Merry Christmas & Remembering Those Who Serve

I think Tim Dunne, a Halifax-based communications consultant and military

affairs analyst, a Research Fellow with Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies and a member of the Royal United Services Institute (NS) Security Affairs Committee said it best in his article published in the Halifax Chronicle Herald on December 21st, 2011:

The song I’ll Be Home For Christmas has become hugely significant for anyone away from home during the holiday season, but there are many who won’t be joining their families for gift-opening around the tree and the family Christmas dinner.

Canadian Forces members travel extensively to exotic areas of the world, but seldom to tourist destinations. The duties and responsibilities of our military personnel are often physically dangerous and emotionally challenging. Fortunately for many of us, these situations can be crowded out of our thoughts at this time of year as we are surrounded by family and friends.

As we begin our Christmas celebrations, there are almost 1,300 fellow Canadians on military operations and peacekeeping missions far away, where Christmas traditions are often unknown and unwelcome.

•While combat operations are over in Afghanistan, 920 military members are participating in the NATO training mission in Kabul, code-named Operation Attention.

•Seven are assigned to Canada’s liaison team at the headquarters of U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla. — Operation Foundation.

•Five are with Operation Hamlet in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

•Nine are with Operation Sculpture, serving with the British-led military advisory and training mission in Sierra Leone.

•Six are serving with Operation Saturn, in support of the United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur.

•Nine are assigned to Operation Crocodile, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

•Fourteen are with Operation Soprano in the Republic of South Sudan.

•HMCS Vancouver and her 250 crewmembers are serving with Operation Active Endeavour, NATO’s fight against terrorism, to detect, deter and protect against terrorist activity in the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.

•Twenty-eight are with Operation Calument, Canada’s contribution to the Multinational Force and Observers at El Gorah, in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

•Three are with Operation Gladius, Canada’s contribution to the UN Disengagement Observer Force on the Israeli-Syrian border.

•Eighteen, in Operation Proteus, are working with the office of the U.S. Security Co-ordinator to build security capacity in the Palestinian Authority.

•Eight, with Operation Jade, are Canadian military observers with the Truce Supervisory Organization in the Middle East, the UN’s oldest peace support mission.

•One is with Operation Snowgoose, Canada’s contribution to the UN force in Cyprus.

•And five are assigned to Operation Kobold, the NATO force in Kosovo.

Even among those serving within Canada, many hundreds do not have the opportunity to join their families for Christmas dinner.

While almost all ships of the Royal Canadian Navy are moored to their jetties during the holiday season, none can be left unattended. Mandatory duty watches can consist of up to 10 per cent of the ships’ crews, and these duty watches rotate daily. Each of our 12 frigates has a crew of about 250 men and women.

Because Canada’s military must be available to respond to any emergency and crisis when called upon, there is a network of duty watches at army, navy and air force operations centres throughout Canada: at National Defence Headquarters; at the two RCN headquarters in Halifax and Victoria, B.C.; at the four Canadian Army headquarters in Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax; and the Royal Canadian Air Force Combined Air Operations Centre in Winnipeg.

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centres in Victoria, B.C., Trenton, Ont., and Halifax, with their Canadian Forces and Canadian Coast Guard staff members, are other agencies that must maintain continuing vigilance.

These operations centres work around the clock each and every day to ensure that the Canadian Forces maintain a situational awareness of everything that is happening within Canada, in our airspace and near our shorelines that might affect the nation’s security or require emergency services best provided by the military.

As well, each Canadian Forces base and station has a duty officer who is required to remain on base for the full 24-hour period during which she or he is assigned these responsibilities. The duty officer is the commanding officer’s representative and this assignment is in addition to the officer’s normal duties.

Like hospitals, police and fire services, Canada’s military must be alert to threats and emergencies which might affect the security of the nation or put human life in jeopardy — all day, every day.


The image at the top right is a 416(AW) Squadron CF-101B Voodoo Interceptor at CFB Chatham, New Brunswick, during the Cold War. Now, as they did then, members of Canada's Armed Services stand guard to protect us regardless of the season.

Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year!

www.daniellittle.com

What Were They Thinking?

When Halifax city council made the decision to evict the ‘Occupy Halifax’ protesters from Victoria Park, what were they thinking? Oh wait, I don’t mean that it was a bad idea. This is one of the rare occasions when I fully support a decision made by Peter Kelly and friends.

I wonder what they were thinking however, after they made the decision. Were they imagining the ‘worst-case’ scenario; cars burning, serious injuries amongst protestors and police, dozens of arrests, windows smashed and businesses looted in Halifax’s historical shopping district?

Did even one of them dare to imagine that no one would be seriously hurt, only a few arrests would take place and other than a bit of landscaping torn up, there would be no property damage at all?

In what had to be a perfect example for police departments everywhere, the Halifax Police force, seeking to confront the protestors before they had entrenched themselves back into the heart of Halifax’s downtown business and shopping district, chose the middle of a severe wind and rain storm to make their move. That strategy saved time, money, perhaps lives and definitely property.

There is no question that any advance warning to the protestors, in the form of a notice, would have resulted in a Saturday afternoon free-for-all with their numbers gorged by the inclusion of the usual suspects who live for that sort of thing (Surely, I am not the only one who notices the same faces in so many of Halifax’s protests – no matter what the subject matter).

All in all, this was a text book ending to a sad situation. The original ‘Occupy Halifax’ protest was well supported and probably would have ended in a week or so as the occupants saw their message splashed all over the media. Sadly, it was hi-jacked by street slime and unions, who are themselves corporations making money off the backs of workers, usually with little in return.

As in every other city and town around the world, Halifax’s city council said enough is enough and made the tough, proper decision to end it.

What surprises me, although it probably shouldn’t, is the amount of back stabbing from certain councilors (the usual suspects here too), who along with his detractors, are now trying to turn the decision into a bad move by Mayor Peter Kelly. Even worse, the Nova Scotia provincial government, who has no business commenting, decided to step in with their opinion, suggesting that negotiations would have won the day. I would advise them to sit at their little desks and watch the news over the coming weeks as city after city deals with this issue. It will be interesting to see how many have as little collateral damage as we did here in Halifax.

As for the whiner’s other main complaint; the police making their move on Remembrance Day; I don’t know about you, but since one of the things we commemorate on that day is the liberation of occupied cities by our brave troops, perhaps it was the perfect day for this to happen.

Daniel L Little 
www.daniellittle.com

Remember to Remember

Another Remembrance Day will soon be here and once again I ask that you take a moment to stop and give a quiet moment of thanks for those who sacrificed everything that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today, and especially give thanks to the veterans you might run into who endured things you will never, ever imagine to give you that freedom.
I know, SOME younger people question what we are giving thanks for. In their minds, the world is a horrible, warlike place and whatever sacrifices were made have certainly not brought peace to the world or enriched their lives.

It is so frustrating to hear some of them (again – SOME) go on and on about how the government did this or didn’t do that, or how their lives are so miserable because they couldn’t find a summer job this year and the neat new accessories they wanted to purchase for their iWhatevers or PS3’s or Xboxes are so expensive!

SOME of them go on about the war in Afghanistan or Libya and blame them on our government or the ‘oil corporations’ while conveniently ignoring that Canadians have been fighting and dying to restore peace to those far off lands, not for oil – news flash! – we have oil! But rather for the good of the people there.

Stepping back for a moment, I guess I can bring myself to understand where they’re coming from. Now wait, before you try to tar and feather me, think about it for a moment. All they hear from most news media outlets is how some politician did this or that and how we blindly fallow the Americans no matter what.

Do these young people know the cold chill of an air raid siren’s wail, warning that waves of bombers are about to drop tons of bombs on the very town or city they live in?

Have they ever had a teacher suddenly shout, Duck and cover!’ sending them to crouch under their school desks while they picture the infamous video of a house, first turning black from the heat and then disintegrating as the blast from a nuclear explosion hits it and wonder if that is what is about to happen to them?

Have they watched as the young girl who lived next door DARED to show up at school one day, only to be drug from the building and…

No, for most of them, the biggest problem they’ve had to endure recently was their Blackberry’s not working for a day or two. They fight back against what they think are horrible lives by ‘occupying’ places while claiming it is their way of changing things. And yet, how many of these people voted in the last election, or the one before that, or ever?

Hopefully, if they happen across a veteran who might have suffered horrible burns during WW-II while piloting a Hurricane or Spitfire, defending that city or town from those bombers, or a veteran from the Korean War who may have crouched in a foxhole on some frozen hill, waiting for hoards of men intent on killing him to rush his position, they will thank them.

Or if they run into a veteran who might have endured isolation and cold you can’t imagine while manning a radar station in the frozen Canadian north, making sure the bomber carrying that nuclear weapon didn’t obliterate their children’s school, or a younger veteran, perhaps their own age, whose eyes show a pain they will never understand, because they saw what happened to that little girl who dared go to school, they will thank them.

But please, don’t complain about your Blackberry not working right, or if you do, understand why they look at you sadly and walk away.

We live in the best country in the world at the best time, but damn it all, most of us are simply too spoiled rotten to realize it.

http://www.daniellittle.com/

Halifax Shipyards & Atlantic Canada Win! (and something about nuclear submarines)

I think I’m still in shock. Halifax really did win the contract for building the bulk of new warships for the Royal Canadian Navy and there was virtually no fallout from the decision. So, to reiterate, the selection of shipyards was based purely on merit – which yard could do the job best - and NOT based on politics. I wanted to wait before commenting because I was sure there would be fallout or a re-examination of the decision process or…something! But no, other than the interim NDP leader’s comments - what choice did she have being where their power base is now - nothing. Everyone seemed to look at the decision and simply say, ‘Yup, makes sense to me.’

Forgive me for being sceptical, but in spite of never doubting for a moment that Halifax Shipyards was obviously the best choice, having seen what’s happened in the past, I honestly expected the contract would go to Quebec. Especially with the 11th hour ‘dealing’ that was going on with Davie Shipyards and the extension added to the submission deadline so they could throw together a bid.

Like most of you who may have watched the decision announcement on television, I held my breath; knowing what should happen but hoping we here in the land of Bluenoser’s would receive at least the second, smaller contract. There was a moment’s hesitation as the translations were being messed up as usual, but the site of everyone literally going nuts at the Halifax Shipyard made me realize that what I had thought impossible had just happened.

A Canadian Federal Government had decided that enough was enough and had ensured the contract – the largest ever in Canada – would go where it SHOULD go and followed through to make sure that would happen.

What this will mean to Nova Scotia and indeed all of Atlantic Canada has been well documented so I won’t go into that here. Suffice it to say that the Royal Canadian Navy can be assured that they will once again be sailing the BEST warships in the world if they are sent in harms way.

Oh, and the peaceniks of course aren’t happy. They are already out there with their screams of, ‘Imagine what that money would buy…’ They are right of course. Imagine what that money could buy in a perfect world. It would be wonderful to see it poured all over the 99% (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself) but our world is far from perfect and we need to make sure that we have the ability to defend our freedoms and values – oh, and their right to complain about our military defending their right to…well, you get the picture.

In a 'slightly' related story, the CBC yesterday (October 28th) announced that the Harper Government was looking at buying nuclear submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy. That will teach Minister of Defence, Peter MacKay to dare verbalize his dreams. A mere suggestion of his sent our national broadcaster into a fury and the comments on their website were totally insane. Canada of course, is not buying nuclear submarines, but on the other hand, it was kind of fun to watch people who hadn’t bothered to read through the whole article dive off the deep end.

Of course many of them went on the usual rant about how Canada has never been involved with nuclear weapons and why would we start now. I would ask them to Google Canadian Nuclear Weapons. I would also suggest thet they be sure to sit down when you do because if Peter MacKay’s musing set them off, they’re really not going to like what they find out about our 'Peace Keeping' efforts during the Cold War.

http://www.daniellittle.com/

HMCS Corner Brook Oops! & Aussie Boats

Canada’s purchase of all four Upholder Class diesel electric (SSK) submarines from Britain has been both criticized and ridiculed since the first boat arrived in Canada.

First came the argument that they had sat for too long and would never become operational without a tremendous amount of work and money, by which time they would be useless. Monetary commitments in other areas of Canada’s military has slowed the progress on the boat’s becoming fully operational, but finally, all except HMCS Chicoutimi are heading in the right direction. HMCS Victoria is working up after her long refit, making room for HMCS Corner Brook, the current star of the group to enter her refit after spending a few years traveling far and wide and capturing that all important periscope shot of a ‘target’ in the form of a British aircraft carrier through her periscope. Surely that dissuaded the nay sayers as to the boat’s capabilities once and for all.

My favourite argument however has always been why didn’t we just build our own? That is a nice dream, but given the highly technical skill sets required to construct modern submarines, there was no possibility Canada would be able to manage that feat nor should we have spent the vast resources to attempt it.

In case anyone needs further convincing in regards to that, one only has to look at the other Country who contemplated purchasing the British submarines. Australia thought it over and decided to skip the Upholders’ and instead embarked on an ambitious plan to construct six units of the Collins class SSK’s.

I’ll let this article titled ‘Not a single submarine seaworthy’ tell the rest of the story - click the link to view the story from Australian National Affairs. Canada made a great deal and even with one boat currently in the water is in better shape than Australia with its six boats in various stages on inoperability.

HMCS Corner Brook recently made the news again by hitting bottom while on a training cruise. I’ve read that if you haven’t done that, you’re not trying hard enough. Personally, that’s more excitement than I’d want to experience submerged but I’m sure once Corner Brook sets sail after her refit, she and her crew will continue with their steady stream of underwater adventures.

www.daniellittle.com

A Conservative Majority Means A Safe & Secure Canada

There can be no doubt that the men and women of Canada’s military forces must be
breathing a collective sigh of relief these days. Thankfully, Canadian voters have sent a clear message to our government that threats to cancel the weapons such as the CF-35 Lightning II used by the members of the Canadian forces to protect our freedoms and the freedoms of those too weak to protect their own will not be condoned.

To suggest that we would send them in harms way with second rate equipment was not palatable by anyone except for a few party leaders trying to gain popularity with that minority of people who shun the very thing that protects their freedoms. I dread to think what a Liberal government would have had our air force flying into combat zones.

Meet the CF-35 Lightning II! One of the most advanced aircraft flying today and one we can feel secure that our pilots will be safe to fly in while protecting Canada’s interest at home and abroad.

Click here to visit the National Defence website’s information on this incredible aircraft.

Visit my website at http://conflictinthenorth.com/

Election Called While Canadian Air Force & Navy in Libya

CF-18 Hornet over Yarmouth, NS

While our brave men and women of the Canadian Air Force along with the Canadian Navy crew aboard HMCS Charlottetown are helping to protect innocent civilians in Libya, Canada is about to go through yet another useless election.

As much as I love democracy, I hate to see it abused by someone with an ego so huge, he is demanding an election at a time when all the polls (including his own) show him at rock bottom in popularity, with his party not far behind.

Ironically, he also intends to cancel the new replacement for the CF-18 Hornet aircraft we have just sent to the Libya war zone, complaining that it is too expensive and we can find something cheaper for the men and women who place their lives in danger while protecting us.

Surely they do not need stealth capability, Iggy argues, before adding, Why, these aircraft were not even tendered!

I guess his defense critic either doesn’t know, or doesn’t dare inform his leader that no one tenders modern fighter aircraft anymore. They are far too complex and expensive for any one company to produce.

Better yet, I am sure no one in the Liberal Party dares to walk up and whisper in his ear, Er…boss…we were the ones who signed on for the CF-35. It wasn’t the Conservatives.

So here we have what is unquestionably the best choice for the Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 Hornet replacement placed in jeopardy by someone with an ego that is clearly controlling his thoughts and emotions. Unbelievably, he is willing to remove Canada from an agreement which will cost us millions of dollars in future jobs for Canadians in the aerospace industry, not to mention our credibility worldwide.

Wait…do you feel it too? A feeling of déjà vu?

Of course! This is the same party (although with a different ego…er…leader) that cancelled the Sea King helicopter replacement, costing Canadian taxpayers millions, and the replacement STILL isn’t here yet putting the lives of Sea King pilots and crew in jeopardy! Thankfully, after picking up the pieces from that mess, the Stephen Harper Conservative Government has the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclones on the way.

And they say lightning can’t strike twice in the same place.

Try telling that to the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. The ONLY thing that scares those incredible people is the election of a Liberal government with the massive defense cuts that always follow.

Remember this when you vote on Election Day but more importantly, always remember the sacrifices made by so many who have given everything, that we may enjoy that right.

Also, remember the men and women who right now, as you read this, are out there ensuring your rights and freedoms remain safe.

Visit me at http://www.daniellittle.com/