The forgotten missions

[Babbling Brooks]

A couple of things I read this week have triggered this post: http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/03/forgotten-missions.html

First off, Canadian troops come under fire in Kinshasha and get precisely one mention in the mainstream press.  Then, the CF announces the end of Op BOREAS, leaving us with just eight personnel in the Balkans, and it doesn't even merit a mention by our news media.

Over 40,000 CF members served in the Balkans over the past fifteen years, and twenty-three died there.  A couple of generations of soldiers cut their teeth in the Balkans.  And not a mention.

I understand that when nearly 2,600 of your almost 2,700 overseas-deployed personnel are working on one mission, it will get the lion's share of the attention - that's just the way things work.  But it must be odd to be serving in some bowel-cramping African hellhole, and have nobody at home pay any attention.

 

[GAP]

Here's the report Babbling Brooks is commenting on.....

Canadians caught in clash
March 28, 2007  Bruce Campion-Smith Ottawa Bureau
Article Link

Peacekeepers in Congo come under heavy fire while evacuating some 1,000 people from schools, homes in Kinshasa

OTTAWA–A group of Canadian soldiers came under fire as they helped evacuate schoolchildren and civilians to safety during recent bitter clashes in Congo.

Six Canadians deployed in the country's capital of Kinshasa as part of a United Nations mission, found themselves facing a barrage of bullets, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades when tensions boiled over last Thursday.

"When the shooting started, we were right in the middle," Lt.-Col. Paul Langlais said in a telephone interview from the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital yesterday.

The violence sparked a dramatic change in duties for the Canadians serving as staff officers in the UN headquarters for a force of 18,000 peacekeepers in the central African country.

"Bullets were flying everywhere, people were shooting mortars and (rocket-propelled grenades) at the vehicles on the streets around us," said Langlais. "It was tense."

Gunfire had erupted between government troops and those backing Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former warlord who placed second in last fall's presidential vote. His guard, reportedly numbering in the thousands, has refused to disband as promised as part of a deal with the government.

In the days leading up to the fighting, it had been Langlais's task to meet with both sides in a bid to keep a lid on the brewing tensions. He was near Bemba's house when the shooting started and was forced to scramble for cover under a water tanker.

Using a fleet of armoured personnel carriers, the Canadian officers then joined other UN troops helping to protect civilians "because there were shootings everywhere.

"We evacuated schools. We evacuated houses, politicians, journalists," he said.

The team evacuated more than 1,000 people over a 30-hour period, including 16 who had been wounded, Langlais said.

"That includes the Nigerian ambassador who was injured," he added.

More than 300 members of Bemba's army – and their families – surrendered to the UN base in the capital, said Langlais, of Sherbrooke, Que.

The local government pegged the death toll at 60 but new estimates yesterday from the European Union said it might be as high as 600. Langlais says he counted 11 bodies himself lying in the streets.

By Monday, a calm had settled over the troubled city.

"Everything is back to normal. It's a bit weird," he said.

For Langlais, a 39-year-old reservist, his first overseas mission proved to be a dangerous one. "It was my first real combat experience," he said. "You don't think about it. You're so busy to do the job you have to do. I think it will be in a couple of weeks when we realize what happened."
More on link

Go to The Torch for a complete list of where Canadian Forces members are serving in overseas missions not connected to Afghanistan (near bottom of page)

 

[Juvat]

I hear you.  The sad reality is that main stream medias thrive on sensationalism and will not expend ressources on a story that will not generate readership.  A shame really.

 

[3rd Herd]

I hear you.  The sad reality is that main stream medias thrive on sensationalism and will not expend ressources on a story that will not generate PROFIT.  A shame really.

;D

There are all sorts of CF personal serving in small unknown detachments in the worlds various back waters at various times. Self publicity is not one of our traits, getting in, getting the job done, getting out however seems to be one. Congrats to the service personal in the posted article.

 

[Journeyman]

When I did Cyprus, UNFICYP HQ had only 4 Canadian officers left. It was great; it left us time to play rugby without dealing with NDHQ Staff Annoyance Visits, since we'd been forgotten.

"That includes the Nigerian ambassador who was injured," he added.

Well, I hope he's got his country's gold this time, because I'm tired of those emails 

 

[Babbling Brooks]

Self publicity is not one of our traits...

It needs to be.  The CF mandate and budget flows from the country's political power, which flows in turn from the voting public.  If the voting public doesn't know what the CF does or how, doesn't know soldiers and why they're important to our domestic and foreign policies, then how can that public make informed decisions when it comes time to go to the polls?

And the CF can't simply leave it to the government of the day to do it for them - otherwise the public associates CF needs exclusively with the politicians outlining them.  Which means that when the politicians' popularity bottoms out, as it always does eventually, then your agenda is tossed out with theirs.

Do you honestly think Jean Chretien gave a rat's hindquarters what sort of helicopters flew off the backs of our ships?  It was a way to attack a Mulroney PC initiative.

What if the public had perceived it as a CF need, not a Conservative program?  Could Chretien have cancelled it as easily?

That's just one example.

In the long-term, the CF can't accomplish any of its missions without public support.  And it shouldn't rely on anyone but itself to make sure the public has the information needed to underwrite that support.

 

[3rd Herd]

Babbling,
Public make informed decisions at election not hardly. Given the relationship between the public press and the military sometimes the lack of  "self publicity" serves a higher need in the realm of "self preservation". There are literally thousands of very worthwhile tales of "daring do" and "heroic deeds" that will never see the light of public press and remain regimental lore. Aside from the security issues is the press's well known manipulation of fact to serve various purposes. The DND have their own little department that does the same in the "War of Words". Some of the "press releases" from DND are just as much a pile of bovine droppings as found in the public realm.

 

[Juvat]

True enough.  I agree that the Canadian public has a right to know what good work we are doing since they are in fact paying our salaries.  

However those reporting the news to the general public generally have their own agendas and will only present information to the public that will support their position.  Lets face it, it is much more interesting to report on something negative and detrimental rather than on something positive and enlightening.  

If only there could be a news source out there that reports the whole truth, ah well.....

 

[Haggis]

Then, the CF announces the end of Op BOREAS, leaving us with just eight personnel in the Balkans, and it doesn't even merit a mention by our news media.

Over 40,000 CF members served in the Balkans over the past fifteen years, and twenty-three died there.  A couple of generations of soldiers cut their teeth in the Balkans.  And not a mention.

When I was there in 2003-04, during the last full Battle Group sized roto (1200), we were laregely overshadowed by Op ATHENA and forgotten.  That was also quite apparent during workup training when we were poor cousins to the Op ATHENA task force.

Now I'm in no way blaming the fine soldiers of Op ATHENA, rather the ADM (PA) folks and logisiticians who refocused efforts on the new, sexy AOR of Kabul.  Our local PA folks were constantly pumping out stuff for public consumption but, gven a choice between stories on Bosnia and Afghanistan, we almost always lost out.  Sex, scandal, blood and gore sells papers.

 

[Juvat]

Very Sad but true.

 

[Babbling Brooks]

3rd Herd, I understand the impulse to keep your head down when it comes to getting good news out about the CF, I just think it's short-sighted.  If the CF doesn't get the stories out, doesn't educate the public, then who will?  And if you're leaving it to someone else, well, that's been tried for the past few decades, and look at the situation DND is finally digging itself out of.

The results will always be imperfect, but I don't think that's a good reason not to try.

 

[orange.paint]

When I was there in 2003-04, during the last full Battle Group sized roto (1200), we were largely overshadowed by Op ATHENA and forgotten. That was also quite apparent during workup training when we were poor cousins to the Op ATHENA task force.

Now I'm in no way blaming the fine soldiers of Op ATHENA, rather the ADM (PA) folks and logisiticians who refocused efforts on the new, sexy AOR of Kabul.  Our local PA folks were constantly pumping out stuff for public consumption but, gven a choice between stories on Bosnia and Afghanistan, we almost always lost out.  Sex, scandal, blood and gore sells papers.

And how.I really didn't care.Done a job and left,the end.
Didn't really strike me weird until we were landed in Canada and some general (I rarely pay attention) said "thank you for your service to Canada,and remember you are not the forgotten tour."

SO then of course we all realised we were forgotten! ;D

And I'm sure if we invaded Cambodia tomorrow it would overshadow Afghanistan.A mission is a mission.Some may be more glamorous,some may involve "2 beer limits" and Dutch camps.

Bosnia is more of a joke I use lately when guys are telling their "sandbox" stories.I speak of it as back in the "FRY".I usually exaggerate some bogus story and end it with "And that's why we pulled out shortly after as I single handedly brought peace to the former Yugoslavia"

(I did have 2x M203's mounted on my C-6,which happened to be my personal weapon)

Yep we were that hard.

But to get back on topic,thanks for posting that,I had no idea it had happened.

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

In some ways is it not a reversal?
Whereas the bulk of overseas Canadian Forces where stationed in West Germany and it was the "small " missions that received press attention.

 

[navaho]

:argument: The problem with the "no mention" of our folks, in small groups, in far away lands, is the fact that the journalists are covering the MIDDLE EAST.  That is where the main focus of the media and the world is these days.  When we were in the Balkans considerable media coverage was released during that time period.  Hell, there was even mention of me giving  a profain gesture (the bird) to a passing car.  Mind you they threw a grenade at the R&R convoy for my reveal of irritation, and thank the spirit trout no one was hurt. There was no mention of our personnel when I was in the Golan a couple years later from the press ( and the MOD and CDS came for a visit). It is our job as a military family to recognize and support those not talked about in the news.  There issues, trials, and sacrifices are not the various mediums to display but the soldier/airman/seaman's own.  As with us that have made our own stand in various deployments know full well that we do our jobs and carry out the policies of our nation.  It only becomes glamorous from the media representation and the knowledge of what every troop does will only be fully understood by the persons doing the significant task. If the concern is the support of the troops, write the troops. Address your letter to the area of deployment or the operation itself. It may seem strange for a soldier writing to another soldier they don't know but in this forum that is what many are doing. Send them a note to thank them for what they are doing and I am sure that to be recognized by a comrad at home is as empowering as a soon to be forgotten news clip.

Regards,

Navaho

 

[ggranatstein]

I just got home last week from Bosnia (OP BOREAS) and I found that, quite the opposite to what has been said above, for such a small mission, we did get a lot of attention.