F
Fader
Guest
Has anyone ever been in a parade where you‘ve done feu de joie?
This weekend my unit flew a bunch of us out to Shilo to attend the change of command parade. It was sad, seeing Col Boufard (I hope I spelt his name right) leaving, he was a good group commander. However, hopefully the new regimental system will work out better for the comm reserve.
I didn‘t think it was anything big, really, the feu de joie, but after the parade, at the reception talking to a bunch of majors and colonels and what not, I heard it‘s something of a rare thing. One infantry major said the last time he had done one was 17 years back. I know I never saw one until Saterday.
It really puts things in perspective too, being in a parade with 300-400 soldiers from across Western Canada. I told a guy who did basic with me who was there: "To be honest, this is the probably first time I‘ve felt like a soldier since basic." Also, after listning to Col. Boufards speech, I think I had a change of heart as to the relevance of the reserves, as well as the relevance of being a reserve soldier.
I knock my soldierly abilities all the time (as I‘m sure you all know). But after thinking about it, I think it‘s more that I‘m out of practice than I am a bad soldier. Perhaps that‘s true of many reservists, who have larger commitments than activly serving as soldiers. But one thing that i learnt from this parade, is that I may be a crappy soldier and a crappy sigop now, but I guess it‘s appropriate that that be the case. There‘s little or no need for me to be anything else. If the need should arise for me to be a good soldier and a good sig op, I feel confidant that the CF will invest enough to ensure that is the case.
Anyway, the feu de joie was quite cool, any thoughts?
This weekend my unit flew a bunch of us out to Shilo to attend the change of command parade. It was sad, seeing Col Boufard (I hope I spelt his name right) leaving, he was a good group commander. However, hopefully the new regimental system will work out better for the comm reserve.
I didn‘t think it was anything big, really, the feu de joie, but after the parade, at the reception talking to a bunch of majors and colonels and what not, I heard it‘s something of a rare thing. One infantry major said the last time he had done one was 17 years back. I know I never saw one until Saterday.
It really puts things in perspective too, being in a parade with 300-400 soldiers from across Western Canada. I told a guy who did basic with me who was there: "To be honest, this is the probably first time I‘ve felt like a soldier since basic." Also, after listning to Col. Boufards speech, I think I had a change of heart as to the relevance of the reserves, as well as the relevance of being a reserve soldier.
I knock my soldierly abilities all the time (as I‘m sure you all know). But after thinking about it, I think it‘s more that I‘m out of practice than I am a bad soldier. Perhaps that‘s true of many reservists, who have larger commitments than activly serving as soldiers. But one thing that i learnt from this parade, is that I may be a crappy soldier and a crappy sigop now, but I guess it‘s appropriate that that be the case. There‘s little or no need for me to be anything else. If the need should arise for me to be a good soldier and a good sig op, I feel confidant that the CF will invest enough to ensure that is the case.
Anyway, the feu de joie was quite cool, any thoughts?
