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New Operational Service Medal Announced

Maybe go with different colour bars.  Silver for one tour and gold for more tours.
 
My opinion: just as in WWII, there were "campaign stars" for specific campaigns.  No "General Service" campaign stars.  All medals similar in design, varied in the specifics and the ribbon colours of course.

That is all.

 
Op Halo, that switched to UN after the first 3 months, kept the chap.VII clause until the end and ROE's stayed the same until departure from theatre of operations. To me the CPSM wasn't the one to go with.

IMHO
 
delavan said:
Op Halo, that switched to UN after the first 3 months, kept the chap.VII clause until the end and ROE's stayed the same until departure from theatre of operations. To me the CPSM wasn't the one to go with.

IMHO
And the Roto Zero guys (including my 9er) are not entitled to be awarded the CPSM for precisely this reason...they were peacemaking not peacekeeping.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/honours/cpsm_eligible.pdf

CPSM eligiblity began on 01 June 2004...when the blue Berets came in and the roto 1 pers. Most of the loggies who were there the full six months already had the CPSM.
 
And the Roto Zero guys (including my 9er) are not entitled to be awarded the CPSM for precisely this reason...they were peacemaking not peacekeeping.

I got the CPSM myself for that mission, and and stayed there 5 1/2 months... (end of March until beginning of August 2004).
 
delavan said:
I got the CPSM myself for that mission, and and stayed there 5 1/2 months... (end of March until beginning of August 2004).
That'd be because you were there after June 1st...if you were there 5 1/2 months correct? You wore the blue beret on your head for the last half of your tour correct?

As I said...the guys (RCR type like my husband) who went in advance party the first week of March 2004, evaced the airport, cleared the streets, the weapons caches, and tried to make the place somewhat safe, but then came home end-May and early June...don't qualify.
 
The Librarian said:
That'd be because you were there after June 1st...if you were there 5 1/2 months correct? You wore the blue beret on your head for the last half of your tour correct?

As I said...the guys (RCR type like my husband) who went in advance party the first week of March 2004, evaced the airport, cleared the streets, the weapons caches, and tried to make the place somewhat safe, but then came home end-May and early June...don't qualify.

If you look at your link, on the last page, it states that they are entitled to the CPSM "MIF (Multinational Interim Force in Haiti) (7 March - 20 May 2004) (Op HALO)".  Whether the mission is given a Chapter 6 or 7 mandate has little to do with whether the CPSM is given.
 
Gunner said:
If you look at your link, on the last page, it states that they are entitled to the CPSM "MIF (Multinational Interim Force in Haiti) (7 March - 20 May 2004) (Op HALO)".  Whether the mission is given a Chapter 6 or 7 mandate has little to do with whether the CPSM is given.
Well, there's a whole bunch of them still waiting...
 
The Librarian said:
Well, there's a whole bunch of them still waiting...

In addition to the document you provided, IIRC there was also a CANFORGEN in Fall 2005 stating they were entitled to the CPSM.  If they are still waiting to be awarded the CPSM....sounds like their chain of command has some issues ...
 
There must be some bad PR on the eligibility of the CPSM, for I have heard nothing, and I was in theatre from 17 March until 6 June of 04.  In fact, I rode a LAV with "The Librarian's" 9er (as she put it, NOT me ;) ).  There were a lot of younger lads who were on their first tour, so this would be their first medal.  As I already have been awarded the CPSM, I guess I already got mine :D

Oh well, too bad.

Maybe next tour?

:D

And I'm still waiting for my "Oka" medal ;)

(Don't worry, I'm not serious about that.  I mean, yes, I was there, but I'm not waiting for a medal for Oka) :D
 
Infanteer said:
Need 180 days of peacekeeping total to get the "Peace" bar to the SSM if your peacekeeping tour is not recognized via it's own medal.

They've only got between 85-100 days 'not' peacekeeping.

So in order to qualify for the SSM with Peace Bar..or just the peace bar if they already have the SSM, these guys would have to do another "peacekeeping" tour that is not recognized by it's own medal for another 85-100 days before they'd qualify. Then we run into the same situation as is already being discussed...two seperate and distinct tours and one generic medal to show for it.
 
Its to bad that all they are giving for this mission is the CPSM, which I already had from Bosnia in 2000. I was in Haiti early March right till the end in August. The Commander was talking about us possibly receiving 2 Medals for the mission now it looks like most of us will receive nothing for our efforts here.

I am currently deployed in that place does not exist and its shit like this that really will make it that much harder to accept another mission in the future. No tax break for this mission....no medal for almost 6 months in Haiti and 3 deployments in the last 6 years (all summer tours) has really put a damper on my attitude, specially when you see people back home in Canada with no deployments at all.

/rant off
 
Mirage should in no way be tax free! I dont think it should be a "tour" posting is more like it.
 
I disagree 100%. Any time we deploy outside Canada our wage should be tax free. Civilians who are over seas for more then 6 months receive tax free wages so why should we be any different. We have Hardship & Risk to reward those who go into risky places. I think if you ask most of the people who are in Mirage, they would tell you that they would be much rather up North (specially since most of us are support trades and we don't go outside the wire anyhow) making 3x the money we do when in Mirage. By having the tax break for one deployment creates division and resentment, it also could very well be the difference in someone that Dag's red or not for a tour. Honestly if you new you could go up North and make between $25000-$30000 or stay in Mirage and make $8000 for the same tour duration what would you choose?. My point is that the tax free benefit should not be tied to risk and instead should be used as an incentive to those people who actually will deploy outside of Canada.
 
I see the tax break as a reward. Why should those, although contributing to the mission, that spend their tour eating great food, living in almost private shacks with indoor plumbing, and get to go shopping on a daily basis be compensated the same as those who live in tents, use porta-potties, and have nothing for entertainment. Just my two cents having spent time in both places.
 
PhilB said:
I see the tax break as a reward. Why should those, although contributing to the mission, that spend their tour eating great food, living in almost private shacks with indoor plumbing, and get to go shopping on a daily basis be compensated the same as those who live in tents, use porta-potties, and have nothing for entertainment. Just my two cents having spent time in both places.

You get hardship allowance for living in a tent and using a shitter that has to be burned after use......

Those people in Mirage  have a job to do  that is needed for the war effort. They dont get hardship & danger pay.  Why should they be denied tax free ? If you are in the sandbox, you have your extra pay.....
 
PhilB said:
I see the tax break as a reward. Why should those, although contributing to the mission, that spend their tour eating great food, living in almost private shacks with indoor plumbing, and get to go shopping on a daily basis be compensated the same as those who live in tents, use porta-potties, and have nothing for entertainment. Just my two cents having spent time in both places.

You know what? I'm tired of BS like this statement. That's a load of pure crap.


Yes they've got better accomodations et al than the guys in the Afghanistan, but you know what? They doing their damn jobs every day not shopping. Enough already. I only spent 8 friggin months there, working 16-17 hour days, I certainly wasn't out shopping every day and neither was anyone else. The food was good, not great. You do your job where you get sent to do your job.

Like it or not, someone has to be there to do those jobs don't they? Don't fault those people for doing their jobs.

The hardship and risk allowances are already higher for the guys in Afghanistan because they obviously have a much higher risk and hardship. What the Heck is the problem with giving those Canadian military pers posted in Camp Mirage the exact same tax-free status that yourself in Afghanistan, or any other Canadian citizen who is outside the country for 6 months enjoys? You are bitching at the wrong tree. You've got Canadians living a really good life on the Riviera's of France etc for 7 months saving those taxs too, yet your going to slam your fellow soldiers for doing their jobs in the place where their government sent them to? Unbelieveable.
 
PhilB said:
I see the tax break as a reward. Why should those, although contributing to the mission, that spend their tour eating great food, living in almost private shacks with indoor plumbing, and get to go shopping on a daily basis be compensated the same as those who live in tents, use porta-potties, and have nothing for entertainment. Just my two cents having spent time in both places.

Like Cdnaviator said above you get HARDSHIP & RISK allowances that we don't receive in Mirage and those of us in Mirage did not get the choice of being deployed up north. I still have to spend 6 months separated from my Wife & 2 children and if it was not for the people in camp Mirage there would be no Operation up north. When I originally found out I was being deployed to mirage I fought hard to try to get switched to KAF, but we where all told that if we dag red or tried to avoid deploying to mirage that we would be bypassed for the next rotation in KAF and we would be put on the next Mirage tour.
 
First off there is absolutely no call for an angry or aggressive tone. I simply stated my opinion, which I am entitled to do. I spent 3months in Mirage, and then 6months in Afghanistan. Having seen both sides of the fence that is my opinion. I understand each side of the coin, and I value all of your points. At the end of the day none of us have a say on it, but I take offense at people trying to flame me for stating an opinion.
 
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