T
the patriot
Guest
November 16, 2000
Canada‘s airborne capabilities grounded
By Peter Worthington -- Sun Media Newspapers
In this unnecessary federal election, called to satisfy an aging prime minister‘s vanity, both the Liberals and the Alliance are pledging to help the military -- traditionally the first electoral promise to be broken after any vote.
Despite supportive cliches, one intent of the Chretien government-- even before calling the Nov. 27 vote -- seems to be to eliminate what‘s left of Canada‘s airborne capabilities.
Ever since the Airborne Regiment was disbanded as a misguided sop to perceived public opinion, Canada has suffered by not having a rapid reaction force that can move quickly into dicey situations. Ironically, this is now seen as essential by other countries -- even by Canada, though we do nothing about it.
By the time it was disbanded, the Airborne Regiment‘s problems had already been solved, almost overnight, by its new commanding officer, Col. Peter Kenward, who quickly straightened it out. Previously, inadequate leadership had been forced on the regiment by politics, with command rotating through the Royal 22nd Regiment (the Van Doos), the Princess Patricia Cavalry and Light Infantry and the Royal Canadian Regiment instead of to the most competent officer.
The Airborne was replaced by three jump companies from each of the above regiments, with a parachute training centre at Trenton.
Now, more cutbacks loom. In a letter to Lt.-Gen. Charlie Belzile, chairperson of the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA), Defence Minister Art Eggleton says a parachute capability will remain in the Canadian army, "albeit smaller."
The magic words, "albeit smaller," spell death for any operational capabilities -- like parachuting into a disaster in the north, much less into a foreign crisis, as the Brits did in Sierra Leone to rescue hostages or the Americans into Gen. Manuel Noriega‘s Panama.
At best, it will mean three scattered platoons, partially trained in airborne -- a bunch of soldiers with paratroop wings and no cohesive agenda, brought together if an emergency arises, as it some day will.
Retired Col. Dick Cowling, former commanding officer of the airborne regiment, notes that increased international airline traffic over our Arctic increases the "inevitability" of an airliner crash, when parachute aid will be the only quick resource.
Cowling also notes our allies have found paratroops essential in unstable places such as Rwanda, Guinea, Chad, the Central African Republic. It‘s unstable places like these where UN peacemaking will be required, assuming Canada doesn‘t abandon UN military roles for everything except administrative troops.
The U.S., Britain, France, Belgium and Australia find paratroopers best for quick reaction, able to move within 48 hours rather than the 30 to 60 days conventional army units require.
Cowling, the CDA and the Canadian Airborne Force Association (CAFA) note our present airborne capabilities total barely two per cent of the defence budget, so costs are minimal.
Still, arguments fall on deaf ears. Eggleton isn‘t interested and listens only to anti-airborne voices in the department of national defence.
I once asked Eggleton about paratroops and he said they were obsolete and hadn‘t made an operational jump since the Second World War. I said that rationale would be more applicable to submarines since I doubt a Canadian navy sub has ever fired a torpedo. (We missed a chance to sink a Spanish fishing trawler in Brian Tobin‘s turbot war . . . just joking.)
I think Alliance leader Stockwell Day could make yards by investigating and supporting a substantial paratroop establishment for crises or emergencies, rather as police and firefighters are insurance.
That said, the Alliance could look into a quiet campaign under way in Nova Scotia to reactivate a disbanded militia regiment, the Halifax Rifles, whose history dates back to the city‘s founding in 1749. The Rifles are Canada‘s third-oldest regiment (and Nova Scotia‘s oldest) and saw service in the Riel Rebellion, Boer War and both world wars.
It‘s had an unlucky history. As an armoured regiment in the Second World War, it was broken up and its troops dispersed to 31 armoured and infantry units fighting in every campaign in Italy and Northwest Europe, with 46 killed in action.
Nova Scotia is the only province without a reserve armoured unit. When Eggleton was approached with a plan to reactivate the Rifles as a militia reconnaissance unit comprised of 40 reservists, at a cost of roughly $750,000 (peanuts, even by DND‘s tight standards), he wasn‘t interested.
Two prime ministers (Sir Charles Tupper and Sir Robert Borden), five Nova Scotia premiers and five lieutenant-governors served with the regiment. Its roots go deep.
If the Halifax Rifles was pulled from supplementary reserve and put in the militia order of battle, it would give the Maritimes its only armoured component, and restore a much depleted heritage.
**************************************************
-the patriot-
Canada‘s airborne capabilities grounded
By Peter Worthington -- Sun Media Newspapers
In this unnecessary federal election, called to satisfy an aging prime minister‘s vanity, both the Liberals and the Alliance are pledging to help the military -- traditionally the first electoral promise to be broken after any vote.
Despite supportive cliches, one intent of the Chretien government-- even before calling the Nov. 27 vote -- seems to be to eliminate what‘s left of Canada‘s airborne capabilities.
Ever since the Airborne Regiment was disbanded as a misguided sop to perceived public opinion, Canada has suffered by not having a rapid reaction force that can move quickly into dicey situations. Ironically, this is now seen as essential by other countries -- even by Canada, though we do nothing about it.
By the time it was disbanded, the Airborne Regiment‘s problems had already been solved, almost overnight, by its new commanding officer, Col. Peter Kenward, who quickly straightened it out. Previously, inadequate leadership had been forced on the regiment by politics, with command rotating through the Royal 22nd Regiment (the Van Doos), the Princess Patricia Cavalry and Light Infantry and the Royal Canadian Regiment instead of to the most competent officer.
The Airborne was replaced by three jump companies from each of the above regiments, with a parachute training centre at Trenton.
Now, more cutbacks loom. In a letter to Lt.-Gen. Charlie Belzile, chairperson of the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA), Defence Minister Art Eggleton says a parachute capability will remain in the Canadian army, "albeit smaller."
The magic words, "albeit smaller," spell death for any operational capabilities -- like parachuting into a disaster in the north, much less into a foreign crisis, as the Brits did in Sierra Leone to rescue hostages or the Americans into Gen. Manuel Noriega‘s Panama.
At best, it will mean three scattered platoons, partially trained in airborne -- a bunch of soldiers with paratroop wings and no cohesive agenda, brought together if an emergency arises, as it some day will.
Retired Col. Dick Cowling, former commanding officer of the airborne regiment, notes that increased international airline traffic over our Arctic increases the "inevitability" of an airliner crash, when parachute aid will be the only quick resource.
Cowling also notes our allies have found paratroops essential in unstable places such as Rwanda, Guinea, Chad, the Central African Republic. It‘s unstable places like these where UN peacemaking will be required, assuming Canada doesn‘t abandon UN military roles for everything except administrative troops.
The U.S., Britain, France, Belgium and Australia find paratroopers best for quick reaction, able to move within 48 hours rather than the 30 to 60 days conventional army units require.
Cowling, the CDA and the Canadian Airborne Force Association (CAFA) note our present airborne capabilities total barely two per cent of the defence budget, so costs are minimal.
Still, arguments fall on deaf ears. Eggleton isn‘t interested and listens only to anti-airborne voices in the department of national defence.
I once asked Eggleton about paratroops and he said they were obsolete and hadn‘t made an operational jump since the Second World War. I said that rationale would be more applicable to submarines since I doubt a Canadian navy sub has ever fired a torpedo. (We missed a chance to sink a Spanish fishing trawler in Brian Tobin‘s turbot war . . . just joking.)
I think Alliance leader Stockwell Day could make yards by investigating and supporting a substantial paratroop establishment for crises or emergencies, rather as police and firefighters are insurance.
That said, the Alliance could look into a quiet campaign under way in Nova Scotia to reactivate a disbanded militia regiment, the Halifax Rifles, whose history dates back to the city‘s founding in 1749. The Rifles are Canada‘s third-oldest regiment (and Nova Scotia‘s oldest) and saw service in the Riel Rebellion, Boer War and both world wars.
It‘s had an unlucky history. As an armoured regiment in the Second World War, it was broken up and its troops dispersed to 31 armoured and infantry units fighting in every campaign in Italy and Northwest Europe, with 46 killed in action.
Nova Scotia is the only province without a reserve armoured unit. When Eggleton was approached with a plan to reactivate the Rifles as a militia reconnaissance unit comprised of 40 reservists, at a cost of roughly $750,000 (peanuts, even by DND‘s tight standards), he wasn‘t interested.
Two prime ministers (Sir Charles Tupper and Sir Robert Borden), five Nova Scotia premiers and five lieutenant-governors served with the regiment. Its roots go deep.
If the Halifax Rifles was pulled from supplementary reserve and put in the militia order of battle, it would give the Maritimes its only armoured component, and restore a much depleted heritage.
**************************************************
-the patriot-
