Canadian soldiers fined

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Yup,
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/47232.0.html

 

[North Star]

I just read a story linking increased absent without authority charges with our presence in Afghanistan. Of course, the article quotes the Polaris Institute which draws the conclusion without presenting any evidence. Awesome! If only I could get away with that in my job!

I suspect it has to do more with bored PAT troops.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Like we said in the other thread, AWOL can mean you're late 5 minutes for work and charged.

I want to defend the media because I think we aren't always fair to them (or perhaps asking too much?)  but articles like that really make me rethink my position.

If a soldier leaves his rifle lying around we should cut off his hands! I bet he'll never drop or lose his rifle then....

 

[techie]

While controversy rages in the U.S. over soldiers accused of murder, rape and mistreatment of prisoners, charges related to the careless guard of weapons charges were the only disciplinary proceedings disclosed in 2005 and 2006 up to the end of May.

The way that they word that, the military has only "disclosed" those disciplinary proceedings, sounds like they think the CF is hiding other more serious charges.

I have a question though, what kind of impact would this have on a soldiers career? How would this "minor" charge say affect promotions, chances for further training, etc. I suspect it would be a career end-er, but would this adversely effect their career?

 

[Haggis]

If a soldier leaves his rifle lying around we should cut off his hands! I bet he'll never drop or lose his rifle then....

Geez, Ghost778, you're not even in-country yet and already you've "gone native" on discipline?

 

[Signalman150]

Techie,

It was a long time ago, (almost 30 years ago in fact) but i was charged w/ the same offence.  No career ramifications at all.  It was an administrative penalty, then back to the lines. As I recall, it cut into my beer-drinking money a tad.

 

[pbi]

Techie: a charge like this, by itself, is not normally a ``career ender``. The punishment scale for it is too low for that. If it was part of a bigger picture of misbehaviour and stupidity, that would be different, but IMHO and experience an ND can happen to almost anybody so it is not really indicative of being a s**t hook who needs their career ended. The idea is to smack the individual on the head publicly, thus reminding him and all others that we are expected to keep control of our weapons.

Cheers

 

[Jarnhamar]

Geez, Ghost778, you're not even in-country yet and already you've "gone native" on discipline?

I was trying to make a joke in there (someone with no hands...dropping something) but I failed miserably heh

The queen has never taken a dollar from me and I intend to keep up with that tradition! at least for another two years *cough CD cough*

 

[Loachman]

A former RCD CO bumped his Leopard co-ax on the range one day many years ago and sent six rounds downrange. He was fined $2500.00, and was promoted to Col not long after. No career implications.

There were at least a half-dozen NDs (all blank) on Stalwart Guardian last year, mostly new guys. Fines averaged about $100.00 - they were tied to the experience and pay level. No career implications once the examples had been made and lessons learned.

Everybody can make a mistake, but this has to be treated seriously.

Few people see the possibility of ever shooting somebody, but they do see the possibility of being charged - it's just perceived as more likely to happen and therefore a charge is a more effective preventative measure.

 

[George Wallace]

It wasn't on the Range.  It was in a compound.  The rounds went into the back of the Tank in front of him with several prominent persons on top of it.

 

[medicineman]

In fact, he became our base commander in Kingston before I left.

MM

 

[Loachman]

It wasn't on the Range.  It was in a compound.  The rounds went into the back of the Tank in front of him with several prominent persons on top of it.

Ack. Faulty memory.

The last time that I'd seen him prior to this popping up in the media was a Friday night in one of the messes in Pet in the eighties (both of us Lts).

And the weapon was loaded in a compound because???

 

[George Wallace]

And the weapon was loaded in a compound because???

They had returned from a Patrol......

 

[dapaterson]

According to the agreed statement of facts at his court-martial:

…As they were preparing to leave camp …, [the crew commander] gave the order to Lieutenant-Colonel XXX to conduct the tank action drill. This order required the loader, Lieutenant-Colonel XXX, to ensure that the 40 actions of both C-6 machine-guns, the coaxial and antiaircraft, were in the forward position with the ammunition belt on the feed tray and the tray cover in a closed position. This is called the half-load. In this position, the C-6 machine-guns must be cocked manually to bring them into the ready position so that they can be fired.  Lieutenant-Colonel XXX failed to carry out this order correctly. He failed to ensure that the C-6 machine-gun actions were forward.  Thus, the C-6 machine-guns were in the ready position upon the troop's departure … and while they visited and travelled through the AOR, contrary to the order given by [the crew commander].
...
Lieutenant-Colonel XXX immediately told ..., the tank troop commander, that he had not conducted the tank action drill properly, when ordered by the crew commander to do so.

Names and locations excised.

Note that he immediately took full responsibility for his actions.  A man of integrity.

 

[rmacqueen]

Been there, done that, 7 day confined to barracks.  But I did a damn fine job shinning the brass at RHQ, if I do say so myself and never let my weapon out of my sight again

 

[Loachman]

Note that he immediately took full responsibility for his actions.  A man of integrity.

That was my impression of him, both in our younger days and after that event. I'd no idea what those serving under him ever thought.

And thanks for the additional clarification.