CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia

[Eye In The Sky]

Altair,

I think you hit the nail on the head (as I think I've stated before in a different thread)

People join the military to make a difference & do it in an interesting way.  Whether it is peacekeeping in some region with a lot of ethnic or political unrest, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, warfighting, security work in foreign countries, etc - people join the military because they genuinely want to make a difference in the world.

In our recruiting campaigns, that is what we promise people.  A chance to serve their communities, see the world, help people in foreign lands, and make a difference of some kind.  What we fail to tell people in the recruiting campaigns (and understandably so) - is that those opportunities don't come up very often, depending on what element/trade you are in.

Some trades, you are gone all the time.  Always something interesting going on.  And while that can be tiring after a while, it can be a dream job for many.  In other trades, you are lucky if you get to do anything more than the odd foreign training exercise.

It is hard to blame people for wanting to leave the military & pursue a career in the emergency services.  Stable career, more excitement, you actually get to DO your job every single shift, and you KNOW you are making a difference in your community.  It is also hard to blame people for jumping ship when many emergency services tend to prioritize ex-military folks when hiring. 

**Sorry mods - was responding to what Altair was saying.  I probably should have put this in a different thread.**

It has relevance indirectly.  Some people will find out they are going out the door for this and be like "f**k ya!"  and others will be "f**k me...really?".

When I was joining, the main reason I wanted to was to get to Germany as was common back in the day.  Shortly after I did, it was shut down.  Latvia isn't Germany, but it isn't the Lawfield Corridor either.

 

[Lightguns]

Altair,

I think you hit the nail on the head (as I think I've stated before in a different thread)

People join the military to make a difference & do it in an interesting way.  Whether it is peacekeeping in some region with a lot of ethnic or political unrest, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, warfighting, security work in foreign countries, etc - people join the military because they genuinely want to make a difference in the world.

In our recruiting campaigns, that is what we promise people.  A chance to serve their communities, see the world, help people in foreign lands, and make a difference of some kind.  What we fail to tell people in the recruiting campaigns (and understandably so) - is that those opportunities don't come up very often, depending on what element/trade you are in.

Some trades, you are gone all the time.  Always something interesting going on.  And while that can be tiring after a while, it can be a dream job for many.  In other trades, you are lucky if you get to do anything more than the odd foreign training exercise.

It is hard to blame people for wanting to leave the military & pursue a career in the emergency services.  Stable career, more excitement, you actually get to DO your job every single shift, and you KNOW you are making a difference in your community.  It is also hard to blame people for jumping ship when many emergency services tend to prioritize ex-military folks when hiring. 

**Sorry mods - was responding to what Altair was saying.  I probably should have put this in a different thread.**

A lot of them folks quickly become disappointed.  When I joined, myself and everyone around me in TQ3 infantry was a maritimer.  Almost all joined because the local plant went under and there was nothing else because Trudeau V1 had rigged the oil and gas industry.  We joined to eat and get paid.  That being said most of them stayed for the full 20 or in some case 32 and 34 years.  I have met the dreamers that wanted to save the world, they were very motivated to that one task but not so much so to sweeping the gun park floor.  The worst I ever met was the military photographer who thought she would be taking pictures of starving Africans to tell their story to the world, she left on a medical release over the stress of being on an army base taking pictures of "war mongering" equipment. 

 

[jollyjacktar]

The worst I ever met was the military photographer who thought she would be taking pictures of starving Africans to tell their story to the world, she left on a medical release over the stress of being on an army base taking pictures of "war mongering" equipment.

:  not the first and I'm sure not the last bonehead to make it through the system.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

You misunderstand her, JJT.

She was an artiste, and therefore had to be seen to embrace a social cause in the exercise of her art. She was sooooo misunderstood in the CF.  :nod:

You also have the reverse: Realistic members of the artistic community. One of my EOOW was actually a McGill Music school grad. She now works as a shift manager in a call centre for Bell Canada. She always knew music is nice, but eating and having a roof over your head is better. 

 

[jollyjacktar]

You misunderstand her, JJT.

She was an artiste, and therefore had to be seen to embrace a social cause in the exercise of her art. She was sooooo misunderstood in the CF.  :nod:
I've always been an insensitive bastard, so I'm told.

You also have the reverse: Realistic members of the artistic community. One of my EOOW was actually a McGill Music school grad. She now works as a shift manager in a call centre for Bell Canada. She always knew music is nice, but eating and having a roof over your head is better.

My eldest would fall under this category.  His post secondary education was the business side of the music industry.  Now granted he does work in that field as the publicist for his company he set up with a record producer, they're specialized in "death metal".  They're doing work as a label but it doesn't pay enough to cover the day to day needs of eating etc, thus it's a nighttime gig.  In the day time he works for Walgreens in one of their customer call centers dealing with Doctors.  Maybe one day they'll discover the next Metallica.... until then, reality bites hard.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Altair,

I think you hit the nail on the head (as I think I've stated before in a different thread)

People join the military to make a difference & do it in an interesting way.  Whether it is peacekeeping in some region with a lot of ethnic or political unrest, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, warfighting, security work in foreign countries, etc - people join the military because they genuinely want to make a difference in the world.

In our recruiting campaigns, that is what we promise people.  A chance to serve their communities, see the world, help people in foreign lands, and make a difference of some kind.  What we fail to tell people in the recruiting campaigns (and understandably so) - is that those opportunities don't come up very often, depending on what element/trade you are in.

Some trades, you are gone all the time.  Always something interesting going on.  And while that can be tiring after a while, it can be a dream job for many.  In other trades, you are lucky if you get to do anything more than the odd foreign training exercise.

It is hard to blame people for wanting to leave the military & pursue a career in the emergency services.  Stable career, more excitement, you actually get to DO your job every single shift, and you KNOW you are making a difference in your community.  It is also hard to blame people for jumping ship when many emergency services tend to prioritize ex-military folks when hiring. 

**Sorry mods - was responding to what Altair was saying.  I probably should have put this in a different thread.**

Why blame anyone for leaving?  As long as they finish their contract and leave honourably then who really cares?  When I joined (2005), the number one reason anyone was joining was because of Afghanistan.  In fact, For Combat Arms types, it was the only reason.  Once the war ended, we had a large number of folks leave because that opportunity was no longer there. 

Peacetime soldiering is boring, especially in the combat arms because all the training money dries up and the powers that be start to focus on other things, namely pomp and ceremony.  For those who still find enjoyment from it, good on you, you're helping maintain a vital national institution.  For everyone else though, if you're unhappy, make a plan and get out. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Back on track (by the way: track mileage... has anyone complained about not having enough of that yet? )

I watched this episode of 'Hard Talk' on BBC and thought it was very good:

US Nato general fears rapid Russian troop deployments

The commander of US troops in Europe says Nato cannot rapidly deploy large forces to Eastern Europe in the way that Russia can.

Lt-Gen Ben Hodges was speaking to the BBC's Hardtalk programme during large Nato exercises in north-western Poland.

"The Russians are able to move huge formations and lots of equipment a long distance very fast," he said.

Nato needs to have that speed too, he said. "Three days' notification, we ought to be able to do that," he said.

More than 31,000 troops from 24 nations took part in Nato's Anaconda-16 exercises in Poland, from 7 to 17 June.

The day after they ended, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned Nato against "sabre-rattling and warmongering", calling for exercises to be replaced with more dialogue and co-operation with Russia. "Whoever believes that symbolic tank parades in Eastern Europe bring more security, is mistaken," he told Bild newspaper.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36575180

 

[tomahawk6]

Back on track (by the way: track mileage... has anyone complained about not having enough of that yet? )

I watched this episode of 'Hard Talk' on BBC and thought it was very good:

US Nato general fears rapid Russian troop deployments

The commander of US troops in Europe says Nato cannot rapidly deploy large forces to Eastern Europe in the way that Russia can.

Lt-Gen Ben Hodges was speaking to the BBC's Hardtalk programme during large Nato exercises in north-western Poland.

"The Russians are able to move huge formations and lots of equipment a long distance very fast," he said.

Nato needs to have that speed too, he said. "Three days' notification, we ought to be able to do that," he said.

More than 31,000 troops from 24 nations took part in Nato's Anaconda-16 exercises in Poland, from 7 to 17 June.

The day after they ended, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned Nato against "sabre-rattling and warmongering", calling for exercises to be replaced with more dialogue and co-operation with Russia. "Whoever believes that symbolic tank parades in Eastern Europe bring more security, is mistaken," he told Bild newspaper.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36575180

Interior lines is a Russian advantage,but could they invade their former East bloc neighbors ? I doubt it.They took what they wanted in the Ukraine but were unable to seize the country.

 

[Altair]

Interior lines is a Russian advantage,but could they invade their former East bloc neighbors ? I doubt it.They took what they wanted in the Ukraine but were unable to seize the country.

unable or unwilling?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Interior lines is a Russian advantage,but could they invade their former East bloc neighbors ? I doubt it.They took what they wanted in the Ukraine but were unable to seize the country.

I'm guessing that, because the Euro-trash have no traction with Ivan, Uncle Sam said 'back off or else' through covert channels.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Crimea was a carefully planned operation, Donetsk appears to have been an adhoc operation that was an opportunity that presented itself. However the same Ukrainian issues we have to deal with, I believe they struggle with as well. Putin I think does not see a lot of value in increasing exposure to Russian troops for what he might get. I suspect there are other areas that might be more worthwhile and currently Syria is being productive from a PR, training and providing diplomatic playing cards.   

 

[observor 69]

Not Lativa but very interesting reporting.
Watched this last night on PBS Newshour:

Desire to break free keeps Donetsk fighting​

10:46Video duration: 10:46 Aired: 07/05/16 Rating: NR

In Eastern Ukraine, there’s supposed to be a cease-fire, but the fighting starts again every night. For two years, soldiers for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic -- with the backing of Russia -- have fought the Ukrainian government to gain autonomy. Special correspondent Nick Schifrin reports from the front lines, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365796715/

 

[CBH99]

Fantastic video on the link, Baden Guy.

It really puts parts of that situation in perspective. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

In Eastern Ukraine, there’s supposed to be a cease-fire, but the fighting starts again every night. For two years, soldiers for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic -- with the backing of Russia ...

... but not QUITE to the point of saying, "we want Donetsk to be its own country" (that would have to be supported by RUS, no doubt) -- more like "backing to the point of keeping Donbas a royal pain in the butt for Ukraine, or to get Ukraine to set up a federalist regime that'll be easy to keep off balance."

 

[The Bread Guy]

<allied sidebar>
Look who else may be deploying where ...

Germany's decision to deploy a battalion of troops to Lithuania under a NATO initiative marks a "mindset breakthrough" for Berlin towards taking a leading role in European defence, the Lithuanian president said Thursday.

"I think we are at a historic turning point," Dalia Grybauskaite said in an interview with AFP in Vilnius on the eve of a key NATO summit, which will to seal its biggest revamp since the Cold War to counter a resurgent Russia.

"A breakthrough is occurring in the German mindset -- time for self-doubt, fear, reluctance to take responsibility, and dread of what Putin might think, is over," she added, referring to the strongman Russian president.

Fears that Russia could attempt to attack NATO's three small formerly Soviet-ruled Baltic member states surged after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, a move that sent East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War.

NATO leaders on Friday will finalise plans to deploy four battalions to the Baltic nations and Poland.

Germany will lead a battalion deployed to Lithuania, Canada to Latvia, Britain to Estonia and the United States to Poland, diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity. Each battalion will have 600-1,000 troops ...

</allied sidebar>

 

[cavalryman]

<allied sidebar>
Look who else may be deploying where ...
</allied sidebar>

Time to dust off the Litauer Einzugs Marsch  >

 

[The Bread Guy]

Not Lativa but very interesting reporting.
Watched this last night on PBS Newshour:

Desire to break free keeps Donetsk fighting​

10:46Video duration: 10:46 Aired: 07/05/16 Rating: NR

In Eastern Ukraine, there’s supposed to be a cease-fire, but the fighting starts again every night. For two years, soldiers for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic -- with the backing of Russia -- have fought the Ukrainian government to gain autonomy. Special correspondent Nick Schifrin reports from the front lines, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365796715/

And here's someone with a bit of experience in info-ops saying this and a companion piece maaaaaaaaaaaaaay have been a bit ... Russo-supportive 

 

[Altair]

https://www.google.ca/amp/news.nationalpost.com/news/world/putins-manoeuvres-make-man-of-peace-trudeau-into-warmonger-against-all-his-inclinations/amp?client=ms-android-rogers-ca#

What Canada does in Latvia will, perforce, slow down, at least a bit, what the government wants to do with blue helmets in Africa. But a mission is definitely coming, most likely in French West Africa, and sooner than later. Another consideration is simple arithmetic. When the armed forces simultaneously run two similarly-sized missions in dangerous places, it costs the treasury double. It also puts far greater stress on the troops, the gear they depend on and their families.

This part caught my eye, can we handle two missions at once?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

3 missions;  don't forget about OP IMPACT.

 

[PuckChaser]

We better buy that C-17 white tail, the hours going on those 5 airframes supporting 3 continents.... yikes.