IDENTITY OF PERSONNEL OVERSEAS

[Gunner]

During the Kosovo air campaign, I was fairly cynical about CF18 pilots
who would wear their helmets to cover their faces during TV/News
interviews. In addition, they would use a clever deception plan of only
using their rank with their first name (I was shocked that pilots had a
rank but I digress...;-)...).

To my chagrin, for the last couple of days I have noticed in news
reports that members of the army deploying to Afghanistan are only using
their rank and first name.

Is the CF being paranoid or do you think there is a viable threat
against families remaining in Canada?

Does anyone have any opinions?

 

[Spanky]

Better safe than sorry. Why does everyone need to know their full names anyway? The press would just hound family for human interest stories or God forbid hound survivers, widows etc. for dirt.

 

[portcullisguy]

As a member of Her Majesty‘s Civil Service of Canada, I am on the fence on this issue.

Many other customs inspectors I work with insist on anonymity, and hide behind their badge numbers.

Myself, I have no problem giving people my name, and even spelling it for them, should they have an issue with the way I do my job. I know I‘m right! So they can complain all they want. If they do, I want them to address it to the right person so that I may answer it in due course.

However, where the line is drawn is when people wish to make things "personal" with us. We have had officers threatened, followed to their cars, etc. And all this, over things like a bottle of liquor being seized.

I can only imagine what horrible repercussions could unfold against members of the CF or their families, if they were to be identified in full, and later found to have killed a person who was a member of a terrorist organization.

The public has a right to know who their tax dollars are paid to... but there are limits on WHEN they can know.

 

[Jungle]

I think it‘s OK that they keep their names from the media. Those terrorist orgs are capable of the craziest things, as we have already seen. And the media... they are very imaginative in the way they harrass people.

 

[rceme_rat]

It doesn‘t have to be terrorists or on the other side of the world.

Think back to the Oka situation when security on nearby bases was ramped up, people were wearing civvies onto the base, and soldiers were advised that they should remove bumper stickers, etc. identifying their vehicles as potential targets.