• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

JTF2 & AFG (merged)

BTW:
Whats with the pioneers (now gone from the CF?) and their beards? Is it a tradition, a la‘ the Navy? Or is there some practical use for it?

One of those beards wouldnt be very good to have in an NBC environment!!
 
Cbt Med: I didn‘t know that‘s where Doug was, but my point is that the civies in theater should be able to spot these guys, and if they don‘t, tell someone they‘ve seen nothing (Then again they probably figure everything about JTF2 is cloak and dagger)

Pte G: The Pioneers‘ beard is tradition. It‘s a moot point though, since the pioneers were deactivated last year(As were the mortar platoons). The large scruffy beard is not indicative though. The RCRs had a big beard, but the Vandoos used to shave with a clipper, making them look like they had come off a three day bender. I never worked with Patricia pioneers but they too, probably had their own thing.

If you ask my opinion, I‘ll tell you that the RCR pioneers were the proudest bunch, if only because they maintained an image through until the end. They were predominantly big burly f***ers,who took an inordinate amount of pride in doing their jobs, minus the usual RCR Mickey Mouse bull****. If you ever worked for the RCR you would understand what mean.

As an aside, the US Marine pioneers I had the chance to work with wear a mohawk. This may be a unit thing though, rather than a trade thing(Yes, I know Pioneers are not a separate trade.
 
Pioneers’ being deactivated is another mistake. I had the opportunity to see them in action during work up training for Kosivo. They are a very intimidating bunch. Forget the ZZ top look, it is more like a "Biker Gang" look. That might be one of the reasons they were deactivated, the Gov wouldn‘t like the image. If any of you saw the pictures of the Pioneers handling a problem at a bridge in Kosivo. They were picking up people and throwing them over their shoulders as if they were sacks of potatoes and carrying them of the bridge. I tell you one thing, I am glad they are (were) on our side.

:cdn:
 
Pioneer‘s,the Engineer‘s of the Infantry.

I can say I have worked with them and they are the real pointy end if the Infantry,the Queen of Battle.
I admire and respect them all.
 
>Large bearded and muscular soldiers

The good news, then, is that we can easily conduct deception ops by moving around a platoon of swabbies in Cadpat from place to place.
 
You don‘t think that a small group of JTF guys couldn‘t just blend in with the 3 RCR battlegroup?

If the reporters don‘t know what to look for, and nobody tells them.......
 
They probably could blend in if they wanted to, but they apparently choose not to do so.
 
The green ops boys in Afghanistan should be easy to spot, they are driving those sand-colored humvees. Word is they have to "tone down" the long/facial hair. I heard this from a friend of a friend of a friend of mine   :warstory:
 
gnplummer421 said:
The green ops boys in Afghanistan should be easy to spot, they are driving those sand-colored humvees. Word is they have to "tone down" the long/facial hair. I heard this from a friend of a friend of a friend of mine   :warstory:

My cousins,uncles,brothers, neighbours dog sitter heard..... ;D
 
The JTF are in my living room...No, really! Right here, under the couch.

Personally I think that they're actually Genies...The Force Commander carries a magic lamp in theatre with him at all times. If the JTF are needed then the Force Commander just rubs the lamp.

The media...Any time there is anything the least bit odd they invoke the name of the JTF. Maybe the F#cking media should be the ones to tone down!

Slim
 
Folks: whether or not the JTF2 teams are here or not is really nobody's business, is it?


As for the pioneers, the full beard was inherited by the British from the dress traditions of the Napoleonic French Army, more for looks than anything else, along with the big leather full apron and gauntlets that pioneers wore for clearing work and for ceremonial parades. The Pioneer's beard has been a feature of the French, British and Canadian armies since the early 19th century. All three of our Regular Infantry Regiments maintained the traditions up until the last CLS decided to take the Pioneer function away from the Infantry and give the task to the Engineers.The wearing of beards by Assault Pioneers in RegF Inf battalions was in the CF dress manual(and may still be). In the PPCLI our battalion Pioneers normally wore beards, and we had sets of the ceremonial gear for parades. I know that in 2PP at least, a few sets of the ceremonial gear were kept after the official disbandment of the Assault Pioneers because they were on parade for Farewell to Winnipeg this summer. A number of Reserve Infantry units such as RRegtC, QORofC and RWpgR have pioneers dressed in period gear, but these are for ceremonial only and were not connected to any actual Assault Pioneer role. Cheers.
 
Hey PBI

Did you know that DHist (the dept that deals with traditioon in the CF) was trying to get rid of the pioneer's beards for the longest time. They claimed that there wa no authentic justafication for them and so they shouldn't be worn!

I had a rip-roaring argument with the sgt in charge of DHist, (An int weenie such as I was at the time but without the background in the combat arms) The only thing that protected the beards in the pioneer platoons was that the RCR and the PPCLI friends of the regt's had way too much influence and so blocked this sgt from DHist regarding the issue.

Slim
 
While I fully understand the vital importance of military history and of respect for useful traditions, I have often wondered if DHist could not perhaps keep their mitts out of Regtl matters and concentrate more on the institutional history of the Army. I prefer the British Army system in which, as far as I can tell, dress is largely a Regimental or Corps matter. Under the stalwart guidance of DHist, our Regt gave up its traditional "red and white" PPCLI cloth shoulder badges that dated from WWI, in favour of  the tin ones just like everybody else. Cheers.
 
Our CQ was one of those guys who was at the bridge in Kosovo. His old driver's license is the tits. LOL He looks like Charley Manson with a big ole' badger hugging his face.

As for the media, when do they ever have a clue?
 
From the Diemaco site.
dpg-pioneer.jpg
 
Given the insurmountable evidence that:

1- Assault pioneers guys are big burly guys with beards
2- JTF guys are big burly guys with beards

I think the only logical conclusion that can be reached, is that JTF soldiers are all assault pioneer qualified. It also stands to reason that ZZ Top were in fact the first assault pioneers to go public.

The only real question that remains is figure out the exact relationship between ZZ Top and JTF.

::)
 
rw4th said:
The only real question that remains is figure out the exact relationship between ZZ Top and JTF.

::)

I would conclude that the never mentioned JTF-1 is ZZ Top.
 
Back
Top