're not like any other element of the Canadian regular forces or the primary reserve."
"But that should not detract from their value," Lackenbauer adds. "They are absolutely essential when it comes to being guides … and bearers of traditional knowledge."
Antique rifles
Rangers get up to 12 days of pay per year, plus extra for any additional duty or wear and tear on their personal equipment. They are issued a bright red sweatshirt and cap, and equipment including a rifle and ammunition.
The rifles are very old, 1950s-era Lee Enfields which are updated Second World War- versions of guns first introduced to the British Army in 1895.
Rangers' rifles are very old, 1950s-era Lee Enfields which are updated Second World War- versions of guns first introduced to the British Army in 1895.Rangers' rifles are very old, 1950s-era Lee Enfields which are updated Second World War- versions of guns first introduced to the British Army in 1895. (Shaun Best/Reuters)
The rifles are still in service partly because they, like the Rangers themselves, can operate reliably even under harsh Arctic conditions.
"Just because something's not ultra-modern doesn't mean it's not appropriate or relevant," says Lackenbauer.
He says many of the Rangers that he has met are motivated by a mix of patriotism, community service and a love of being on the land.
One Ranger in B.C. described the job as "being paid to go camping," he recalls.
The Rangers began as the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR) in 1942, at the height of the Second World War. They were volunteers who watched the coastlines of British Columbia and Yukon against the threat of a Japanese invasion.
At their peak they numbered 15,000 volunteers in 138 communities.
The PCMR disbanded in 1945. The Canadian Rangers took over on May 23, 1947, charged with Northern and Arctic surveillance, most often by means of "sovereignty patrols."
Their motto "Vigilans" is often interpreted as "The Watchers."
Rangers also conduct search and rescue operations and assist during other crises — for example, lending support during the drinking water crisis in Kashechewan, Ont. and in the aftermath of the 1999 avalanche at Kangiqsualujjuaq in northern Québec.
They also often come up whenever there is talk of protecting Canada's Arctic sovereignty, though that issue has cooled quite a bit since its heyday a few years ago.
Senior military officials are agreed the country faces no short- or medium-term threats in the Arctic, "but at the same time they always have to be prepared," says Lackenbauer. "That’s just the responsibility of any self-respecting nation state."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/08/28/f-canadian-rangers.html
COMMENT:
Don't knock those old bolt action rifles. Note the level of accuracy below.
Mad minute
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_minute
Mad minute was a pre-World War I term used by British Army riflemen during training at the Hythe School of Musketry to describe scoring 15 hits onto a 12" round target at 300 yards within one minute using a bolt-action rifle (usually a Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford rifle). It was not uncommon during the First World War for riflemen to greatly exceed this score. Many riflemen could average 30+ shots while the record, set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, was 38 hits. During the Battle of Mons, there were numerous German accounts of coming up against what they believed was machine gun fire when in fact it was squads of riflemen firing at this rate
COMMENT:
Here are my impressions of the Lee Enfield rifle, strong, reliable, and accurate.
I've been using a SLE Enfield that was made in 1917 for the past 36 years and have never had a problem with it unlike some of my friends using modern semi automatic rifles.
I have also used the same rifle being used by our rangers on the rifle range in competition shooting up to the 900 yards at a target with a 30 inch bulls eye and had no problem hitting it.
The long history of the rifle and caliber speaks for itself and if I was in the north its the rifle I would want to use.
COMMENT:
It's interesting to read some of the comments here of people making fun of the Rangers, making fun at how poorly equipped they are, and making fun of the Canadian military because these are some of them same people who whine and complain when the govt plans to upgrade the equipment of the Canadian military.
It's also high time to be teaching more of our history to our younger people(probably some older folk too...). There are those who have no idea about our military or it's history. Canadians in war have not been pushovers and in past wars I cannot think of any battles we lost except for the allied effort at Dieppe and Hong Kong during WW2. Some of you need to ask the North Koreans and Chinese about how they couldn't beat Canada in the hills of Kap'Yong even though Canada was running out of ammo and outnumbered 13 to 1. Shame on yourselves, and shame on those who think they are real Canadians.
Lastly, those who think there are no real sovereignty issues in the north need to think again.
comment:
@leslieemslie Something else a lot of folks and reporters fail to grasp, is besides being utterly reliable at -50C, it's using a nice, big .303 bullet.
Handy for taking out critters like a polar bear.
A .223/5.56mm? Not so much....
COMMENT:
Actually with the leaves turning color above treeline now things like bright orange flagging tape are hard to see and a bright red Ranger hoodie isn't as obvious as one would think.
COMMENT:
We should remember that before the rangers and the equipment they have today, the voyageur and courer de bois, and the settlers, lived and died defending the continent and their homes from the far north to the gulf of Mexico.
Never discount the strength of our people. the Metis and the Native population because without them Canada would not be
---------------------------------
Governor General presents medal to ranger instructor
Friday October 25, 2013
Photo by: Sergeant Ronald Duchesne
Warrant Officer Mark Kendall is presented the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General David Johnston.
Captain Robert MunroeRanger Unit Public Affairs Representative
Find more:
•Newspaper
Warrant Officer Mark Kendall from the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group was presented the Meritorious Service Medal for saving the life of a distraught woman in northern Ontario.
http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2013/10/25/governor-general-presents-medal-ranger-instructor_25145
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http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/10/23/princess-anne-visits-medical-personnel-at-canadian-forces-health-services-training-centre/
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News: Engineering and medical projects in Nalaikh come to a close
Canadian and Mongolian Armed Forces personnel joined U.S. Marines and Washington Army National Guard soldiers at Erdmiin Orgil School for the ribbon-cutting and closing ceremony during exercise Khaan Quest’s Engineering Civic Action Program (ENCAP) project and Cooperative Health Engagement (CHE), Aug. 13.
Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/111995/engineering-and-medical-projects-nalaikh-come-close#ixzz2jFchEaCW
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Rocky Mountaineer Inspires Wounded Veterans from Around the World
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 11, 2013) - Rocky Mountaineer is pleased to announce that its inaugural program - Life Changing Train for Heroes - recently honoured Canadian and U.S. heroes, along with two other wounded veterans and their families from across the globe.
photo
http://www.marketwire.com/library/20131108-rmheroestrain_full.jpg
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1578731#ixzz2klrdhzWa
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True Patriot Love Foundation launches Canadian arctic expedition for wounded soldiers
TORONTO, May 16, 2013 /CNW/ - Today at the fifth annual Warrior Games, the True Patriot Love Foundation launched their new Arctic expedition presented by Scotiabank in support of Canadian soldiers who have been injured on duty.
The True Patriot Love Expedition: Arctic Circle will take place in spring 2014. This two-week initiative to the Magnetic North Pole will showcase Canada's best resources: the military, the leadership of the nation's corporations, and the rare natural landscape of the Canadian Arctic.
The announcement comes fittingly during the closing of the Warrior Games, which introduces injured service members and veterans to Paralympic sport competition. Similar to the True Patriot Love expedition, the event also encourages activity and recovery among those who have been wounded while on duty.
"As Canada's largest foundation supporting military families, True Patriot Love is honoured to present this expedition on behalf of our country's soldiers. This Expedition builds on the significant precedents set by parallel organizations in the United Kingdom and the United States," said Shaun Francis, Chair and Founder of True Patriot Love.
Twelve soldiers, wounded while on duty, will pair with twelve corporate leaders to complete this mission. True Patriot Love co-founder and Chair, Shaun Francis, will be joined by co-chairs Tim Hodgson, former Special Advisor to Governor Mark Carney of the Bank of Canada and current Managing Partner of Alignvest Capital Management, and Paul Desmarais III of Great West Life.
"Soldiers and their families make sacrifices every day that keep us safe and secure, and our society strong and prosperous. Scotiabank is proud to support these brave men and women participating in the True Patriot Love Expedition," said Rick Waugh, Scotiabank's CEO.
Minister Peter MacKay, the Minister of National Defence supported the initiative, stating, "Twelve Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans will ski to the North Pole, and many, many more individuals and organizations are lending their support. That's the Canadian way. On behalf of the Government of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces, I want to express my appreciation to everyone who has contributed to this Expedition."
Soldier team applications will be made available starting Thursday, May 16th on www.truepatriotlove.com
About True Patriot Love Foundation:
True Patriot Love honours the sacrifices of members of the Canadian Forces, Veterans and their families by stepping in where government is unable to fund programs that support their physical, mental and social wellbeing no matter where they are posted in Canada or abroad, promoting their special skills and capabilities resulting from their unique conditions of service, and being a channel for everyday Canadians, corporations and philanthropists to express their appreciation and patriotism
The True Patriot Love Expedition builds on the Foundation's leadership of Canadian veterans transition initiatives, including a multinational symposium to be held this fall in London, UK, on veterans transition issues.
About Scotiabank:
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit www.scotiabank.com.
SOURCE: True Patriot Love Foundation
.
.
Contact:.
.
Media Contact:
Hilary Coles, Manager of Communications and PR
True Patriot Love Foundation
hcoles@truepatriotlove.com
416.628.4972
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/true-patriot-love-foundation-launches-203600312.html
AND...
Prince Harry Undergoes Grueling Training For South Pole
By CHANDRA PRICE
Once again, Prince Harry is set to take part in his third annual Walk with the Wounded, the charity of which he is a patron, and this time they're heading to the South Pole.
To train for the grueling trek, the royal spent 20 hours in a cold chamber, which is like a giant freezer.
He'll be conquering Antarctica on an unofficial race called the South Pole Allied Challenge: "Walking with the Wounded has come from a wonderful, faintly mad idea, involving four nutters - Jaco, Martin, Guy and Steve - and the aforementioned trio of dinosaurs, to a multinational challenge, with teams from the UK, the Commonwealth and America, this time racing each other to the bottom of the world. Though, we are not allowed to officially call it a race!"
In December, veterans from the UK, Canada, US and Australia will ski across 335km of some of the most uninhabitable terrain in the world, with Harry outlining the main goal: "To enable our wounded to do what they and all other Servicemen and women do better than anyone else I know: meet challenge head-on and overcome it and inspire others to do the same."
The teams made up of men and women will leave for Cape Town in November be in the South Pole by December 17.
"So, it just remains for me to say to 'Soldier On Canada', 'Soldiers to Summits' from the US and 'Soldier On Australia' welcome to the party," says Harry. "As a member of the British team, I will have a brew on ready for you when you join us at the Pole."
There will be three teams, Team Commonwealth, Team US and Team UK, covering 335km in 16 days in -35 degrees Celsius, with constant winds to contend with.
Two Canadian Forces members of the Soldier On program, MCpl Chris Downey and Cpl Alexandre Beaudin D’Anjou, will be participating in the challenge on Team Commonwealth, along with two Australians.
Watch the video below to see Prince Harry's cold chamber training exercise!
http://www.etcanada.com/blogs/etc_15281/prince-harry-to-head-to-antarctica-for-charity/
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News: New wing opens at Afghan National Police Hospital
KABUL, Afghanistan – The Afghan National Police Hospital officially opened a new wing during a ceremony held Oct. 26, 2013.
Attended by senior leadership from Afghan and coalition forces, the ceremony featured speakers such as Brig. Gen. Qandahar, ANP surgeon general, Maj. Gen. Wardak, Afghan National Army surgeon general, and Canadian Maj. Gen. Dean Milner, deputy commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan.
Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/115925/new-wing-opens-afghan-national-police-hospital#ixzz2jFanmBMc
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Canada U.S. to hold joint military exercise
Published on October 25, 2013
HALIFAX - The Canadian Armed Forces will participate in an annual joint U.S.-Canada military exercise termed Exercise Frontier Sentinel 2013 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 5.
http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2013-10-25/article-3448992/Canada-U.S.-to-hold-joint-military-exercise/1
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Canada's Afghanistan involvement is winding down
Simon Kent
By Simon Kent ,Toronto Sun
Saturday, September 07, 2013 07:04 PM EDT
Dean Milner 080913 Canadian Army Maj-Gen. Dean Milner, centre, meets with U.S. Army Col. Mark Migaleddi, right, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 12, 2013. (Photo courtesy the Canadian Contribution to the Training Mission in Afghanistan Headquarters)
TORONTO - Victory belongs to the most persevering.
These words belong to French general and politician Napoleon Bonaparte, acutely defining the key to soldiering in a far off land.
Taken at its most literal, there can be no denying that Canada’s military contribution to the war in Afghanistan has been one of perseverance. The victory might be a little harder to define.
Canada sent its initial soldiers secretly within weeks of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack that convulsed the U.S. homeland.
The detachment from Joint Task Force 2 was the first to arrive in Afghanistan and more contingents of regular troops followed in January 2002. They have been going ever since.
More than 40,000 soldiers eventually served in Canada’s largest single military deployment since the Second World War — more than in Korea in the 1950s or the Balkans in the 1990s.
A total of 158 have made the supreme sacrifice.
All that will end by March 2014. Canada has its final rotation working to train Afghan security forces and Maj.-Gen. Dean Milner, who’s in charge of Canadian troops and doubles as deputy commander of the NATO training mission, says the Afghan National Army and police will be able to meet the challenges left when international forces eventually depart.
Speaking via telephone conference call from Kabul, Milner said he was pleased with Canada’s efforts and proud to have commanded them on this, his own second tour of duty.
He left no doubt about his confidence in local security forces to secure the country’s future despite the inevitable human cost.
“The Afghans, as you know, are 100% in the lead. So there’s no doubt in my mind they’re taking more casualties,” he said, before adding there is “nothing that is precluding them from defeating the Taliban.”
Milner speaks from experience. He is a 33-year army veteran and graduate of Royal Roads Military College who first went to Afghanistan as commander, Joint Task Force Afghanistan 5-10, deploying from September 2010 to July 2011.
Maj.-Gen. Milner returned to Kabul in May 2013 where he is currently assigned as Commander, Canadian Contribution to the Training Mission in Afghanistan (CCTM-A) and the Deputy Commanding General-Operations, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.
Milner says he has personally witnessed a huge change in the country, its ability to provide for its own security as well as the general health and welfare of the people.
Canada has been part of that regeneration and our ability to stay the course since 2001 has not gone unnoticed.
“There are Canadians today in 14 different locations and I could not be more proud of them, mentoring local forces in advanced combat skills. We are now in drawdown but the Canadian mission to train, advise and assist has been vital to the country’s future.”
Milner maintains that as long as local forces are fighting and winning at the tactical level then there will be hope.
“We have always been focused on the long term sustainability of Afghanistan,” Milner said, “and this can be seen in the steady transition from combat to traditional rule-of-law policing.”
As the world watches and waits to see if U.S. politicians give the go ahead Monday for President Barack Obama to launch attacks on elements of the Syrian armed forces, we know we will not be a part of it.
This new conflict will again be in a far off land and will require fresh reserves of military perseverance without Canadian input.
Our goodbye to Afghanistan will be goodbye to military conflict. For now.
********
Canadian Forces left Germany at the end of 1993, their European duties ending with that of the Cold War.
They did leave something behind.
The Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) competition started in 1963 when Ottawa donated a silver replica of a Centurion tank to the country that obtained the highest score during a tank gunnery contest hosted by the forward-deployed Canadian Army 4th Mechanized Brigade.
This tank replica later became known as the Canadian Army Trophy for NATO Tank Gunnery.
The most frequent competitors alongside Canada included Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, West Germany and the United States.
The winner got to keep the CAT until the next competition. The contest evolved over the years and its final format was very similar to one Russia began using just 12 months ago for its own tank crews.
Word is, now the Russians want to challenge old foes to a shooting contest and seek the CAT as the overall prize.
All they have to do is find it.
http://www.trust.org/item/20130908165639-t2zaa/?source=hpbreaking
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Canada To Continue Contributing Financially To Afghan Security Forces, Says Maj.-Gen. Milner. Insider Attacks Down Significantly, Says General
September 5, 2013. 12:27 am • Section: Defence Watch
By David Pugliese
Defence Watch
Major-General Dean Milner, the most senior Canadian officer in Afghanistan, held a teleconference on Wednesday from Kabul. He talked about a number of issues (pull-out timetable, etc.). Also on the agenda were the future contributions to the Afghan security forces.
All Canadian troops will be home by the end of March 2014, says Milner. But Canada will continue to provide up to $110 million annually for Afghanistan’s security forces.
Milner also noted that the number of so-called “insider attacks” have dropped.
That is because of improved screening of Afghan recruits.
“They’re just better systems in place,” he explained. “We’re also focusing on working closely with the Afghans. Cultural awareness is critical.”
Milner also noted that the Afghan leadership has made fighting the “insider threat” a priority.
He noted that while Canadian soldiers have robust rules of engagement to allow them to defend themselves in case of insurgent attack (i.e., firefights, attacks on bases, etc.), they have not had to do that.
“We’ve had no incidents like that since we’ve been up in Kabul but obviously we need to be prepared,” he said.
Milner took command of the Canadian contribution to the Afghan training mission in May. He also holds the position of Deputy Commander for Operations of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan.
http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/09/05/canada-to-continue-contributing-to-afghan-security-forces-says-maj-gen-milner-insider-attacks-down-significantly-says-general/
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God bless our Canada Military, Militia, Reservists, Rangers- land, sea and sky- God bless our troops in Afghanistan- we remember
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=665411916810167&set=a.153203521364345.32932.100000240949070&type=1&theater¬if_t=photo_comment
Canada's culture of French and English languages, 800 cultures, 1500 languages and our lifestyle and way of life in blending in with everybody allowed the Afghanistans 2 love us as much as we love them.... because our Canadian troops adapt.... with the real people of Afghanistan...and our troops refuse 2 suck up to $$$media who betrays all in it's wake (Canada remembers Romeo Dallaire UN Peacekeeper's Rwanda)- we love ya all so much.
comment: libs,tories,ndp,bloc- all parties let the troops down- only Canadians did NOT.
comment:
They did the job Ottawa set-out for them while Ottawa cut their disability benefits and changed disability pensions for a one time lump-sum kiss-off.
These men and women did a great job not for but in spite of Ottawa.
COMMENT:
Bravo Zulu CAF each and every one of you.
Afghan military, police training cost Canadians $500M
Updated
3:01 pm, September 4th, 2013
photo
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=591332880908900&set=a.185172004858325.37088.182265978482261&type=1&theater
OTTAWA - Canada's participation in NATO's effort to put Afghan military and police recruits through their paces has cost taxpayers roughly $500 million over the last three years.
The commander of Operation Attention, Maj.-Gen. Dean Milner, announced the estimated cost Wednesday.
He added that Canadian mentors have helped field more than 50 Afghan battalions so far and have about 10 more to build.
"So that's going to keep us busy right through until the end of our mission," said Milner. "We're still training a lot of recruits. We're still focusing on counter (improvised explosive device) training, medical training and our air component training."
Milner said Canada's forces have also been able to avoid many of the insider attacks by Islamist infiltrators that have killed British and U.S. trainers since 2011.
"There's been big efforts to work closely with the Afghans," he said, adding that screening of recruits to filter out Taliban sympathizers has improved.
While Milner said he's impressed that Afghanistan's 345,000-strong security forces plan and conduct their own anti-Taliban missions, he admitted their casualty rate is higher than what NATO forces faced.
"We continue to see their confidence growing," said Milner. "I think they'll work through this."
Right now, there are about 800 Canadian military and police trainers spread out over 14 locations - mostly in and around Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.
Canada will begin reducing its presence in Afghanistan next month, leaving just 375 people there by Christmas, and bringing everyone home by the end of March.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/09/20130904-142600.html
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Thx Military Minds... millions of us are noticing how many of the men in our families around the world who came home to the ruined lands of our free world... that the men were never the same.... and THEY WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT IT..... our precious vets who did make it home..... and don't 4get the men who stayed home to protect us on our lands and waters because they could not pass the medicals... or had huge families to care for with their ill. now in the email and chat lines on the net.... we are just awestruck by the millions of men and and some women... of our wars... who lived the nightmares in silence.... see decent people have a huge good heart and soul.... and 2 see live what evil could and did do.... to precious innocents... oh God.... thank u military minds... u are a hero 2 us who pray our men and women step up... AND SCREAM- I'M HURTING!!!! HELP ME!!!
http://www.MilitaryMinds.ca
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CANADA'S FRENCH AND ENGLISH http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/ and http://woundedwarriors.ca/nc/fr/page-daccueil/ our beloved Wounded Warriors
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" An American military analyst tips his hat to a CF media monitoring web page while much of the Pentagon's Info-machine is on pause
http://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/257-eng.html
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BULLYING
The Australian Chief of Army Has A Badass Message For Sexist Bullies-GET OUT
http://au.businessinsider.com/check-out-the-australian-chief-of-armys-bad-ass-message-to-sexist-bullies-2013-6
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Thanks Jason 4 the wonderful share of our Canadian troops - Afghanistan- refuse to allow shortsighted media crap 2 take away the enormus successes over the years that our Canadian troops achieved over the years in Afghanistan- in 2005 emailed they had cut 14 districts off at the knees of the drug planting.... helped rebuild 4 villages, built 5 schools and started on 18 roads in Afghanistan...... DON'T TELL ME WHAT NATO TROOPS DIDN'T DO ......... SHARE WITH THE MILLIONS OF US WHO WATCHED THE BACKS OF OUR TROOPS- WHAT OUR TROOPS DID ACTUALLY DO...... regardless of political interferance from politicians globally and the despots and thieves who make up United Nations and the China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran etc. who help the Heretic Muslim Monsters who destroy all and everything Muslims on the planet.... That's my story and I'm sticking 2 it.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=591332880908900&set=a.185172004858325.37088.182265978482261&type=1&theater
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NOTHING IS EVER GOING 2 CHANGE- PAKISTAN IS AFGHANISTAN'S BIGGEST ENEMY- THANK GOD INDIA HAS HUGE NUCLEAR WEAPONS 2 OFFSET PAKISTAN.... except Indians believe in Recarnation..... versus the 72 virgin crap of Heretic Muslims.... am sticking with India....
Pakistan releases seven Afghan Taliban prisoners
The prisoners are Mansoor Dadullah, Said Wali, Abdul Manan, Karim Agha, Sher Afzal, Gul Muhammad and Muhammad Zai.
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Balls Creek native on military operation in Arabian Sea
SYDNEY, N.S. — Ashley Vassallo is on a mission of a lifetime.
The native of Balls Creek has been on deployment with the Royal Canadian Navy since July.
Aboard the HMCS Toronto, she and her 262 crewmates are currently patrolling the Arabian Sea for drug smugglers and terrorism-related activities.
Vassallo, who holds the rank of ordinary seaman, is a marine engineer. Shortly after joining the crew of HMCS Toronto, she learned of the upcoming deployment.
“I didn’t know I was going to deploy until I joined the ship. When I heard the news, I was really excited,” she said.
HMCS Toronto is a member of Operation Artemis in the Arabian Sea. It’s part of Combined Task Force 150, a multinational maritime task force combating terrorism across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.
The region being patrolled covers more than five million square kilometres and includes some of the world’s most important shipping routes connecting the Far East to Africa, Europe and North America.
Aboard the Halifax-class frigate, Vassallo is responsible for operating and monitoring the ship’s mechanical equipment.
She also inspects, tests, maintains, repairs, modifies and installs equipment associated with the on-board mechanical systems.
“It is physically and mentally demanding. You are always learning, always training. I like to keep busy and the job is good for that.”
A graduate of Holy Angels High School in Sydney, Vassallo said she always wanted to be a mechanic.
She originally started out as a vehicle technician on a Canadian Forces reserve unit in Halifax in April 2010.
Two years had passed before she decided to join the regular force, saying she wanted to make her time spent in the military a career rather than just a part-time job.
“I also wanted to stay close to home so I chose to become a marine engineer. It really seemed to be the best fit for me,” she said.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2013-10-28/article-3450563/Balls-Creek-native-on-military-operation-in-Arabian-Sea/1
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Video - Korean War Newsreel: Formation of the First Commonwealth Division
http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/news-publications/national-news-details-no-menu.page?doc=korean-war-newsreel-formation-of-the-first-commonwealth-division%2Fhnfpmd7c
Image Gallery
Stalking Exercise at Camp Aldershot
Candidate Christine Hatch (L), of Shilo Manitoba, and Julie-Anne Cail, of Terrance British Columbia, admire each other’s camouflage make-up prior to a Stalking Exercise at Camp Aldershot on Oct. 17, 2013, in which the candidates have to advance on an observation position from 100-metres away without being detected. Aboriginal candidates from across Canada trained at 5th Canadian Division Training Centre (5 CDTC), Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia, Oct. 7 to 26, 2013, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces Aboriginal Entry Program (CAFAEP). The CAFAEP is a special three-week program for Aboriginal Peoples who are considering a career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). During the program the candidates get hands-on experience with military training, careers and lifestyle, with no obligation to join the CAF. The course is based on the Canadian Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification and includes such subjects as general military knowledge, weapons handling, navigation, first aid, drill and survival skills. Photo by: WO Jerry Kean, Army Public Affairs, 5th Canadian Division
http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/news-publications/national-news-details-no-menu.page?doc=aboriginal-youth-build-on-proud-history-for-future-careers/hnbfarap
Candidate Gerard Marcel-Dellaire of Winnipeg Manitoba advances through the underbrush of Camp Aldershot as part of a Stalking Exercise on Oct. 17, 2013, in which the candidates have to advance on an observation position from 100 meters away without being detected. Aboriginal candidates from across Canada trained at 5th Canadian Division Training Centre (5 CDTC), Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia, Oct. 7 to 26, 2013 as part of the Canadian Armed Forces Aboriginal Entry Program (CAFAEP). The CAFAEP is a special three-week program for Aboriginal Peoples who are considering a career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). During the program the candidates get hands-on experience with military training, careers and lifestyle, with no obligation to join the CAF. The course is based on the Canadian Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification and includes such subjects as general military knowledge, weapons handling, navigation, first aid, drill and survival skills. Photo by: WO Jerry Kean, Army Public Affairs, 5th Canadian Division
Candidate Cody Monague of Christian Island Ontario, gathers foliage at Camp Aldershot to add to his camouflage to help him blend in prior to a Stalking Exercise on Oct. 17, 2013, in which the candidates have to advance on an observation position from 100 metres away without being detected. Aboriginal candidates from across Canada trained at 5th Canadian Division Training Centre (5 CDTC), Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia, Oct. 7 to 26, 2013 as part of the Canadian Armed Forces Aboriginal Entry Program (CAFAEP). The CAFAEP is a special three-week program for Aboriginal Peoples who are considering a career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). During the program the candidates get hands-on experience with military training, careers and lifestyle, with no obligation to join the CAF. The course is based on the Canadian Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification and includes such subjects as general military knowledge, weapons handling, navigation, first aid, drill and survival skills. Photo by: WO Jerry Kean, Army Public Affairs, 5th Canadian Division
Candidate Christine Dedam of Listuguj, Quebec, crawls through the training area of Camp Aldershot trying not to be noticed by the instructing staff as part of a Stalking Exercise on Oct. 17, 2013, in which the candidates have to advance on an observation position from 100 metres away without being detected. Aboriginal candidates from across Canada trained at 5th Canadian Division Training Centre (5 CDTC), Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia, Oct. 7 to 26, 2013 as part of the Canadian Armed Forces Aboriginal Entry Program (CAFAEP). The CAFAEP is a special three-week program for Aboriginal Peoples who are considering a career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). During the program the candidates get hands-on experience with military training, careers and lifestyle, with no obligation to join the CAF. The course is based on the Canadian Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification and includes such subjects as general military knowledge, weapons handling, navigation, first aid, drill and survival skills. Photo by: WO Jerry Kean, Army Public Affairs, 5th Canadian Division
http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/news-publications/national-news-details-no-menu.page?doc=aboriginal-youth-build-on-proud-history-for-future-careers/hnbfarap
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OH AFGHANISTAN.... ALL NATO CONTAINERS ARE BEING ROBBED 4 $$$$BILLIONS... not just Canada.... and United Nations and Arab nations know this....
Hundreds of guns, millions of dollars in federal goods stolen in last fiscal year
By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News October 30, 2013 3:47 PM
More than 200 government-issued Blackberries were also lost or stolen during the last year, as well as 10 iPads, more than 250 computers or laptops, and 11 USB keys. 484 weapons and accessories were also stolen from National Defence.
Photograph by: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg , Postmedia News
OTTAWA – Thieves made off with hundreds of military weapons and accessories as well as dozens of federally issued Blackberries, laptops, iPads and USB keys during the last fiscal year.
These revelations and others, including unauthorized use of government-issued credit cards and fraudulent sick-day claims by Canada Revenue Agency employees, are contained in documents presented in the House of Commons Wednesday.
The public account documents are required to be tabled each year and provide a detailed breakdown on the federal government’s finances over the past fiscal year, though they do not provide specifics on individual cases.
For that reason, it’s unclear how or why 484 weapons and accessories were stolen from National Defence in 2012-13, nor what those weapons might be.
In total, thieves bilked National Defence for more than $7 million worth of goods, including more than 4,000 items labelled “transportation equipment,” 7,000 tools, more than 2,500 items listed as “military specific equipment” and 30,000 items described only as “non-military specific equipment.”
Much of this equipment may have at one time been located in shipping containers that were left in Afghanistan in December 2011.
The containers were supposed to be returned to Canada via ship from Pakistan after the last troops left Kandahar at that time, but a dispute between the United States and Pakistan saw the latter close its borders to allied convoys.
It was later discovered that thieves had broken into the containers and replaced what was inside with rocks and sand. The military has never publicly disclosed what was inside the containers.
The documents also show that another 2,147 weapons and accessories were lost by National Defence, most of which was not expected to be recovered.
In addition, more than 200 government-issued Blackberries were also lost or stolen during the last year, as well as 10 iPads, more than 250 computers or laptops, and 11 USB keys.
These included an encrypted USB key lost by the Office of the Auditor General and three iPads each from the National Film Board and the federal broadcasting regulator, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.
Aside from the actual dollar amount of these losses, there are also potential security implications as any and all of these devices could contain sensitive information that would be of interest to third parties such as foreign governments, companies or criminal organizations.
The federal government revealed in early 2012 that a portable hard drive containing the personal information of 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers had been lost by what was then called Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
That followed revelations HRSDC had also lost a USB drive with the personal information of more than 5,000 Canada Pension Plan disability claimants.
Meanwhile, the government also reported dozens of cases of government-issued American Express credit cards being used, either without authorization or in some cases fraudulently due to identity theft, for travel or to purchase items.
In total, more than $114,000 in unauthorized or fraudulent purchases were made to those cards.
Among some of the other more interesting items that were either stolen or lost from federal departments:
–An investigation into a former National Research Council (NRC) employee’s petty cash, travel and overtime found $72,700 in “irregularities”;
–Two “exhibits” were stolen from the RCMP, valued at $55,848;
–One case of unauthorized use of a Blackberry valued at $1,208;
–One fraudulent claim for travel costs at the Canada Revenue Agency valued at $20,993;
–Eight fraudulent claims for sick and other leave benefits at CRA valued at $34,939;
–Two cases of a Environment Canada uniform and identification being stolen;
–$12,000 worth of fuel stolen from the Department of Foreign Affairs;
–One $720 chair stolen from the Office of the Co-ordinator at Status of Women;
–Two cases of copper pipes and sheets of brass being stolen from the National Research Council, totalling $4,500;
–The loss of four Environment Canada boats to flooding, worth $5,813;
–Damage to six works of arts held by Foreign Affairs, totalling $2,907;
–The destruction of a Statistics Canada transport trailer to fire, worth $351,580;
–A $24,000 loss of furniture and equipment due to a building collapse in the House of Commons, and another $11,000 due to flooding. This is likely due to renovations currently underway;
–Ninety-five cases of Canada Border Services Agency uniform components being lost;
–Twelve cases of accidental fire at Correctional Service of Canada, totalling $1 million;
–Six cases of Transport Canada inspectors losing their ID cards and badges.
lberthiaume@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/leeberthiaume
Read more: http://www.canada.com/Hundreds+guns+millions+dollars+federal+goods+stolen+last+fiscal+year/9103886/story.html#ixzz2jFxF8Clc
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MiWay Salutes Canadian Forces Veterans with Free Remembrance Day Ride
Oct 28, 2013
To honour Canadian Forces veterans, MiWay is once again offering a free ride for veterans and their companion who ride on Remembrance Day, Monday, November 11.
“We honour the brave men and women who served our country during war by offering a free ride as our way of saying thank you,” said Geoff Marinoff, director of transit. “Each veteran is respectfully asked to identify a companion to transit operators so that he or she may also ride free.”
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/cityhall/pressreleases;.node1-1?paf_gear_id=9700020&itemId=1800022q&returnUrl=%2Fportal%2Fcityhall%2Fpressreleases%3Bjsessionid%3D50967B57D277ED881634B8E2D86CCBBC.node1-1
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CANADA:
Veterans' benefits world-class
Vancouver Sun October 28, 2013
Re: Veterans need better benefits, Editorial, Oct. 12
If one looks at the Veteran Ombudsman's findings, it is clear that the disability award is just one part of a much larger suite of financial benefits available to seriously injured veterans.
In fact, in the case of a 24-year-old corporal who is medically released from the Canadian Forces, that individual will receive almost $2 million in total financial compensation in addition to rehabilitation, retraining for a new career and medical benefits.
Over and above these worldclass benefits, veterans who were injured in the service of Canada can count on their government to plow their driveways in the winter, cut their grass in the summer and clean their homes yearround.
The minister of Veterans Affairs' call for a comprehensive review of the New Veterans Charter will help to cast a much wider net when it studies the significant enhancements made to the New Veterans Charter in 2011.
This review will include hearing from veterans and families to ensure open and frank discussions about their experiences with the New Veterans Charter.
Lieutenant-General Walter Semianiw
Assistant deputy minister, policy, communications and commemoration, Veterans Affairs Canada
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Veterans+benefits+world+class/9090943/story.html#ixzz2jFwXlaLE
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AFGHANISTAN
Waging Peace: Canada in Afghanistan FULL DOCUMENTARY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMyiTRMDp_c
Published on Dec 29, 2012
Canada's Only Independently funded and filmed documentary on our mission in Afghanistan. http://www.wagingpeacefilm.com
Follows Canadian Richard Fitoussi on a personal quest into the fiercest parts of Afghanistan's war-torn southern frontier to learn why Canadian soldiers are dying in a mission that has sparked more controversy than any other military intervention in Canadian history.
Embedded with the Canadian military alongside established war correspondents. Fitoussi sees for himself what is at stake for the Afghan people and the Canadians who serve in our name.
As his journey unfolds, Fitoussi is faced with the realites of modern day peacekeeping, and tries to distinguish between the reality on the ground and the rhetoric of the U.S. led "war on terror". In the end he witnesses the ultimate sacrifice of young Canadians in a journey that nearly costs him his life.
COMMENT:
I agree, I believe that Canadians are indeed the better basic soldiers and are more resourceful than our soldiers. I just meant that the USA's military has more resources and a larger budget to allow for more types of training.
Generally though, when comparing Canadian and American soldiers, the Canadian soldiers tend to operate better than ours.
Also, there is a large amount of military cooperation between the? US and Canada too, so we're designed to be interoperable with each other anyways. :)
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In Honour of Our Canadian men and women who serve/d- land, sea, air- Military, Militia, Reservists and Rangers..... thank u.... WHEN I FIND MYSELF IN TIMES OF TROUBLE- MOTHER MARY COMES 2 ME...SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM...LET IT BE....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHujjyUQTMw
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2013 CANADA- AFGHANISTAN- Travelling memorial honours the fallen
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
2013 CANADA- AFGHANISTAN- Travelling memorial honours the fallen… honour, dignity, respect and most of all thanks and prayers
The Memorial Vigil
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
The Memorial Vigil
One of the ways the DND/CAF are commemorating the service of Canadian personnel is through an Afghanistan Memorial Vigil. The Memorial Vigil contains 190 plaques representing 201 fallen: 158 CAF members, one Canadian diplomat, one Canadian civilian contractor, one Canadian journalist and 40 United States Armed Forces members who were under Canadian command.
As of 9 July, the Vigil is open to the public in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill. It will remain there throughout the summer until, at a later date, it will travel across Canada to a variety of cities and Canadian Forces Bases to ensure all families of our fallen and Canadians have the opportunity to view it.
With approximately 900 CAF members currently deployed in Afghanistan as part of Operation ATTENTION, important contributions continue to be made. The Vigil commemorates the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of CAF members during Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, and recognizes the support of military families, friends, and all Canadians.
By the end of Canada’s current training mission in Afghanistan in March 2014, the CAF will have been in Afghanistan about the same length of time as the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War combined. Once the last CAF troops have come home, the Government of Canada, including the DND/CAF, will take additional steps to recognize and commemorate all of the work and sacrifices Canadians have made in Afghanistan.
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
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CANADA
The Trews - Highway of Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkgV5bl7kQ
"Highway of Heroes", was co-written and co-produced by The Trews and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar) and was inspired by the 2006 death of Captain Nichola Goddard from The Trews' hometown of Antigonish, NS. Canada's Highway of Heroes, is the section of the MacDonald-Cartier freeway named to honour those who have sacrificed all in service of country.
You can purchase "Highway of Heroes" world-wide exclusively via iTunes. http://bit.ly/dbVi6d
Net proceeds from sales will benefit the Canadian Hero Fund ( http://www.herofund.ca ), an organization that assists the families of Canadian military personnel through academic scholarships.
The video was directed by Tim Martin
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Canadian soldiers deserve our gratitude
Caledon Enterprise
ByMarolyn Morrison/Mayor's Message
http://www.caledonenterprise.com/opinion-story/4200442-canadian-soldiers-deserve-our-gratitude-column-/
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P.E.I. soldier sees Afghan mission as a chance to help change the world
Colin MacLeanPublished on November 08, 2013
MCpl Frieda VanPutten
A native of Roxbury, P.E.I., Master Corporal Joe Wilson assists a member of the Armee de Terre (French Army) fire a C-9 light machine gun during a joint coalition forces training exercise at Kabul Military Training Centre.
http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2013-11-08/article-3473988/P.E.I.-soldier-sees-Afghan-mission-as-a-chance-to-help-change-the-world/1
Afghanistan turmoil
Updated: Mon, 4 Nov 2013
Afghanistan has experienced more than three decades of conflict, and fighting is still raging in much of the country.
It is the source of a quarter of the world’s refugees, and although millions have returned home since 2002, nearly 2.6 million are still living as refugees, most of them in Pakistan or Iran. Another half a million people are displaced within Afghanistan.
U.S.-led troops ousted the Taliban in 2001 after they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader behind the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
But violence has surged since 2006, with the Taliban fighting a guerrilla war in the south and east and carrying out high-profile suicide and car bombings across the country.
The Taliban regrouped with the help of safe havens across the border in Pakistan and money from drug lords.
Billions of dollars have been poured into rebuilding the country since 2001, but corruption and the lack of security have hampered development and been a source of frustration to many Afghans.
Aid agencies struggle to access most of the country, especially rural areas where the needs are greatest.
Although nominally women have recovered many of the rights lost under the Taliban, a combination of tribalism, poverty and conflict make the exercising of those rights a significant challenge.
Soviet invasion
At the crossroads of regions and empires, Afghanistan has been subject to periodic intense foreign interest for centuries.
In more recent history, a Soviet-backed communist government seized power in 1978, sparking a number of uprisings around the country as it tried to impose radical social reforms. Deteriorating security and a coup by another communist faction precipitated the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979.
Villages were bombed and thousands of civilians arrested and tortured during the occupation.
Religious fighters, or mujahideen - covertly funded by the United States and Saudi Arabia - formed the backbone of the resistance to the occupation.
The Afghan jihad, or holy war, became a cause for Muslim warriors from around the Islamic world. The future al Qaeda leader bin Laden was among them.
The Soviets withdrew in 1989, leaving behind the communist government of President Mohammad Najibullah. Stricken by defections, Najibullah's government collapsed in 1992, and he eventually took sanctuary at a U.N. compound in Kabul, where he was hanged by Taliban forces four years later.
A mujahideen government was established in April 1992, but it was riven with factional rivalry, and the country disintegrated into civil war during which at least 40,000 people were killed in Kabul alone.
The Taliban
The power vacuum allowed the Taliban, a militant student movement that grew out of hardline religious schools in Pakistan, to take the southern city of Kandahar in 1994 and Kabul in 1996.
The regime, which adhered to a strict interpretation of Islam, barred women from most activities outside the home and ruled they must wear a head-to-foot burqa in public and be accompanied by a male relative. Many women still wear the burqa.
Bin Laden and al Qaeda relocated to Afghanistan in the mid-1990s after being forced to leave Sudan. They based themselves around Kandahar.
The Taliban provoked international condemnation, particularly over their treatment of women. Only three countries - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - recognised them as the legitimate government.
In 1999, the United Nations imposed sanctions to force the Taliban to turn over bin Laden, who was wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania.
The Northern Alliance
Throughout the Taliban's rule, fighting continued between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. The Alliance was made up of ethnic Tajik-dominated groups who had united to fight the Taliban.
Two days before al Qaeda launched its Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., a leading member of the Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was killed by suicide bombers posing as journalists. Al Qaeda members were believed to have carried out the assassination to curry favour with the Taliban.
The United States launched bombing raids on Afghanistan in October 2001 after the Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden.
With U.S. help, the Northern Alliance took the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, then Kabul. The rest of the country swiftly followed.
It is believed bin Laden fled to Pakistan when U.S. and Afghan forces captured his main base in the Tora Bora mountains of eastern Afghanistan in late 2001. Many other al Qaeda militants also fled to Pakistan.
2001 and beyond
At the end of 2001, members of the opposition and international organisations gathered in Germany and drew up the Bonn Agreement, which provided a political roadmap for Afghanistan and a timetable for reconstruction.
Hamid Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun born to the Popalzai clan - a sub-group of the royal Durrani tribe - was chosen to head an Interim Authority. He was later installed as president and won an outright majority in the first presidential election in 2004. Parliamentary elections were held the following year.
Presidential elections in 2009 – a key milestone for peace – were plagued by violence, widespread fraud and low turnout. Karzai won, after his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah pulled out saying a planned runoff vote was not going to be free and fair.
Parliamentary elections in 2010 were calmer.
The next presidential election is due in 2014, the same year all foreign combat troops are due to leave the country.
The government's authority remains fragile and violence has soared. Militants have crossed the border from Pakistan to join the ranks of the Taliban fighters, who are staging increasingly sophisticated attacks, including multiple roadside bombings and complex ambushes.
Taliban numbers swelled from 7,000 in 2006 to roughly 25,000 in 2009, according to a 2009 U.S. intelligence assessment. More recent estimates vary from between 20,000 and 35,000.
U.S. President Barack Obama decided to send additional troops to Afghanistan in 2009, boosting the total number of foreign troops to about 150,000. Most of the new U.S. troops headed south to the heart of the Taliban insurgency, where British, Canadian and Dutch soldiers did not have enough strength to keep hold of ground they captured.
NATO leaders began transferring responsibility for security to Afghans in 2011. The Afghan army took command of all military and security operations in June 2013.
Foreign troops work with the Afghan National Army, which was about 175,000 strong in March 2013, some 12,000 below its projected size.
The Afghan national police force numbers about 150,000, and is due to rise to 160,000 in 2014.
However, thousands of recruits are quitting the Afghan police and armed forces every month, raising fears over their ability to protect the country after coalition troops leave.
In addition, for every 10 new soldiers recruited to the Afghan army, at least three are lost because they have been sacked, captured or killed in action.
Civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict.
Since 2007, when the United Nations began keeping statistics, more than 18,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict.
The high number of civilian casualties angered Karzai and weakened public support for the continued presence of foreign troops.
Relations between Kabul and Washington were also strained over a string of incidents involving U.S. forces in 2012, including the massacre of Afghan villagers for which a U.S. soldier was jailed for life in 2013, and the inadvertent burning of copies of the Koran.
There have also been concerns about the Afghan military and police. There has been a rise in the number of attacks by Afghan soldiers who have turned on their Western allies, and some are worried that the Taliban is infiltrating Afghan security forces.
Some of the most daring, complex attacks in Afghanistan have been blamed on a militant group called the Haqqani network, which operates in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and is allied with the Taliban.
The Haqqani network fought the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, with support from Pakistani, Saudi and U.S. officials. The Haqqanis view part of southeast Afghanistan known as "Loya Paktia" as their rightful homeland.
Since early 2011, the U.S. government has been seeking to hold peace talks with the Taliban, but it is unclear whether the militants are cohesive enough to agree on a joint diplomatic approach to the talks.
In May 2011, bin Laden was killed by U.S. special forces in northwestern Pakistan. By then, al Qaeda's influence on the Taliban had greatly diminished.
NATO plans to keep a small military training and support mission in Afghanistan after the end of 2014, which the Taliban says is an encroachment on the country's independence.
Western officials say that the exit of most foreign troops will remove one of the Taliban’s main recruiting tools.
Going home
Millions of Afghans fled to neighbouring countries during the years of conflict, and the Taliban's fall triggered one of the largest and swiftest refugee repatriations in the world.
Since 2002, Afghans have been streaming home, mostly from Iran and Pakistan. More than 5.7 million Afghans have returned to their country, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR). Another 2.6 million refugees and many undocumented Afghans were still in Pakistan and Iran in 2013, and further afield.
Pakistan and Iran have said they want the remaining Afghans on their soil to go home.
The number of people displaced inside Afghanistan is about half a million, according to UNHCR. However, this is a conservative estimate because it is impossible to access and collect information in many areas, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said.
The majority have fled their homes because of clashes between NATO-led troops and Taliban-led insurgent groups in the south, southeast and west of the country, IDMC said. Natural disasters and local conflicts, such as land disputes, have also displaced people.
Rural areas are increasingly insecure, forcing many returning Afghans to migrate to towns and cities.
Many also face the risk of landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind from years of war. Hundreds of civilians are killed or injured each year, most of them children, according to Landmine Monitor 2013. Many of the mines are near roads, health facilities, camps for the displaced, airports, bridges and irrigation systems, U.N. Mine Action Service says.
The contamination poses a formidable challenge to the country's social and economic reconstruction.
Reconstruction hurdles
Billions of aid dollars have poured into Afghanistan to help rebuild the shattered infrastructure and economy. Afghanistan depends on aid for most of its spending.
International donors provided $35 billion in aid to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2010.
And, in 2012, major donors pledged another $16 billion in development aid through 2015, in an attempt to prevent it from deteriorating further when foreign troops leave in 2014, but demanded reforms to fight widespread corruption. The aid was tied to a new monitoring process to help prevent money from being diverted by corrupt officials or mismanaged.
While strides have been made in improving access to education and health care, only a third of the population of 30 million is literate and the average person earns only about a $1,000 a year, according to the U.N. Development Programme.
Much of the donor money has gone back to donor countries, the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR) alliance of aid agencies said in a March 2008 report. An estimated 40 percent of the $15 billion spent in aid between 2001 and 2008 was returned to donors in corporate profits and consultant salaries, the report said.
And whereas spending on aid by all donors between 2001 and 2008 amounted to about $7 million a day, the U.S. military spent some $100 million a day fighting Taliban insurgents, ACBAR said.
The United Nations launched a $4 billion development plan in October 2009, to run from 2010 to 2013. This U.N. Development Assistance Framework covers governance, peace, agriculture, food security, health, education, water and sanitation.
Afghans rank insecurity, unemployment and corruption as their top concerns, according to a 2012 survey by the Asia Foundation.
Corruption
Reconstruction efforts have been dogged by allegations of corruption and waste on the part of the government, aid agencies and contractors.
Public sector corruption is rife and Afghanistan, along with Somalia and North Korea, are considered to be the most corrupt countries in the world in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Government officials and international aid workers have been accused of stealing money or taking bribes. Some companies that won contracts to rebuild the country have been accused of delivering shoddy roads, hospitals and schools or even nothing at all.
Corruption and cronyism are among the main gripes of ordinary Afghans.
Many also complain that parliament, which is supposed to voice their grievances and keep the government in check, is made up mainly of ex-warlords and powerbrokers who use their position to serve their own interests.
Karzai has accused the international community of helping to fuel corruption and has asked foreign donors to stop awarding massive reconstruction projects to contractors linked to senior officials in his government.
Donors spend most aid money outside state channels to avoid it being siphoned off by corrupt officials. But they have done so without telling the Afghan government how and where the funds were being spent. Critics say this undermines the government's authority, and complicates planning and coordination between donors and provinces.
In July 2012, donors agreed to channel more through the Afghan government, if the government made progress in fighting corruption and improving governance. The United States committed to channel up to 50 percent if these conditions were met.
That same month Karzai issued a decree to begin implementing the reforms. He ordered all ministries to take steps to cut down on nepotism and corruption, and directed the Supreme Court to accelerate investigations already under way. In September, he dismissed five governors and changed leading positions in nearly a third of the country’s provinces.
Real and suspected waste and misspending turned parts of the Afghan population against aid workers, with their relatively large salaries and expensive cars, according to local independent watchdog Integrity Watch Afghanistan.
Humanitarian crisis
Civilians have borne the brunt of years of conflict and underdevelopment. Thousands are killed every year and millions have been displaced. An estimated 42 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, and nearly 60 percent is chronically malnourished.
The Taliban insurgency has forced many schools and health clinics to close. At least 45 percent of school-age kids do not attend even primary school and many families have little or no access to health care.
Natural disasters also affect tens of thousands of people every year, including earthquakes, frequent floods and, for many years, severe drought.
Humanitarian needs increased in 2013, mainly because of the worsening conflict, and U.N. experts say the needs are likely to rise even further as a result of the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2014.
Aid agencies’ access to the most vulnerable decreased because of a rising number of attacks on aid workers and offices, and cuts to a U.N. air service, which have hampered access to the country’s southeast.
Some Afghan non-governmental organisations and movements, including the Afghan Red Crescent Society, have greater access than international NGOs.
Aid agencies are particularly concerned about people in the country’s southeast, northeast and northwest, where there are reports of growing numbers of people displaced and limited access to those in need.
Some aid is channelled through Provincial Reconstruction Teams run by foreign troops, and many aid agencies use armed convoys to move around. As a result, aid workers are seen by the Taliban and other armed groups as being an extension of NATO forces and therefore seen as legitimate targets. Scores of aid workers have been wounded, kidnapped or killed.
Violence is not the only threat to life. Children die of easily preventable diseases, and malnutrition. Afghanistan is one of three "polio endemic" countries with most cases in the turbulent south, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Tuberculosis is another major public health challenge. Experts say women in particular suffer high rates because they tend to spend most of their time indoors and have less access to medical care than men do.
The results of the Afghanistan Mortality Survey, released in 2011, raised major questions among health experts about the reliability of data both past and present for maternal and infant death rates, and average life expectancy.
For example, the survey concluded that average life expectancy is about 60 years, compared with previous estimates of 49 years.
The survey was carried out by the Afghan government and U.N. World Health Organization.
Drugs
Afghanistan produces 74 percent of the world's opium, the United Nations says. The Taliban, which banned cultivation during their rule, are now exploiting the trade to fund their insurgency. The majority of poppy fields are in the country's south and southwest where the Taliban are most active.
Eradication efforts infuriate farmers who say they would be destitute without their crops. Many farmers depend on loans provided by drug traders as a down payment for the subsequent drug harvest.
Former U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke said in 2009 attempts to destroy crops had been ineffective. They penalised the farmers and had no impact on the Taliban's earnings from the trade – rather it helped them recruit.
However, poppy eradication continues.
One of the main tools in combating the narcotics trade involves fostering alternative livelihoods. The idea is to wean farmers away from poppy cultivation by offering them fertilisers and seeds for legal crops.
Drug addiction does not just affect those beyond Afghanistan's borders – there are more than one million addicts in the country, according to UNODC. Drug use is high among refugees returning from Iran and Pakistan.
Women
During the Taliban years, the regime prohibited women from attending universities and shut girls' schools in Kabul and other cities, although primary schooling did go on in many other areas of the country. Earning a living was also very difficult, a tragedy in a country with tens of thousands of war widows – in Kabul alone there are estimated to be up to 50,000.
Today, women have the right to vote and are elected to parliament. Millions of girls go to school and women are allowed to work outside the home. Fawzia Koofi is the country’s leading female politician, and intends to run for president in 2014 despite several assassination attempts.
Other female leaders have been targeted, too. In Laghman province, the local director of women's affairs, Naija Sediqi, was assassinated in December 2012. She had been in the role for five months, following the assassination of her female predecessor Hanifa Safi. Although their murders were attributed to the Taliban, women’s groups have complained that there were no thorough investigations carried out.
The daily life of many women is still dominated by the threat of violence and backbreaking toil, and women generally are kept from public roles especially in rural areas in what is one of the most conservative countries in the world.
Many girls are married off as children or young teenagers, and the vast majority never learn to read or write.
Human Rights Watch says violence against women and girls remains rampant, including domestic violence, sexual violence, and forced marriage.
In many cases, women who are raped are charged with immorality and imprisoned. They can also be jailed for running away from their husband.
In May 2013, Afghanistan’s parliament failed to ratify a bill banning underage and forced marriage, domestic violence, rape and forced prostitution.
Links
The Feinstein International Center has published several in-depth reports on aid in Afghanistan, including Winning hearts and minds? Examining the relationship between aid and security in Afghanistan (Jan 2012) and Afghanistan: Humanitarianism unravelled? (2010).
The Afghan Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium (HRRAC) produces useful reports on Afghans' views.
The Afghanistan Mortality Survey (2010) showed improvements in maternal and infant death rates, as well as average life expectancy. But the gains are so great that experts are questioning its accuracy.
The think tank International Crisis Group has lots of information about Afghanistan's conflict past and present.
UNICEF has plenty of facts and figures on children in Afghanistan. Save the Children also has some useful background.
Another good site is Pajhwok Afghan News, the country's largest local news service. The news is broad-based and some of the reporters benefit from a wealth of local contacts, although inaccuracies sometimes pop up. Note that you have to pay to access some of the material. The service runs stories in Dari, English and Pashto.
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), an international journalism organisation, carries well-written features on the country.
iCasualties is an independent site which keeps track of foreign troop casualties in the country, breaking it down by province and nationality.
The International Security Assistance Force site has details of foreign troop numbers and contributions.
Afghanistan Online says it is the biggest and most visited Afghan website.
For Afghan feminism, consult the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, which was founded in 1977 by women intellectuals. The organisation supports women's rights and education.
UNHCR's Afghanistan page has useful statistics on refugees and the internally displaced. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also has good background.
The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief alliance of aid agencies has useful reports on aid in Afghanistan.
Both ACBAR and Human Rights Watch have raised grave concerns about the impact of the conflict on civilians.
For information on demining see the Landmine Monitor report on Afghanistan.
Timeline
A chronology of events since the end of the Soviet occupation. It does not include many of the attacks on civilians that have happened since 2001 and have been blamed on both the United States and Taliban.
1989 - Last Soviet soldier leaves under 1988 agreement. Moscow-installed Najibullah government remains in place in Kabul
1992 - Communist government collapses. Mujahideen groups set up a government which is riven by factionalism. Country disintegrates into civil war
1994 - Battles reduce much of Kabul to rubble. Mullah Mohammed Omar, a Muslim cleric, sets up Taliban movement of Islamic students, who take up arms, capture Kandahar and advance on Kabul
1996 - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who fought with mujahideen groups against Soviet occupation, returns to Afghanistan. Taliban take Kabul, hang former President Mohammad Najibullah and set up Islamic state
1997 - Afghanistan renamed Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Taliban impose their version of Islam. But ethnic Uzbek factional chief Abdul Rashid Dostum retains control in five northern provinces
1998 - Taliban take northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, massacring at least 2,000 mainly ethnic Hazara civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. Bamiyan, a Hazara stronghold in the centre of the country, follows. Taliban later destroy colossal stone Buddhas of Bamiyan
Northern Alliance, made up of non-Pashtun mujahideen militias, fights back against Taliban
U.S. forces bomb suspected al Qaeda bases in southeast in reprisal for bombings of U.S. embassies in east Africa
1999 - United Nations imposes sanctions to force Taliban to turn over bin Laden
2001
Sep - Al Qaeda-linked suicide bombers assassinate military head of Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masood
Sep 11 - Al Qaeda suicide plane hijackers attack New York and Washington, killing thousands
Oct - U.S. begins bombing Afghanistan to root out bin Laden and his Taliban protectors
Nov - Northern Alliance forces enter Kabul as Taliban leaders flee
Dec - Afghan groups sign deal in Bonn on an interim government headed by Hamid Karzai, a leader from the biggest ethnic group, the Pashtun
First members of multinational peacekeeping force arrive
Interim authority takes power. Bonn plan says an emergency Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, must be held in six months
2002
Jun - Emergency Loya Jirga agrees on a transitional authority. Karzai sworn in as its head
2003
Nov - French UNHCR worker Bettina Goislard shot dead by suspected Taliban militants in Ghazni town, leading to suspension of many aid missions in south and east
2004
Jan - Rival factions at the Loya Jirga agree on a constitution, paving way for first free elections
Oct - Presidential elections. Karzai sworn in on Dec 7. Parliamentary vote is put off amid security concerns and logistical problems
2005
Sep - Elections held for a lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga, and provincial councils. Former commanders of military factions, three ex-Taliban officials and women activists win seats
Dec - Parliament sits for first time
2006
Jan - International conference in London promises Afghanistan economic and military support in return for pledges to fight corruption and drugs trade
Aug - Suicide bomber rams his car into a NATO convoy in Kandahar killing 21 civilians in the worst suicide attack to date
Oct - NATO assumes responsibility for security across the whole of the country after taking command in the east from a U.S.-led coalition force
2007 - Taliban step up suicide attacks throughout the country
Jan - Karzai says he's open to talks with Taliban
Feb - Taliban threaten a spring offensive of thousands of suicide bombers as U.S. doubles its combat troops and takes over command of NATO force from Britain
Mar - NATO and Afghan forces launch Operation Achilles, targeting Taliban and allied drug lords in Helmand
Nov - More than 70 people, mostly schoolboys are killed, in a suicide bombing in the northern town of Baghlan. The dead include six members of parliament
Dec - Afghanistan expels two senior EU and UN envoys after accusing them of making contact with the Taliban
2008
Feb - A suspected suicide bombing kills more than 100 people in Kandahar in the most deadly attack since the ousting of Taliban.
Jun - Donors pledge around $20 bln in aid at Paris conference
Sep - Karzai offers peace talks and asks Saudi Arabia to help with negotiations. Taliban however refuse to negotiate
Dec - Afghanistan and Pakistan decide to form joint strategy to fight militants in their border regions
2009
Feb - U.N. says 2,100 civilians killed in 2008 - a 40 percent rise on 2007
U.S. President Barack Obama announces he plans to send another 17,000 U.S. troops. Karzai says Afghanistan turning a new page in relations with United States
May - U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates replaces commander of U.S. forces with Gen Stanley McChrystal, saying the battle against the Taliban needs "new thinking"
July - U.S. army launches major offensive against Taliban in Helmand province
Taliban call on Afghans to boycott presidential and provincial elections
Aug - Elections marred by widespread Taliban attacks, low turnout and claims of serious fraud
Oct - Electoral Complaints Commission declares tens of thousands of votes invalid and calls for a run-off election
Nov - Run-off presidential vote cancelled after Karzai's remaining challenger Abdullah Abdullah pulls out saying the vote cannot be free and fair. Karzai declared president for a second term
Dec - Obama decides to raise troop numbers to 100,000 and says will begin withdrawing forces by 2011
2010
Feb - Taliban reject Karzai's invitation to a peace council
NATO-led forces launch Operation Moshtarak to try and secure Helmand province
Karzai takes control of the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission, which helped expose massive fraud in October presidential election
Jul - International agreement to transfer control of security from foreign to Afghan forces by 2014. General David Petraeus takes command of U.S. forces
Aug - Independent Election Commission says over 900 polling centres will be closed due to security fears during Sep. parliamentary elections
United States says Karzai ban on all foreign private security firms may affect aid and development work
United Nations says civilian casualties up by 31 percent since 2009, with Taliban responsible for 76 percent of deaths
Unidentified gunmen kill 10 aid workers, including 8 foreigners, in Badakshshan province
Sep - Parliamentary elections pass off relatively smoothly despite a Taliban threat to disrupt the poll
Nov - NATO agrees plan to hand control of security to Afghan forces by 2014-end
Dec - Final election results announced
2011
Mar - The number of civilians killed by fighting rose 15 percent in 2010, compared with 2009, United Nations says. A total of 2,777 civilians were killed during 2010, 75 percent of them by Taliban
Apr - Violent protests break out against Koran burning in a U.S. church. At least seven foreign U.N. workers are killed when protesters storm the U.N. compound in Mazar-e Sharif
May - Bin Laden shot dead by U.S. special forces near Pakistan's main military academy in the northwestern garrison town of Abbottabad
Taliban launch “spring offensive”
Jun - U.S. President Obama announces 10,000 U.S. troops to leave during 2011, and another 23,000 by Sep. 2012
U.S. says it is participating in Afghan Peace Council talks with Taliban
268 civilians reported killed in May, highest monthly toll since 2007
Jul - Senior government officials assassinated, including Karzai's half-brother who was governor of Kandahar
ISAF forces hand over security of seven regions to Afghan troops
United Nations says 1,462 civilians killed by conflict during first half of 2011, a rise of 15 percent from the same period in 2010 and the highest since 2001
General John Allen replaces General David Petraeus as head of ISAF, U.S. forces
Sep - Militants carry out major attack on U.S. embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul, killing 27 people. Officials blame Taliban-linked Haqqani Network, and U.S. top military commander accuses Pakistan of backing attack
Human Rights Watch report says Afghan militias and police are committing serious abuses
Oct - India and Afghanistan sign strategic partnership
Bomb near U.N. housing and assault on NGO offices in Kandahar kill at least five people
U.N. report is released, detailing torture of detainees by Afghan security officials
Karzai says the government is to abandon peace talks with Taliban and focus on dialogue with Pakistan
Nov - Hundreds of political elite attending a loya jirga traditional assembly endorse Karzai's bid to negotiate a 10-year military partnership with the United States
Dec - Pakistani Sunni militants Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claim responsibility for attacks on Shia holy day Ashura, killing more than 80 people and injuring at least 100
Pakistan boycotts Bonn conference on Afghanistan
2012
Jan - A leaked NATO report says the Taliban, with Pakistan support, is poised to retake control after NATO withdrawal
Taliban said had opened an office in Qatar as part of confidence building measures agreed on with U.S. and German govts
Feb - Reports of NATO troops burning copies of Koran trigger violent country-wide protests
NATO, UK and France recall civilian staff from ministries after two senior U.S. military officers killed in Afghan Interior Ministry. Taliban claim responsibility
United Nations says the civilian death toll rose in 2011 to 3,021
Mar - U.S. soldier Robert Bales shoots 17 villagers including 9 children in Kandahar’s Panjawi district.
Taliban break off prisoner exchange talks with U.S.
Apr - U.S. and Afghanistan agree a strategic partnership deal
Taliban launches a multi-city “spring offensive” in Kabul, Nangahar, Logar and Paktika provinces
Pakistan, Afghanistan and United States discuss reviving peace talks
May - NATO summit says 2014 withdrawal of troops “irreversible”
ISAF announces al-Qaeda second-in-command killed in Kunar province
Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban minister and key member of the High Peace Council, is killed in Kabul. The Taliban deny responsibility
Jul - Tokyo donor conference pledges $16 billion in aid, and promises to channel more aid through the Afghan government if Afghanistan does more to tackle corruption
Aug - U.S. military discipline six soldiers for inadvertently burning copies of the Koran in February
2013
Mar - Two former Kabul Bank chiefs are jailed for a massive fraud that nearly led to the collapse of the entire Afghan banking system in 2010
Jun - NATO forces hand over command of all military and security operations to Afghan army
Aug - Robert Bales is jailed for life for massacring unarmed villagers in March 2012
http://www.trust.org/spotlight/Afghan-turmoil/?tab=background
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Waging Peace: Canada in Afghanistan FULL DOCUMENTARY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMyiTRMDp_c
Published on Dec 29, 2012
Canada's Only Independently funded and filmed documentary on our mission in Afghanistan. http://www.wagingpeacefilm.com
Follows Canadian Richard Fitoussi on a personal quest into the fiercest parts of Afghanistan's war-torn southern frontier to learn why Canadian soldiers are dying in a mission that has sparked more controversy than any other military intervention in Canadian history.
Embedded with the Canadian military alongside established war correspondents. Fitoussi sees for himself what is at stake for the Afghan people and the Canadians who serve in our name.
As his journey unfolds, Fitoussi is faced with the realites of modern day peacekeeping, and tries to distinguish between the reality on the ground and the rhetoric of the U.S. led "war on terror". In the end he witnesses the ultimate sacrifice of young Canadians in a journey that nearly costs him his life.
COMMENT:
I agree, I believe that Canadians are indeed the better basic soldiers and are more resourceful than our soldiers. I just meant that the USA's military has more resources and a larger budget to allow for more types of training.
Generally though, when comparing Canadian and American soldiers, the Canadian soldiers tend to operate better than ours.
Also, there is a large amount of military cooperation between the? US and Canada too, so we're designed to be interoperable with each other anyways. :)
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In Honour of Our Canadian men and women who serve/d- land, sea, air- Military, Militia, Reservists and Rangers..... thank u.... WHEN I FIND MYSELF IN TIMES OF TROUBLE- MOTHER MARY COMES 2 ME...SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM...LET IT BE....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHujjyUQTMw
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It isn’t just members of the military who need our help — it’s their families, too.
(Uncle Harold said during WWII- Churchill promised a house 4 each hero.... instead - the wounded instead of being honoured- were.... h-i-d-d-e-n in grey buildings with few windows... and very few ever got a house... let alone a roof, food, a bed... and a life...)- ALL NATO TROOPS ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME.... these days... homelessness, PTSD, Soldiers of Suicide- their buddies died in Afghanistan and the burden of being a survivor is 2 much- so Afghanistan stole their souls- the absolute evil of persians and arabs murdering with such vicious cowardice... is beyond a soldier, sailor, airman, ranger with honour...imho... our wounded deserve the best education and life... all troops deserve university and family care of 1st class - it's the least we can do.... our troops are the difinition of who we are... as... Canadians... imho
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2013 CANADA- AFGHANISTAN- Travelling memorial honours the fallen
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
2013 CANADA- AFGHANISTAN- Travelling memorial honours the fallen… honour, dignity, respect and most of all thanks and prayers
The Memorial Vigil
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
The Memorial Vigil
One of the ways the DND/CAF are commemorating the service of Canadian personnel is through an Afghanistan Memorial Vigil. The Memorial Vigil contains 190 plaques representing 201 fallen: 158 CAF members, one Canadian diplomat, one Canadian civilian contractor, one Canadian journalist and 40 United States Armed Forces members who were under Canadian command.
As of 9 July, the Vigil is open to the public in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill. It will remain there throughout the summer until, at a later date, it will travel across Canada to a variety of cities and Canadian Forces Bases to ensure all families of our fallen and Canadians have the opportunity to view it.
With approximately 900 CAF members currently deployed in Afghanistan as part of Operation ATTENTION, important contributions continue to be made. The Vigil commemorates the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of CAF members during Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, and recognizes the support of military families, friends, and all Canadians.
By the end of Canada’s current training mission in Afghanistan in March 2014, the CAF will have been in Afghanistan about the same length of time as the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War combined. Once the last CAF troops have come home, the Government of Canada, including the DND/CAF, will take additional steps to recognize and commemorate all of the work and sacrifices Canadians have made in Afghanistan.
http://nova0000scotia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/2013-canada-afghanistan-travelling-memorial-honours-the-fallen-honour-dignity-respect-and-most-of-all-thanks-and-prayers/
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CANADA
The Trews - Highway of Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkgV5bl7kQ
"Highway of Heroes", was co-written and co-produced by The Trews and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar) and was inspired by the 2006 death of Captain Nichola Goddard from The Trews' hometown of Antigonish, NS. Canada's Highway of Heroes, is the section of the MacDonald-Cartier freeway named to honour those who have sacrificed all in service of country.
You can purchase "Highway of Heroes" world-wide exclusively via iTunes. http://bit.ly/dbVi6d
Net proceeds from sales will benefit the Canadian Hero Fund ( http://www.herofund.ca ), an organization that assists the families of Canadian military personnel through academic scholarships.
The video was directed by Tim Martin
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Canadian soldiers well prepared for mission: study
November 8th, 2013 Bryan Alary
Ibolja Cernak (second left) spent the entire month of October working shoulder-to-shoulder with Canadian troops, studying their resilience, stress and coping.
As the Canadian Military and Veterans' Chair in Clinical Rehabilitation at the University of Alberta, Ibolja Cernak undertakes every research project with one goal in mind: to help our soldiers and veterans lead healthier, productive lives.
That's why Cernak has conducted clinical studies on Canadian Armed Forces bases, and why she just spent the entire month of October working shoulder-to-shoulder with the troops, studying their resilience, stress and coping.
The work is part of a study of resilience in troops before, during and after deployment—information that can be used to improve their training and support, and ultimately improve their quality of life. After completing baseline testing with 120 Canadian troops prior to deployment, measuring responses to visual stimuli, memory and impulse control in addition to biological data, Cernak found that while stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, in many cases soldiers' responses improved.
"If you look at the performance as a whole, the pre-deployment training did a good job preparing soldiers. Canadian soldiers are extremely well trained," Cernak said, citing strong motor skill response to signals and a keen ability to multi-task as some of the more notable improvements. "Very often soldiers are switching back and forth on several tasks. It is quite impressive."
Testing also identified categories where performance was not as strong, including impulse control and spatial memory—areas that could be improved through modified training, she said. The research also identified more than two dozen soldiers identified as being in need of followup care for physical ailments that make them more susceptible to injury or chronic illness, or in need of mental health support.
Canada's role in Afghanistan is to support the transition of security to Afghanistan forces. Despite the non-combat role, working from a military base presented logistical challenges and unparalleled experiences Cernak could not have gained from being in a lab halfway across the globe. Basic lab tasks such as freezing biological samples required hauling a freezer from base to base to base—six in total.
"It becomes quite palpable how the little things, like keeping biological samples frozen, present a challenge in Afghanistan. You don't think about that when you're back home in a research lab where you have everything at your disposal," she said. "All of the logistics was provided by the Canadian task force, which was actually quite complicated. Their help was truly impressive. I could not have completed this work without such strong support from the Canadian Armed Forces."
Remembering the sacrifices of our military and veterans
Cernak's research is supported in part through funding from the Royal Canadian Legion Alberta-NWT Command, True Patriot Love, and the late Harry Hole. Wayne Donner, Alberta-NWT Command president, lauded Cernak's efforts to help improve the quality of life for veterans, whose sacrifices are always apparent and particularly meaningful at this time of year.
"It is through her research and that of the University of Alberta's Military and Veterans' Rehabilitation Program that we hope to improve the quality of life of our veterans," Donner said. "The branches in Alberta-NWT Command are proud to support this research."
The next stage in Cernak's study involves testing soldiers after they return from Afghanistan and measuring how they're affected by their experiences and readjustment to life at home. Every participant to date has agreed to continue with the study, citing the overall importance the research has to their quality of life. The study is also open to more volunteers, including veterans, first responders and those who work in high-stress occupations such as mining and oil and gas, among others.
Cernak will speak about her research at the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research's 2013 forum, which this year is co-hosted by the U of A.
http://phys.org/wire-news/145354188/canadian-soldiers-well-prepared-for-mission-study.html
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Music Video of Canadian Heroes - One and All- God is watching.... each and all and holding u close to Him- WATCH THE CHILDREN- can't stop crying
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoF6NKaThUA
Music video of "Canadian Heroes", written for the Canadian Forces Troops. Check out: www.canadianheroes.com This new song for the Canadian Troops is amazing!!
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Heaven was needing a hero (Hommage Canadien 2012 Canadian Tribute)-Jo Dee Messina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQzp3mOBgw
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with love
UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand - Brothers in Arms
<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VT6rGUaOOtk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VT6rGUaOOtk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT6rGUaOOtk
Published on Jun 24, 2012
Putting a side politics and hatrid, like it or not, we are brothers. Until you have served for you country along side you allies, I guess you truly don't know what it means to have your allies aside you. Fighting, for your freedom.
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UN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS- $$$$6 BILLION A YEAR
Yet, there is very little anti-corruption guidance on offer to peacekeepers. There is no U.N. peacekeeping policy specifically focused on corruption.
This has alarming implications for the success of missions and for the rights and security of civilians that peacekeeping forces are deployed to protect.
There is a sense among peacekeeping and foreign policy professionals that because corruption is difficult, it is better to adapt and to cope with it, rather than to recognise it more formally and address it. There are many cases in which turning a blind eye to corrupt practices has threatened the success of a mission.
Corruption and peacekeeping: Getting it right
Source: Thu, 3 Oct 2013 03:27 PM
Author: Hiruy Gossaye
http://www.trust.org/item/20131003152756-uvdy6/?source=dpagehead
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Dr. Abdullah Abdullah... the Nelson Mandela of Afghanistan- loved by Afghan youth, elders and everyday Afghans and the Afghan military and cops.... he's the face of Afghanistan and youth love him.... the next president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan....
President Karzai Meets With Abdullah
Saturday, 26 October 2013 19:28 Last Updated on Saturday, 26 October 2013 21:59 Written by Aazem Arash
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a Presidential candidate and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with President Hamid Karzai on Saturday to discuss issues related to the spring elections.
Dr. Abdullah was one of the 10 Presidential candidates who made the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) preliminary list of eligible contenders released on Tuesday. He received the highest amount of support amongst all the candidates in a nationwide phone survey conducted in coordination between TOLOnews and ATR Consulting two weeks ago.
"The reason for the meeting was to discuss issues related to the election," Dr. Abdullah told TOLOnews
The two men met at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, accompanied by Dr. Abdullah's vice presidential running mates, Eng Mohammad Khan and Haji Mohammad Mohaqeq.
Dr. Abdullah, who competed in the 2009 Presidential election, reportedly urged President Karzai to focus greater resources to providing security for the election and vigilence in preserving the autonomy of the IEC and Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), which are the two bodies charged with overseeing the election process and implementing the Election Laws.
"President Karzai welcomed our position and assured that he would not back any candidates and the government would be completely impartial," he said.
The meeting was said to have been held at the request of Dr. Abdullah.
Whether or not other Presidential candidates intend to hold similar sit-downs with the President remains to be seen.
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/12383-president-karzai-meets-with-abdullah
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Afghanistan's untold success story
Foreign Policy By Melissa L. Skorka October 22, 2013
Managing Afghanistan's nascent industrial base will be critical as the nation attempts to build a modern economy that is increasingly less dependent on foreign aid. Today, there is great room for optimism as Afghanistan moves toward the post-transition period. Despite having a GDP that was made up almost entirely of outside aid in 2011 and 2012, certain industries -- including the Afghan telecommunications, agricultural, and mining sectors -- have begun to demonstrate remarkable growth and potential, leading to the vital stability needed for a viable, diversified marketplace.
Experts estimate that Afghanistan holds deposits of $1 trillion to $3 trillion of oil, gas, gold, copper, iron ore, and other natural resources. Of this subset, perhaps the most intriguing is the country's marble industry, which is further along in its exploitation than other areas, and whose emergence is an instructive success story on seeding enterprise in the war zone. As commodity cycles turn, prices increase, and large-scale resource extraction projects scale up, Afghanistan is focusing on the industry as an anchor for the development of its resource corridor. According to the Afghanistan Investment and Support Agency, the Afghan marble industry has expanded by 60 percent since 2008, a growth that has positives effects on other industries as well.
Economic considerations aside, Afghanistan's post-2014 future will be heavily tied to its security situation. In geostrategic hot spots around the world, counterinsurgency experts have long argued that adequate development and economic prosperity follow security. But if there is a successful strategy that upends this conventional wisdom, it may lie in western Afghanistan, where the development of the nation's multi-billion dollar mining industry is growing the economy and consequently forcing improvements in the security sector. In essence, as businesses have begun to flourish, despite the lack of fully settled security, Afghans have moved swiftly against nefarious actors to ensure that they do not impact the flow of marble and revenue generation.
Ultimately, an economy is built out through trade, not aid, as growth and new jobs are the most sustainable way to raise living standards. With increasing exports across Europe and Asia, the Afghan marble sector already earns at least $15 million per year and remains the top marble producer in the region. If present maturation trends hold, the marble sector could generate nearly $700 million in exports by 2018.
Over the last five years, other sectors have also demonstrated robust growth: the Afghan media, health, and agriculture sectors (dry fruits and seeds, which surpassed carpets as Afghanistan's primary export) have all shown impressive development. However, these areas rely to a significant extent on the funds available from foreign aid, and subsequently have not generated sizable, sustainable profits that maximize the sectors' full potential. Conversely, certain large-scale mining activities have turned a profit relatively quickly and have continued to expand at a dynamic rate, especially as innovative Afghan companies increasingly access a burgeoning global market for the nation's rare, world-class materials.
Since 2008, Afghans have sharply focused on the country's export capacity to meet the rise in international demand for high-end stone. Since its introduction to the global market, Afghan white stone, a marble noted for its unusually rich quality and rainbow color, has been actively sought by some of the world's wealthiest buyers -- industry insiders -- who are engaged in a continuous price war for the most expensive marble products. By increasing its share in this highly competitive market, Afghanistan is already carving out broader regional economic relevance, with the World Bank concluding that "in a scenario with higher investment in mining development, growth could increase to 6.9 per cent on average until 2025, and fiscal revenues could reach 2-4 percent of GDP in the early 2020s, depending on the number and scale of the exploited mines and the pace of their development." The potential earnings from the mining trade are therefore poised to become an important source of fiscal revenue, as well as a vehicle for creating jobs, developing infrastructure, and ensuring national economic growth. The key remains strategic management and investment.
The largest marble producer in Afghanistan, Equality Capital Management (ECM), founded in 2006 by Nasim and Adam Doost, has implemented a successful framework for foreign direct investment and economic growth. In Herat province, located in western Afghanistan, ECM has secured multi-million dollar commitments from leading international firms by offering an exclusive right to its top-grade marble, in exchange for modern production machinery, mining refinement technology, and technical support from geology and engineering experts. As a result of this business model and efficient management, ECM has helped bring the Afghan mining sector in line with international standards, while also using public-private partnerships to improve infrastructure, power reliability, and access to deepwater ports that are crucial to making the industry competitive.
The effects of these improvements have been clear. Since ECM's introduction of Afghan marble to some of the world's top stone importers in 2008, it has become a highly sought commodity -- a global-luxury good competing with Carrara marble, an Italian stone generally recognized as one of the finest in the world. Consequently, ECM's current portfolio boasts foreign buyers from a vast lineup of nations, including China, India, Italy, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. Afghan stone is increasingly used in prestigious construction projects across the world, such as the building of China's St. Regis Shenzhen, a premier five-star international hotel, and in the new headquarters of Margraf Industria Marmi Vicentini, a century-old firm and the fourth largest marble exporter in the world with ties to some of the world's most distinguished architecture.
Because not all foreign companies are keen to enter an unproven market in a war zone, Afghan leadership in cultivating joint ventures to share risks and costs in regions fraught with danger has been critical to the industry's growth. The combination of security operations and economic growth sprouting from these marble-for-security deals, in which Afghan business owners provide marble to the Afghan government in exchange for hard security guarantees, has created challenges for the insurgency. Pursuing this course, "the Afghan National Army has taken the lead and a more active approach to secur[ing] the marble mines, checkpoints, and transit routes over the last six months," notes a senior U.S. military official of Regional Command West. As a result of such deals, in order to guard the industry's growth, the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Security Forces have become more responsive, reinstating the flow of commerce hindered by illicit activity and constraining the insurgency in key zones.
Given the improved security, the growth of the marble industry has created an impressive spillover effect. As noted by Mansour Rahimi, the head of the Herat Marble Union, the number of Afghan-run small-to-medium-size marble enterprises in Herat province alone has increased from four to over 40, and the number of quarries contracted with the government has grown from two to 12, a rate that Adam Doost predicts "will generate 40,000 jobs ...over the next five years in this region." In fact, many of the relatively smaller businesses working beside ECM recently established the Marble Union to help capitalize on opportunities and solve challenges facing the industry due to this growth.
The size and sophistication of the mining industry, and the direct work of Afghans themselves as owners, have made the Herat marble industry a model for Afghan businesses in other regions and industries, such as barite, gold, limestone, lithium, tin, and even oil and gas. Acknowledging this influence, a group of Lashkar Gah onyx dealers from Helmand province in southern Afghanistan recently toured several Herat manufacturing facilities and met with the Doost brothers and Marble Union leaders to learn from their successes. The timing of these study tours is crucial, as the Helmand business leaders are currently introducing their highly prized onyx to the global market for the first time. Afghans' direct participation in these industries is absolutely essential for long-lasting economic growth and stabilization in the region.
Despite this success, fundamental obstacles to developing the mining sector remain. Procuring stable investment and credit facilities for businesses, repairing and updating antiquated technology and infrastructure, and improving the structure and application of mining laws all remain significant challenges. To be sure, no "one-size-fits-all" solution can guide business development and the next generation of entrepreneurs who are leading the way in mining and other growth enterprises in Afghanistan. Businesses throughout the nation need more robust trade opportunities and strong partnerships with foreign investors, since the marble sector is capital intensive and driven by a technological skill base, one which is still in its relative infancy in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, drawing on the Afghan marble industry leaders' blueprint for facilitating foreign direct investment and modern technology has already provided practical steps for up-and-coming Afghan business leaders to take as they seek to achieve transformative results.
In essence, understanding why the marble-for-security model works is especially relevant to the economics implicit in counterinsurgency operations across Afghanistan and other strategic zones. Actively seeking ways to identify, study, and apply the lessons learned from the reality of the war zone -- specifically how economics are incentivizing Afghan leaders to turn against the insurgency and drive hard security and stability guarantees -- can effectively help improve growth and stabilization successes across multiple industries throughout Afghanistan for decades to come.
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Asia Society Looks to Rally Afghan Youth Leaders
Friday, 25 October 2013 18:42 Last Updated on Friday, 25 October 2013 22:33 Written by Karim Amini
On the first day of a two-day meeting organized by the Asia Society in Kabul on Friday, officials of the foundation announced that they had selected over 40 Afghan youth leaders from various fields to come together and discuss how best to address the challenges facing Afghanistan.
Sixty percent of the total Afghan population is said to be between the ages of 18 and 24, making it one of the youngest populations in the world. While that presents a challenge in so far as youth have long been marginalized from leadership in the country, for the Asia Foundation and the people gathered in Kabul for the event on Tuesday, it also presents great opportunities.
"If we can have a good football player and champions in other areas, we can have a good politician as well, and that is the goal of this foundation and the meeting today," said Ahmad Shuja, a participant on Friday.
"Over the course of the last three years, in putting together this initiative, our hope was to bring together young leaders in Afghanistan to provide a network and build a platform in an effort to increase their capacities to address the shared challenges they face looking at the future of Afghanistan," said Michael Kulma, the Executive Director of Global Leadership Initiatives at the Asia Society in Afghanistan.
The Asia Society has selected 10 to 20 Afghan youth leaders every year from governmental and nongovernmental organizations and brought them together to discuss major political, economic and social issues in Afghanistan.
The topic for this year's discussion is the potential solutions to concerns about post-2014 Afghanistan and the spring Presidential and Provincial Council elections.
"We discussed the qualities of good leaders to see who can become a leader in Afghanistan, who we can call a good leader," said Jameel Danesh who participated in Friday's gathering. "In the upcoming days, we will discuss issues related to women, the elections and 2014."
A number of participants said greater involvement of Afghan youth from a wider variety of backgrounds and professional circles would benefit the initiative.
The gathering aimed at more than just talk, however. Participants said that they would soon use the takeaways of the discussions for more practical action plans.
"Through consultation we decide our priorities and from there we start our activities," said Freshta Karim, a conference participant. "Meaning that we contact people and ask them to take part in solving the issues in their country."
The Asia Society initiative's expressed aims are centered on keeping youth around the world active in the direction of their societies. The foundation is based in New York City and has operations in over 10 countries.
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Afghan, Tajik Presidents Discuss Security
October 21, 2013 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met in Dushanbe with his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, to discuss joint efforts to bolster security as foreign forces in Afghanistan start to pull out next year.
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Afghanistan rejects release of 2500 Pakistani prisoners
By GHANIZADA - Mon Oct 21, 11:52 am Khaama Press
The government of Afghanistan has rejected the alleged release of Pakistani prisoners from the Afghanistan jails.
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Public Must Not Be Silent On Taliban's Crimes: Senators
TOLOnews.com By Rafi Seddiqi 20 October 2013
Nearly a week after Logar Governor Arsala Jamal was killed during an Eid prayer by an explosive device planted inside a Pul-e-Alam mosque's copy of the Qur'an, a number of Senators called on the public to speak out against what they considered to be the Taliban's crimes against Islam.
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Rouhani Advocates Afghan Sovereignty, Pans Foreign Meddling
TOLOnews.com By Ahmad Ramin 20 October 2013
Recently elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with his new Ambassador to Kabul, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, on Saturday. Speaking to the press, Rouhani promoted Tehran-Kabul relations, offering an overture to Afghanistan's sovereignty and criticizing foreign intrusion in its affairs.
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IEC Announces Preliminary List of 2014 Presidential Candidates
TOLOnews.com By Karim Amini 22 October 2013
After a three-day delay, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced the initial list of Presidential candidates for the spring elections. Out of 26 candidates, the IEC disqualified 16 from running and approved 10. Nearly all of the most prominent names that registered for the elections made the cut.
The following names were included by the IEC in the preliminary list of 2014 Presidential candidates:
1. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and runner-up in the 2009 elections
2. Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, former Jihadi leader and MP
3. Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, former chairman of the security transition process and former presidential candidate
4. Gul Agha Shirzai, former Minister of Urban Development and Governor of Nangarhar
5. Qayoum Karzai, brother of President Hamid Karzai
6. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
7. Abdul Rahim Wardak, former Minister of Defense
8. Qutbuddin Hilal, member of Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin faction
9. Hedayat Amin Arsala, former Presidential Advisor
10. Sardar Muhammad Nader Naeem, nephew of former Afghan President Mohammad Daoud Khan
The following names were disqualified by the IEC:
1. Anwar Ahadi
2. Abdul Hadi Dabir
3. Bismillah Shir
4. Dawar Nadim
5. Daoud Sultanzoy
6. Farooq Azam
7. Fazl Karim Najmi
8. Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai
9. Khadija Ghaznawi
10. Nader Shah Ahmadzai
11. Noor Rahman Liwal
12. Salman Ali Dostzada
13. Sarwar Ahmadzai
14. Sayed Ishaq Gilani
15. Hamidullah Qadiri
16. Aziz Ludin
According to IEC officials the reason for most of the disqualifications was that candidates failed to properly meet the 100,000 supporting voter cards threshold that the Commission put in place this year. Additionally, they said a number of the eliminated candidates held dual-citizenship.
The list published on Tuesday was not the final list, which is not expected to be completed until November 16 upon closure of all complaint cases against candidates received by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).
The IEC also announced on Tuesday that the names of at least 400 candidates for the spring Provincial Council elections were disqualified from the list of contenders amongst the nearly 3000 who registered.
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Civilians Fighting The Taliban And Winning
May 14, 2013: The government and the Taliban continue to make unsubstantiated accusations of civilian deaths because of NATO air attacks. The U.S. has become more aggressive in refuting and debunking these claims, and the official Afghan statistics still show over 80 percent of civilian deaths are caused by the Taliban and other outlaw groups. The false accusations have been around for years. It is all part of an ongoing Taliban Information War effort, in collusion with senior Afghan officials (including president Karzai himself) to use false accusations of atrocities to generate media and diplomatic pressure to force American troops out of areas where the Taliban and drug gangs are taking a beating. This use of media manipulation and corrupt Afghan officials is one of the Taliban’s most successful tactics. The Taliban gets away with this despite the fact that it’s widely known and accepted in Afghanistan that 80 percent of civilian casualties and nearly all the acts that could be described as atrocities are carried out by the Taliban. Yet the accusations keep coming. In response the Americans are collecting a lot of evidence of who did what to whom and are using it. Karzai either ignores this or declares all of the American evidence lies.
While public pressure has forced the Taliban to back off of attacking medical polio vaccination teams, the Taliban are still shutting down schools. Parents are upset about both the vaccination and school bans but they can make other arrangements for education while there is no alternative to the polio vaccination. Too many polio victims, paralyzed or dead children, are around for all too see. The Taliban tell parents that it is God’s Will but many parents believe the vaccine is God’s Will and that the evil Taliban are trying to thwart God’s Will. Rural opposition to the Taliban is on the increase. In a growing number of areas the Taliban can only operate (free from constant gunfire from hostile villagers) if they cut back on the bullying (to dress and act in ways the Taliban clerics approve of). Since the Taliban are being supported (with cash, guns, and drugs) by the drug gangs to protect drug operations, more and more Taliban are concentrating on that and leaving the civilians alone.
Another major civilian complaint against the Taliban is the continuing use of roadside bombs. Although directed mainly against soldiers and police, most of the victims are civilians. Last year the Taliban deployed nearly 15,000 of these bombs, which killed 312 foreign soldiers and 868 Afghan civilians (and nearly as many Afghan soldiers and police). The Taliban refuse to give up their use of roadside bombs, and this is another reason for civilians to pressure their clan and family leadership to organize armed militias and drive the Taliban out of their area (or at least persuade the Taliban to be less lethal to civilians).
The much touted (by the Taliban) “Summer Offensive” is often to an anemic start, with NATO deaths so far this month less than half what they were last year. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is having more and more problems with its borders (with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan ,and China). On all of them (except China) there are problems with drug smugglers who are armed and will fight if you try to stop them. About 45 percent of the drug smuggling is via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, 35 percent through Pakistan, and 30 percent through Iran. Border guards will often, but not always, take a bribe and look the other way. This works most of the time, except on the Iranian border, where special units (from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard) are based and will shoot on sight both drug smugglers and civilians coming across looking for work. The dead civilians are a growing source of friction between Iran and Afghanistan. The Iranians took in millions of Afghan refugees during the 1980s, and are still trying to force the last few hundred thousand to go home. Eastern Iran has always had a better economy than Western Afghanistan and economic refugees from Afghanistan have always been a minor problem. But with the development of opium and heroin production in Afghanistan during the 1990s, the drugs got into Iran and there developed a large number of drug addicts in Iran. This led to increasingly violent Iranian efforts to halt the drug smuggling. But the Iranian demand for drugs is too lucrative and the Afghan smugglers keep coming.
Another problem is unarmed civilians looking for work. These are shot at as well because the many Afghans in eastern Iran frequently provide local supporters for the drug smugglers. Several recent incidents of unarmed illegal migrants being killed by Iranian border police has become a major issue in Afghanistan.
On the Pakistani border there is growing tension over Islamic terrorists moving both ways (from bases in one country to carry out attacks in the other) and disputes over exactly where the border is. Afghanistan is happy where the border is currently drawn, Pakistan is not and this had led to a growing number of clashes between border guards from both countries.
The war against the drug gangs is showing progress. Two years ago the drug trade was 15 percent of GDP, but now that has fallen to ten percent. Part of the change was continued growth of the non-drug economy and the drug gangs are hurting. In response to these attacks the drug gangs continue trying to establish poppy production closer to the borders, which makes it easier to smuggle the heroin out and makes it more difficult for the government to go after drug production. Nearly all drug production is still concentrated in a few districts of Kandahar and Helmand provinces down south. These areas have become battlegrounds and it gets harder and harder to keep production going. But the rest of Afghanistan is still quite hostile to drug production (and any more of their young men becoming addicts). Efforts to get poppy production going elsewhere tend to fail because local police and warlords respond violently to that sort of thing.
May 13, 2013: The finance minister, while giving a speech in parliament, named several members of parliament as corrupt. This drew applause from other members because, while some corrupt practices (like nepotism) are widely accepted, those who steal outright, especially those who do it on a large and destructive (by crippling government economic efforts) scale are looked down on. Government anti-corruption efforts are now concentrating on these greedy officials who, even by Afghan standards (which tolerates a lot of what Westerners would consider corruption), are going too far.
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/afghan/articles/20130514.aspx
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u can't keep a Canadian Military Man down....
Captain Simon Mailloux a professional soldier
From Afghanistan to the Governor General's Aide de Camp and return to Afghanistan.CAnada should be extremely proud of this young Captain only 26. An amputee from an ied and he returns to duty in Kandahar.
Captain Simon Mailloux who lost his left leg to an IED blast is back on tour as he stands by the Kandahar Air Field Canadian Memorial at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan. (Jason Franson/Sun Media)
This is not only a story of personal courage and determination, it is the Canadian Military's code of self discipline and committment. In an earlier Blog I spoke of Captain Mailloux being part of the Governor Generals staff. He left this position with pride and his head held high as he was cleared to return to the front
Epitome of a Canadian Soldier
Published on November 30, -1
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Blog-Article/b/8461/Epitome-of-a-Canadian-Soldier
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CHINA- Governor-General of Canada David Johnston visited Sichuan University
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Canadian Forces Memorial Film Festival begins tonight
LETHBRIDGE HERALD – FORT MACLEOD
Can old war movies combat the vulgarity of a video game generation and entice young people to get to know Canada’s military history?
Organizers of the fourth annual Canadian Forces Memorial Film Festival at Fort Macleod’s Empress Theatre hope so.
This year’s weekend-long slate of films, lectures and question-and-answer sessions focuses on marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
From the start of the war in 1950 to the ceasefire in 1953, 26,791 Canadian soldiers fought in Korea. During those three years, 516 Canadian soldiers died, 1,558 were wounded and 33 were taken as prisoners of war.
The celebration is especially important now that legislation passed through Parliament in the summer officially recognizes July 27 as annual Korean War Veterans Day, said Sebastian David, the event’s organizer.
“We hope no longer is this the ‘forgotten war,’” he said.
Film festival organizers are trying to involve young people, inviting local cadets and appealing to area schools, asking that youth participate in scheduled interviews and Q and A’s with veterans – including Lethbridge Korean War veteran Don Dalke.
“I talked to one of the veterans of the Korean War the other day, asking him if he’d be prepared to come and be interviewed on stage and he said he thought not. He’s done talks to schools and so on, but he says nowadays the first question he gets asked is ‘how many did you kill?’ And I thought, that is a sad comment in a way,” David said, recalling that in his youth veterans were questioned not on the gory details but on how they felt while serving.
“And I wonder, is it video games and so on and modern movies that’s changed this, and is it maybe our job to try and put things into a better perspective?” he said.
The film festival, with funding from Veterans Affairs Canada, kicks off tonight and wraps up Sunday afternoon. The event is to include showings of “The Cruel Sea” (1953), “A Hill in Korea” (1956) and “Pork Chop Hill” (1959), as well as guest speakers Mount Royal University professor Stephane Guevremont, warrant officer Patrick David and director of Nanton’s Bomber Command Museum of Canada Karl Kjarsgaard. A schedule of events and ticket prices are online at empresstheatre.ab.ca.
http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/local-news/2013/11/canadian-forces-memorial-film-festival-begins-tonight/
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This isn't new... am in my late 60s - it's always been this way... and should be- our troops are the face of our nation- how can we ask them 2 die 4 basic freedom- especially of the most evil places on this planet where innocents are butchered and destroyed like used toilet paper... honour
Wounded ex-soldiers to be first in line for federal government jobs
OTTAWA - The Harper government has tabled legislation to ensure soldiers released from the military for medical reasons get priority for other federal jobs.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Wounded+exsoldiers+first+line+federal+government+jobs/9138940/story.html
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Owen Sound native back in Afghanistan
By Rob Gowan, Sun Times, Owen Sound
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 4:12:52 EST PM
Sgt. David Taylor maintains outer perimeter security during a joint coalition force training exercise at the Kabul Military Training Centre in the summer. (Supplied photo)
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/11/06/owen-sound-native-back-in-afghanistan
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Remember our new veterans
While Canada’s role in the Afghanistan war continues to wind down, with troops expected to be out of the country entirely by March of 2014, the Canadian Armed Forces will be less in the news.
That’s not to say, though, that the importance of Remembrance Day ceremonies should be diminished in any way and the Outlook encourages all Bow Valley residents to take part on Nov. 11.
We’re fairly certain that Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan, a shooting war as compared to the peacekeeping duties Canadians are more used to, resulted in increased numbers of attendees at Remembrance Day services in this valley and across the country.
Closer to the Korean War in scale, rather than the vast international scope of the First and Second World Wars, Afghanistan should not now be allowed to become a forgotten war as Korea came to be known.
Rather, Canadians must continue to take pride in the fact we are not a partiularly war-like people. Canadians do not throw their weight around globally, or go looking for fights. Canadians do not try to impose our will on others through force.
But, when it comes down to it, as with Afghanistan and more typical peacekeeping duties, Canadians do step up when called upon to take up arms.
We doubt the cry “Remember Afghanistan!” will ever ring out loud in this country, but the Afghanistan war should be remembered because our fellow countrymen died in a place far, far away.
Rather than let the memory of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan lapse, Canadians should remember and honour the sacrifices of our fighting troops.
We should remember, for example, the death of the first Canadian woman to die in combat, Capt. Nichola Goddard of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), in 2006. We need to remember that four PPCLI members of lost their lives in the Tarnak Farms incident when they were bombed in a friendly fire incident in 2002. We must remember the grim ramp ceremonies in Kandahar, where the bodies of Canadians from across this country were delivered by their comrades into cargo aircraft to be transferred home to their loved ones.
Finally, we need to remember the 158 Canadians killed in Afghanistan since 2001 – and have a warm thought for all those they left behind.
Going forward, Canadians have to hope that Afghanistan, a country that benefitted from the presence of our soldiers, will continue moving away from the Taliban influence that saw the rights of women and children quashed and armed rebels dictating the future of the country.
So, when the clock strikes the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month on Monday, be on-site at one of the Remembrance Day ceremonies that will take place to honour all our veterans. Remember as well that there will be Afghan veterans now back at home who will continue to suffer from the tragedies they endured.
http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20131107/RMO0902/311079987/-1/RMO09/remember-our-new-veterans
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British Army Training to Remain in Alberta
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 4, 2013) - Following a long and detailed look at the best location for the British Army to deliver its Future Training Plan, the United Kingdom (UK) has decided to continue its training at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta for the foreseeable future.
Since 1972, the Province of Alberta and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield have provided a premiere location for the British Army to train their personnel. BATUS is equipped with an excess of 1000 vehicles including a full complement of Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
Five Battle groups, each containing approximately 1400 soldiers, are trained at BATUS each year for up to 30 days at a time. Exercises are split into two phases: live fire and simulation.
"British Army Training Unit Suffield has been training at Canadian Forces Base Suffield for more than 40 years, and we are delighted and fully supportive of the UK decision to remain in Canada," said the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of National Defence. "Canadian Forces Base Suffield and BATUS have an excellent working relationship and continue to find effective ways to deliver world class training."
The size of the training area located within CFB Suffield allows all elements of a combined arms battle group (Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Engineers, Air Defence, Logistics and Equipment Support) to conduct realistic live firing training at all levels and to practice sustaining this activity over a long period of time.
Over time, BATUS has also developed long standing and fully supportive relations with the local community. Today's announcement is excellent news for BATUS, CFB Suffield, neighbouring communities, and the regional economy.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1565394#ixzz2kmc0OnMl
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Afghanistan veterans honoured with monument
By Jeff Bolichowski, The Standard
As the names of the fallen were read off, Maggie Vidal knew her brother's name could have been on the list.
Vidal's sibling, Martin Brisbois, served a tour of duty in Afghanistan safely. He was there building schools as a military police officer with the Canadian Forces.
But men he knew lost their lives in the conflict, she said — and as the names of the 158 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan were read Sunday for the dedication of a stone honouring the war, it hit home for her and family members Susan Brisbois and Saliena Lewis.
"For us, it could have been our brother. One of them could have been our brother," she said.
And she said she was moved by the stone's unveiling.
"It makes you cry," Vidal said.
The stone was unveiled Sunday at a ceremony at the Port Dalhousie cenotaph.
One by one, veterans pinned poppies to a large cross in the cenotaph's shadow as a line of dignitaries read off the names of the fallen. After each name was read, a bell tolled.
The war saw Canadians deployed from 2002 to 2011. All told, 39,558 Canadians served in Afghanistan.
Three Niagarans died during the war.
Warrant Officer Dennis Brown of St. Catharines died March 3, 2009 when an armoured vehicle he was in was hit by a roadside bomb. Royal Canadian Regiment Cpl. Albert Storm of Fort Erie died in a suicide bomb attack Nov. 27, 2006. RCR Cpl. Tyler Crooks of Port Colborne was killed during a morning foot patrol March 20, 2009.
"It's very, very important to remember that all our soldiers defend not only Canada," said Chuck Johnston, the Royal Canadian Legion's provincial financial advisory chair, who headed up the ceremony. He said Canadians fight for freedom elsewhere too.
"We're now honouring a new group of vets," he said.
"It hits me every time when I see a young person like that that that has died. These kids are in their prime. Who knows what they could have been? They could've found the cure for cancer."
Johnston said the impact of the Afghanistan conflict was keenly felt, especially in small communities. He said it seemed like everyone knew of someone who was killed.
"It was sons and daughters who were alive a few years ago, and they're gone," Johnston said.
Vidal said it's become a family tradition to visit the Port cenotaph. She said the family comes yearly to honour her father, a former president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 350.
Lifelong Port resident Sue Thibodeau said her uncles' names are inscribed on the cenotaph. She said her father served in the Second World War, two brothers served in the military and one nephew served as a peacekeeper in the Suez region.
She welcomed the Afghanistan memorial proudly.
"I think we made — as best we could — an impact there," she said.
http://www.forterietimes.ca/2013/11/03/afghanistan-veterans-honoured-with-monument
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Blood donor clinics honour Canadians who have served their country
By Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Sun
Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick.
To commemorate Remembrance Day, Canadian Blood Services has set up special in-honour clinics for specific dates and locations to pay tribute to all military service men and women who have, or are currently serving our country.
The local clinics were inspired by Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick, a Prince George resident who died in March 2010 at age 21. Cpl. Fitzpatrick was injured in the line of duty while serving with international forces in Afghanistan.
One Soldier’s Story tells his tale.
“The shared history between the military and Canada’s blood system spans more than 70 years,” said Andrew Gordon, a partnership specialist with Canadian Blood Services.
“This month, more than 10,700 blood donations are needed in the B.C./Yukon region. We’re asking folks to donate blood in November and remember the power of giving.”
Canada’s voluntary blood system was born following the last year of World War II when about 890,000 blood donations were collected from Canadian donors for military hospitals.
The partnership between the Department of National Defense and Canadian Blood Services reflects the long-standing relationship between the two national organizations.
Canadian Blood Services is occasionally still asked to ship blood and blood products to military hospitals to treat Canadian soldiers.
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Blood+donor+clinics+honour+Canadians+have+served+their+country/9118774/story.html
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Bradford bulids memorial to Afghanistan soldiers
Next Monday we’ll stop to think of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And in Bradford today, the local legion took some time to recognize Canadian soldiers who died in Afghanistan.
Sapper Brian Collier's family was at the Royal Canadian Legion to see this plaque unveiled. Collier was from Bradford, and died in July 2010 while serving in Afghanistan. His name and photo are on the board, along with the 157 other Canadian soldiers who died there. The Collier family wants to see all soldiers honoured this time of year.
“Canadians, Americans, Europeans,” Jim Collier, Brian's father, says. “Everybody that thinks for the right reasons and this is the right reason because people are getting recognized. Soldiers are getting recognized for the right reasons.”
The board was created by Russell Kelly, and it took him about two months to design and build. The legion will be holding the annual Remembrance Day parade next Sunday. It starts at 12:30 in the afternoon.
http://barrie.ctvnews.ca/bradford-bulids-memorial-to-afghanistan-soldiers-1.1526252
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Woodlawn Bowl raises thousands of dollars for Wounded Warriors
GUELPH—By the time its fundraising effort for Wounded Warriors Canada wraps up Saturday, Woodlawn Bowl will have about $45,000 to turn over to the organization.
Wounded Warriors Canada, founded in 2006, is a non-profit organization that helps Canadian Forces members who have been wounded or injured in the service. It offers soldiers a wide range of support programs, and bridges service gaps that impact the lives of wounded soldiers and their families. Mental health, and in particular post traumatic stress disorder, is a focus of the organization.
"These are all soldiers that came back from the war with shell shock or missing limbs," said Jan Kleppe, who co-owns the recently renovated bowling alley with Bob McKay. "We've raised about $45,000 for them, and the closing ceremonies and final tournament for it is Saturday night."
http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/4187159-woodlawn-bowl-raises-thousands-of-dollars-for-wounded-warriors/
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Coast guard vessel to be named after soldier killed in 2008 TheChronicleHerald.ca
The Canadian Coast Guard said Thursday the sixth of its Hero Class vessels — a ship named for a young soldier killed in Afghanistan — has been accepted into the fleet. ... Butler said he and McLaren served in the same reserve regiment.
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