• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

White Supremacist Infiltration of Canadian Forces?

Is there truth to the suggestion that the Airborne Regiment is where people with discipline problems were sent?
 
That's all before my time but I've seen an infantry company that was used for all the apparent "problem children". Not a very wise move in my opinion.
 
The composition of the CF is as diverse as the population it recruits from, I know of people who support the NDP as serving members which should suggest how reasonable and open we actually are  >:D
 
Thucydides said:
The composition of the CF is as diverse as the population it recruits from, I know of people who support the NDP as serving members which should suggest how reasonable and open we actually are  >:D
you owe me a keyboard.............

WrenchBender
 
Was The CAR where people with discipline problems were sent?

No really.  This has be alluded to several times.  Sure, we had some bad guys, but people forget that these guys came to The CAR from the established infantry regiments and support arms.  The CAR did not create these problems.  The VASTE majority of the men of The CAR were honourable soldiers and got posted to do something different then what they were doing in Bn.
 
Rhodesian said:
Was The CAR where people with discipline problems were sent?

No really.  This has be alluded to several times.  Sure, we had some bad guys, but people forget that these guys came to The CAR from the established infantry regiments and support arms.  The CAR did not create these problems.  The VASTE majority of the men of The CAR were honourable soldiers and got posted to do something different then what they were doing in Bn.

Actually, your are correct; to generalize that CAR was where discipline problems were sent, is wrong.  However, each of the three Infantry Regiments were represented by one of the three Commandos within CAR.  In essence, each Commando was in of itself the "airborne" representatives of their parent Infantry Regiment.  How each Regiment filled posns in "their" Commando, refected on that Regiments policies at the time.  If one choose to send their best and brightest, it reflected on both the Regiment and the Commando.  If one choose to use "their" Commando as a dumping ground for their problem children with the hopes that somehow the CAR would sort them out, then that too reflected on both that Commando and Regiment. 

Members of the CAR and members of other SSF units saw what went on.  Many members of this site were there in one capacity or another, and saw what went on. 
 
George,

Roger, I was one of those....although looking at the Regiment from the inside looking out.  I believe we were our own worst enemy.  We strongly believed that we were the best thing since sliced bread and told everyone that.  We alienated ourselves from the rest of the army and when we needed help, it was easy for people to let us slide towards disbandment.  No generals resigned over the disbandment.

Funny enough, the Regiment was at it's" post Edmonton finest" when it was disbanded.  Col Kenward had done alot to clean house.

I am extremely proud of my service in the Regiment, as I am in my service in my parent unit.  As the old saying goes, "they thrown the baby out with the bathwater."  Too bad.
 
Rhodesian said:
Was The CAR where people with discipline problems were sent?

No really.
BS. There were cases I know this happened. Yes, not an out right dumping ground for discipline problems but it did happen at times.
The VASTE majority of the men of The CAR were honourable soldiers and got posted to do something different then what they were doing in Bn.
In this I totally agree that the vast majority of the men of The CAR were honorable.
As for "to do something different then what they were doing in Bn" not so much. Other than the jumping aspect, overall generally the same job.
 
If you call driving around for endless hours in an AVGP and spending 6 weeks a summer doing drill on 1 RCR's parade square in London the same as parachuting, US and British Army exchanges, submarine operations, PPF course......then I guess you're right.
 
Rhodesian said:
Funny enough, the Regiment was at it's" post Edmonton finest" when it was disbanded.  Col Kenward had done alot to clean house.

I am extremely proud of my service in the Regiment, as I am in my service in my parent unit.  As the old saying goes, "they thrown the baby out with the bathwater."  Too bad.

And the ironic thing was that, in my opinion and I am basing this on information from excellent sources who were in a position to know, that the regiment would have been disbanded even if the crap had not happened. This was in the early years of the decade of darkness. The defence budget had taken a major hit. The army was going from 10 battalions to six with a further three being reduced to the 10/90 organization. Would any of the infantry regiments have sacrificed a battalion or even a couple of companies so the regiment could survive? Not bluidy likely! But the crap had happened, and the public confidence in the forces had been shaken. The government of the day jumped at a convenient opportunity to paint itself as acting decisively to stamp out a "nest of vipers," and demonstrate that it was going to rein in the military.
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
That's all before my time but I've seen an infantry company that was used for all the apparent "problem children". Not a very wise move in my opinion.
Like rear parties?
 
Having served in a number of regiments in 3 different brigades, my time with the Airborne was certainly the highlight of my career.  Best training, best soldiers, best leadership.  An elite unit in every respect. 
A lot of crap was leaked to the press that really could have and likely did happen all over the place.  I never saw any it in my commando nor heard of it in the other commandos.

They wanted the Regiment gone and the Liberals did what it took to turn opinion against us.  I still have 'family' members to this day who believe all that crap and think i am or at least was some sort of animal thanks to the media lapdogs of that liberal regime.  Ya, i can get pretty bitter when talk turns to the events of 93-95.

We were professionals.  If we weren't, you can bet something more substantial than a jeep would have burned to the ground post 5 mar 95.

Dumping ground?  I call bullshit.  Not everyone can pass a jump course, and of those that did, it was still a fight to be selected for posting tho the Airborne.  As a professional soldier, you aspire to work with the best and count yourself within their numbers.  That's what this was.  It did create jealously among those unable, unwilling or lacking the intestinal fortitude for such employment, but that wasn't the Airborne's problem.

Elite organisations will always have some degree of elitism.  We were no different.
 
Ok- this is getting stupid.  No one is saying that there were not excellent soldiers in the AB Regt. Or that the whole Regt was made up from the cast of the dirty dozen.

I agree with the point that was made up thread that, by the time LCol Kenward had been CO for a year, it was probably the best light infantry battalion in NATO.

But why was LCol Kenward necessary?  Remember, he had already commanded a Battalion.  Were there discipline problems before he showed up? You bet.  He cleaned house for a year.  Certain Regiments did "jump their junk" on certain commandos. I saw it.

As for my bona fides- I wore the maroon beret. I served in a number of staff and line positions in Petawawa from 91-96 that gave me a rather unique, first hand view, some of the AB Regt's problems. 

And yes, everyone from NDHQ to the PM's office saw a free shot and took it in 1995.  More  the reason that all of us, as professionals, need to drag onboard the absolute, ironclad necessity to deal firmly and forcefully with our own problem children.  Do not ever, ever, pass your crap to the next unit to solve.  In the rare case where career management forces it, make sure that you have  documented everything or the next unit.
 
Back
Top