I still think it’s a serious loss that the Electronic Library of lessons and manuals was taken off the public internet. Was this necessary? Will someone higher up explain this, please?
If DND Ottawa chose to put these files on the public internet for so many years, could they have been that potentially harmful? In fact, the DND website said - “Information on [DND sites] has been posted with the intent that it be readily available for personal and public non-commercial use… “
Far more extreme things have long been available on the public internet and elsewhere posted by other folk, and always will be.
Some may recall that much of this info was contained in a book for privates called CF Warrior’s Handbook, but it was stopped some years ago (I don’t know why). That cancellation caused an info void which the Electronic Library filled.
A SOLUTION:
I suggest giving each CF member and new recruit a DVD with all the important Electronic Library files that were once available on the public internet (and the Warrior’s Handbook too). E.g., BMQ and SQ lessons, manuals for C7, C6, C9, fieldcraft, rappelling, 82 mm mortar, etc. These DVDs are cheap to produce, likely under $5 each.
(Of course, these may be on the internal DIN system also, but privates don’t have access to that.)
Make it very clear that the DVD is for the CF member’s use only, for some minimum (though not hyper) security. This would reduce its distribution to potential bad folk (but never eliminate it entirely, we know, 100% security seems impossible with such low-level basic info, anyways).
This solution would be the best available, I believe, and I hope Ottawa DND will seriously consider it.
* Why is reading prep a good idea?
I have seen recruits fail BMQ courses for lack of written material to study from, and regard themselves as “stupid,” or even consider dropping out of CF, which would be a personnel loss CF can’t afford. And BMQ and SQ courses are sometimes being cancelled for lack of instructors; any recruit might also become an instructor one day, so it never hurts to learn the info as early as possible.
Knowing the material can help foster recruit pride, confidence, and self-reliance. Such reading preparation far beats scrambling to write notes on everything, in the rain, lack of time and sleep, etc.
- Catamaran 22