 Van Arty Association and RUSI Van Members News Oct 27, 2015 Newsletter on line. This newsletter, and previous editions, are available on the RUSI Vancouver website at: http://www.rusivancouver.ca/newsletter.html Wednesday Lunches The 15 Field Officers Mess holds weekly lunches, serving a 5 course, ‘homemade’ meal for only $15- you won’t find a better meal - or a better deal, anywhere. If you are in the area on a Wednesday, drop in and join us for lunch. NOABC Speaker Program - Wednesday October 28th Mr John Swann will give a talk on the `San José` and the hunt for its Treasures. The Spanish galleon San José was trying to outrun a fleet of British warships off Colombia on June 8, 1708, when a mysterious explosion sent it to the bottom of the sea with gold, silver and emeralds owned by private Peruvian and European merchants, and it lies about 700 feet below the water’s surface, a few miles from the historic Caribbean port of Cartagena, on the edge of the Continental Shelf. The San José is known to have been part of Spain’s only royal convoy taking colonial gold to King Philip V during the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714). The treasure is reportedly worth $4 billion to $17 billion. “Without a doubt, the San José is the Holy Grail of treasure shipwrecks,” Robert Cembrola, director of the Naval War College Museum in Newport, RI, said. World War 2 - 1940 John Thompson Strategic analyst quotes from his book “Spirit Over Steel” Oct 24th: The Belgian government in exile forms in London. Oct 25th: Empress of Ireland (a 42,000 ton liner) is damaged by a bomb off Ireland. The first model of the P-51 fighter takes to the air. Essential Reading: The P-51 was an excellent fighter, a war-winning weapon, and a work of art in its own respect – flying models still attract great attention at air shows. Bill Gunston is among the more expert (and prolific) authors of military aviation history, and “his 1980 book North American P-51 Mustang is probably the only one on this aircraft that any library on the war need acquire. Oct 27th: Italy tells Germany that it intends to invade Greece, and delivers an ultimatum to Athens. Oct 28th: U32 finishes off Empress of Ireland. The Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas gives his succinct reply to Mussolini’s demands and this day has since been marked by the Greeks as “No” Day. The Italian invasion of Greece begins, 10 divisions move south from Albania – but the late autumn is a lousy time to attack through mountains with a poor road network and the eight tough Greek divisions are little threatened by the might of Italy. Hitler tells Mussolini that German troops will be made available if the British show up in Greece. Laval becomes the Foreign Minister of Vichy. November 1940: The Balkans Get Primed It was odd to look forward, on setting out, to the chance of a gale – anyone who really wants the North Atlantic to do its worst in winter should be qualifying for a lunatic asylum … but it was harder still for the submarines to trail us, and that weighed more than all the hardship and the intolerable strain that bad weather brings. -Nicholas Monsarrat, Three Corvettes - on the reduced U-Boat threat in foul Atlantic gales. General: 26 Italian submarines join the U-boats in the Atlantic, but the usual rough weather of autumn puts a slump in submarine kills as submarines only claim 32 of 97 Allied losses amounting to 385,700 tons displacement. The German blitz grinds on over a number of British cities, while the RAF drops 1,300 tons of bombs on or around several German cities.  Canadian soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan in 2010. Anja Niedringhaus / The Associated Press / The Canadian Press A Roadmap to a Stronger Military Special to the National Post by: Paul H Chapin, JL Granatstein, BGen Don Macnamara & Hugh Segal. Defence budgets have gone up and down over the decades, but they’ve never gone down when citizens were part of the discussion Canada today is a secure and prosperous nation, but security conditions have been deteriorating. A militant and violent Islamist terror is rampant throughout the Middle East without an agreed strategy to contain it, claiming over 100,000 lives, displacing more than 10 million, and causing a migration crisis of global dimensions. Russia and China have coerced neighbours and taken unilateral action over disputed areas — with the laws and institutions the world has counted on to maintain the peace for 70 years standing by helplessly. There are concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, and the lunatic regime in North Korea now has them. Meanwhile, the United States has retreated from its international leadership role. As a highly globalized society, Canada has vital interests at risk — a secure homeland (freedom from fear), economic well-being (freedom from want), a stable world order, and the human values and democratic principles we believe in. What sustains our way of life are security at home and stability abroad. In these uncertain times, we can hope for the best or try to guess what most threatens us. Or we can build the capabilities a G7 country ought to have no matter what. We think it’s time we put a priority on self-defence and on our ability to influence global events. There is work to do. Who actually “stands on guard” for Canada today? The Canadian Armed Forces have the primary responsibility, but their overall military effectiveness is small compared to the job we expect them to do. Why is the world’s second-largest country being defended by the world’s 58th largest military force? Governments routinely declare defence to be a vital public policy, then treat it as a discretionary rather than mandatory activity, with a licence to raid the defence budget to finance other things. There is a callousness to this which is unbecoming of a people who cherish their country and want to see it secure. As Jack Granatstein has said, “Canadian governments, whatever their political stripe, cynically reckon that the men and women in uniform can get by with obsolete equipment and insufficient funding. After all, who worries about the need to protect Canada’s national interests?” Canadian industry has not helped by insisting on being a preferred supplier of military equipment it has limited capacity to produce. This has been costly: equipment has been much more expensive for the Canadian Armed Forces than for the militaries of other countries, it takes much longer to enter into service, and the delay requires millions in retrofits to keep old equipment running. Allies have played a part too, criticizing Canada for not “pulling its weight” in NATO — by which they really mean not doing more for the defence of Europe. This has distracted us from doing more for our own defence. As an ally in good standing we have a role to play in deterring Russian aggression, but Europe today is an economic giant fully capable of underwriting its own defence. How to fix this? The starting point has to be Canada’s vital interests and what it will take to protect them. It’s what citizens understand, will support, and will pay for. Defence budgets have gone up and down over the decades, but they’ve never gone down when citizens were part of the discussion. What capabilities should citizens be entitled to expect? Effective response to domestic crises with the military on hand when first responders cannot cope. Protection from terrorist attacks. The exercise of sovereignty over all of Canada’s land, sea, and airspace, including the strategically important and ecologically vulnerable North. Full partnership with the United States in the common defence of North America. An influential voice on international security issues. The capacity to make a significant military contribution to shaping a favourable international security environment. Strong support for humanitarian operations. This is an entirely reasonable and feasible agenda, but citizens are not getting much of it. So what’s blocking things? Mainly how we think about defence. First off, let’s agree Canada is worth it. That means Canadians should have armed forces able to defend their country and support their international goals. This is partly a matter of ensuring the forces have the means to do what we ask of them. It’s also a function of how we manage them, equip them, and finance them. Canadians need to understand better how important military human resources are to their security, not allow them to be deployed for capricious reasons when vital national interests are not at stake, and respect the “social covenant” between the military and citizens. When service members put their lives on the line for the nation, citizens owe them the best training, equipment and care available. Governments should spare no expense to look after wounded veterans and their families. Without limits? Are there limits to the liability service members accept? Military procurement has been a disaster because it has been driven by just about every consideration other than getting the troops the equipment they need when they need it. Bordering on the Atlantic and Pacific, Canada needs a deployable blue-water navy to meet its strategic requirements, not to fulfil industrial and regional development aspirations. Occasionally, procurement works well. In 2006, the government decided it wouldn’t settle for leasing Ukrainian cargo planes to move supplies to Canadian troops in Afghanistan and gave notice it would purchase four large Boeing C-17 transport aircraft. It took delivery of the first one just a year later. The lesson: you can do it if you want to. We also have to stop being sad-sacks about whether we can “afford” something. Canada is fabulously wealthy and could spend much more on defence. Its closest friends all spend more proportionately — and they don’t have to close hospitals, fire teachers, or throw single mothers into the street to “afford” it. Those who predict this sort of thing need to be asked why they didn’t even notice, let alone complain, when Canada’s defence budget doubled to help finance the Afghanistan campaign. If the budget can go from $10 billion to $22 billion in 10 years without anyone noticing (besides maybe a few folks at DND and Finance), why not to $30 billion? That’s not an outrageous number. It would represent about 10 per cent of the federal budget, not an unreasonable portion to devote to protecting the other 90 per cent and the kind of country that that budget helps sustain. It’s more like five per cent today. Finally, let’s end Canadians’ irrational love affair with “UN peacekeeping” which many believe can and should be Canada’s role in the world. They worship a myth, not grounded in reality. First, peacekeeping is a dangerous business; 3,386 members of UN peacekeeping missions have been killed since 1948, including 121 Canadians, and the trend is worsening. Second, peace operations are no less worthy just because they are not UN-led. Increasingly, the UN has had to mandate other organizations (NATO, EU, African Union) to undertake the really difficult peace operations (Balkans, Afghanistan, East Africa, Congo). And third, Canadian decisions to participate in peacekeeping have been motivated by realpolitik not altruism — to keep otherwise inconsequential regional disputes becoming major wars and leading to nuclear confrontation. Bottom line: the creation of conditions for peace today requires combat-capable forces, not observers in blue berets. What to do? The list of good things to do could fill a volume. We have selected eight practical measures which will make a difference. Instill a sense of urgency - The defence of Canada and its interests deserves a greater sense of urgency than governments have been giving it. Good ideas have been developed and sensible plans made, only to have them languish and allocations left unspent. At the current pace, previous capabilities won’t be restored until 2025 at the earliest — a long time for a serious country to continue to live with aged fighters and warships and for its Prime Minister to be able to offer only token contributions to shaping a favourable international security environment. Issue a national security strategy - Unlike our major allies, we have never articulated an overall national security strategy — a set of policies — to guide the activities of the many departments and agencies of government involved in internal and international security affairs. Such a strategy would put a security plan in place which could be monitored and adjusted as necessary, and it would help end the interminable arguments over priorities, jurisdictions, and budgets. Invest in information and ideas - Governments should have the best information available to make the best possible decisions on national security issues. This is not something they now can count on. Canada should invest in an Office of National Assessment such as Australia has, tasked with gathering data from both classified and open sources and producing independent assessments directly for the Prime Minister. We should also invest in the intellectual capital on which our aspirations to exercise international leadership depend. There has been such a “dumbing down” of Canadian policy capacity that Canada no longer has much to offer in solving international problems. We need to build up policy capacity in government and reverse the reductions in Canada’s diplomatic and military staff in the places decisions are made. Increase the size of the Armed Forces - Canada’s armed forces are too small and stretched too thin to adequately protect its interests in the complex and uncertain times in which we live. A total force of 150,000, including 50,000 in a Ready Reserve, would be a realistic five-year goal. Canada has one of the smallest Reserve forces in the world. The Reserves are mainly Army units trained for combat and available to reinforce the Regular Force as necessary. They are also the key resource when national calamities occur. So far, the Canadian Armed Forces have been able to respond when called upon, but one cannot be sanguine about their ability to handle a series of events, multiple events at the same time, or a major event like the earthquake some foresee for the west coast. Ensure a capability for enforcement action in the North - Canada needs to be able to enforce national authority over national territory, seas, and airspace. This doesn’t require, as many believe, a permanent armed presence in the North. The constant would be effective satellite and aircraft patrols so that the proper authorities can know what’s going on and direct military assets to areas where and when sovereignty enforcement is necessary. The challenge is to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces have a persistent ability to take effective identification, interception, and enforcement action especially in strategically important locations whenever others are present. Participate in ballistic missile defence - Canada was a full partner with the United States in defending the continent until 2005, when it unilaterally absented itself from a role in dealing with the gravest new threat the continent faces, ballistic missiles. The arguments for participation are stronger today than ever, while those against are as vapid as ever. Right now, Canada is the only NATO member not involved in ballistic missile defence. Buy F-35s - Canada must also replace its CF-18s with F-35s. Despite the dust thrown up, the facts are clear. Canada needs a fifth-generation fighter to be interoperable with the U.S. in continental defence and with allies in coalition operations. Anything less means Canadian fighters can be seen and engaged by enemy aircraft before they even know they are in the vicinity. The only fifth generation fighter being manufactured in the west is the F-35. Its costs are not “out of control”; the manufacturer’s price has dropped by 50 per cent since 2007. What has been out of control are the estimates of the costs and of the F-35’s lifespan — from DND’s 20 years to PBO’s 30 years, to the AG’s 36 years, to KPMG’s 42 years. If the F-35 is “too expensive” for Canada, why have 12 other countries apart from the U.S. not found it too expensive to place orders for 674 aircraft? Restore the Navy - According to DND, “The construction of the first Canadian Surface Combatant is expected to begin in the early part of the next decade.” Meanwhile, the Navy no longer has any support vessels to replenish its existing warships at sea and is looking at options to fill the role until two new auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) vessels become operational around 2021. This is not what the Chretien, Martin or Harper governments had planned. Since 1994, the idea had been to acquire not two AORs but four much more capable “joint support ships.” The larger number would provide the Navy the flexibility required to operate off two coasts, while a JSS can both resupply warships and sealift troops, equipment, supplies, and helicopters for international operations. O Canada. Most of us know the words and can sing them at hockey games. But many fewer of us pause to think about what they mean. And very few of us are actually involved in “standing on guard.” Let’s change that. Charting a New Course: Celestial Navigation Returns to USNA By Lt.jg Devin Arneson, US Naval Academy Public Affairs 10/15/2015 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- Picture this: A naval vessel is navigating the high seas thousands of nautical miles from land. Suddenly all navigation systems become inoperable. What happens next? What does this mean? The Navy looks to its past to chart its future. With today's technology rapidly advancing, the Navy realized that many basic techniques are still relevant to safe operations at sea. Celestial Navigation (CELNAV) is one skill that has not been formally taught to Navy officers, depending on one's commissioning source, for more than 15 years. Officer Candidate School did not teach CELNAV, NROTC stopped teaching it in 2000 and the Naval Academy removed it in 2006. Based on direction from the Chief of Naval Operations, CELNAV has been reinstated into the navigation curriculum and is a requirement in the Officer Professional Core Competencies Manual. This administrative change ensures the instruction will be an enduring requirement. The Naval Academy resumed classroom instruction during the summer session of 2015. The class of 2017 will be the first in many years to graduate with a basic knowledge of CELNAV. During their junior year, all second-class Midshipmen currently take Navigation 310: Advanced Navigation. This course has been adjusted to contain three hours of celestial familiarization, providing students basic principles and theories of CELNAV. It includes PowerPoint presentations along with homework and tests based on material from the 15th Edition of Dutton's Nautical Navigation by Thomas J Cutler. "It is a core competency of a mariner," said Director of Professional Development Cmdr Adan Cruz. "If we can navigate using celestial navigation, then we can always safely get from point A to point B." Midshipmen also take two cyber classes during which they learn about the vulnerability of electronic navigation systems and how they can be affected by cyber threats. The classes include how information moves, jamming, the RF spectrum, and many other topics in cyber security. "Teaching CELNAV is just one thing necessary to learn in order to get ready for the battlefield that's already out there. Cyber affects all battlefields to include sea, land, air and space," said Director of Center of Cyber Security Studies Capt Paul J Tortora. Cyber threats aren't the most likely reason electronic navigation systems might fail. System degradation, electrical failures, satellite malfunctions, there are any number of reasons GPS might be rendered unusable on board a ship. Outside the classroom, the academy's Varsity Offshore Sailing Team uses CELNAV for the "Marion to Bermuda" race. GPS is used until the sailboats are 50 miles offshore. Prior to the race, the team members used the planetarium in Luce Hall for exposure to what kinds of stars and constellations they would be able to shoot to celestially navigate. "Everyone is reliant on technology, but celestial navigation is very self-sufficient. There's not a more basic way than to use the sails and the stars," said Midshipman 1st Class Jared Valeske, skipper and tactician for the summer 2015 race. Midshipmen are also exposed to CELNAV during summer training cruises on USNA's Yard Patrol Craft and Offshore Sailing Training Squadron sailboats. By the end of the summer, the nearly 600 Midshipmen who participate in these two programs have a practical understanding of the benefits of CELNAV and what encompasses a day's work in navigation. The bottom line is that even with technological advances, the basics still apply. The Lost Art of Pace-Sticking The pace stick, which basically looks like a giant compass, dates back to Roman times where it was used to mark out the straight roman roads. 500 turns of the stick equated to 1 Roman mile at which point they'd put down a keystone. Many centuries later it was used by the Royal Artillery to mark out the distances between the guns and in 1928 it was brought into use on the drill square. Captain Graham White aka 'Chalky' OC of the Army School of Ceremonial in Catterick and three time World Pace Sticking Champion describes pace-sticking as a forgotten art which we need to revive and embrace! - as it signifies all the core values and standards of the British Army. "The pace stick is used to gauge the correct length of pace and measure distance between ranks for uniformity and cohesion," explains WO2 Steven Boyle, the Sgt Maj for IMJIN Company at The Royal Academy Sandhurst. To view videos on the origin and uses of pace sticks go to: http://bcove.me/h2j7kmx0 and http://bcove.me/z9ssctqs  Who is it? Last Week: Taken at the excellent museum at Fort Siloso, Singapore. The two biggies are 9.2" BL guns, although we don't know the mark, whilst the middle one is a fairly rare 8" BL Mk VII.  This Week: We now switch themes to that of flying machines: a topic dear to the hearts of our lads and lasses in blue. Let no one accuse this column of being narrow-minded or focussed only on muddy things. However, dust does feature prominently in this shot, one from a series of medium-sized prints found in the unaccessioned box of photo goodies left to the museum by the estate of our late curator, Vic Stevenson. Vic obviously didn’t take this shot, which is inscribed, on the back, in pencil, “84 Grp, 1945”. At that time he was still in short pants, and reading “All-Canadian Fightin’ Heroes”. The other photos in the series show General Crerar and other dignitaries arriving at a base, then watching a flypast of large numbers of single-engine aircraft. One such comes to grief, and this is the second of a series, the first showing it ploughing into the field, and the last showing it resting on its back. It can only be hoped that the pilot was uninjured. So, your task, dear readers, is to identify this aeroplane type, and give us some background on the event, which is assumed to have been in Europe, probably the Netherlands or Belgium. Any assistance is warmly received by either the editor, or the author, John Redmond ([email protected]). From the ‘Punitentary’ I have a few jokes about unemployed people. But it doesn't matter none of them work. Murphy’s other Laws Any system that depends upon human reliability is unreliable. Quotable Quotes The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist. -Eric Hoffer  Premiere Screening of Reunion of Giants Premieres Remembrance Day 2015 in Select Cineplex Theatres Across Canada The last two airworthy WWII Lancaster Bombers reunited over England to make history in 2014. A war relic from Canada crossed the Atlantic to meet her counterpart in the UK and for the first time in 50 years two Lancasters shared the sky for a reunion tour. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster, VeRA, flew from Hamilton, Ontario to meet her British counterpart, Thumper—the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world—operated by the Royal Air Force in England. It was a mission unlike any other this Lancaster and her flight crew had ever undertaken. Two legendary bombers, separated by time and distance, met in Bomber County to fly together, this time in peace. The reunion was also a farewell tour to veterans of Bomber Command, who are so entwined in their proud history. These marvels of mechanical engineering are part of a proud lineage credited with bringing an end to WWII. First-hand accounts from those who were connected to the bomber during the war transport us back in time as they share what it was like during the Lancaster’s glory days. REUNION OF GIANTS documents this historic mission as it unfolds, through the eyes of the flight crews and veterans—all part of the bombers’ history, including this new chapter as VeRA crosses the Atlantic. Participating theatres will be announced this September with free tickets becoming available beginning October 2, 2015. For information on tickets, theatre locations and future DVD availability, please visit warplane.com. The lower mainland free screening will be held at the Cineplex at International Village in Vancouver @ 7 pm and tickets are available at the box office which opens 30 minutes prior to the screening. 
 On this day in 1998 Lieutenant-Colonel Leon Jensen, CD was appointed Commanding Officer, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
 On this day in 2014 the Regimental Museum Assistant Curator, John Redmond, M.B. was awarded the Medal of Bravery.
 Van Arty Association and RUSI Van Members News Oct 20, 2015 Newsletter on line. This newsletter, and previous editions, are available on the RUSI Vancouver website at: http://www.rusivancouver.ca/newsletter.html Wednesday Lunches The 15 Field Officers Mess holds weekly lunches, serving a 5 course, ‘homemade’ meal for only $15- you won’t find a better meal - or a better deal, anywhere. If you are in the area on a Wednesday, drop in and join us for lunch. NOABC Speaker Program - Wednesday October 28th Mr John Swann will give a talk on the `San José` and the hunt for its Treasures. The Spanish galleon San José was trying to outrun a fleet of British warships off Colombia on June 8, 1708, when a mysterious explosion sent it to the bottom of the sea with gold, silver and emeralds owned by private Peruvian and European merchants, and lies about 700 feet below the water’s surface, a few miles from the historic Caribbean port of Cartagena, on the edge of the Continental Shelf. The San José is known to have been part of Spain’s only royal convoy take colonial gold to King Philip V during the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714). The treasure is reportedly worth $4 billion to $17 billion. “Without a doubt, the San José is the Holy Grail of treasure shipwrecks,” Robert Cembrola, director of the Naval War College Museum in Newport, R.I., said. World War 2 - 1940 John Thompson Strategic analyst quotes from his book “Spirit Over Steel” Oct 14th: The Italian War Council believes it can take Greece in two weeks and elects not to tell the Germans about their planned offensive. Goering is planning a prolonged night bombing offensive on England. Oct 16th: Registration begins for the Draft in the US. Oct 18th: The British reopen the Burma Road to China, built with enormous effort in 1937 the mountain trail lets trucks – just – reach China. The Vichy Government enacts a series of laws restricting Jews from public service and positions of authority. The Wolf Pack tactics are working as six U-Boats prove by sinking 36 ships in the peak attacks on Convoys SC-7 and HX-79. Oct 20th: Italian bombers from Eritrea hit refineries in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oct 21st: Five Italian destroyers pounce on a British convoy in the Red “Sea, causing no harm but losing one of their own. Oct 23rd: At the summit between Franco and Hitler, the Spanish leader won’t ally with Germany without a long list of crucial supplies (carefully calculated to be rejected); Franco’s demands irritate Hitler.  Premiere Screening of Reunion of Giants Premieres Remembrance Day 2015 in Select Cineplex Theatres Across Canada The last two airworthy WWII Lancaster Bombers reunited over England to make history in 2014. A war relic from Canada crossed the Atlantic to meet her counterpart in the UK and for the first time in 50 years two Lancasters shared the sky for a reunion tour. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster, VeRA, flew from Hamilton, Ontario to meet her British counterpart, Thumper—the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world—operated by the Royal Air Force in England. It was a mission unlike any other this Lancaster and her flight crew had ever undertaken. Two legendary bombers, separated by time and distance, met in Bomber County to fly together, this time in peace. The reunion was also a farewell tour to veterans of Bomber Command, who are so entwined in their proud history. These marvels of mechanical engineering are part of a proud lineage credited with bringing an end to WWII. First-hand accounts from those who were connected to the bomber during the war transport us back in time as they share what it was like during the Lancaster’s glory days. REUNION OF GIANTS documents this historic mission as it unfolds, through the eyes of the flight crews and veterans—all part of the bombers’ history, including this new chapter as VeRA crosses the Atlantic. Participating theatres will be announced this September with free tickets becoming available beginning October 2, 2015. For information on tickets, theatre locations and future DVD availability, please visit warplane.com. The lower mainland free screening will be held at the Cineplex at International Village in Vancouver @ 7 pm and tickets are available at the box office which opens 30 minutes prior to the screening.  MV Asterix before conversion Interim Supply Ship for RCN MONTREAL, September 11, 2015 – L-3 MAPPS announced today that Chantier Davie Canada Inc. and Project Resolve Inc. have selected its Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for the conversion of the container vessel MV Asterix into an Auxiliary Oil Replenishment (AOR) ship for the Royal Canadian Navy’s interim supply ship capability. “L-3 MAPPS is a recognized world leader in automation for naval vessels built to commercial marine as well as military standards and has extensive experience in ship upgrades for customers worldwide,” said Rangesh Kasturi, president of L-3 MAPPS. “We are pleased to be chosen by Chantier Davie and Project Resolve for this innovative project to support the RCN’s urgent requirements and we look forward to the implementation contract being finalized shortly. We have been very impressed with the ‘Team Canada’ approach for the project and are looking forward to making our contribution.” “Project Resolve will provide the RCN with a critically important replenishment at-sea capability,” said Spencer Fraser, chief executive officer of Project Resolve Inc. “We are extremely proud to have assembled a pan-Canadian supply chain that will feature ‘best-of-breed’ naval technologies developed and produced here at home by Canadian personnel. L-3 MAPPS is a trusted partner with a fantastic pedigree of supporting the RCN and exporting Canadian naval technology worldwide. The company will be bringing a very modern and proven capability to our iAOR solution.”  After conversion Using technology pioneered in Canada, the L-3 MAPPS IPMS provides comprehensive monitoring and control of a ship’s propulsion, electrical, ancillary, auxiliary and damage control machinery systems. With advanced functionality, such as the Battle Damage Control System, Onboard Team Training System, Equipment Health Monitoring System and CCTV, as well as integration with the ship’s combat management and navigation systems, the IPMS allows the crew to safely and effectively operate the ship for all mission requirements. L-3 MAPPS’ technology is used by 18 navies worldwide and is installed on most of the RCN’s major warships and submarines. The company also provides advanced Safety Management Systems for some of the world’s newest and largest cruise ships and naval auxiliary vessels. Chantier Davie Canada Inc. is Canada’s largest and highest-capacity shipbuilder and industrial fabricator. Davie provides a broad range of products and services to industries from offshore oil and gas to defence. Certified to ISO 9001:2008, Davie leverages its high-capacity fabrication facilities with its advanced project management and engineering capability to manage end-to-end construction projects and provide best-practice through-life solutions to its corporate and governmental clients. Davie was voted North American Shipyard of the Year (2015) by Lloyd’s List. In the meantime, the Chilean Navy ship, Almirante Montt, has been rented by DND to act as a supply ship for the Pacific fleet. It arrived at the naval base in Victoria on July 3 and will be available for 40 sea days, an RCN spokesman said. Negotiations are still underway with Spain for the provision of a supply ship to be used for the RCN's Atlantic fleet.  Auction Hammer Falls on this Canadian Grizzly Tank David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen October 17, 2015 A Canadian-made Second World War tank, a Grizzly 1, recently sold at auction for $155,000, according to Live Science magazine. The Grizzly 1 was a variant of the Sherman tank Nicknamed ‘Sherman’ after the American Civil War General William Tecumesh Sherman, the M4 Medium Tank played a vital role during World War Two. The second most populous Allied tank behind the Russian T-34, it was designed with reliability, ease of production / repair and mobility in mind. Palpably superior to the German Panzer III and IV tanks upon its debut with the British Army at El Alamein in autumn 1942, the Sherman was outclassed by later Third Reich designs in terms of armour, range and speed but continued to triumph often due to sheer weight of numbers. The Montreal Locomotive Works, responsible for equipping the nascent Canadian Armoured Divisions since the fall of France, switched from making the M3-based ‘Ram I/II’ to the M4-based ‘Grizzly I’ during autumn 1943. Understandably similar to its American counterpart, the latter boasted the same vertical volute suspension, traversing turret, 5-man crew, 75mm armament and Continental 9-cylinder 350hp radial engine. Grizzlies were initially fitted with US tracks but a lot of were converted to Canadian Dry Pin (CDP) tracks which were lighter, simpler and more tarmac friendly yet did not require rubber (a scarce resource following the Japanese advance into Southeast Asia). Within months it became obvious that demand for Sherman tanks was being met by existing US facilities. As a result the Montreal Locomotive Works completed just 188 Grizzlies before re-tooling for the Sexton MKII self-propelled gun. Grizzlies were reportedly used for training on both sides of the Atlantic rather than for frontline combat, nonetheless it is thought that a few were deployed to Italy. Better preserved than their US contemporaries, some fifty-odd Grizzlies were sold to Portugal during the 1950s as part of the NATO military assistance programme. Despite reputedly participating in the Angolan War of Independence, the Grizzlies’ remarkable state of preservation suggests that it has never come under heavy fire. It has been loaned to various museums over the past thirty-one years including its present circa two decade stint at IWM Duxford, and is said to require minor recommissioning prior to use. CT160194, notable as the very first of the 188 made, has been in the current ownership since 1984. Noting that work is needed to various electric and hydraulic cables, the vendor variously rates the Grizzly as ‘excellent’ (engine, manual transmission, body), ‘excellent / good’ (paintwork) or ‘good / fair’ (interior). More complete and original than many of the Shermans that have come to market in recent years, CT160194 – a.k.a. Grizzly No.1 – has its own place in history.  In this 2014 photo provided by Pacific Wrecks, Justin Taylan, founder and director of Pacific Wrecks poses at a Second World War airplane wreck site in Papua New Guinea (PNG). (Marcus Browning/Pacific Wrecks via AP) Adventurer Uncovers Lost WWII Planes for the Pentagon ALBANY, N.Y. -- Justin Taylan has been to the remote Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea dozens of times over the past two decades, spending countless hours slogging through crocodile-infested swamps in his quest to document as many Second World War airplane wreck sites as possible. Since 2013, he has conducted those missions for the newly reorganized Pentagon agency whose predecessor he and others had criticized for years for failing to recover and identify more remains of US service members. Taylan's hiring is part of the military's plans to reach out to private groups and others to help with the search for thousands of American war remains scattered from Pacific jungles to the European countryside. Though he said he cannot comment on the details of the cases he's worked on under his contract, Taylan said he has documented more than 80 wreck and war-related sites, including eight aircraft crashes associated with American MIA cases. "So many organizations have something to give and share," Taylan, 37, told The Associated Press recently in between trips to Papua New Guinea. "It's an incredible turn of events to support the mission and get more MIA cases resolved." The Pentagon lists 83,000 MIAs as unaccounted-for from the Second World War and the Korean and Vietnam wars. More than 73,000 are from the Second World War, with many of those deemed not recoverable because they were lost at sea. In 2009, Congress set a requirement that the Pentagon identify at least 200 sets of remains a year by 2015. But less than half that number has been identified over each of the past two years. Earlier this year, the Department of Defence unveiled its revamped Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a move that came a year and a half after the AP obtained an internal Pentagon study that criticized previous efforts as being in danger of spiraling from "dysfunction to total failure." In a shift many critics say is long overdue, the new agency is working with non-profit organizations such as Taylan's Pacific Wrecks, Inc. and private firms to help with research and actual searches. Other examples: - An Ohio archaeology firm was hired this summer to search for the remains of 1Lt Ewart Sconiers, a bombardier who died in a German POW camp in Poland in 1944. - History Flight, a Marathon, Florida-based organization, recovered the remains of 36 Marines killed on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa, one of the war's bloodiest battles. The remains were brought to Hawaii for identification in late July. - Leaders of the University of Wisconsin's Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project plan to meet with military officials in Washington this month to discuss collaborations utilizing the college's DNA and genetics expertise. Last year, UW-Madison helped identify the remains of Pfc Lawrence S Gordon, a Canadian-born US soldier killed in France in 1944. The university's MIA project leaders recently met with members of Kuentai-USA, a Japanese group that has found Japanese and US MIAs on Saipan, scene of a major battle in 1944. Hundreds of Americans are still listed as MIA in Papua New Guinea. Most were air crews who disappeared when their planes crashed in forbidding terrain that includes dense jungles and cloud-shrouded mountain peaks topping 13,000 feet (3,900 metres). Taylan, who lives in Hyde Park, N.Y., began visiting the southwest Pacific after taking a trip to the Philippines in 1993 with his grandfather, a former Second World War Army photographer who served there. Taylan became fascinated by the numerous wartime plane wrecks and battle artifacts still visible and started a website, pacificwrecks.com, to document wreck sites, battlefields and MIA cases across the Pacific. Taylan has visited hundreds of wreck sites and passed along any new information he gathered to the Pentagon. He eventually joined veterans’ organizations and others who criticized the government for taking in some cases decades to provide families with details about their loved one's loss during the Second World War. Mark Shoemaker can attest to that frustration. His uncle, 2Lt Edward F Barker, disappeared in Papua New Guinea during a training flight in 1944. A US military team visited the wreck site in 1962 but found no remains. The site was revisited 40 years later, and again in 2012, when human remains were finally recovered. Barker's remains weren't identified until July, when they were returned to his hometown in New York's Mohawk Valley for burial. Although Taylan wasn't involved in the discovery of Barker's remains, the Pacific Wrecks website had numerous details about the case, right down to the serial numbers on the fighter plane's machine-guns. Taylan attended the funeral and met Shoemaker, who said he's encouraged that people outside the Pentagon are being brought in to help with MIA missions. "The government has to be involved in some way, but there's certainly a place for these guys," Shoemaker said. "There's obviously a lot of room for improvement."  (Photo: Heckler & Koch) Soldiers Can Set When Grenade Explodes With New Launcher By Kyle Jahner5:16 p.m. EDT October 12, 2015 The maker of a new grenade launcher that can fire rounds that explode when they pass walls or barriers is "finalizing development" of a weapon it believes will give soldiers a serious edge. XM25 carries a magazine of five 25mm grenade rounds and a fire-control system that lets the soldier instantly program how far the grenade will travel before it explodes. That means a soldier can engage an enemy hiding behind a target — only he doesn't need to hit something to ruin the enemy's hiding place and his day. According to XM25 maker Orbital ATK spokesman Jarrod Krull, in spring the Army will conduct qualification testing and contract validation. If the weapon fulfills the Army's requirements, the Army could see fielding in early 2017, Krull said — assuming budget decisions also line up in the weapon system's favor. "It provides combat overmatch; the ability to engage the target in defilade (shielded)," Krull said.  A 25mm grenade round for the XM-25 Photo: Obital ATK When a soldier aims the weapon at a target, a laser finder gauges distance. The soldier can add or subtract from that distance with the push of a button and then, after setting the distance, can aim and fire. The fire control also shows a soldier how high to aim the weapon to account for gravity's pull on the grenade based on the laser-determined distance. The company says the range is 500 meters to a target point, and 600 meters to an area target. The weapon itself, made by Heckler & Koch, consists of lightweight material composites. Brashear made the fire control and Orbital ATK produced the munitions and integrated the system.  Who is it? Last Week: Only had a couple of replies on this one. Nobody knew anything about CWO Wood but he is not a Gunner. Behind him is Capt Howie Costain, RCOC (Note the earplug container- the CF was just starting to get concerned about hearing protection). Behind him is Sgt Gordy Wright. Gord was a WOII in the 43rd MAA and was one of many who had to take a reduction in rank (and also had to rebadge to RCASC) to stay in when the 43rd amalgamated with 15th Fd. He was an excellent cook and ran the Regiment’s kitchens in the field for many years. No one identified the location but we are pretty sure it was Ft Lewis.  This Week: This week we take a break from our “Who’s that chap” series, and switch to our other “What’s that big thing” series, featuring long, metallic objects. Most of these potentially loud objects are painted khaki, olive drab, or other camouflage variations. However, these three are simply painted black, because they have not seen service for many, many years. These artillery pieces are mounted on concrete, obviously not their original mounts, although one never knows with budget cutbacks and so forth. Two, very large guns, appear to be the same type, whilst the one in the middle is much smaller and of a different make. All three are aimed at a picnic table, but it is thought that this is simply an accident, and no hostility is intended. Your task, should you rise to the bait, is to identify the three artillery pieces, and, as a bonus, identify the current location, which, we hasten to add, is not in Vancouver, but is, or was, a bastion of the Empire. Your ideas can be sent to the editor, or to the author, John Redmond ([email protected]). Thank you in advance. From the ‘Punitentary’ Singing in the shower is all fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth - then it just becomes a soap opera. Murphy’s other Laws Profanity is the one language understood by all soldiers. Quotable Quotes The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. - Thomas Alva Edison 15th Field Artillery Regt Seeking Recruits Primary Reserve Artillery Information Session Monday October 19th, 2015 @ 6:00 P.M and Monday October 26th, 2015 @ 6:00 P.M Those interested in applying to the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserves are welcome to attend a one-hour information session as a first step in the recruitment process. These sessions will include information on career availability, benefits, training, and more. Registration is mandatory for all information sessions 2025 West 11th Ave, Vancouver BC To register, call 604-666-4371 or email [email protected] Be sure to include the following information: · Your name and address · Phone number (home, work, cell) · Email address · Date and time of presentation    B battery was part of the first permanent unit of the Canadian army, the Garrison Artillery. Raised at Quebec City in 1870, B Battery acted as a gunnery school for the volunteer artillery batteries of the Canadian Militia. This print from the 'Canadian Illustrated News' of 19 April 1873 shows a competition in the firing of field guns held on the ice of the St. Charles River. The weapons are obsolete smooth bore muzzle loaders, mounted on sleigh-carriages for winter use. The gunners are in winter uniform. On this day in 1871 “A” Battery Garrison Artillery was formed in Kingston, ON and “B” Battery, Garrison Artillery was formed in Quebec City, QC.
 On this day in 2002 Captain Noel RR Dykes, was posted into 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA as Regular Staff Support Officer.  On this day in 1959 the 43rd Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA was amalgamated with the 15th Field Regiment, RCA.
 Van Arty Association and RUSI Van Members News Oct 13, 2015 Newsletter on line. This newsletter, and previous editions, are available on the RUSI Vancouver website at: http://www.rusivancouver.ca/newsletter.html Wednesday Lunches The 15 Field Officers Mess holds weekly lunches, serving a 5 course, ‘homemade’ meal for only $15- you won’t find a better meal - or a better deal, anywhere. If you are in the area on a Wednesday, drop in and join us for lunch. NOABC Speaker Program - Wednesday October 28th Mr John Swann will give a talk on the `San Jose` and the hunt for its Treasures. World War 2 - 1940 John Thompson Strategic analyst quotes from his book “Spirit Over Steel” Oct 7th: Hitler moves troops into Romania to shore up Antonescu and secure his oil supplies. All Jewish people in occupied France are ordered to register immediately. Oct 9th: Churchill – even disliked as he is by many Tories – becomes head of the Conservative Party. Convoys SC-7 and HX-79 put to sea; by the 20th of Oct these two convoys will lose 49 of 79 ships to 11 U-Boats as the wolf pack tactics catch on. Oct 10th: Don’t ask questions if you do not want to hear the real answer … the Germans run a plebiscite in Luxembourg to find out if the locals approve of their presence. 97% do not. Oct 11th: A German bombing raid causes much damage in Liverpool and sinks several merchant vessels. Petain asks the French people to reconsider who their friends and enemies are (essentially asking them to accept the German occupation). HMS Ajax is attacked by four Italian destroyers; the light cruiser sinks two and damages the others. Oct 12th: Operation Sea Lion is postponed until the spring of 1941.  Program Shows Potential Recruits What Soldiering is All About New program takes just 10 short weeks Halifax, Nova Scotia — A new Canadian Army (CA) program that offers interested Canadians a hands-on, no-strings-attached introduction to Army life is being expanded following a successful trial run on the East coast. The Army Civilian Engagement (ACE) program launched in April 2015. It was implemented by 5th Canadian Division (5 Cdn Div) in Gagetown, New Brunswick and 36 Canadian Brigade Group (36 CGB) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It offers a 10-week introduction to soldiering with an opportunity to join the Primary Reserve Force. Colonel George Thomson, 36 CBG’s commander, noted that ACE incorporates elements from three similar Aboriginal training programs but is, to the best of his knowledge, the first of its kind for the CAF, and is not limited to Aboriginal participants. A major goal of the program is to increase the general public’s knowledge of the CA and its varied employment and educational opportunities. A common misconception is that everyone who joins the Army becomes an infantry soldier or another member of the combat arms, when in fact there are dozens of full and part-time career choices ranging from health care and culinary arts to engineering and telecommunications, to name just a few available options. Both the Gagetown and Halifax trials ended in the summer of 2015. All but five of the 33 individuals who participated completed the program. Five graduates went on to complete the Primary Reserve enrollment process and began summer training. The remaining 23 are at various stages of enrollment. That’s a significant result, considering that on average, only one in three applicants to the Reserve actually join, according to Captain Karen McCluskey, a Recruiting Officer with 36 CBG. “The pilot was very positive,” said Col Thomson. The results, he added, will be studied to determine if ACE is a good fit for other regions of the country. That said, Capt McCluskey has already heard from recruiters in both the Winnipeg and Vancouver areas who have expressed interest. In the meantime, the program will continue in Halifax and be expanded to Sydney, Nova Scotia in the fall of 2015. Capt McCluskey said the first ACE group was a diverse one, with a mix of men and women ranging in age from 16 to 40-something. “In fact, we had two parent-son combinations in the group,” she noted. One of those combinations was Glenn Burnett and his 16-year-old son Nathan. Mr Burnett served as a Reservist with 723 (Halifax) Communication Squadron (now 36 Signal Regiment) in the late 1980s. He said he began exploring the Reserves on his son’s behalf and learned of the ACE program after dropping in to the 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) in Halifax. “They gave a good presentation and I thought it was a great idea,” he said, “especially for younger people who really don’t know what they want. It’s is definitely a great introduction to what’s available.” As a result of their experiences in the program, Nathan opted to join 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA. His father is also in the process of enrolling in the same Regiment. ACE sessions take place over two hours on weeknights and consist of information sessions on a wide variety of subjects, from maintaining physical fitness to army etiquette. Participants also undergo testing at recruitment centres and experience Forces training on weekends. Participants get the benefit of one-on-one interaction with and coaching from reserve personnel as well as exposure to displays of vehicles and equipment that animate the experience. Capt McCluskey said that one-on-one time with individuals was key to the pilot’s success. “Some of those coming are 16- or 17-year olds and sometimes their parents want to come along. They’re interested to hear the answers and they have our attention during that time period.” And parents aren’t the only community members who became involved, she adds. “We’ve had quite a few teachers and other community leaders that have been engaged with us that are happy to see we’re doing this to allow the students, and older people too, to come in and have a look at what we have to offer without signing up for a commitment right away. They can get a bit of a hands-on, eyes-on preview and get a feel for things.” ACE participants are under no obligation to undertake military service, but do sign a statement of understanding and personal declaration to affirm their commitment to the program, willingness to learn, behave ethically and adhere to the rules and regulations of the Canadian Armed Forces. Participants are also asked to share information on the program with others, which has been fruitful. Positive word of mouth began to build in the trial’s earliest days, said Capt McCluskey. While many initial participants were relatives of civilian and military personnel (who were first to learn of the program), word spread and others began to express an interest once it was up and running. “It proved to us that people were talking about it and in a positive light.” Chief Warrant Officer Michael Egan, 36 CBG’s Sergeant-Major, said the benefit of ACE for recruiters is that it gives participants the chance to see if the reserve is truly for them before formally enrolling. And when those who choose not to continue to enrollment move on, recruiters can focus more on the rest. “That line of communication happens a lot earlier and if there are any problems, it doesn’t take weeks to resolve. The timelines are shortened exponentially. It lets members of the community come in and experience first-hand what the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces do. I really think this program has an awful lot to offer,” he said. “It’s not just about Army, Navy or Air Force,” added CWO Egan. “There are life skills that are presented. When these young folks decide to take this path, there are certain by-products that they can take when they undergo this training they can use in their civilian lives that would really, I think, put them in front of some of their peers who don’t have this exposure.” Canada’s Navy, Adrift and Sinking National Post View | September 24, 2015 On Wednesday, France announced that Egypt had agreed to purchase two Mistral-class helicopter carriers for its navy. The vessels, capable of transporting a ground battle group to any coast in the world, had originally been built for the Russian navy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, scuttled the deal, leaving the two modern ships in need of a good home. Yet, had events turned out differently, the Mistrals might have been ours. The Conservatives had some time ago indicated an interest in building or procuring similar vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy. While those plans were abandoned due to their projected high cost, the Mistrals were available for “cheap” — just under €1 billion ($1.5 billion) — and built to a standard that would be acceptable for Canadian use. Discussions between French and Canadian officials, including meetings attended by Defence Minister Jason Kenney, were apparently well under way — only to be torpedoed by the early election call. So to Egypt they will go. This is a shame, though less of one than it seems. The carriers, it is true, would have been ideal for a mid-sized country like Canada, with our long shores and tradition of deploying troops abroad for battle, peacekeeping or humanitarian relief. The Mistrals are suited to all three roles and were available at a once-in-a-lifetime price. And yet there is little chance Canada could have made effective use of the ships, even if we did buy them. The Royal Canadian Navy is in a disastrous state, struggling to deal with what it has. It’s hard to imagine how it could have successfully integrated entirely new capabilities in this dark period of retraction. There is the odd bright spot. Canada’s dozen Halifax-class frigates are in the midst of a mid-life refit and modernization. These are first-rate warships and will serve Canada well for decades. But that’s about it. Our destroyers once numbered four; only one remains, to be retired shortly, with no replacements on the horizon. Our supply ships have similarly rusted out, leaving the government scrambling to rent ships from other navies, just to enable us to conduct basic operations off our own shores. Infamously, the Sea King helicopters, slated for replacement 22 years ago, are still in service.
All of this is embarrassing, especially since none of it was unforeseen. The rapidly aging nature of our fleet has been a known issue for years, and yet successive governments, Liberal and Conservative, did nothing. Even when our destroyers were putting out to sea with advanced sensors and weapons powered down for lack of funds, or when our supply ships were struggling to operate at sea without breaking down, nothing was done. Now the ships are retired and the replacements are still years away. And that’s the optimistic view. CTV News reported this week there are increasing concerns the much-lauded National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is now in jeopardy. According to documents obtained by CTV, the program “may be unable to deliver the optimal number of ships with the capabilities necessary to meet operational requirements.” Translated: it may be beyond the capability of Canada, once a major world naval power, to build a mere 15 ships on time, on budget and with the desired capabilities. This, too, is unsurprising. Military procurements are never easy, but Canada seems particularly awful at them. We very much wish that Canada took national defence seriously enough to make the addition of some bargain heli-carriers a sensible purchase. As it is, we’ll be pleasantly surprised if we’re able to effectively replace just those capabilities we already have. Veteran Priority Hiring not a Priority Veteran Priority Hiring not a Priority for Minister O’Toole By Sean Bruyea For the first time in eight decades, issues affecting Canada’s military veterans’ issues are featured prominently in an election. With so much at stake, why would government yet again mess up another issue with veterans: priority hiring into the federal public service? Minister and veteran Erin O’Toole in another installment of government hype on the treatment of veterans provided this statement during the July 2015 changes to priority hire veterans: “The Government of Canada is keeping its commitment to help military Veterans thrive while making the transition to civilian life.” Prior to these changes, only medically released members could have one chance to be priority hired. Serving members weren’t allowed to access internal competitions, representing 88% of public service job openings. Changes now allow Forces members to access internal competitions but with no priority placement. Non-medically released veterans can have priority accessing only external jobs, representing the remaining 12% of competitions. After World War II, all overseas veterans received preference in all competitions, the injured having the highest preference, no time limits, multiple attempts. Time will tell if priority hiring amendments are working but are the minister, his department and the rest of the civil service helping veterans “thrive”? In the first six months of 2015 which corresponded to Minister O’Toole’s inaugural tenure, the Public Service Commission reports he oversaw the priority hiring of zero medically released veterans. Since 2010, Veterans Affairs (VAC) has priority hired only six veterans, 2 of whom were hired by the Veterans’ Ombudsman. O’Toole isn’t the only veteran in the upper ranks of Veterans Affairs. Former top general, Walter Natynczyk was appointed deputy minister in November 2014. These two individuals are the two most powerful individuals in VAC and arguably the most influential veterans inside government. They aren’t the only ones piling on endless platitudes but why the gaping chasm between media talking points and dawdling? The current government has manifestly professed its commitment to veterans while demonstrating an iron grip on the public service. Yet, in the first six months of 2015, the entire 250,000 strong federal civil service could only priority hire 21 veterans. In the past five years, 6162 CF members have received medical releases out of a total of 24,000 releases. Troublingly, the public service has engaged only 446 veterans, or less than 7.2 % of medical releases for those years, (veterans released other years would have also qualified further lowering the per cent). Of the approximately 3,500 employees at VAC, only 97, or 2.7%, are veterans, eleven of whom work in the Ombudsman’s office. Most of these were not priority hires. A cornerstone commitment accompanying the controversial veterans’ benefits known as the new veterans charter was priority hiring. In the nine years since its enacting under the Conservative government, VAC has made just 25 veteran priority hires. Correctional services, Public Works, Employment and Social development as well as Fisheries and Oceans all priority hired more veterans than the department legally mandated to “care” for and “re-establish” veterans. National Defence has better fulfilled an obligation to veterans with 838 veteran priority hires, 71% of the total. But the booby prize goes to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. With over 100 employees and a perennial insensitivity to veterans, this agency priority hired just one veteran in eleven years. This must be what the public service wants because the chief bureaucrat during this time, Dale Sharkey, was last month awarded the Public Service Award of Excellence. Her nominator: VRAB’s director of communication. Back patting and rhetoric over substance. Does all this mean the public service discriminates against veterans? Some veterans employed in the public service have made this allegation. Perhaps the greatest barrier is public service culture. As the Auditor General and DND have noted, hiring an individual can take 10 months while their application meanders through bureaucratic obstacles. When Forces members are ordered overseas at 48 hours’ notice to potentially lose their lives, government’s dull-witted response when the uniform comes off is a distant cry from the caring and dignity this government keeps telling veterans they deserve. One astute committee member noted during hearings on the changes to the priority hiring bill: “why aren't we thinking outside of the box in which we tend to think right now?” Enlightenment, compassion and innovation appear anathema to the senior public service. There are time limits for the priority hiring window. Yet, for disabled veterans, the only expiry date on their disability is death. For spouses, if a veteran is too ill to work, she is barred from priority hiring. More than 70% of the priority placements are in clerical positions. For some, worthy jobs but Minister O’Toole tells us our veterans have a wide ranging skill set. In fact there is no unique veteran specific follow-up to ensure that veterans are not frustrated, bored, undervalued, under-performing or suffering discrimination in a public service culture which is widely divergent from that of the military. When Canadians join the military, they are constantly trained, taught and transition into responsibility with some of the best mentoring management culture in the public or private sector. There is no gradual transition into a new public service job for the few accepted. All applicants must satisfy narrow criteria that either discourage or disqualify anyone outside the public service. Bureaucratic culture has a difficult time translating private sector skills to a public service context. No wonder almost all departments, except DND, have been unable to translate military skills sufficiently to substantively employ large numbers of veterans. Neither are disabled veterans supported to take on partial work-weeks to adapt their limitations to new employment. Anecdotally, veterans are too frequently unable to make the transition from disability to 100% work schedule in an unfamiliar work environment. But we really don’t know because we don’t care enough about our veterans to do any meaningful follow-up let alone provide urgently required coaching. And our veterans need a helping hand. Fully sixty-percent of recent releases have 20 years or less military service with 38% having five years or less. They want a job and their skills are a must-have for a stagnant public service. For veterans who are sloughed off onto civilian not-for-profits, we have no idea how they are doing because there is no accountable follow-up. Washing hands of veterans by government to outside agencies has taken on a mean, hot potato streak in the last decade. Let’s put this all in perspective. In the six years after World War II, Canada’s civil service hired over 130,000 veterans. By 1951, Veterans Affairs had 14,000 employees; almost 9500, including more than 95% of senior managers, were veterans. For all veterans in any employment, particularly the disabled, personalized follow-up was part of the package. Case managers met with veterans and employers on a regular basis to help ‘translate’ the military skill set and working limitations of veterans into civilian context. “Walt” Natynczyk provided the following in a scripted news release: “Those who wear the uniform of the Canadian Armed Forces serve Canada with loyalty, pride, and a commitment to excellence.” Each military member does this for each and every Canadian at the orders of the government of Canada. Canadians have increasingly appreciated this reality of late. Discouragingly, government is far too mired in political self-interest, advised by the parochial and initiative-paralyzed bureaucracy to tangibly return the commitment in kind to our veterans and their families. Are veterans ‘thriving’ Minister O’Toole? The best many veterans have been able to achieve, if they aren’t committing suicide, is to merely survive  Honest John Missile Launcher Reconstruction With great excitement and some trepidation I would like to announce that, with the tireless assistance of retired IG, Rob Clarke and an old RCEME friend of mine, Rob Love; I have acquired the launcher mechanism from Honest John "AA" from a Manitoba scrapyard and will, over the next two or so years, restore it and a suitable M386 truck chassis as a mobile memorial to all Honest John Gunners. The RCA Museum has also been kind enough to make a permanent loan of an M405A1 Handling Unit trailer! The launcher and trailer will be delivered to the museum Wed, 16 Sep at 0900 hrs. Folks are welcome to come out and watch... the address is on our website listed below. I am looking at contacting as many steely eyed missile men as I can, to gather their stories and memories of the HJ and am hoping that many of them will be able to assist in the restoration with photos, documents and even bits and pieces they may have accumulated during their time in 1 or 2 SSM. Special thanks go out to Mr Gnr Dave Robinson who found just about all the manuals for me. I have attached a photo of "AA" in her heyday and am hoping to identify the members of the detachment and the date the photo was taken. Could you put this out on your jungle drum network asking it to be spread as far and wide as possible? Folks are welcome to contact me at [email protected] or at the phone number below. Major MTA Calnan, President. The Swords and Ploughshares Museum www.calnan.com/swords  Who is it? Last Week: The sliver of a face on the left is believed to be Barrie Clemons (2i/c of the day). Then Col Dean-Freeman, Van District Commander, Lt Col Doug Anderson (behind, CO SHC), then Capt Peter Clegg, Capt Phil Jones, Capt the Hon Mr Justice Victor Dryer, Maj Jim Griffiths, u/k, Maj Dave Ames and Capt ‘Oakie’ Toombs.  This Week: We continue our theme of “who’s that chap?” with this shot from Vic Stevenson’s collection, dated to 1972. Here we have what is possibly the last-ever use of the famous “tin hat” of two world wars (although the one in the Great War was slightly different to this Mk II version). The gentleman sporting this combat fedora (and matching cravat) is an RSM named “Wood”, but beyond that is not known to one so young as your author. I’m sure there are those of you out there in readerland who can enlighten me as to the RSM’s identity, and to that of his well-fed Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps officer (captain?) friend, also cravat-clad, and that of the NCO behind him. Of interest to military collectors and amateur historians, who tend to be a sometimes dogmatic bunch, is the fact that the officer is wearing a forage cap with his combats (not too unusual), and that such is being done at a time when khaki officer’s caps had been replaced in the regular force by the much-loved unification green one. Of further interest to collectors is the fact that the latter can, depending on the manufacturer, begin to turn to dust, due to the synthetic materials used in its manufacture, whilst the older version suffers only from sticky interiors, if the lining has a plastic sweat protector. Fascinating, no? Your help can be sent to the author, John Redmond ([email protected]), or to the long-suffering editor. Thank you. From the ‘Punitentary’ If a farmer raises wheat in dry weather, what does he raise in wet weather? An umbrella. Murphy’s other Laws Technology is dominated by those who manage what they do not understand. Quotable Quotes Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving. - Dale Carnegie  September 5, 2015 Dear Friends, The Chinese Canadian Military Museum is the only museum of its kind in Canada. Our goal is to collect, preserve, document, and celebrate the role of Chinese Canadian veterans in the service of Canada’s military. Our emphasis over the past 15 years had been on educating Canadians on the role Chinese Canadians played during the Second World War, and the double victory that was won as a result of their sacrifice. Not only did Chinese Canadians play a role in the victory of the Allies over fascism in 1945; they also improved the lives of all Chinese Canadians when, in 1947, the federal government finally granted the community full citizenship and the right to vote. Today, we have only a small number of Canadian veterans from this war still with us. Many are active in our museum. All are in their 90s. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It is a milestone year that we need to commemorate. Sadly, we recognize this is one of our last opportunities to honour as many of the few remaining World War II veterans still alive. To this end, our museum is hosting a 70th Anniversary Commemorative Gala dinner on Saturday, October 24, 2015 in Vancouver. This is the year, and the occasion, to really honour the veterans that are left by hosting the most amazing gala commemorative dinner for them with an outstanding, distinguished Canadian in attendance. To make this year truly special, we have invited Lieutenant General (Ret’d), the Honourable Romeo Dallaire and he has accepted to be our keynote speaker for the evening. He is a former soldier and Canadian senator. And he is a man who, due to his time in Rwanda as a peacekeeper, speaks passionately about conflict, resolution, compassion … and forgiveness. Although he is a high profile speaker, he does not take any money for himself. However, he does use his speaking fees to raise money for his humanitarian work – specifically his mission to end the use of child soldiers. All money goes to his foundation, and he is selective as to what speaking engagements he accepts. Your support by attending this dinner will help us to raise money not only for our museum but also for LGen Dallaire’s foundation. The museum is promoting this event to all the military regimental associations, Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETs) units, Royal Canadian Legions (RCL) branches and local militia units and reserves. We hope that you will join us at this momentous occasion to pay tribute to these war heroes. If you also wish to donate to the museum, we are able to issue tax receipts for your contribution to help us carry on with the stories and legacies of these veterans. Please use the attached form to order your tickets and do share this invitation to your family, friends and colleagues at work and clubs. I look forward to seeing you at the dinner. Thank you for your support of our veterans. Sincerely King Wan President Attach.  15th Field Artillery Regt Seeking Recruits Primary Reserve Artillery Information Session Monday October 19th, 2015 @ 6:00 P.M and Monday October 26th, 2015 @ 6:00 P.M Those interested in applying to the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserves are welcome to attend a one-hour information session as a first step in the recruitment process. These sessions will include information on career availability, benefits, training, and more. Registration is mandatory for all information sessions 2025 West 11th Ave, Vancouver BC To register, call 604-666-4371 or email [email protected] Be sure to include the following information: · Your name and address · Phone number (home, work, cell) · Email address · Date and time of presentation   |
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