Army Guy

What was accomplished during that last conference? Just held recently, have we made any changes in our policies. if we are not making progress why bother having these conferences why is it so bad to complain about spending 25 million on nothing of any real value, except a good cheese tray and the chance to go see another city night life.

One could easily turn that around, what credibility does your side have to convince everyone that it is a climate emergency or holding the government feet to the fire to ensure we keep our promises. Ya i know you just did the eye roll thing.... You have just enough people convinced that we need to do something, but they all have a line in the sand they will not cross. when we have to skip a meal, becasue that is all we can afford, to make a difference in climate change it does not sound like your Truely invested. I mean we had the golden egg with nuke energy, but nope they don't like it. So why is it not reasonable to just continue to prosper on our national resources, until the day we convert over to the next great energy source. why is it not reasonable to force our government to get more involved.

I do appreciate the criticism most of the time, it is hard to see when it is a topic that i am passionate about. It is one of the few things me and my son do together, i don't own a ton of weapons i have 2, a bolt action rifle, and a semi auto shotgun. both are now banned. When the target was to focus on firearms that were meant for the battlefield, and the government repeating over and over they are not targeting hunters, but in the commission Liberal MP have stated there will be more added to the list in the future. and no they are not intending to compensate anyone...It is also about private ownership, which seems to have gone out the window, not only with Canadians but the government as well. It is an emotional issue for those that are affected, when the federal government tells bold face lies that most common Canadians believe as fact and believe all gun owners are evil and should not have any firearms, it perplexes me why some other Canadians that does own a firearm or care to own one, would be so passionate about making sure i don't own one either. It frustrates the shit out of me that despite the truth, and evidence that does come out they choose to ignore it or pronounce it as false news. The fact that there are not enough Canadian examples for them to use as excuses for the bans themselves that they have to use American ones, it only goes to show that our gun policies and restrictions are holding up and doing their jobs. For example, TO police made a seizure of firearms today, out of the 62 guns seized, all but 1 handgun was traced to the Canada, the rest are from the US. this has been a constant fact throughout this debate, 98 or 99 % of all crime guns are sourced to the US. That is not where the government is targeting, it targets legal gun owners or in this case that one firearm that was stolen out of someone's home. And Canadians think they are safer, Justin has got this... So he is taking my bolt action rifle, and semi auto shotgun, with no compensation and without any logical reason at all.

1... No, i think every element goes on exercise, to a certain extent, i remember doing an exericise with 440 SAR sqn Edmonton ( i think that what they were called) back in the day to simulate a major aircraft crash, the site was Wainwright Alberta in the middle of feb, the Army guys got to play the role of victims, and the SAR guys jumped in and began their training. I remember it being about -40 and they had done us all up in realistic wounds including fake blood with pumps to make it gush, so when you combats get cut off in -40 it gets cold fast... I'm sure you have had training that was not comfortable, so it's not just regulated to the Army, but the entire forces. like BDF which includes all base personal, which includes training in all elements, airshows, how many dog and pony shows have you put on for the chain of command that included jumping it all counts as activities that normal citizens would not be faced with. I can even imagine life on a sub, let alone our subs. 2.. it is a fair wage when you compare it to other nations, but once you start comparing it with common civilian jobs then there really not that much difference if you consider all the other components we do and they do not. My son is in the Regiment today, and lots of soldiers are leaving for better paying jobs that are not so intensive both physically or mentally, so much so that the unit sits in around 55 to 60 % manned... to put that into context less than 50 % and the unit is classified as combat ineffective, hence the CDS announcement. Increasing wages would be a really good incentive to a keep people or get them to join. Stop all the flow chart hiring practices and start hiring based on merit alone, and i'm sure those that want to have a career in the military will step up. Canadian army is in Latvia right now, most of those are combat arms, as they are part of an international battle group., and yes there are loggie and Admin people there as well. Those in UK are Combat arms training the Ukrainians, not that there is any danger involved, at least they are not concerned of being shot in the back like in Afghanistan, but they are deployed. it should also be noted that even in Afghanistan on average we only had a battle group deployed plus PRT, so not much greater than 34 to 4000 troops, although at one point we did have a full brigade there... lets not forget the Navy with ships deployed in the northern Atlantic, and Pacific along with Maritime patrol aircraft patrolling north Korea. add them up and the numbers grow... not to mention, the politics ongoing , about expanding the battle group in Latvia, talks about a combat force in Haiti , and the new agreement on expanding our presence in the Pacific, all of these will stretch our abilities to the max if not break them. listen nothing any good comes out of any measuring contest, and i'm not trying to shout you down, just showning we both have much different perspectives from much different angles.

I agree Michael every government that has governed needs to take a piece of the blame pie but let's also remember Justins liberals have been in power 8 plus years and have done very little on most important files our country is facing. we could also add to that list to make it longer, like infra structure projects, we created a fund for it, but have spent little of it, Neglected the rest of our security apparatus, like CSIS, RCMP, Coast Guard, Border services, even immigration could be added in there somewhere, done little for climate change, or the environment itself, we planted pots of trees though... Yes he did a fair job at the pandemic, but he mostly threw money at it, and it somehow solved itself, new trade agreement well a tie is better than a loss... we gained some lost some. took a shit kicking on aluminum, and dairy was an issue, international relations were really not noteworthy, how long were the Michaels gone. lets be real Justin only listened when it suited him, SNC Lavalin ring a bell, or the charity issue. let's not mention his spending habits, i don't think he listened to the Boc Canada or any other advisor on that one. I admire China... and the budget will balance itself, you are asking for more than we can give right now... all remarks Justin has made I'm sure there is more.

As far as i know Aristides does not park in the left lane, i could be wrong, but i think is more in the middle of the road conservative.

Yes, all in perspective, the average office clerk does not spend weeks at a time living out of a 10 man artic tent, nor do they spend the spring getting eaten alive by bugs while living out of a ground sheet in a Houch. nor have they signed onto unlimited liability. or spend months at sea working unlimited hours for days at a time, there is no over time, no compensation for lost weekends or holidays, one might get lucky and be granted a few days off for a month-long ex. same as deployments, to which currently well over 3000 people deployed right now, with no danger pay, or field pay, but a minimum deployment allowance. So the garbage guy in Toronto lucked out, the fact is comparing his job with a military clerk one could come to the conclusion perhaps there is a pay gap that could be looked at. Thats the problem you think I'm talking strictly combat arms and i am not, each BN is equipped with over 200 support trades, and were we go they go, and while they are not on the front lines with the infantry, they are pretty close. Company HQ might be as little as 500 meters away. Veh techs do operate on the battlefield, as supply guys dropping off ammo, food and beans. everyone operates as a team, everyone contributes to something, but their asses are on the line as well. It should be noted that the Army is the largest of all the elements. and contains more people than the other two elements 44,000 out of the total of 90 more like less than 80 k is a large chunk. 22,500 members serve as full-time soldiers in the Regular Force 21,500 are part-time, volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force including 5,300 Rangers who serve in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada 3,500 civilian employees who support the Army 63 Regular Force and 185 Reserve Force Units in 117 Communities 194 Ranger Patrols in more than 220 Communities The Canadian Army of Today - Canada.ca No danger pay is not life insurance but getting a couple hundred bucks a month to go on any operational mission is peanuts really. a guy would make more in field pay in Canada, so it might warrant some looking into.

I think I've been pretty fair with calling out those that have deliberately lied, but that's not what you're looking for is it. You want me to admit that becasue PP has lied it is on the same level therefore I'm as guilty as you are. But I'm not good with it, everything the liberals are doing lately is based on lies, not white lies but outright deception of the Canadian public, and when they this is pointed out they scream and shout you down. and this happens day after day... and liberal voters seem to be alright with that. which one eventually has tom ask why? we are either gullible or to stupid to know it is happening, or this is normal behavior. it is not normal and those that think so have a bent sense or what is right and wrong.

You seem to forget that each element had their own thing going on during all those years be it Afghanistan, and Bosnia, the Airforce had ships in the gulf looking for bad guys, and weapons shipments, air force had aircraft patrolling the same areas. basically, supporting both Bosnian and Afghanistan i remember an American F-117 being shot down over Bosnia by the Serbs, goes to say it was not all fun and games, i also remember navy and air force having operations tied into the IRAQI conflict all shooting wars. So i think at the time there was far more than the 40,000 army guys but much more. My point was in Afghanistan, everyone was on the front lines, yes the Combat arms lived most of their time outside the wire, our jobs, but in this case it was a team sport, we always needed bullets, beans, fuel, and the log guys delivered that to us, in the boonies somewhere. they earned every penny they got "my opinion". I'm not turning this into a dick measuring contest, and for the most part they are paid well when compared to other militaries globally, but where i disagree is when a garbage man can earn a better living than a Cpl in the military there is a problem that need to be addressed. and with current recruiting crises it makes more sense to pay them more than give them more hair color choices.

I think the point here is this, if a garbage man in Toronto is getting paid more it should be a red flag. and to say working at Canadians tire is the same thing is dishonest. to the point where yes it should be looked at. Just a note not everyone in the military is 9 to 5, not in the Amry or Navy it may be that way for the most part in the air force, but in the army not so, training is not 9 to 5, it is 24 and 7 for weeks at a time, one might get lucky and see a few hours every 24 hours, and in some case 0 for days at a time. and in conditions from -45 in the winter, to plus 25 degrees in bug infested woods that just want your blood and every ounce of it. with no escape for weeks. Just those conditions alone would be worth a pay raise, and not the 11.50 a day they do pay you.. not to mention the risk of putting a 18-year-old in charge of driving a 30-ton IFV at night with no lights and he that has had no sleep in the last 3 days...just going to the ranges can be deadly. Like i said you have had a different prospective, and in a different element. that may or may not have the same training or expectations as other elements. Getting paid bonus for Danger is true, if and when they are approved, and for what level they are approve, they are based of how much experience you have, for instance more tours of duty the higher your bonus, and really look at the bonus and tell me they are equitable, we are talking about your life and what it is worth to risk it right. telling a private his life is only worth a couple hundred while mine is worth almost 1000 at the max level.

I think this is your perspective, from your job and element. Any operation faces drastic increases in threats, from being in a ship in the gulf or being on an airstrip in Qatar during the gulf war. When your aircraft dives for the runway to avoid small arms that's an indication your no longer in kanas Dorthey. 15 mins out before landing they ask you to don your flak jacket and helmet, that's another sign. In Afghanistan everyone was subjected to enemy rocket and machine gun fire on a regular basis and you did not have to leave camp for any of that. if you went outside the wire it was not IF you were going to be attacked, but WHEN, it was very rare that any convoy that went out did not experience combat of some sort. 40,000 Canadians troops served in Afghanistan in the 10 years we were there, if you were in the army during that time odds are you served at least one tour, on average 3 to 4 tours were common with some up to 8 tours... And while it may be true not many have exchanged gun fire, they have experienced what war is like, seeing a man torn up and bleed from everywhere, to experiencing what it is like to get shot at, to see the effects of our weapons on the enemy, or just seeing what our enemies were capable of inflicting pain and suffering on their own people. Nobody comes back for a war zone without a major change in your personality, or outlook on life. Same as Bosnia, we might not have been exchanging gun fire on a regular basis, but it was as close as you can get, again over 40 k troops served in Bosnia/ Serbia/ Macedonia, Kosovo. It is much different serving in a Regiment in the Army, than say a Sqn in the air force, there is not the same comradery in the air force, they are not bonded by sharing the same difficult moments in training or on operations, it is night and day comparison. Your entire stay in a Regiment, everyone is focused on just that the Regiment, from sports, to training, to interpersonal relations all focus on the Regiment. Every grunt is taught very early that everyone else is just a POG, plug, anything but equal, their lifestyles are different, they career paths are different, they experiences are different, everything is different. this is drilled into everyone's head. Even after they go on and get a new trade, say like SAR tech many will have their Regimental Cap badge on the inside of their berets, or be proud of their experience as an infantryman they still have loyalty to the Regiment. it is a bond that is hard to break...I have not met Dougie, but just knowing he shared the same Regiment means he is an equal, he has already earned my respect in many ways. i would not question many things like his soldiering abilities, his character, his determination to get things done, his integrity things that were drilled into every soldier's heads constantly from day one until your retirement date. The marine corp adopts this decision process, by making all trades first pass infantry training, becasue everyone marine is a soldier first including female marines...we tried this in Canada but failed in a lot of aspects.

I think once you start writing down everything expected for the civilian worker (civil servant) and then military worker doing the same jobs, there is going to be a huge divide in reasonability's and expectations. And this becomes even more evident if you compare the same in the Army or Navy in regard to hours worked, conditions they work in, what is asked of them both physically or mentally. Once you add it all up there is a huge gap that could be filled with wage increases. The average wage for a Garbage man in the Toronto area is 73 K between 50 and 73 K not including bonus... i think that may help to put things into preceptive. Salary: Garbage Man in Toronto, ON 2022 | Glassdoor One could also look at specialist trades, such as pilots, doctors, nurses, boat captains, and many more they are not paid as well as their civilian counter parts. I think the military could and should look at our pays and all the bonuses we are entitled to get, to make them more equitable across the board to all members. The air force does seem to hold a lot more bonus than any other element. That being said this problem is worldwide, we are the Number one paid military on the planet, which eats up most of the Budget, that being said unless your training budget exceeds your pay budget, you're never going to get what you paid for, ie Canadians soldiers are not the best in the world in soldiering just the highest paid.

I have found a few of the old SSI games from back in the day, that have been bought out by another company. Like WINSPMBT, a modern Battle group sim, or WINSPWWII also a battle group size force set in WWII, all old SSI games, it has a digitals game board with octagon grids, it combines aircraft, drones, Helos air defense, arty, inf tanks, mines wire, trench's pretty much the whole thing. with over 90 countries represented. Played both for years now. I think the new company is named shrapnel games they offer a whole list of new computer-based games that are interesting.

Nobody on the left has any credibility period, none, you know exactly what he is alluding to, no one doubles our national debt and not knows that a lot of it was useless spending meant to buy your votes on stupid shi*. meanwhile most if not all of our critical needs are in the toilet. Just be honest for once in your life, do you think the Liberals are spending to much and if so on what.

Nothing more than a deflection to steer the comments in a different direction. this is the typical leftist answer, dare to speak negatively about Justin and all they can come back with is well PP said or did this, Meanwhile Justin is the PM and none of his political deeds have done much for this country, well except dope it seems to have found a place in all Canadian hearts. It's not PP that is going to get himself elected is that Justin is outstaying his welcome that's what is going to get Conservatives elected.