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Canadian soldiers arrested after drunken brawl

ladybugmabj said:
I am so glad that my husband, and the rest of Charles Coy 1RCR have that decompression...okay...then entire battlegroup. To have him come home tonight a little less stressed than he did 4 and half months ago after watching 4 of his troops die, is a little more comforting. Even when he did get home, we had a funeral to attend, plus visit the parents of one of his soldiers.
I've been to the briefings, listend to others talk about how the decompression helps. Granted, he would have rather come straight home, but I would have rather him spend a few days learning how to relax again before coming home.  The soldiers before heading to Cyprus were read the riot act (after some damage done to some rooms before hand). The riot act will be read again to them once they head into work on Tuesday.

Oh, and I don't think that this tour or the previous tour was 99% boredom.

Have you been corresponding with my wife?

She is also a big fan of the decompression theory.  I returned home MUCH less of a wreck after Afghanistan than I had on previous tours.

I, too, would have preferred to come straight home - with hindsight of years (my Gawd - DECADES!) in some cases, I think the decompression idea is a good one - even if you don't feel like you need it - get MAD, get REAL MAD about it, THEN come home.

Roy
 
Roy Harding said:
Does this make those soldiers less culpable?  Absolutely not.  I'm sure the CoC will throw the book at them, and rightly so. Roy

From article
"Limassol police said that the men were charged and released a few hours after their arrest. He added that the men were due to return to their country today."

If the soldiers were charged (with drunkenness, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer) and brought before a judge in Cyprus (which happens very quickly) then there is the potential for Double Jeopardy should their unit decide to apply NDA.  Any follow-up back in Canada will most likely be administrative in nature.

 
Well, it seems that regardless of the steps taken over the years to eliminate incidents such as this, they haven't been able to alter the genetic disposition to stupidity of some soldiers.  

(Before the inevitable post taking me to task for insulting soldiers, let me state that I have been stupid in the past.  In fact, if memory serves me right, I got pretty stupid one night in Limassol, a few decades ago.)

What amuses me the most about this thread, are the comments concerning the media blowing this out of proportion.  What media?  I googled for news "Canadian soldiers drunken brawl Cyprus" and only the one item showed up.  How did the original poster find that story?  At the moment the only ones making an issue of this are us.
 
I had 4 soldiers from my platoon killed on Aug 03 last year, and 10 wounded.  I know what stress is.  Everybody is different.  Like I said before, I had good buddies around me.  The difference between your husbands decompression and mine is this;

We were the first to got through the decompression.  it was brutal for us because nobody could understand what we had been through and done.  Not even the social workers.  We were an oddity.  relaxed to talk to but still somewhat reserved.
Hopefully for your husband this has changed.  We reccomended changes that have hopefully been enacted.  
When I got back with mu buddies and my family I was good to go because i was with normal people (in my eyes anyway).  So, I hope that the decompression helped him in a way that benefits you both.  here is a question for you, being a wife and all.  Should spouses attend decompression with their husbands?
 
Gunner98 said:
From article
If the soldiers were charged (with drunkenness, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer) and brought before a judge in Cyprus (which happens very quickly) then there is the potential for Double Jeopardy should their unit decide to apply NDA.  Any follow-up back in Canada will most likely be administrative in nature.

As I recall from the (admittedly dim) past - there is some sort of agreement in place regarding foreign soldiers in Cyprus.  Something to the effect of they will pay damages (if required), but will not face Cypriot criminal proceedings - on the understanding that their home nation will take care of the criminal aspect of things.

It's entirely possible that I'm out to lunch here - if so, please correct me.

Roy
 
Kiwi99 said:
...
We were the first to got through the decompression.  ...

Bullshit.

3VP Op Apollo were the "first" - not that it matters.

The rest of your post is spot on.

Roy
 
Roy:

Although there are/have been agreements, in at least one case during the last 18 months indicates the Cypriots do not take kindly to resisting arrest and abuse of their policemen.  The fine (in one case) was approx. $1300 Cdn.

Arrest, jail, and trial in less than 12 hours.
 
Bullshit.

3VP Op Apollo were the "first" - not that it matters.

Relax Roy.  You're right though - it doesn't matter.  I'm pretty sure what Kiwi was referring to though were our experiences.  Those were a first in the last 50 years.
 
Dirty Patricia said:
Relax Roy.  You're right though - it doesn't matter.  I'm pretty sure what Kiwi was referring to though were our experiences.  Those were a first in the last 50 years.

OKay
 
Gunner98 said:
Roy:

Although there are/have been agreements, in at least one case during the last 18 months indicates the Cypriots do not take kindly to resisting arrest and abuse of their policemen.  The fine (in one case) was approx. $1300 Cdn.

Arrest, jail, and trial in less than 12 hours.

I'm still not sure that I understand (alright, I AM sure that I DON'T understand) the implications of Cypriot law on our soldiers.  Fines are "fine" so to speak, and always have been, but are our soldiers subject to imprisonment on that particular bit of paradise?

Roy
 
Definitely sounds like the Military's free ride with the media is over. Abused detainees, dead civilians, drunken soldiers... sounds like the liberal left is firing up to make headlines over everything negative they can find. I can see the editors saying "we have been too soft on this mission, run the dirt!"  :(

 
Fines (or charitable contributions to Cyrpus) are handed down and once paid allow a soldier to be released from custody and return with unit to Canada.  This hearing and punishment prevents them from being retried in Canada for even Drunkenness.

If incident is 'handled effectively' by Cdn MPs then the book can be thrown at them back in Canada.
 
Gunner98 said:
Fines (or charitable contributions to Cyrpus) are handed down and once paid allow a soldier to be released from custody and return with unit to Canada.  This hearing and punishment prevents them from being retried in Canada for even Drunkenness.

If incident is 'handled effectively' by Cdn MPs then the book can be thrown at them back in Canada.

Thanks.
 
Gunner98 said:
[...]then the book can be thrown at them back in Canada.

I would not feel comfortable, looking into the eyes of the offending soldiers and telling them that they were going to get the 3rd degree, simply because their moment of drunken stupidity made the news.

I hope we do not scapegoat anyone for the sake of public relations.
 
Kiwi99, I apologize for any insensitivity that I have. I do believe that the decompression is a well deserved break for the infantry and anyone esle who has been outide that wire. I worry so much for my husband after this tour. He's done 8 so far, and this by far was the worst. He too lost 4 people from his company, 2 from his platoon on September 3rd (his WO, and the young private - from his section). As for the briefings, he mentioned he's heard it all before, but didnt' realize the resources that were available if needed, and I pray that he doesn't.
 The military is learning from each tour about decompression, FRC's, resources, etc......I just hope it's not too late for any further tours.

:cdn:
 
Some of the guys can be real idiots and get right out of hand. Usually it's a few guys who ruin it for everyone.

Like everyone else I wanted to come straight home. I'm glad we got to go to Greece. I got to see a new country a little, got to stay at an amazing hotel, eat great food and most of all relax a little with buddies from my platoon. Sure I wanted home in a bad way but in hindsight I'm glad for the 4 days. (Getting home after that was bullshit however).

I liked the breifings that they had in the leave center. Now by liked I mean I recognized a lot of the behaviors they touched on and noticed them immediatly in myself and also from previous tours. Gave me a lot of pause for thought.
The classes need a lot of work for people to take them seriously. No one want to tak the fun away from boys who just spent 6 months in afghanistan but I think we could use with controling some of the boys a little more. If someones going to be out of control, play smashy at the hotel start fights or disrupt the classes well then they should be removed from the intigator, alcohol.
Thats not everyone, just the guys who can't handle it.

I don't get all the "it's a slow day in the media" comments. It's the media guys. ANYTHING thats even remotely close to being a story is going to be plastered across the news. It's in their nature.  Should we be surprised? not at all.

You put 200+ hockey players or anyone else for that matter in a place like Limmasol every 4 days with alcohol and I can guarentee you that they would cause a hell of a lot more shit than Canadian Soldiers there.
 
Flawed Design said:
You put 200+ hockey players or anyone else for that matter in a place like Limmasol every 4 days with alcohol and I can guarentee you that they would cause a hell of a lot more crap than Canadian Soldiers there.

Very true!!!
 
Decompresson is one thing. Taking it out on the local contabulary is another.  I find it ironic that the troops are told to go blow steam but need to restrain themselves from overindulging, as most will.  I think they do need to decompress and not come "home " with unresolved issues and take it out on thier families.   Hopefully this will not turn into an ugly international incident and Cyprus refuses entry for our troops.
My 0.02

:cdn:


To ladybugmabj, I hope your hubby (and all the other troops in his regiment) comes home safe and sound and has no unresolved issues to deal with.
We're all pullin' for ya.   :salute:
 
  Wow, I had no idea this post would cause such a stir! The original link was sent to me by a neighbour via email so I assumed it was already picked up by other media sources.

  It has brought up some interesting points:

1.   Is the decompression area working to alleviate stress in soldiers prior to returning to Canada?     I say Yes. I have heard from many soldiers who said they needed the time to relax prior to coming home.

2.   Should the decompression centre be dry or two drink/day limit?   I say No. Let the troops know the rules, then let them have fun and unwind. Punish the stupid who don't follow the rules.

3.   Is drinking a problem in the military?  I say not anymore than the general public. There are always going to be people who act dumb when they are drinking and who here has not done something stupid in their life while under the influence of alcohol? I long ago, as a young Pte, had to stand at attention in front my RSM after a weekend party went awry.  I was punished and straightened my act as I am sure the three soldiers in Cyprus will after their RSM gets through with them.
       
 
Spidron said:
Definitely sounds like the Military's free ride with the media is over. Abused detainees, dead civilians, drunken soldiers... sounds like the liberal left is firing up to make headlines over everything negative they can find. I can see the editors saying "we have been too soft on this mission, run the dirt!"  :(

I'd be very interested to hear how you feel that the liberal left has a hold of the Cyprus newspaper in which this was posted. The story hasn't been picked up by any news sources in Canada yet, and until any of them have been you're statements are completely baseless.
 
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