question from a fellow soldier from holland

[robroy]

hi, everyone. my name is paul and i am a sergeant first class from the dutch royal signal corp.
i have been on a 3 missions so far, 2 in Bosnia and 1 in Afghanistan(uruzgan).
on all three mission i worked with Canadian forces, 1992 in daruvar and Sarajevo(airport) with the van due and rcr.
the second time i stayed in zgon for six months also van due and rcr.
and last month in uruzgan a Canadian signal detachment was assigned to our unit.

the question i want to ask is this.
de Canadian signal corp has kind off a tradition with what they called the sigspig.
the game was that this pig was displayed in the NRL and other units would try to steel it.

in order to play the game fair they made a document with rules off engagement.
i would like to get this document to use for a story about this game in our signals magazine'.

who can help me to get this.

greets paul.

and remember, NO COMMS NO BOMBS

 

[211RadOp]

I think I may know who has a copy. I'll find out.

 

[geo]

Sigspig?

 

[211RadOp]

It's a thing we Siggies do on tour. When, and if, I get the rules, I'll post them all to see. It's all in good fun.

 

[Sig_Des]

Well, there's a couple of different games known as SigsPig.

I know that some units have played it on excersize. The Linemen out in Ed once held the pig hostage for a smoker. The pictures were funny.

 

[therev]

this sounds like a fascinating ritual/ game.  I want to hear more.  Hope you find those rules. 

 

[geo]

Hmmm...
thank god no one has ever released a copy of the video to the press

 

[buzgo]

When I was in Bosnia in '95 the NRL in Primosten put the pig on top of the log antenna. Since it was like 80' high and attached to a 10k transmitter that was used often it was pretty safe...

That was when the Ronald McDonald from the Kingston McD's was there as well and the 4 NRL dets used to steal it from each other!

 

[211RadOp]

Hmmm...
thank god no one has ever released a copy of the video to the press

For very good reason, video camera's are not allowed around Rad Ops or Linemen.

When I was in Bosnia in '95 the NRL in Primosten put the pig on top of the log antenna. Since it was like 80' high and attached to a 10k transmitter that was used often it was pretty safe...

That was when the Ronald McDonald from the Kingston McD's was there as well and the 4 NRL dets used to steal it from each other!

Was that the tour that the Commcen had a big yellow M over the door??

 

[Sig_Des]

For very good reason, video camera's are not allowed around Rad Ops or Linemen.

I KNEW we weren't supposed to videotape some of our Shenanigans at CFSCE. hmm.....There's some good ones, too  ;D

 

[Trinity]

this sounds like a fascinating ritual/ game.  I want to hear more.  Hope you find those rules. 

No you don't padre...  no you don't.

Sometimes.. officers need to just walk away to have plausible deniablity.

The troops did what?  Good thing I wasn't there!!! 

I've had to walk a few times even though I wanted to stay.

 

[Vaino]

While protecting my 'anon' interweb guise, I still want to say the SigsPig in the Golan Heights was fun, and did a heck of a lot for moral...ah, that poor Sig O happened to be stuck with it three weeks out of four...good times, good times.  I do not have a copy of the rules, but I can add this:

    The tradition is practiced on almost all overseas tours, as I know it was in the Golan Heights of Isreal/Syria and the Original Poster claims it was in Bosnia and Afghanistan...and Des knows of it from Edmonton Garrison.  The rules as I recall them were that should a Siggy do something silly, moronic, embarrassing, outright dumb, flamboyant, odd, of peculiar renown, or an otherwise similar misdeed, then that Siggy would be awarded the SigsPig for the week following the dirty deed. In the likely event that more than one person is nominated, the stories would be told at a weekly smoker, and the entire Sigs unit would vote for the unfortunate individual who would then be awarded the SigsPig to guard, carry, have in possession, or know the whereabouts of for the week.  I distinctly recall that if the member lost the pig, surrendered it, misplaced it, or had it taken capture, then that person would buy drinks for the entire Sigs unit at the next weeks smoker.

    The details are foggy, for obvious reasons, but it was a fine lot of fun for all involved, save the poor Sig O.

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... sounds like a "SNAFU" award I once had a hand in

 

[Pinto]

Sometimes.. officers need to just walk away to have plausible deniablity.

The troops did what?  Good thing I wasn't there!!! 

I've had to walk a few times even though I wanted to stay.

Just remember the basics: "No, no, don't; it's wrong." Say that and you're covered. "Sir, I told them to stop, but they didn't."
;D

Cheers
-Pinto

 

[211RadOp]

I've been on leave this past week and havn't been able to check my mail at work. Still waiting on it.

Vaino,

When where you in the Golan?? I was Jun - Dec 00. (Roto 64 I think)

 

[211RadOp]

I just got back to work and I had an e-mail from the person who did  the ROE's for the Pig. He doesn't have them anymore. Sorry.

In the Golan, when I was there, we had 2 pigs, the little pig and the big pig.

The little pig was handed out weekly at the BBQ that was held at the line shack. The rules for this was that any member of the Troop could tell a "true" story of any other member of the troop. The Signals Sgt Major then acted as the judge and the "winner" had to care for the pig for the week. Woe is the one who lost control of thier pig during the week (I ended up with it once). At the end of each month, all of the "winners" where then judged and the best one had to carry the big pig for the month. The big pig was a small back pack.

 

[radop215]

all i remember from bosnia concerning the pig was, one det would place it in an accessible place.  another det would try to steal it, you werent allowed to hide it, lock it up or any of that nonsense.  we awarded the pig a medal at the end of the tour.