New Operational Service Medal Announced

[Quartermaster]

I know that the SSM with bar was the original thought, but it was pushed forward by the Task Force COS among others that HALO met the criteria to have its own medal stricken.

That sent the whole process back to square one, but I believe it was the right way to do it.  Over the last two years I stopped being annoyed about it and started thinking that it will eventually be a pleasant surprise.

 

[medicineman]

Well Vern,

I was perusing CANFORGENS, looked at the end of 2009 and lo and behold, Op Lion (Lebanon evac) is getting SSM with Humanitas Bar - see Order 215/09.  I seem to remember that op was like, 06 or 07, so sometime after the we returned from the sewer, and they're getting a little something something...I'm beginning to think that someone has accidentally on purpose forgotted about Op Halo  :.

MM

 

[armyvern]

Can someone out there answer:  Anyone?? Beuller??

WHY is Op Halo being ignored by the powers that be?? Perhaps "the powers that be aren't actually" ignoring, but it certainly seems as such when those "powers that be" haven't provided so much as a nibbling soundbite of an update to the issue in 4 years!!

Someone out there, even if just visiting here as a "guest" (no doubt checking out what the mood of the tropps is these days), can explain what's going on --- it's been since 2004 already.

If you won't make an account to explain here, can you at least cut a message or something? Don't the members who served there deserve some sort of explanation for the "years too long delay" with recognizing their service on this mission?

We're up to at least 5 posthumous awards of whatever/whenever/IF ever ... and if they're NOT going to ever be recognized for their service there ... can someone finally pony up to podium and tell them so and advise them as to WHY they aren't worthy? It's the least someone should do.

They've waited long enough IMO - especially evidenced by the fact that years-later Ops are now officially being recognized.

Come on already --- you can do it!!

 

[dapaterson]

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence."

And don't forget the folks on OP SCULPTURE still without Canadian recognition - despite being there since early 2001...

 

[armyvern]

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence."

And don't forget the folks on OP SCULPTURE still without Canadian recognition - despite being there since early 2001...

Consider my earlier post edited to switch ALL to OP Halo/Op Sculpture ...

And 2004/2001.

Funny how they could come up with the GCS & GCM so darn quick ... yet seem to forget OTHER operations and missions continue to exist. Talk about falling through the cracks.

 

[medicineman]

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence."

And don't forget the folks on OP SCULPTURE still without Canadian recognition - despite being there since early 2001...

It's been long enough that incompetence can be safely ruled out me thinks.

I do feel for buddies of mine that were on Sculpture as well, but since I was on Halo, well, I'll continue to be annoyed about that in particular.

MM

 

[Edward Campbell]

If you like I will E-mail the MND and ask him to tell me "why."

But I need some details so that I don't look totally out of the loop:

Op Halo was in _________ from ____ to ____

Op Sculpture was in _________ from ____ to ____


----------
Dear Minister;

I am a retired army officer with no direct, personal interest in this matter, but I note that while many Canadian military personnel are being recognized, with appropriate medals, for their service overseas it appears that those who served on Op Halo in _____ from ____ to ____ and on Op Sculpture in _________ from ____ to ____ have fallen through the cracks in NDHQ.

Would you be so kind as to have someone tell me when those members might be recognized, please?

I will post whatever information is provided on the relevant Army.ca web site page at http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40967.0 where serving and retired military personnel have been asking about this for nearly four year now.

Or, perhaps, someone who knows could go that web site, directly, and tell people, directly, what is happening.

Yours truly

etc
----------

 

[dapaterson]

HALO - Haiti in 2004 (2 RCR)
SCULPTURE - Sierra Leone from 2000 to the present


See also:

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/07/14/a-lack-of-recognition-for-op-halo-and-op-sculpture.aspx

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/08/28/no-peacekeeping-medal-for-op-sculpture-op-halo-personnel-still-have-to-wait.aspx

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=3132

 

[Edward Campbell]

Sent:

2010-01-08

Dear Minister;

I am a retired army officer with no direct, personal interest in this matter, but I note that while many Canadian military personnel are being recognized, with appropriate medals, for their recent service overseas, it appears that those who served on Op Halo in Haiti in 2004 and on Op Sculpture in Sierra Leone from 2000 to the present have fallen through the cracks in NDHQ.

Would you be so kind as to have someone tell me when those members might be recognized, please?

I will post whatever information is provided on the relevant Army.ca web site page < http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40967.0 > where serving and retired military personnel have been asking about this for nearly four years now.

Or, perhaps, someone who knows could go that web site and tell people, directly - from the horses mouth, so to speak, what is happening.


With my thanks in advance


Yours truly

etc

 

[TC Barrett]

I was on the 2nd flight into Haiti and the 2nd last flight out on Op Halo, a mission to restore law and order (Multi Interim Force - MIF) which turned into a UN Peacekeeping mission about 3/4 of the way through.

Tour Name - Op Halo
Tour Location - Haiti, Port au Prince and Gonaives
My dates for the tour - 17 Mar 2004 to 11 Aug 2004.

Dates with MIF - 17 Mar to Late Jun 2004. 
Dates with UN - Late Jun to 15 Aug 2004 (last flight).

To date, the only medal issued out was the CPSM (Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal) to new soldiers.  Kind of stupid considering most of us only served either just over or just under 30 days under the UN.  I guess it was a freebie.

 

[AmmoTech90]

TC Barrett,

Were you on the advance party from Kingston or were you on the second flight out of Gagetown?  If it was on Gagetown, I was on that one as well, we took off around an hour after the defense platoon.  If I recall there was an EGS tech, a EG tech, the PAFFO and myself on that flight and cargo.

 

[armyvern]

Move to quote dapaterson in here:

CANFORGEN 066/10 has been released with further details.

Of interest:

THE CF AND THE GOVT OF CANADA ARE COMMITTED TO HONOURING AND RECOGNIZING THE VALUED CONTRIBUTION OF SAILORS, SOLDIERS, AIR MEN AND WOMEN OF THE CF. MORE IMPROVEMENTS TO OVERSEAS RECOGNITION ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING RECOGNITION OF OPS SCULPTURE, HALO, AUGURAL, PROTEUS AND HESTIA WILL BE FORTHCOMING

 

[vonGarvin]

I think I heard a massive crack from under my feet.  Did Hell just freeze over?

 

[Journeyman]

ANNOUNCEMENTS....WILL BE FORTHCOMING

The announcement could just be, "nahhh....we're not going to bother"    >

;D

 

[vonGarvin]

:clubinhand:


Oh, there'd be a clubbin', I tells ya!  A clubbin'!

 

[medicineman]

I'm notholding my breath, and not because I didn't want to embolize in the chamber this morning...

MM

 

[armyvern]

I'm notholding my breath, and not because I didn't want to embolize in the chamber this morning...

MM

Wahhhh. Had to work did 'ya?? It's a lovely March Break here in Ontario. Pet is nice and sunny, but not as nice as yesterday.  ;D

 

[medicineman]

Yeah, got to work, got a day's dive pay, and we're getting slid this afternoon...mind you I have to teach and wait for the QL5 course to get out of the water, but hey, such is life.  It's also very nice here today in my office by the sea  ;D.

MM

 

[SeanNewman]

General Hillier writes at length in A Soldier First about his frustration while CDS with the entire recognition process.

Granted the US may (in our opinions) over-award some things, but one thing that they get right is recognizing in a timely manner.

There are some medals that unquestionably should be left at higher levels to debate over merit in terms standardization, but there is no reason that lower level bravery and valour decorations can't be trusted down to the Coy level.

The odd guy who got one that may have only 75% earned it is a small price to pay for the amount of soldiers you could recognize quickly.  Imagine how much more it would mean for a soldier to roll back into the FOB after a rough op and getting our equivalent of a Bronze Star (either for valour or bravery) slammed on his chest instead of waiting five years for him to get it, after he's been posted to a different unit and gets called out on a Monday parade with nobody who was there.

 

[Michael OLeary]

There are some medals that unquestionably should be left at higher levels to debate over merit in terms standardization, but there is no reason that lower level bravery and valour decorations can't be trusted down to the Coy level.

To clarify, are you suggesting that we should permit subunit commanders to hand out immediate awards of the Medal of Military Valour?

I'm certain there's no way that could go awry.

Or were you thinking of something else?