I liked the old chat feature. Last night I visited chat and it was extremely laggy taking 30-46 seconds for replies to show up. If staff can fix this it might entice more people into chat in the future. Thx
Hey guys, just wanted to make an area where we can discuss the current fund shortage for reserves.
I heard there's one unit down in London who are down to one training night a month and apparently some are on complete stand down until the new Fiscal year (April 1st, not to be confused with new Calender year).
I only started hearing about this tonight because my BMQ course (this was going to be weekend 6, ie. half way mark) has been put on stand down. We all have training with our units, but no more BMQ until either some money is found (very unlikely) or the new fiscal year arrives (4 months from now) and chances are if we can't re-start until April they are going to make us restart BMQ from week 1. I heard this is unprecedented and that a course has never been canceled like this before.
Anyone else in the same boat as me (in my BMQ course or not)?
I'm hoping for the best (they'll take off where we left) but expecting the worst (re-starting at day 1).
I love how our Sergeant explained it to us: "Okay troops, basically, this is what happened" *draws a dollar sign on the board* "and now" *crosses out dollar sign* "any questions?" too funny
Every one here is pretty bummed about it. People who've been kicked off BMQ have priority in new courses popping up over new recruits who've been waiting for BMQ and it's messing up entire training schedules, like university students were supposed to get on the early SQ course in the summer and then do QL3 later in the summer, but now, if we don't graduate until mid summer maybe even later, we may be lucky to make it in time to a late summer SQ. Some rumours that we may not even graduate this summer but take it back up in our equivelent timed course next year (October)
Unhappy faces all around, especially recruiting officers who can't even promise prospective recruits actual course dates. Our unit is at roughly 50% size and the recruiting officer had finally been given the green light to recruit to make out unit 100% size (about another 100 members) and now he can't even work on that problem since he almost has to go "Yeah, training will start some time next year". Sergeant is unhappy because there are about 30 of us Private Recruits who can't really do anything around the unit other than shovel snow (which is what we did tonight) until we're BMQ qualified and the likes.
Veterans Rally Against SISIP Clawback - Jan 2010 By Admin on Wed 02 Dec 2009, 10:15
An idea has been proposed to hold a veterans rally on 21 Jan 2010, timings TBC, outside the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) bldg, Ottawa, Ont. The SCC will be hearing the SISIP Clawback Appeal. For more info check under VVi Latest News @ http://www.facebook.com/l/90163;www.veteranvoice.info/bulletinboard.html
This is a peaceful veterans rally.
Discussion has just begun on how to carry this out. If you have any ideas and/or you are interested in participating, please contact Dennis or Perry through veteran_rally@veteranvoice.info . All emails will be fwd to the Rally Organizers.
Those that are interested in participating and/or assisting in the planning and coordination of this relatively last-minute event, send an email to veteran_rally@veteranvoice.info and include the following:
First name or nickname Your Location Number from group to attend Email Address Phone number See Notice Board below 'Veterans Rally Against SISIP Clawback' for further info and discussion.
Mr. Campbell, hope you don't mind me posting this letter--it's a great letter and reminder so I thought posting it here would be for the 'greater good' (and perusal of the membership):
Keep Politics Away From Forces National Post: December 8, 2009 Re: Our Armed Forces Deserve Better, Marc Garneau, Dec. 5.
Like Liberal MP and former naval officer Marc Garneau, I come from a military family: my grandfathers both served; my father was killed in action in early 1943; I served over 35 years in the army, retiring as a senior officer; my son, like his grandfather, is a naval officer. My credentials, therefore, are at least as good as Mr. Garneau's.
I agree, mostly, with Mr. Garneau that our men and women in the Forces want and deserve our highest respect for their sacrifices. They're not only brave; they're intelligent. They know the difference between being honoured and being held out for partisan purposes. But most of all, they do not want to be made scapegoats for unsound social and economic policy decisions made by the Liberals in the Trudeau and Chretien eras.
Leaders of all stripes have never been shy about using any national institution as a partisan political backdrop. Our soldiers demonstrate their innate good taste and good sense and refuse to participate in the political theatre. Yes, our armed forces deserve better-- better than Mr. Garneau's whining -- from all political parties.
By David Pugliese, The Ottawa CitizenDecember 8, 2009 Article Link
Troops now training at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa for a mission to Afghanistan next year are in the midst of a battle against the military bureaucracy over pay and health benefits.
It's the second time in less than eight months that reserve soldiers assigned to the Afghan mission have run into pay problems. In February, soldiers contacted the Citizen after their pay was cut off while they fought in Afghanistan.
This time, soldiers say they have lost the extra pay they are entitled to because of a bureaucratic screw-up. According to the soldiers, the pay problems are due to a backlog in processing paperwork and an inadequate pay system at National Defence headquarters in Ottawa.
As well, there are problems with health coverage for families of the part-time soldiers. More on link
John Ibbitson SEOUL — Globe and Mail Update Published on Monday, Dec. 07, 2009 6:12AM EST Last updated on Monday, Dec. 07, 2009 11:22AM EST Barack Obama is coming to Toronto.
As suspected, it will be Toronto, not Muskoka, that will host the G20 summit of major developed and developing nations next June.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak revealed the change of location after meeting in Seoul Monday afternoon, meaning the city will play host to Mr. Obama and 19 other world leaders next year. No venue was announced, but the dates are June 26-27.
The G8–consisting of the seven major industrialized countries plus Russia–has been the pre-eminent forum for managing global economic policy since the 1990s. But as recession swept across the hemispheres in 2008, the nascent G20 emerged as the more effective forum for co-ordinating a global response to the economic crisis.
Plans have long been in the works for leaders of the G8 to meet outside the resort town of Huntsville, in the cottage-country District of Muskoka, about 250 km north of Toronto, next June.
When Canada was chosen last September to host a G20 leaders meeting in June 2009, the Conservative government originally planned to dovetail the two meetings in Muskoka. But it became increasingly clear that the 10,000 participants and media expected for the G20 would overwhelm the capacity of the upscale tourist destination, while also creating virtually insurmountable security concerns.
Mr. Harper's announcement Monday confirmed that Canada's largest city, rather than one of its most attractive resort communities, will take on the event, with the Toronto Convention Centre as one possible choice to host the meeting.
The G20 will convene again in Seoul in November of next year.
Natural hazards, however formidable, are inherently less dangerous and less uncertain than fighting hazards. All ocnditions are more calculable, all obstacles more surmountable than those of human resistance.
- Sir Basil H. Liddel-Hart
Military Word Of The Day
Military Term #1023 of 924:
RFID
:
Radio Frequency Identification -
used commercially in retail anti-theft and bulk cargo tracking, a potential for IFF down to the soldier level
Today in Military History
December 12
1944:
NAVIGLIO CANAL, effective dates for battle honour begin (to 15 Dec 44)
