Canadian "Support Our Troops" Ribbons, Bracelets, Pins, etc

[honestyrules]

Springroll,
I realize that it's never fun to have your better half away. Spouses make sacrifices, that's for sure. That's make you different than the other lady too. After a while,you kinda "serving" too by supporting your husband. It's hard, I figure ,and support is there for families "in need". Good stuff.

 

[TCBF]

'Support your spouse' would make a good bumper sticker, all right.  While I was in Kandahar in 2002, my wife had to handle  my mother's impending death as well as the  pressure of dealing with some elements of my family - located, with my mother, 2000km from my wife - who could not understand why she could not just call me in the desert and tell me to catch the next C-17 home.   When the bombing happened, the TV announced it at night, but the MFRC did not start the 'it's not your hubby' telephone calls until the next morning.  They said "We didn't want to wake people up."  Too which the wives said "Who could sleep?"  They didn't even tell the Recce Sqn FSC (LdSH(RC) )so they could make the calls at night.

In all fairness, something probably needed to be done once we changed the way we operated and shrunk our units from 800  to 400 or so, then augmented them with individuals from all over the map.  If you are a Reservist from D Coy, 232 Mess Tin Repair Bn, in Upper Armpit, NB, there may not be a dedicated unit rear party support cell for your family.  As well, the old Army system worked good for large units, not necessarily the smaller, more geographically diverse ones of today.  Members (I hate that term) being away for 6 months of the year was never an issue in the army or navy, it was a way of life.  I suspect that all changed in Gulf War 1 when we sent Hornet Sqns away that had little 'rear party' experience.  The Army traditionally solved those problems at unit level, the Navy and Air Force at base level.

I agree all had to adapt, but the concept of throwing out the baby with the bathwater is what riles.

How many of those ladies at the MFRC are ex-servicewomen with tours behind their belts?  Not too many.

At least at a unit rear party Fam Sup Cell, you have soldiers who have done it.

Tom

 

[Haggis]

'Support your spouse' would make a good bumper sticker, all right.  While I was in Kandahar in 2002, my wife had to handle  my mother's impending death .....At least at a unit rear party Fam Sup Cell, you have soldiers who have done it.

Bang on, Tom!

On my last tour I lived through a smiliar situation.   (I was was repatriated for my mom's passing with 8 days left in theatre.)   My wife did an outstanding job of looking after her right up until she died.

When the time came, she called the Regimental Rear Party. They contacted the BG and the NSE.  Within 4 hours of the call, I was on my way to Zagreb with a boarding pass and all my kit.   Kudos to the RCD Rear Party, the BG in theatre and, particularly, my CQMS, who helped me pack and "get out of Dodge" in record time.

Soldiers looking after soldiers.

 

[Springroll]

Bang on, Tom!

On my last tour I lived through a smiliar situation.   (I was was repatriated for my mom's passing with 8 days left in theatre).   My wife did an outstanding job looking after her right up until the end.

She called the Regimental Rear Party and within 4 hours of the call I was on my way to Zagreb with a boarding pass and all my kit.   Kudos to the RCD Rear Party, the BG in theratre and, particularly, my CQMS.

Soldiers looking after soldiers.

When my husband was away in Virginia, his grandmother passed away(only 3 weeks after a friend of his had passed) so I called up the padre. I would say within an hour he was pulled aside and told about it. The next morning my great grandmother passed away. His ship had him on a flight the next afternoon and we both had to fly out the day after that, me to Victoria and him to Ottawa. The MFRC helped us with arranging for respite for our kids(and paid for it) since my husband was going to be back the day after the funeral.

There is not a bad word that i can say about the Hfx MFRC. They have helped me(an independant woman) with getting over such a drastic move for me, and helped guide me when I was loosing my wits. There are more services availabel than many think, and the Hfx MFRC has CF members that work with them in coordinating activities and different things related to CF families. Thsoe guys work their butts off, and most days have to deal with sobbing wives on the other end of that phone,a nd they do it with such professionalism.

 

[tourwife]

I should point out that the expectations of a few of today's younger families may be what is driving this MFRC craze.   One is tempted to surmize that if some families were not in the military they would be totally   incapable of administering themselves in civie life.   I am especially dissapointed with the 'modern woman' who took pride in her independance - administrative and financial - before getting married, then, upon becoming a service spouse, immediately crumbled into a quivering heap at the padre's feet, unable to go to the bank, drive, shovel snow, pay the bills, etc. In short, incapable of doing all of the adult things she readily did when single.  

   

I can see your point here.  My husband's first year in the military he came home with many stories of wives leaving their husbands while on tour.  He was on rear party and had the ugly job quite a few times of cleaning up after them.  My old next door nieghbneighbourted the unit to come and put up a fence for her cause she was sick and tired of running after her two year old.  When they told "no, that's not our job", she got mad.  My all sometimes too nice hubby decided to help her out with this task.  I agree that their are many families which take advantage of what the military sometimes has to offer, I'm happy to say after many taskings, many courses, and many tours I have yet to call "UNCLE" and have my husband brought home, all while dealing with kids, and being a modern working and volunteering woman.  I only wish that other women would stop the gripping, especially when their husbands go in the field and have yet to be on tour their whole career.

 

[Springroll]

 I agree that their are many families which take advantage of what the military sometimes has to offer, I'm happy to say after many taskings, many courses, and many tours I have yet to call "UNCLE" and have my husband brought home, all while dealing with kids, and being a modern working and volunteering woman.

I am with you on this one!!

I have never asked for my husband to be sent home, and never will. With the 2 deaths within 24hrs of each other, the ship was aware of what kind of distress I must have been under and sent him home on their own. I never asked and neither did he. I was too busy trying to find a cheap flight for myself and the kids to get back home to Victoria, and begging family members for money to contribute to the cause.

Now, what is a rear party?

 

[TCBF]

Good question, actually, I should have explained it earlier.

When an Army unit deployed to the field or on tour, they would leave sufficient troops in garrison to maintain the vehs, eqpt, stores and buildings belonging to that unit, as well as continue to function as the link between the parent base and/or brigade (if not deployed) and the unit in the field.  It also consisted of the 'Family Support Cell' or whatever name it came under, and those pers unable (injured, teaching or taking courses, etc) or not needed in the field or on deployment. 

Sorry this answer took so long, but I got sidetracked (not that THAT ever happens) into a talk about Jimi Hendrix here in the Mess.

Tom

 

[carboa]

Here is a good place to look for yellow ribbon (Support our Troops).
Can be bought for 5$
http://www.mfrc-ncr.org/english/index.html

 

[Slim]

I apprieciate the feedback  

If anyone would like to use it they are welcome to do so.  

I'll make sure the boss sees it...He does have a limited budget for stuff like this...if it will help the site out.

Slim
STAFF

 

[ThatsLife]

Why dont we just keep it simple and make it a red and white ribbon with a maple leaf in the middle.

Because the 'keeping it simple' isn't good enough. I think the guys who made the recruiting commericial used that same logic, and look what they came up with.

But yes, I would DEFINETLY put that cadpat support our troops sticker on the bumper of my truck 

 

[Kat Stevens]

The yellow ribbon is also used with the same meaning in Canada.  Why not use the same yellow ribbon sticker as is on US cars? 

How about, just this once, we do something UN-American for a change?  Go with the cadpat, IMHO

 

[ThatsLife]

How about, just this once, we do something UN-American for a change?   Go with the cadpat, IMHO

Agreed.

 

[McG]

How about, just this once, we do something UN-American for a change?   Go with the cadpat, IMHO

The yellow ribon with "support our troops" has the same meaning in this country as it does in the US.  We may as well rename Friday for the sake of being "un-American."

 

[Kat Stevens]

Errrr, why?  Friday is an ancient Saxon word....remember, the original English speakers?  Where our language came from... C'mon, you remember... England!  That's why it's called "English", not " American" (yet).

 

[armyvern]

I had one of these "Support our Soldiers" (that's what it read then) stickers on the back of my car during GW1 1990/91 well before the cadpat era and have the magnetic version now. I'm surprised that it has been "acquired" off my *** end yet.

I am greatly disturbed by the comment below about the MFRC not wanting to "wake anyone up" to make them aware/provide unspecific details regarding the Tarnak Farm incident. It reminds me of waiting for details of the Herc Crash in Alaska that involved the Airborne, waiting for word on my husband seemed to age me 10 years in the 1.5 hours it took for that call to get to my house.

I also worked closely with the Airborne wives during Somalia, and as I was military, liaised with the rear party on their behalf. It was a great experience, and quite often I told complaining wives to suck it up. But the important things were never put off till first light. When Cpl Mike Abel was accidentaly shot and killed by a fellow soldier, I was called by the CO of the Rear Party and asked to get ahold of ane of my GF's and bring her in to HQ at 0300 hrs. When we arrived, we were advised of what had transpired. We were given Mike's name because the rear party guys were quite aware that he was a very good friend of both of us. The Padre was there should my GF and I have become too upset. Needless, we settled down and were given the listing of all the wife's/GFs/fiance's/immediate families phone numbers with the instructions to begin placing calls to advise that there had been an incident in-theatre but that their loved one had not been involved so not to worry when they saw the story being run on the news the next morning. We started with the wives/live-ins and the list was alphabetical and I immediately noticed the absence of an Airborne wife friend of mine, I asked my GF if the absent name was on her list and she said no so at that point it time we knew that her spouse had been the one involved and it darn near killed us. We made it through our phone calls, and then watched the Padre as he went off to wake our friend, let her know what happened and arrange for her to speak with an extremely distraught husband serving in a very shitty place. It was a very sad day all around.

In this instance, the wives very much appreciated hearing from us, and knowing their spouse wasn't involved, when at 1000hrs the next morning it was the top story on every radio and TV. As I recall it, Mike's parents were out camping in BC, and it was 4 days before they were officially notified and his name released to the masses and media. What would the MFRC do in this instance?  

That phone call, middle of the night or not, is extremly important to one's peace of mind.

On a side note: Mike's parents, Diana and David, were finally presented with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal in memory of their Son on 25th January of this year, 12 years after his untimely death.

 

[reccecrewman]

My hometown is a bordertown, and I've gotten plenty of inquiries from folks back home on getting something like this.  All the American cars have theirs on, and I know of a good many Canadians that would buy them if they were Canadian.  I too would have no problems shelling out some cash to buy 1 or 5 of them.  ;D Excellent idea gk404, now if only it can be brought to fruition.

 

[McG]

now if only it can be brought to fruition.

The MFRC is selling them.  Go through the links in this thread.

 

[Mike Bobbitt]

Folks,

I did run a quick check on getting cadpat magnetic ribbons made, but in the end the volume required to keep the costs low would have been prohibitive. Great idea though, and I know the yellow ribbons are pretty accessible.


Cheers
Mike

 

[Cdn_Chimo]

All Canex locations are selling the yellow ones now with the CDN Flag on them and I have even seen the ones with Pray for our troops!Also. I just sent a couple home to my family to show off.

 

[aesop081]

I had one of the yellow ones on my car but someone must have needed it more than me.

I have a new black one now that i bought at spencer's in Nanaimo that reads "Some asshole stole my support magnet"