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Ironically, we used to have a "forward base" in Germany which met this purpose for deployments in that direction ... (but, it's been said we can thank ADM Fowler for unnecessarily closing it, and ham-stringing our Army in the process)
Army plans to stockpile gear at ports
Equipment overhaul: Move would cut response times for overseas missions
a journalist, CanWest News Service
Monday, July 05, 2004
OTTAWA - In an effort to better respond to an overseas crisis, the Canadian army will reduce the amount of equipment at its bases and instead stockpile gear and armoured vehicles for up to 2,000 soldiers at ports on the east and possibly west coasts.
As part of a major overhaul of how it handles its equipment, the army is in discussions to locate the equipment stash in Montreal or Halifax and possibly Vancouver. A similar stockpile to train up to 2,000 soldiers will be set up in Wainright, Alta., while enough transport trucks needed to help out in a domestic emergency will be located at installations across the country, such as Canadian Forces Base Petawawa in Ontario and CFB Edmonton in Alberta.
The positioning of equipment at the ports, already prepackaged for shipment, is part of the army's new plan to cut down on the time it takes to reach foreign war zones.
"Our experience, especially over the last five years, is that it's not the soldiers who have the readiness problem," said Col. Mike Kampman, the army's director of strategic planning. "It's the equipment."
Such delays, in everything from painting armoured vehicles to ensuring weapons were operating properly, slowed down the speed with which the army was able to respond to the first mission in Afghanistan, dubbed Operation Apollo, he noted.
Army and navy officers, as well as other defence officials, are in discussions about where the equipment stockpile should be located. The navy is keen on Halifax because of the easy access to its vessels.
The army is interested in Montreal because of its rail links and port facilities. But a potential drawback with that location is the need for icebreakers in the winter to open up the waterways so transport ships can get to the army supplies, Col. Kampman acknowledged.
The navy has also raised the possibility of putting a stockpile in Vancouver to deal with operations in the Pacific region, he said. "If an East Timor mission comes up again, you would like to project out of Vancouver as opposed to projecting out of Halifax or Montreal," Col. Kampman said.
If needed, warehouses could be leased to store the gear. Security arrangements would also have to be made for the storage depots.
Whatever the decision about the location of the stockpile, the equipment should be in place by late next year in time for the Canadian military to assume its duties as a NATO quick response force.
In addition, a stockpile of similar equipment will be sent to Canadian Forces Base Wainright so it could be used at a high-tech training centre being built there. Soldiers would train on that gear, identical to the equipment they would use overseas, and then ship out for their mission.
The stockpiling plan means equipment at bases across the country will be reduced somewhat.
One hurdle to get over is the expected resistance from troops to using or trusting equipment and vehicles that are not located right in their units. "There's this kind of mindset in the army that your unit owns the vehicle," Col. Kampman explained.
One way around that is to ensure the stockpiled vehicles and gear are in top shape and ready for action overseas. "We've got to build that trust and the only way you can do that is to focus maintenance resources on those stocks, to make sure they're ready to go when they need them," Col. Kampman said.
The army will also ensure that there are enough vehicles, mainly trucks, located at every base in the country to handle a domestic emergency. While armoured vehicles are not seen as being required in most situations, there would be the need for transport equipment to handle everything from moving medical supplies to the evacuation of communities in the event of an ice storm or large-scale forest fire.
Col. Kampman noted in many cases, the army does not need specialized military transport to deal with a domestic emergency. That job could be handled by commercial trucks that could be purchased by the army.
(Ottawa Citizen)
Army plans to stockpile gear at ports
Equipment overhaul: Move would cut response times for overseas missions
a journalist, CanWest News Service
Monday, July 05, 2004
OTTAWA - In an effort to better respond to an overseas crisis, the Canadian army will reduce the amount of equipment at its bases and instead stockpile gear and armoured vehicles for up to 2,000 soldiers at ports on the east and possibly west coasts.
As part of a major overhaul of how it handles its equipment, the army is in discussions to locate the equipment stash in Montreal or Halifax and possibly Vancouver. A similar stockpile to train up to 2,000 soldiers will be set up in Wainright, Alta., while enough transport trucks needed to help out in a domestic emergency will be located at installations across the country, such as Canadian Forces Base Petawawa in Ontario and CFB Edmonton in Alberta.
The positioning of equipment at the ports, already prepackaged for shipment, is part of the army's new plan to cut down on the time it takes to reach foreign war zones.
"Our experience, especially over the last five years, is that it's not the soldiers who have the readiness problem," said Col. Mike Kampman, the army's director of strategic planning. "It's the equipment."
Such delays, in everything from painting armoured vehicles to ensuring weapons were operating properly, slowed down the speed with which the army was able to respond to the first mission in Afghanistan, dubbed Operation Apollo, he noted.
Army and navy officers, as well as other defence officials, are in discussions about where the equipment stockpile should be located. The navy is keen on Halifax because of the easy access to its vessels.
The army is interested in Montreal because of its rail links and port facilities. But a potential drawback with that location is the need for icebreakers in the winter to open up the waterways so transport ships can get to the army supplies, Col. Kampman acknowledged.
The navy has also raised the possibility of putting a stockpile in Vancouver to deal with operations in the Pacific region, he said. "If an East Timor mission comes up again, you would like to project out of Vancouver as opposed to projecting out of Halifax or Montreal," Col. Kampman said.
If needed, warehouses could be leased to store the gear. Security arrangements would also have to be made for the storage depots.
Whatever the decision about the location of the stockpile, the equipment should be in place by late next year in time for the Canadian military to assume its duties as a NATO quick response force.
In addition, a stockpile of similar equipment will be sent to Canadian Forces Base Wainright so it could be used at a high-tech training centre being built there. Soldiers would train on that gear, identical to the equipment they would use overseas, and then ship out for their mission.
The stockpiling plan means equipment at bases across the country will be reduced somewhat.
One hurdle to get over is the expected resistance from troops to using or trusting equipment and vehicles that are not located right in their units. "There's this kind of mindset in the army that your unit owns the vehicle," Col. Kampman explained.
One way around that is to ensure the stockpiled vehicles and gear are in top shape and ready for action overseas. "We've got to build that trust and the only way you can do that is to focus maintenance resources on those stocks, to make sure they're ready to go when they need them," Col. Kampman said.
The army will also ensure that there are enough vehicles, mainly trucks, located at every base in the country to handle a domestic emergency. While armoured vehicles are not seen as being required in most situations, there would be the need for transport equipment to handle everything from moving medical supplies to the evacuation of communities in the event of an ice storm or large-scale forest fire.
Col. Kampman noted in many cases, the army does not need specialized military transport to deal with a domestic emergency. That job could be handled by commercial trucks that could be purchased by the army.
(Ottawa Citizen)
