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Member of Ceremonial Guard Wounded by Bayonet

Michael O'Leary said:
Surely there's a simpler way. Couldn't we just lay an AVLB across the hazard each day?    :D

Nope, all AVLB bridges now condemned, chassis suitable as driver trainers only.
 
3PPCLI did a Freedom of the City parade in the summer of 87, a couple of months after we got the C-7s. After the CO finished pounding on City Halls door with his sword, we did a fix bayonets, and buddy somehow jabbed his left  thumb on the bayonet, and as we marched back to Workpoint, he was spraying everyone within 10 feet in blood (we were wearing the new tan DEUs).
 
E.R. Campbell said:
Someone took a picture and a newspaper, the Ottawa Citizen, published it. Now, in fairness, it is news; my daily walk often takes me to the Hill when the Ceremonial Guard* is there and I have never seen a soldier "thunder in," much less injure him/herself.

__________
* Is the proper name Ceremonial Guard or, as it was many, many years ago, the Public Duties Detachment?

This is the second serious injury for this group.  Another soldier stab himself in the shoulder doing a shoulder arms during the final rehearsals earlier in the week.  It is going to be a long, hot summer.
 
Metal cleats can be tricky to march in, or even just carry your breakfast tray in the mess without ending up on the floor.  Metal-on-metal - sounds like a recipe for falling down. 

Where's the manhole cover in relation to their path - I don't suppose it's possible to move their right-wheel a foot or two to the left? 
 
Heard through the grapevine: PWGSC was out putting non-slip paint on the offending manhole covers yesterday (28 Jun). Hopefully this will improve the situation.
 
Perhaps a request to 765 to have a Lineman remove the offending manhole cover for the duration of the ceremony?

(Edit to add)

"Sir, we marched off with 3 files."
 
bridges said:
Metal cleats can be tricky to march in, or even just carry your breakfast tray in the mess without ending up on the floor.  Metal-on-metal - sounds like a recipe for falling down. 

Where's the manhole cover in relation to their path - I don't suppose it's possible to move their right-wheel a foot or two to the left? 

This.  I came back to post when I had the epiphany of the fact that it was most likely the metal "clickers" that so many put under their boots.  What authority is given for that?  I'm not sure I recall anything in the dress manual about them.  If a CF98/accident report was done that should definitely be something to look at as a "cause" if it was the case.
 
Bzzliteyr said:
This.  I came back to post when I had the epiphany of the fact that it was most likely the metal "clickers" that so many put under their boots.  What authority is given for that?  I'm not sure I recall anything in the dress manual about them.  If a CF98/accident report was done that should definitely be something to look at as a "cause" if it was the case.

More likely a 663 Safety Report as well.
 
Bzzliteyr said:
This.  I came back to post when I had the epiphany of the fact that it was most likely the metal "clickers" that so many put under their boots.  What authority is given for that?  I'm not sure I recall anything in the dress manual about them.  If a CF98/accident report was done that should definitely be something to look at as a "cause" if it was the case.

They were a standard part of getting your boots done for years. It was just what was done. No need for authority. During Basic, you took one pair of boots and one pair of shoes to the shoemaker and had them double soled, double heeled and cleated. No idea what they do now.

I've had my boots done this way since the mid sixties, and still do. Many of our troops also have them. Our kit shop even sold cleats at one point, because they were hard to find.
 
A quick perusal of the drill manual and the dress manual didn't reveal any CF authority / direction to modify boots like this.  Of course, someone will claim it's tradition, so common sense be damned.
 
recceguy said:
They were a standard part of getting your boots done for years. It was just what was done. No need for authority. During Basic, you took one pair of boots and one pair of shoes to the shoemaker and had them double soled, double heeled and cleated. No idea what they do now.

I've had my boots done this way since the mid sixties, and still do. Many of our troops also have them. Our kit shop even sold cleats at one point, because they were hard to find.

From what I hear, apparently they're not permitted for wear anymore because they pose a slip, trip, and fall hazard on some floor surfaces depending on the materials used (paints, primers if any etc.). Also, being not permitted for wear around aircraft especially through smaller airports on smaller domestic lines which require you to walk across the pavement out to the stairs in order to board (although I don't know how often one would do so, in DEU with cleated boots). This is true when I was a cadet moons ago, but Is this true for the CF or not? I don't know, just what I heard on the grapevine of end-of-day grumblings before dinner  :P that it affected all services and branches. If someone in the know could clarify, that'd be super.

P.S. I love the sound of (hundreds) of cleated boots on parade. It'd be a shame if it was in fact, not permitted anymore.

Edit: Apparently, as dapaterson stated, it wasn't even permitted in the first place.
 
It's a moot point until the investigation proves that was the cause.

I'm not going to speculate.
 
Every rank and file on parade wears clickers on their boots. Having been there, done that I'll quite readily speculate that the clickers are in part or whole at fault. They're bloody dangerous, and I know few guys who've done CG and not wiped out in them.
 
I got mine done when I joined and still have them on.  I admit they are nice to hear and sound impressive but i have seen a few people slip thanks to them and suspect it to be the case here.
 
My very first pair of ankle boots ever issued had clickers on toes and heels.  They were also pebbled and a #*&^%!& to get shone......but when that was finally accomplished, they really shone up nice.

Hobnail, cleats, clickers, whatever, were a means of prolonging the life of the boot cutting down on wear to the heels and toes.  Also, like the old web belts, a useful 'tool' in a fight.

Just saying.
 
Years ago, I saw a certain L/Sgt  slide down a cobblestone ramp in his hobnailed and clickered parade boots. Once he reached level ground he was fine . He later commanded the Regiment. I believe he still has these boots.

tango22a.
 
Going back a few posts, the older members of the forum will tell you that Clickers on boots, even if they were issued boots, were NOT ALLOWED on the Flight Line, as in the days of regular (daily) Service Flights, the order of dress to travel was CF uniform (now called DEU).  Clickers were not allowed on boots in many locations due to the possibility of generating sparks that could ignite combustibles/fumes.  Times have changed.  Boots no longer come issued with metal on heels or toes.
 
George Wallace said:
Going back a few posts, the older members of the forum will tell you that Clickers on boots, even if they were issued boots, were NOT ALLOWED on the Flight Line, as in the days of regular (daily) Service Flights, the order of dress to travel was CF uniform (now called DEU).  Clickers were not allowed on boots in many locations due to the possibility of generating sparks that could ignite combustibles/fumes.  Times have changed.  Boots no longer come issued with metal on heels or toes.

FOD is probably the larger hazard with them.

I remember having to walk out to the Boeing in my gray socks and carrying my boots  ;D
 
recceguy said:
FOD is probably the larger hazard with them.

I remember having to walk out to the Boeing in my gray socks and carrying my boots  ;D

Which is a BS excuse. If you are wearing DEU ( the land one even more so), there's a metric shit ton of other stuff that can create FOD. No one was telling you to remove ribbons/medals, ranks, command badges, etc... were they ?
 
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