Response's To "Ruxted On The Media's Handling Of Cpl. Boneca's Death"

[Kal]

Read the comments in the link...

It never ceases to surprise me that many people will see and understand a reality that they wish and not one of fact.  Conservatives pulling the wool over Canadian eyes, when fact is the Liberals sent soldiers first.  Afghanistan having nothing to do with Canada..  Hitler didn't kill any Jews in Canada, why did we fight that 'justified' war?  

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Which is why as Bill said we have to start getting "the message" out also......faster than the whiners.

http://army.ca/legal/ruxted.php

Got a local newspaper?

 

[armybuck041]

Reading this post makes me wonder if the girlfriend or his family read information about the cycle of deployments. I think that if they read any information this would not have occurred like it has now. I also seem to think they did not attend any pre deployment sessions. I received important information from all of these sessions.

In my case, my husband has vented on me and has said lots of stuff. Yes he wants to come home very bad too. We had this discussion this morning. But as previous posts have mentioned this is because the tour is winding down and everyone feels  this way.

However I did ask my husband hypothetically if I can get you home right now would you want me too? His response was this." Honey, I love you and the kids more then anything and I am sorry that I have missed so many firsts with our son. But based on what my section has been through in the last couple of days, I couldn't ever think of leaving them. We stand together and we will fight together until the tour is done. Then we will all  come home together. I may say lots of stuff and vent to you but you keep me sain and my kids remind me why we are here doing what we are doing."

"we need to really think about what we pass along to our family members, and what is best sorted out through discussion amongst peers in theatre. A few well placed words can be the difference between pride and despair to those who don't see the same light we do."

I disagree with this statement. I feel the families need to be educated on the cycle of deployment. I am very glad that my husband has confided in me. Some of the stuff has freaked me out however I realize that he needs to do this so he can continue on his mission with his mind focused on the task. It also helps me to understand what he is going through so I am not in the dark when he comes home and has different behavior.

I also feel that we as spouses were prepared for this tour. We were told of the mission and of the expectancies of causalities

Just my 2 cents.

Exactly. How I talk to my wife who is educated on deployment stress and other military jargon is different than my extended family who is not.

Enjoy your much deserved reunion Booked Spice.

 

[Haggis]

However I did ask my husband hypothetically if I can get you home right now would you want me too? His response was this." Honey, I love you and the kids more then anything and I am sorry that I have missed so many firsts with our son. But based on what my section has been through in the last couple of days, I couldn't ever think of leaving them. We stand together and we will fight together until the tour is done. Then we will all  come home together. I may say lots of stuff and vent to you but you keep me sain and my kids remind me why we are here doing what we are doing."

I had the experience of being repatriated early from my last tour (death of my mother) in 2004.  I had eight days left.  It rips your guts out to involuntarily leave your soldiers before "the job" is done.

I understand 110% where your hubby is coming from.  My wife and I had the same discussion when my mom began her decline.  She or I could've contacted the padre/social worker and had me out in a heartbeat.  We agreed that I would stay with my troops until the last possible moment, which I did.  Unfortunately my mom was never one to wait around for anything so as soon as she knew I was on my way home, she left us.

As much as I loved my mother, it hurt like hell to leave my soldiers so close to the end.

 

[GAP]

More of CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD articles and online commentary.

Three days of fierce, bloody war
CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD From Tuesday's Globe and Mail 11 July 2006
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060711.wxafghan11/BNStory/Afghanistan/home

I'd been following Cpl. Mooney around like a bad smell. But in the battle that killed Cpl. Boneca, I lost sight of him.

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — Corporal Keith Mooney sat hunched in his wheelchair on the tarmac at Kandahar Air Field yesterday, his blond head bent, his sweet face contorted as he tried not to cry.

The body of the young man he knew only a little and then only to tease -- I forget what he said it was about but it would have been in the way soldiers relentlessly rag on one another, gentle, funny and profane all at once -- was being carried up the ramp into the belly of a green-grey Hercules aircraft to head home to Canada.

Just hours after Cpl. Tony Boneca was killed Sunday morning while clearing a mud compound in Panjwei district west of Kandahar City, Cpl. Mooney himself was hit and wounded, perhaps by enemy fire, although he remains unconvinced of that, perhaps by the secondary explosion of a Taliban weapons cache that blew up when a bomb was dropped in a mud-walled maze of grape fields where for three long days ending yesterday Canadians fought in the sort of sustained and vicious battle Cpl. Mooney calls "a shitshow."
more on link

Christie Blatchford on Canada's mission in Afghanistan
Globe and Mail Update 11 July 2006
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060710.wlivekandahar0711/BNStory/specialComment/home

Globe columnist Christie Blatchford was on patrol with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan over the weekend when Corporal Tony Boneca was killed in a fight with Taliban insurgents near Pasmul
more on link

 

[The Bread Guy]

Any enlightenment on this appreciated....

In response to those mentioning pre-deployment stress workshops, if a Reservist is to be deployed, I'm guessing s/he attends, but would his/her spouse/significant other be flown in to attend as well?  Would someone in the Reservist's hometown get together with the spouse/significant other/family to do some sort of briefing?  Spent time in the Reserves, but never deployed, so that's why I'm wondering.

Thx!

 

[Towards_the_gap]

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2006/07/11/1678530-sun.html


I was livid when I read this headline, and duly wrote a letter to the editor. i think the media circus surrounding this soldier (RIP) is nothing more than sensationalist, tabloid journalism.

 

[pbi]

, if a Reservist is to be deployed, I'm guessing s/he attends, but would his/her spouse/significant other be flown in to attend as well?  Would someone in the Reservist's hometown get together with the spouse/significant other/family to do some sort of briefing?  Spent time in the Reserves, but never deployed, so that's why I'm wondering.

Thx!

I can´t vouch for the current mission, but I know what we did previously to support our Reserve families. When I was with 38 CBG (2002-2005) we fielded a D&S platoon for the ATHENA support base, raised from around the Bde. In order to  make sure that families knew what was involved, I took a team consisting of me (COS), an officer from the G1 (Personnel) branch, and a PAff NCO. Local chaplains and Family Support Centre reps were involved where they were available.  We toured all Brigade locations that were home to deploying soldiers. The meetings were held in the unit armoury in the evenings, and the deploying soldiers were asked to invite their families, friends, employers, etc. We explained the nature of the mission, including possible risks, the selection and training process, leave and redeployment, and post redeployment follow-up. We explained the various different ways that families could get information about their soldiers, how to contact them in an emergency, and how to contact the military 24/7. We provided copies of the Brigade newsletter )including arranging to mail copies to homes, and explained how to access the Bde website deployment info page. We offered advice on dealing with the media, and the number of the local Bde or unit PAO, but we stressed that it was totally up to the families if they wanted to speak to the media or not: neither we nor the media could force them either way. We asked only that they respected OPSEC to a reasonable extent. During the time that the soldiers were deployed, we kept in touch with families. Once the troops redeployed, we followed up in each case to see that they got the required post-deployment screenings.

The whole thing was fairly expensive, and took a lot of time, but considering that it was for our soldiers and their families it was worth it.

I am sure that if we, as a simple Res Bde, could do those basic things two years ago, they can and would be done today. Because of this, I have a very, very hard time accepting the idea that neither Cpl Boneca nor his immediate family understood what was going on.

Cheers

 

[The Bread Guy]

PBI - thanks for the detailed explanation. Sounds like all the bases were covered.  I wasn't thinking that a lack of pre-brief would leave them not understanding the nature of the mission, though. 

I work full-time dealing with media, and I have a hard time getting my message across, so I've gotta think it must be pretty near impossible to think about "messaging" and "public perception" when you've had the rug pulled out from under you when a loved one is taken from you.

I guess this is even more reason to discuss with your loved ones what you want (and DON'T want) said if the bell tolls.  You don't have to be dead, either - the media'll come calling if you get injured, too.

I know I'd hate to be judged by something I said/wrote on a really sh**ty day....

 

[The Bread Guy]

The latest re:  media/repat...

http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=226879

Repatriation of the Remains of Corporal Anthony Boneca


MA 06-08 - July 11, 2006

OTTAWA -The remains of Corporal Anthony Boneca, killed in Afghanistan on July 9, are scheduled to arrive at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario on July 12 at 7:00 pm. Cpl Boneca was killed during a firefight with insurgents approximately 25 kilometres west of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, the Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Gordon O’Connor, Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Rick Hillier and Maj.-Gen. Marc Lessard, Assistant Chief of Land Staff will be present to pay their respects.

At the request of the next of kin, a photo opportunity will be provided to the media on the Trenton tarmac. No interviews will be granted by the family.

Short and sweet....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Sorry to crank you up, gang, but here's what happens when the message runs amok... 

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20060711084305961

  War Resister Killed In Afghanistan . . .
Contributed by: eugene
. . . Is what the headline should read.

Instead of the apologistics of the Minister of Defense.

This is Canada, after all, and yes--we can decide which missions we want to go on. Thank you very much. Especially when our troops were lied to. Those who signed up under the impression our National Policy was Peacekeeping, now are working under the Harpocrites private agenda of War Making. They were mislead.....

 

[GAP]

Well, that's one less for my "Favorites" shortcuts...

 

[a_majoor]

My stock in ALCOA and ALCAN is shooting through the roof. I predict a shortage of Jiffy Pop in the near future as well. Plan accordingly  :

 

[Remius]

Sorry to crank you up, gang, but here's what happens when the message runs amok... 

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20060711084305961

  War Resister Killed In Afghanistan . . .
Contributed by: eugene
. . . Is what the headline should read.

Instead of the apologistics of the Minister of Defense.

This is Canada, after all, and yes--we can decide which missions we want to go on. Thank you very much. Especially when our troops were lied to. Those who signed up under the impression our National Policy was Peacekeeping, now are working under the Harpocrites private agenda of War Making. They were mislead.....

Ugh.  Why? Why did I look? I didn't want to look at it but I had to.  My suggestion is to hijack that site.  My God.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Crantor - Like a bad accident - you KNOW you didn't want to, but you HAD to....

a_majoor -  :rofl: - nice break from the vitriol!

 

[annonymous1]

nice work on the video, milnews. as someone who knew the good corporal, i was moved to tears. thank you.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Cpl. Boneca's father has a different view from the negative one the media has been splashing around. How much prominence will his statements get?

Slain soldier's father says son 'loved the army'

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060710/canada_soldier_boneca_060711/20060711?hub=TopStories

The father of the Canadian soldier slain in a firefight in Afghanistan has denied media reports that his son felt ill-equipped and "hated" his military mission.

Antonio Boneca, father of Corporal Anthony Boneca, said his son "knew what he was getting into" and "loved being in the Army."

"In all my conversations with my son, there was never any mention of him not being well enough or fit enough to carry out his military duties," Boneca said in a statement released Tuesday...

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I find it interesting that, despite what the soldier's father has to say, CTV still sees fit to give more prominence to the accusations raised by the "girlfriend's dad" and to quote him extensively.

 

[Kirkhill]

I find it interesting that, despite what the soldier's father has to say, CTV still sees fit to give more prominence to the accusations raised by the "girlfriend's dad" and to quote him extensively.

Moi aussi.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Doesn't have the same "buzz" as the Girlfriends dad, who is clearly more talkative.