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An intresting viewpoint from a non-soldier....
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Peter_Worthington/2004/10/17/pf-672734.html
Sun, October 17, 2004
Cloistered tour a 'tragedy'
A shame our troops can't explore Kabul
By Peter Worthington
A tragedy -- if that's not too strong a word -- of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan is that a great number of the soldiers will never set foot outside of Camp Julien.
In other words, they are in a little bit of Canada inside Kabul. The only time some will get outside is on their way to the airport and home.
Perhaps half the Canadians here will never get to see the town, never walk a street in Kabul, never enter a store, never talk to an Afghan, never experience the flavour of this remote, exotic, ancient land.
One wistful soldier called it like being in comfortable house arrest with maximum security. The "tragedy" is to be here -- yet not experience the country.
Even those on reconnaissance patrol with the Lord Strathcona's Horse or Princess Pats infantry are supposed to wear 13 kilos of body armour and Kevlar helmets.
I've mentioned this to various officers here who agree it's too bad soldiers can't go "walk about" in the city, but security implications are such that they make this impossible.
I understand the security aspects, but the Canadian military these days seems so risk-averse that it ignores what soldiering is all about -- and why young people join the army.
Soldiering, traditionally, is not a risk-free profession. Everyone who joins an infantry or armoured regiment has done so knowing there are risks.
There's no question the troops are doing an exceptional job in Afghanistgan. That's almost a given for Canadian soldiers today. No matter the lack of personnel, the cutbacks, the budget restrictions, and no matter how difficult or improbable the task, the army does better than expected.
It's almost a matter of pride to succeed in spite of lack of government support -- which isn't to say the 700 soldiers here are being deprived. In fact, the Straths, arguably, have more in the way of armoured mobility and electronic wizardry than any unit -- including the Americans -- when it comes to their Coyote vehicles.
It's come at a cost: The rest of the army must make do with less. "The best equipment the army has, has been shipped to us -- I don't envy the poor buggers back home," said one officer.
Interestingly, Kabul's costs are considered "operational" and come out of the Deputy Chief of Defense Staff's budget, which is more liberal than the DND budget.
Back to soldiers confined to barracks, so to speak, for their whole six-month tour. It would drive me nuts if I were one of them.
To see the world
Among the various reasons people join the army is for the chance to travel and see the world. And what's more exotic than Kabul?
I suspect everyone -- well, almost everyone -- would give their eye teeth to see the sights, shop, try the restaurants. But apart from Afghan traders setting up shop at the main gate once a week with rugs, hookahs, jewelry and silks, that's it for the soldiers.
Even those on recce patrols tend to envy their Norwegian, French, Italian, German, and Hungarian counterparts who disdain helmets unless there's cause. Not the Canadians -- safety first.
"We've become more like the Americans with security," said an experienced officer. "We seem to have forgotten that our great success with peacekeeping in the past was because we mixed with the locals, got to know them. Now our main ethic seems to be to get home safely, to take no risks. That's not what many of us joined the army for."
In fairness, promotion often seems to hinge not so much on a job well done, but on not sustaining casualties or accidents. Hence no touristy walkabouts for soldiers.
As a journalist, I can go into town whenever I want. But if I go with Canadian troops, I've got to dress as protected as an armadillo.
In town I see groups of French soldiers shopping -- one standing armed guard at storefronts while his pals get ripped off inside. I see Italians and Germans in restaurants. I find myself wishing Canadians had a choice.
I suspect the Canadian ambassador, Chris Alexander, would favour Canadians being able to see the town a bit, but he can't speak freely. Anyway, problems would undoubtedly increase if soldiers were allowed leisure time in town -- but morale would rise too.
The anecdotes would be worth the risk.
I am not sure why he is surprised. After all it took us 13 yrs to get a true walking out policy in Bosnia.
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Peter_Worthington/2004/10/17/pf-672734.html
Sun, October 17, 2004
Cloistered tour a 'tragedy'
A shame our troops can't explore Kabul
By Peter Worthington
A tragedy -- if that's not too strong a word -- of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan is that a great number of the soldiers will never set foot outside of Camp Julien.
In other words, they are in a little bit of Canada inside Kabul. The only time some will get outside is on their way to the airport and home.
Perhaps half the Canadians here will never get to see the town, never walk a street in Kabul, never enter a store, never talk to an Afghan, never experience the flavour of this remote, exotic, ancient land.
One wistful soldier called it like being in comfortable house arrest with maximum security. The "tragedy" is to be here -- yet not experience the country.
Even those on reconnaissance patrol with the Lord Strathcona's Horse or Princess Pats infantry are supposed to wear 13 kilos of body armour and Kevlar helmets.
I've mentioned this to various officers here who agree it's too bad soldiers can't go "walk about" in the city, but security implications are such that they make this impossible.
I understand the security aspects, but the Canadian military these days seems so risk-averse that it ignores what soldiering is all about -- and why young people join the army.
Soldiering, traditionally, is not a risk-free profession. Everyone who joins an infantry or armoured regiment has done so knowing there are risks.
There's no question the troops are doing an exceptional job in Afghanistgan. That's almost a given for Canadian soldiers today. No matter the lack of personnel, the cutbacks, the budget restrictions, and no matter how difficult or improbable the task, the army does better than expected.
It's almost a matter of pride to succeed in spite of lack of government support -- which isn't to say the 700 soldiers here are being deprived. In fact, the Straths, arguably, have more in the way of armoured mobility and electronic wizardry than any unit -- including the Americans -- when it comes to their Coyote vehicles.
It's come at a cost: The rest of the army must make do with less. "The best equipment the army has, has been shipped to us -- I don't envy the poor buggers back home," said one officer.
Interestingly, Kabul's costs are considered "operational" and come out of the Deputy Chief of Defense Staff's budget, which is more liberal than the DND budget.
Back to soldiers confined to barracks, so to speak, for their whole six-month tour. It would drive me nuts if I were one of them.
To see the world
Among the various reasons people join the army is for the chance to travel and see the world. And what's more exotic than Kabul?
I suspect everyone -- well, almost everyone -- would give their eye teeth to see the sights, shop, try the restaurants. But apart from Afghan traders setting up shop at the main gate once a week with rugs, hookahs, jewelry and silks, that's it for the soldiers.
Even those on recce patrols tend to envy their Norwegian, French, Italian, German, and Hungarian counterparts who disdain helmets unless there's cause. Not the Canadians -- safety first.
"We've become more like the Americans with security," said an experienced officer. "We seem to have forgotten that our great success with peacekeeping in the past was because we mixed with the locals, got to know them. Now our main ethic seems to be to get home safely, to take no risks. That's not what many of us joined the army for."
In fairness, promotion often seems to hinge not so much on a job well done, but on not sustaining casualties or accidents. Hence no touristy walkabouts for soldiers.
As a journalist, I can go into town whenever I want. But if I go with Canadian troops, I've got to dress as protected as an armadillo.
In town I see groups of French soldiers shopping -- one standing armed guard at storefronts while his pals get ripped off inside. I see Italians and Germans in restaurants. I find myself wishing Canadians had a choice.
I suspect the Canadian ambassador, Chris Alexander, would favour Canadians being able to see the town a bit, but he can't speak freely. Anyway, problems would undoubtedly increase if soldiers were allowed leisure time in town -- but morale would rise too.
The anecdotes would be worth the risk.
I am not sure why he is surprised. After all it took us 13 yrs to get a true walking out policy in Bosnia.
