Save Our Troops....Jobs

Forget Red Fridays.
Forget the Yellow Ribbons.

If you really want to support our troops
sign this petition.

Canadian reservists frequently volunteer to serve our country in extended overseas missions. Unfortunately our country--with the exception of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia--does not recognize their sacrifice and some reservists return home only to face the unemployment line.

This situation is simply not fair to the men and women who put their lives on the line for their fellow Canadians.

Therefore we believe it's long overdue for the Canadian government to enact federal legislation that will protect the jobs of reservists who volunteer to serve in extended overseas missions.

While politicians in Toronto and Calgary get into a kerfuffle over posting yellow ribbons on municipal vehicles, they overlook the little fact that there is no Job Protection for Reservists in their provinces. Nor across Canada.

The Canadian reservist, unlike his American counterpart or a pregnant mother, has almost no protection for his job, so that he will usually be taking a big risk employment-wise when he serves his country.

Certain Officers and NCMs of The Royal Montreal Regiment

You can lose your life or body parts in Kandahar, Darfur, or Haiti, or where-ever Canadian Armed Forces are deployed, even at air shows. And to add insult to injury, if you survive, you can also end up losing your job on your return from active duty.

Shame! Shame! Shame! as they say in the House.

Of course prior to Harpers War most reservists and recruits viewed the Canadian Armed Forces as a job, either part time or full time, a career as it was pushed then; there was no life like it. But Harper changed all that. Now they can sign up and fight and if they don't get killed can return to the unemployment line.

Of course labour standards are a provincial responsibility and should be amended, as should Federal legislation. But the fact remains that we should not have to regulate business in the capitalist market place according to the right wing. But once again that fallacy falls flat. Like their much vaunted 'Family Values'.

Major Noseworthy joined our reserve forces in good faith, seeking to do his bit for Canada as a part-time soldier. He answered the call dutifully when asked to go to Afghanistan and fight for peace in that country. But his employer did not have the same sense of duty to Major Noseworthy or Canada for than matter.

In addition to being an army reservist, Major Noseworthy was also the manager at Humber Motors Ford in Stephenville, Newfoundland. That was until he went to Afghanistan and Humber Ford — a firm that claims to be family friendly — refused him a leave of absence to serve his country. Major Noseworthy was dismissed, leaving him to return from his tour of duty and join the line up for Employment Insurance.

And why is there no federal legislation to protect these soldiers?

Jump back to November. That’s when Lt.

-Gen. Andrew Leslie told the House of Commons defense committee that to complete the mission in Afghanistan the Canadian military would have to draw on more of the country’s 18,000 reservists.

At the time Leslie said the military was trying to persuade about 1,500 of them to sign on for two to three years of military duty.

How many of those reservists have, or will have, to quit their jobs to help the country complete its mission?

The federal government was quick to put reserve soldiers in danger by sending them to Afghanistan; the least they can do is ensure they have a job to come home to. Is that too much to ask?

As for employers who require reservists to quit before heading overseas, it’s time to do the right thing. Don’t simply give lip service to supporting the troops, actually do it. If you have a reservist working for you, at the very least grant them a leave of absence if they are willing to put their life on the line for this country.

The only value the working class has in creating capitalism is either as wage slaves or canon fodder.

The Canadian Forces Liaison Council, a group of business people who volunteer to support Canada’s reservists, say this country’s voluntary approach to job protections has worked well.

So the council’s volunteers must have cringed at news earlier this month that a reservist in Newfoundland came back from six long months in Afghanistan to unemployment.

Newfoundland, like Alberta, is among the majority of provinces which extend no job protections to reservists. Meanwhile, reservists are in high demand to fulfil Canada’s commitment in Afghanistan.

But even with service an option for reservists, it’s clear job protections should also be legislated.

That even a single soldier who has served the nation on a potentially deadly mission wind up on the unemployment line for his/her efforts is a national shame.

Surely a call for political action on this front should command more attention than the push for politicians to put ribbon decals on publicly funded bumpers.

Here! Here! As they say in the House.

H/T to Another Point of View for drawing my attention to My Blahg's latest efforts.



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Kandahar

Afghanistan

War





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Harpers Body Count

Harpers War

Body Count:

54




And again it was a land mine that killed them

Radio-Canada reporter describes moment of Afghan blast

They were told the road to the objective had been cleared by a minesweeper, he said.

"I was writing my stand-up just seconds before the blast," Roy said. "It was a huge blast. It's a little bit difficult to describe."

Afghanistan : two Radio-Canada journalists injured by landmine

Reporters Without Borders is dismayed by the injuries sustained by two journalists with state-owned Radio-Canada when the Canadian military convoy they were accompanying hit a landmine last night , in the southwest of the southern province of Kandahar. Two Canadian soldiers and an Afghan guide were killed by the blast, in which reporter Patrice Roy suffered shock and cameraman Charles Dubois sustained injuries to a leg. They are being treated in a military hospital in Kandahar. A Canadian press officer said: "This was not a lack of prudence, it is the reality in Afghanistan, unfortunately."

Canadian Casualties In Afghanistan

2007

Aug 22: Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier and Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne from Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment are killed by a roadside bomb.

Aug. 19: Quebec soldier Private Simon Longtin of the 3rd Batallion, Royal 22nd Regiment killed when roadside blast hits light-armoured vehicle.

July 4: Cpl. Cole Bartsch, Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, Pte. Lane Watkins and Cpl. Jordan Anderson, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton; Master Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment based in New Westminster, B.C., and Capt. Jefferson Francis of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shiloh, Man., killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city.

June 20: Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar.

June 11: Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, by a roadside bomb north of Kandahar.

May 30: Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede dies after a Chinook helicopter is apparently shot down. Five Americans and two British soldiers are also killed.

May 25: Cpl. Matthew J. McCully killed during "Operation Hoover" in Zhari district. Another soldier wounded.

April 18: An unidentified Canadian soldier working with special operations forces in Afghanistan died in a non-combat related incident.

April 11: Master Cpl. Allan Stewart and Trooper Patrick James Pentland killed when their Coyote vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

April 8: Sgt. Donald Lucas, Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, Pte. Kevin V. Kennedy, Pte. David R. Greenslade, Cpl. Christopher P. Stannix and Cpl. Brent Poland killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

March 6: Kevin Megeney a 25-year-old reservist with the 1 Battalion of the Nova Scotia Highlanders dies in a friendly fire accident while sitting in his tent in Kandahar.

2006

Nov. 27: Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard, his battalion's regimental sergeant major, and Cpl. Albert Storm, both of the Royal Canadian Regiment based in CFB Petawawa, killed when a suicide car bomber attacked their Bison armoured personnel carrier on the outskirts of Kandahar city.

Oct. 14: Sergeant Darcy Tedford and Private Blake Williamson were killed in a rocket-propelled grenade explosion in Panjwaii distict.

Oct. 7: Trooper Mark Wilson was killed when his armouored vehicle was hit by a roadside explosion in the Panjwaii distict.

Oct. 3: Sergeant Craig Gillam and Corporal Robert Mitchell of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks.

Sept. 29: Pte. Josh Klukie, 23, was killed when he stepped on an insurgent's explosive device while on foot patrol in Kandahar province.

Sept. 18: Private David Byers and Corporals Glen Arnold, Shane Keating, and Keith Morley killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack on foot patrol in Panjwaii.

Sept. 4: Pte. Mark Graham who was based at CFB Petawawa killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in the Panjwaii district. About 30 others wounded, five seriously.

Sept. 3: Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.

Aug. 22: Cpl. David Braun, who was based at Shilo, Man., killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.

Aug. 11: Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.

Aug. 9: Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.

Aug. 5: Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31, of Loyal Edmonton Regiment, killed when large truck collided head-on with his G-Wagon patrol vehicle.

Aug. 3: Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, of 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb. Three other members of same battalion killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack by Taliban forces west of Kandahar: Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35, Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.

July 22: Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal, killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.

July 9: Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21, reservist from Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., killed in firefight.

May 17: Capt. Nichola Goddard, artillery officer based in Shilo, Man., with 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, killed in Taliban ambush during battle in Panjwaii region. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.

April 22: Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., stationed with 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont., Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, Lieut. William Turner of Toronto, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta., all killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb near Gumbad.

March 29: Pte. Robert Costall of Edmonton, machine-gunner, killed in firefight with Taliban insurgents in Sangin district of Helmand province.

March 2: Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road in Kandahar area.

SEE:

Kandahar

Afghanistan

War





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A Landmine By Any Other Name

I see the (same old) New Canadian Governments spin machine is well at work in the MSM. The media today is reporting on the latest Canadian soldiers death in Kandahar to be the work of a so called "roadside bomb".

In other words not an IED which is a car bomb by any other name, which the military and their embedded media would have called it had it been the agent of our soldiers death.

Rather the military and MSM spin doctors are using the generic term roadside bomb. A land mine by any other name.

And who provided the land mines years ago to the Taliban in their war against the Soviet Union? Made in the USA.

To call it a land mine would be to identify it not as an insurgent or Taliban weapon but a left over from the cold war.

To correct the misleading headline from the Military and MSM here is one that they won't use, but should:

Canadian Soldier Victim of Cold War.

As usual the majority of deaths of Canadian soldiers in Kandahar have been from friendly fire or accidents and land mines

Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment, the Van Doos, suffered its first death in Afghanistan early Sunday when a young soldier died in a roadside bombing.

No other soldiers travelling in the vehicle were injured.

Sunday's incident happened on the same road where a Canadian RG-31 Nyala hit a roadside bomb. That Aug. 12 incident left five soldiers slightly injured.

Two days ago, a LAV-III in another Canadian convoy struck a roadside bomb, leaving two soldiers injured.

There had been no Canadian deaths since July 4, when six Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter died when their RG-31 struck a roadside bomb.

Harpers War
Body Count:
52






SEE:

Kandahar


Afghanistan

War





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.

Harpers War Costs-58 Dead

The body count grows as Canada once again plays a leading role in a colonial war.

July has been the worst for our troops. In May and June there were two deaths.

By yesterday July had recorded the most deaths in a day, a week and a month.

Last time we lost troops in a mission to get 'blooded', as General Hillier calls it,

A recent comment by Canada's military boss, Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier, that the job of Canadian troops "is to be able to kill people,"

the blunt-speaking Gen. Hillier has denigrated those fighting against Canadian troops in Afghanistan as "detestable murderers and scumbags."

in order to 'prove' ourselves to our Colonial masters, was Dieppe and Dunkirk. And like those historical debacles our soldiers are being sacrificed in Kandahar in another failed Imperial mission.

Twenty-two soldiers have now been killed on this rotation alone; by this time last year only eight had died.

The last three months have seen five deadly explosions claim a total of 19 Canadian soldiers with four weeks of summer fighting season to go before this deployment returns to Canada.

Before we even were fully committed to the Kandahar mission, knowing our own troops were subject to friendly fire as much as enemy fire, Harper ignored the death of a Canadian soldier, shot in the back by our American allies, in order to have his government blooded.

While Canadian military authorities continue to drag their heels, the U.S. Army says Pte. Robert Costall was killed by friendly fire – apparently American special forces.

The 22-year-old machine-gunner, born in Thunder Bay and deployed to Afghanistan with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was the first Canadian firefight casualty in that country.

He was slain during a fierce battle March 29, 2006, after his rapid-response platoon was sent to a forward operating base in support of Afghan and special forces troops who had come under siege.

Yesterday, the U.S. Army released its investigation results to Associated Press, asserting that Costall and an American sergeant, also killed that night, were shot from behind in a burst of machine-gun fire that originated from within the compound at Forward Operating Base Robinson, some 110 kilometres northwest of Kandahar City.

With every death Harper denies the futility of his war.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement following the death, offering his condolences to family and friends of Caswell.

"Without security there can be no development in Afghanistan, and thanks to soldiers like Trooper Caswell, we are making significant progress. He has left a valuable legacy and we will be forever grateful for the ultimate sacrifice he has made for our country," the statement read.

While his commanders on the ground point out the futility of claiming this is a humanitarian project for redevelopment. It is a counter insurgency, an anti-opium mission, it is America's war that we are fighting and loosing.

Lt.-Col. Bob Chamberlain, commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, lamented that there are districts in the province where a sudden upsurge in Taliban activity has kept redevelopment and humanitarian activity barricaded inside forward operating bases.

If Canada cannot record enough military progress to secure areas so the vital work of rebuilding the shattered lives of the Afghan people can proceed, one has to wonder if the entire mission isn't in jeopardy.

"Everything in war is very simple," Von Clausewitz wrote in On War. "But the simplest thing is difficult."

Hope is confident the superior training and equipment of his army will vanquish the insurgents.

"For centuries, it's the biggest, best-armed tribe that has ruled Afghanistan," he says. "Well, we have a heck of a big, well-armed tribe."

No one points out that the Soviets held the same opinion of their tribe.

And while the media reports the total casualties since 2002, that obscures the fact that more Canadian troops have died since Harper declared this his war in 2006, then died in the four years prior to that.

Eight Canadians, including our Diplomat to Afghanistan, died prior to Harper declaring his war in Kandahar; dubbed Operation Peacemaker. The Orwellian irony being deliberate as Harper and Hillier took us from Peacekeeping operations to active warfare; Peacemaking.

Since then his government has been responsible for the death of the remaining 58 Canadian troops in their efforts at peacemaking.

Canadian death toll in Afghanistan: 66 soldiers, one diplomat

By The Canadian Press

Since 2002, 66 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan. Here is a list of the deaths:

2007

July 4 — Cpl. Cole Bartsch, Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe and Pte. Lane Watkins, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton; and Master Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment based in New Westminster, B.C. The family of the other two killed have not yet agreed to the release of their names. Killed by a road side bomb in Panjwaii district west of Kandahar city.

June 20 — Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar.

June 11 — Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, by a roadside bomb north of Kandahar.

May 30 — Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, killed when a U.S. helicopter was reportedly shot down by the Taliban in Helmand province.

May 25 — Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25, killed by an improvised explosive device in Zhari District.

April 18 — Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer, who served with elite special forces, died after falling from a communications tower while on duty conducting surveillance in Kandahar City.

April 11 — Master Cpl. Allan Stewart and Trooper Patrick James Pentland killed when their Coyote vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

April 8 — Sgt. Donald Lucas, Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, Pte. Kevin V. Kennedy, Pte. David R. Greenslade, Cpl. Christopher P. Stannix and Cpl. Brent Poland killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

March 6 — Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, killed in accidental shooting at NATO base in Kandahar.

2006

Nov. 27 — Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard and Cpl. Albert Storm killed by suicide car bomber.

Oct. 14 — Sgt. Darcy Tedford and Pte. Blake Williamson killed in ambush.

Oct. 7 — Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson killed by roadside bomb.

Oct. 3 — Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks.

Sept. 29 — Pte. Josh Klukie killed by explosion in Panjwaii while on foot patrol.

Sept. 18 — Pte. David Byers, Cpl. Shane Keating, Cpl. Keith Morley and Cpl. Glen Arnold killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack while on foot patrol in Panjwaii.

Sept. 4 — Pte. Mark Graham killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in Panjwaii district.

Sept. 3 — Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.

Aug. 22 — Cpl. David Braun killed in suicide attack.

Aug. 11 — Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom killed in suicide attack.

Aug. 9 — Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.

Aug. 5 — Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt killed when his G-Wagon patrol vehicle collided with truck.

Aug. 3 — Cpl. Christopher Reid killed by roadside bomb. Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, Cpl. Bryce Keller and Pte. Kevin Dallaire killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack.

July 22 — Cpl. Francisco Gomez and Cpl. Jason Warren killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.

July 9 — Cpl. Anthony Boneca killed in firefight.

May 17 — Capt. Nichola Goddard killed in Taliban ambush. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.

April 22 — Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lt. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb.

March 29 — Pte. Robert Costall killed in firefight with Taliban. (Friendly fire shot in the back by American forces. ep)

March 2 — Cpl. Paul Davis and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road.

Jan. 15 — Glyn Berry, British-born Canadian diplomat, killed in suicide bombing.

2005

Nov. 24 — Pte. Braun Woodfield killed when his armoured vehicle rolled over.

2004

Jan. 27 — Cpl. Jamie Murphy killed in suicide bombing while on patrol.

2003

Oct. 2 — Sgt. Robert Short and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger killed in roadside bombing.

2002

April 17 — Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith killed when U.S. F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians.

And since most of the recent Canadian deaths have happened from buried explosives, one cannot assume they are from the Taliban. As I have point out before their deaths could have been the result of the thousands of hidden land mines buried through-out the area.

Maj. Andy Walker, the officer commanding Armoured Support Company for 3 Commando Brigade, has done three tours of duty in Iraq where his soldiers constantly faced the threat of IEDs.

He said he’d rather fight groups of Taliban.

“An IED, you don’t know where it is from, who has initiated it, you don’t whether it is a booby trap, whether it’s a mine, it’s the not knowing of IEDs that is the key concern of people,” he said in a recent interview at Camp Bastion, the support headquarters of the British command in Afghanistan.

Also See:

Harpers War

Friendly Fire

Afghanistan

War





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Land Mine?

As I have posted here and here Afghanistan is a country full of land mines. And why does this incident have to be anything other than another land mine accident.

Three Canadians travelling between two checkpoints just a few hundred metres apart died Wednesday in Afghanistan when their all-terrain vehicle hit a roadside bomb that insurgents apparently managed to plant without being detected.

Worse yet the soldiers were unprepared, unprotected since they were riding in an unarmored ATV. An ATV for gods sakes.

The small John Deere-made open-top six-wheeler had no armour to protect its occupants.

Brig.-Gen. Tim Grant, commander of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, shrugged off questions about what soldiers were doing riding around dangerous trails in an all-terrain vehicle primarily used to whip supplies around military bases. The risk seemed manageable and, besides, it was about the only type of vehicle that could weave through the tight off-road trails in the area, he argued.

While the accident could force the military to give its procedures a second look, the sketchy details suggest the military has already decided this is a tragic accident and not a case of procedural or protocol carelessness.

"The vehicle was appropriate for the task at hand and the terrain that they were travelling in," he told reporters.

Facts & Figures - Landmine casualties (2004)

Also See:

Friendly Fire

Afghanistan

War





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