Canada's Most Lethal Weapons

A tribute to the quiet, stealthy, and extremely talented professional that is the Canadian sniper. The song is the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter Theme.

Military Blog Site - with Robby McRobb

This Chap Robby NcRobb has a great military blog site, and its posted almost on a daily basis basis in the Prince Edward Island Newspaper, THE GUARDIAN. It's always a good read.

Here the below url links to a just a few of the many articles he has written and posted.

An ode to our Invisible Army 10/02/10 8:20 AM
A Veteran Journalist's description of a Canadian Soldier 09/02/10 12:12 AM
TV documentaries on HMCS Fredericton and Canada's dart team 08/02/10 7:49 AM
Canadian Military thrives with adversity. 06/02/10 2:15 PM
Sadly another Apprentice, moves on to the advance party Terry Firman.RIP 5 05/02/10 8:58 AM
Groundhogs say 6 more weeks ....and Canadians still carry on 1 03/02/10 9:01 AM
Ready Aye Ready...."We fight (and help) as One " HMCS Athabaskan 1 02/02/10 12:48 AM
My thoughts on the weeks news. 1 30/01/10 1:36 PM
Red Friday Pls show your support for our troops. Congratulations Canadian medics. 29/01/10 12:29 PM
Readers give us great information regarding Veterans 2 27/01/10 1:03 AM

Canadians craft over 20,000 valentines for vets

OTTAWA — Canada’s veterans living in long-term care facilities will be feeling the love from across the country with the delivery of special valentines created by fellow Canadians.

More than 20,000 valentines were received by Veterans Affairs Canada for its annual Valentines for Vets program.

The idea started in 1989 when the late newspaper columnist Ann Landers encouraged readers to create special valentines for veterans in care facilities throughout North America.

Veterans Affairs Canada became involved with the program in 1996.

Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Heather MacDonald says many of the valentines are created by schoolchildren, and were sent to their head office in Charlottetown to be sorted for distribution in time for Valentine’s Day.

MacDonald says the valentines are sent to about 2,000 long-term care facilities.

“It really just shows how Canadian schoolchildren are remembering veterans not just during Veterans Week and Remembrance Day but all year long and especially on Valentine’s Day,” she said.

This story was also published in the Toronto Sun Newspaper

Chief of defence urges troops to 'stand proud'

CFB TRENTON — Canada's chief of defence staff told the troops at Canada's largest air base "to stand tall and to stand proud" Wednesday after their leader was charged with two murders and two sexual assaults earlier this week.

This article was printed in the Toronto Sun Newspaper

New aerial photos of 9/11 attack released

New aerial photos of 9/11 attack released A trove of aerial photographs of the collapsing World Trade Center was widely released this week, offering a rare and chilling view from the heavens of the burning twin towers and the apocalyptic shroud of smoke and dust that settled over the city.AP

St. Andrews students connect with Canadian soldiers

This story was published in the Saint John Telegraph Journal Newspaper, click for story before it becomes outdated, and put into their Archives.

ST. ANDREWS - A soldier from Grand Manan went all the way to Afghanistan to meet a new friend in St. Andrews.

Enlarge Photo Derwin Gowan/Telegraph-JournalVincent Massey Elementary School students, from left, Max Richards, Naomi Sullivan and Quincey Griffin with teacher’s aide Cindy Groom. Students at Vincent Massey Elementary School sent letters as part of a project to support Canadian troops in Afghanistan. A handful of students got letters back, including Naomi Sullivan whose new pen pal signed his name "Sapper O'Neill."

"I was surprised to hear that it was someone from Grand Manan," the Grade 6 student said in an interview at the school Monday - just a drive to Blacks Harbour and a trip on the ferry away.

A couple of telephone calls confirmed that Trevor O'Neill, son of Phillip and Cathy O'Neill of Grand Manan, wrote the return letter to the St. Andrews school student.

He graduated from Grand Manan High School in 1995. He fished with his father and did other work before joining the Canadian Armed Forces three years ago, his mother said Monday.

He is a combat engineer - the reason he signs his name "Sapper" O'Neill - based at CFB Gagetown until the armed forces sent him to Afghanistan in October. Combat engineers are commonly referred to as sappers.

These letters began with a school project by teacher's aide Cindy Groom.

Last year, she read a newspaper story about a project by Brenda Daigle at the New Brunswick Community College in Miramichi to send shoe-box care packages to the soldiers.

Groom decided Vincent Massey Elementary should support this project. In November, students and school staff donated items for care packages: granola bars, toiletries, candy and juice crystals, among other things.

"We had four big boxes that we filled," she said.

Students from Grades 1 to 6 each wrote a letter. The kindergarten class composed a single letter.

The letters, about 190 in all, went out with the boxes to be distributed to Canadian troops in Kandahar. They addressed the letters to "Dear Soldier." Each had a return address.

"And a few of the students got letters back from the soldiers," Groom said. "And the students were delighted, and me, too."

O'Neill wrote to Naomi about "some weird bugs that are very big" and, further, "Lizards are all over the place. They run away very fast so that we do not step on them and squish them."

He told Naomi that at least three people from Grand Manan, and one person from Deer Island, serve with Canada's forces in Afghanistan.

"I found out that over in Afghanistan it's very dangerous, and I found out in the letter that it gets pretty chilly at night," Grade 5 student Quincey Griffin said.

A soldier named John wrote the letter to Quincey, telling her the weather is "nothing like back home in New Brunswick."

"They have a Tim Hortons," Grade 4 student Max Richards said, referring to what the soldier who returned his letter wrote.

"It was like tearful to know that you can write to somebody in Afghanistan and make them happy," Naomi said. "I think it was good for me to send a letter because it feels a little weird because they don't get to come home for Christmas."

"If they are in Afghanistan I think they'll be really happy to get a letter from home and make them very happy," Max said.

Groom has ideas for other projects to support Canadian troops. "I would like to do a banner for them. I would like to do sections and have each one of them sign it," she said referring to Vincent Massey students.

She plans to do the banner project within the next month. She has another plan to send thank-you notes, and another project she is not ready to talk about yet.

On This Date In Canadian Military History

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1944
... President Bush harked back to one of the great days in American military history -- June 6, 1944. On that day, as United States, British and ...select.nytimes.com
2006
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Colonel's arrest won't shake confidence in military - Windsor

This story was published in todays edition of the Fredericton NB Daily-Gleaner Newspaper.

The arrest of a Canadian Forces commander in Ontario for murder and sexual assault won't affect public confidence in military leadership at locations such as Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, says an expert.

Lee Windsor, the deputy director of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick, said people at Canadian Forces Base Trenton will question that connection but not at other locations.

Canada's military was given a collective shock Monday with the allegation that the colonel in command of the country's largest air force base had killed two women and sexually assaulted two others.

Col. Russell Williams, 46, was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville and Marie France Comeau, a 38, a corporal with CFB Trenton's 437 squadron. She was killed in November.

Windsor said there's no question that Williams was a respected figure in Trenton.

"I think this is a problem that will affect the Trenton community," Windsor said. "I do not think it will have a ripple effect in places like Gagetown. The nature of the relationship between senior leadership, commanders, formations and Base Gagetown, and the people of the communities of Oromocto and Fredericton is based on their ties. It doesn't have anything to do with Trenton and I don't think that, as horrible a circumstances this is, it's not going to do anything to change the relationship here."

Ross Ingram, a retired major in the reserves, agrees.

"There are so many people in high military positions who are serving well," he said. "They are going to realize this is an exception to the rule. It's an unfortunate thing, but it's not going to affect all who are doing a good job."

Bob Lockhart said he can't recall anything similar happening in the Forces.

With the leadership group within the military being relatively small, everyone gets to know one another so well that their idiosyncrasies or failings are quite often common knowledge, said Lockhart, a retired lieutenant-colonel in the reserves.

"All of these people are weeded out, usually at the lower levels."

Lockhart said the impact of what happened in Trenton will be minimal on a well-trained, well-disciplined organization such as the Canadian Forces.

"If there is an isolated case, the speed and the justice of which it is handled will immediately restore the good reputation," he said. "If an organization of tens of thousands can be destroyed by one aberrant incident, it's not the organization we want to defend us."

Veteran Helps Preserve Link To Navy's Past

This story was published in todays edition of the Saint John Telegraph Journal Newspaper.

SAINT JOHN - At 96, Merrill Rumson pulls out the keyboard to his computer and scans through his pictures, looking for the image of the bell rope he made for a competition marking the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy.

Enlarge Photo Matthew Sherwood/Telegraph-JournalNaval veteran Merrill Rumson, 96, holds up one of the bell ropes he made. He was born in 1913 and the navy was formed in 1910, so he has been around almost as long.

"Bells mark time and give warnings. They are an important part of the ship," he said.

As part of the navy's centennial celebration this year, metal from the past 100 years was collected and melted down to cast a commemorative bell that will be unveiled in Ottawa in May. A new bell needs a new bell rope, Rumson said.

"I was asked to submit two ropes and they got honourable mention."

The decorative bell ropes go back to the time of sailing ships, when the crews had time on their hands during long voyages, so they developed intricate rope braiding patterns, he said.

"Ringing the bell is very important in the life of a ship," he said. "In the olden days it told the time, it gave warnings, passed messages through the ship. It was a means of communication."

Rumson was invited to a ceremony aboard HMCS Protecteur at CFB Esquimalt in Victoria, B.C., on Feb. 24 to receive a certificate for his participation, but has decided not to go because travelling with a wheelchair is too difficult.

After his ropes are shown in Victoria later this month they will be returned to him. He plans to donate one to HMCS Brunswicker to be used on a bell in Saint John. The other bell ropes in the competition were produced by veterans of the navy who joined after 1945, but Rumson was the only Second World War veteran.

The braiding of bell ropes is part of a naval tradition that Rumson first learned in 1931, when he joined the naval reserve in Saint John. He was there four years until 1935 and then went to work for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company.

When the Second World War broke out, he was in Montreal and was asked to rejoin the navy as an instructor.

"I was an instructor for a couple of years and then I went to sea on a minesweeper, and then I went to a frigate," he said.

He crossed the North Atlantic several times protecting convoys supplying Britain with materials to fight the war and was on HMCS Chebogue when she was torpedoed off Ireland in 1944, killing seven of his shipmates. The frigate didn't sink but was so badly damaged she was broken up for scrap when they towed her back to Britain.

"I didn't see a thing, I was in the magazine (where the ammunition is kept), a room with no windows," he said.

The survivors were taken off and transported to Newfoundland. After the war he returned to work for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, retiring as office manager in Quebec City in 1973.

"I worked for them for 40 years. I went from the office boy to the manager," he said.

Valentines For Vets In Grand Bay-Westfield

This is a Country 94.1 FM News Story

It's a first for the Town of Grand-Bay Westfield as it pays tribute to Valentine's Day and their local Veterans. Residents are encouraged to sign a Valentine and Mayor Grace Losier says they will be distributed to as many local vets as possible.
The Valentines are available for signing at the Town office from 9am to 5pm until Friday. Local schools will also be taking part. Losier likes the idea of acknowledging veterans outside of Remembrance Day." WAY TO GO GRACE AND FOLK'S "

Funeral Regulations Need To Change With The Times

Click For Whole Article

Inadequate funding and a cumbersome bureaucracy have left some families of veterans scrambling to find the money to cover the funeral and burial expenses of loved ones, says a report from the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman. In a toughly worded 19-page report titled Serve With Honour, Depart With Dignity, Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran makes seven recommendations to bring the Veterans Funeral and Burial Regulations established by Veterans Affairs Canada and administered by the Last Post Fund up to date for today’s veterans. The Last Post Fund is a non-profit organization and registered charity with roots reaching back to its founding in [...]
January 18, 2010, by Tom MacGregor

Postcard Campaign Proves Popular

Legion Magazine’s postcards for the troops campaign has taken off, with schools and individuals contacting the magazine’s office asking for more. The idea for the postcards emerged when Editor Dan Black was putting together a feature package for the November/December issue on letters written by serving members of the military from the First World War through the Second World War, the Korean War and postwar operations including Afghanistan. The feature contained many original letters collected by Library and Archives Canada as well as side stories on how the letters were delivered and replies received from Gladys Osmond of Newfoundland who has [...]
January 12, 2010

Canadians Quick To Embrace Postcard Campaign For Troops In Afghanistan

The blow information is from the Legion Magazine, November 17,2009. Click for the whole article. For what its worth, I am a Legion Member.

The postcards-for-troops campaign launched by Legion Magazine is catching on across the country. Students from a number of schools are turning it into a classroom project, ordering huge quantities of the postcards published in Legion Magazine’s November/December issue. In several e-mails sent to the magazine this week, the magazine has learned that students, teachers and parents are busy putting pen to paper and writing short, personalized messages on the back of the postcards, all of which are destined for Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.

“Students enjoy participating in campaigns such as this,” says teacher Shelley Knott of Mayerthorpe, Alta., Junior/Senior High School. “Sending postcards to the troops in Afghanistan allows them to make a big difference as a small group. It fits in with what we are trying to teach about the importance of fostering teamwork and local action with a global result.”

Knott says her community has close ties with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse because one of the school’s graduates is currently serving with that unit in Afghanistan.

Students, teachers and parents are contacting the magazine in surprising number to order more of the distinctive three postcards. As a result, thousands more have been printed and are available free of charge to Canadians of all ages who want to let the troops in Afghanistan know of their support back home.

“These postcards are a terrific idea!” says Joanne Lambert, a music and English teacher at Frank Ryan Intermediate School in Nepean, Ont. “They will connect students with the realities faced by our service personnel stationed abroad. It will make them more aware of the fact that there are many men and women over there putting their lives on the line to try and make Afghanistan a safer place. All of them are making a huge sacrifice by being away from their loved ones and from the comforts of home. They have left behind the things we all treasure, and so it is hoped our students will learn from the experience of writing to them.”

For more information on the Postcard Campaign For Troops In Afghanistan, or to request your Free Postcards, please contact: Legion Magazine 1-613-591-0116 or by e-mail: magazine@legion.ca

Postcards To The Troops Illustrations by: John Fraser

Here are some of the ways you can help spread the word of Red Fridays.

1.) Learn as much as you can about supporting our national treasure - our Canadian Troops. Visit us often.
2.) Wear a red shirt or display a ribbon. It doesn't have to be ours, it can be any.
3.) Join our SUPPORTER LIST and exchange links with your website.
4.) Get us to help your event/organization/rally
4.) If you're a corporation, we need your support - Contact Us!
5.) Organize a Red Fridays day at work or school or in your community. Let us know so we can help!
6.) Wear RED on FRIDAYS and every Friday share with others the reason why!
7.) Attend Red Friday Events and meet the people and military people behind the scenes.
8.) Most importantly, spread the email story to your friends and associates. Share this wonderful website with others. How

Canadian Motorcycle Dispatch Riders In World War 2 Google Web Sites

Dispatch Riders - WW2 in Color History Forum
15 posts - 5 authors - Last post: 30 Jan 2009World War 2 Discussion Forum, Upload a WW2 Photograph, Buy World War ... i just resently read some things on a canadian dispatch rider and iw as ... I'm not a motorcycle junky, but I know Indian made a military bike as ...www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t... - United States - Cached - Similar
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Despatch rider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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31 Jul 2008 ... Uncle Sam's Motor Cycle Dispatch Rider pants are from Italy. ... buttons on the side of the pant to close, and two large cargo pockets 10" long. ... Set in the bush country of Canada and the battlefields of Europe, ... "Her father, Guy, had been a motorcycle dispatch rider in World War I, ...www.armynavydeals.com/.../bcm03-Motorcycle-Dispatch-Rider.html - Cached - Similar
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More sites can be found here

Various Canadian War Amp Google Listed Web Sites

The War Amps / Les Amputés de guerre - [ Translate this page ]
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Other Canadian Military Blog Sites As Found By Doing A Google Search

Canadian military chief charged with murder Rebel News ...
2 hours ago by andrew@therebel.org A Canadian military base commander has been charged with the murder of two women and sexually assaulting two other women, according to police. Colonel Russell Williams was arrested in Ottawa Sunday on.Rebel Newsflash - http://www.rebelnews.org/

CANADIAN FORCES AND RCMP COMBINE TO OPEN BC LEGISLATURE - David ...
14 hours ago by Dave Pugliese The most news and entertainment portal from a Canadian perspective. Television, major newspapers across Canada, health, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, free email and more.David Pugliese's Defence Watch - http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/d... - References[ More results from David Pugliese's Defence Watch ]

Is Canadian military strategy keeping up with the times?
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Top Canadian Military Official Charged With Murder Morrison ...
3 hours ago by admin Williams, a 23-year military veteran, was appointed as the base commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario last July. Trenton is Canada's busiest Air Force base and is providing logistical support for Canada's ...Morrison World News - http://morrisonworldnews.com/

Another blow to the Canadian Forces - InterNACHI Message Board
11 hours ago by mdeacon http://www.torontosun.com/news/canad.../12791976.html.InterNACHI Message Board - http://www.nachi.org/forum/

Top Canadian military official charged with murder (AP) One News
13 hours ago by admin Top Canadian military official charged with murder (AP). Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 in: WORLD. 's largest Air Force base, who once flew dignitaries around the country, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women. ...One News - http://1-news.net/

Canadian military chief charged with murder VATGAR News Agency
4 hours ago by admin A Canadian military base commander has been charged with the murder of two women and sexually assaulting two other women, according to police.VATGAR News Agency - Online News Agency - http://vatgar.com/

JimBobby Sez: Bombshell! Forces Downplaying Canadian Afghan War ...
21 hours ago by JimBobby Sadly, that adage is proving to be accurate with regard to the Canadian Forces' release of information on casualties in the Afghanistan conflict. The Hill Times is reporting this morning that the number of returning troops on disability ...JimBobby Sez - http://jimbobbysez.blogspot.com/ - References

Top Canadian military official charged with murder ...
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Top Canadian military official charged with murder (AP)
9 hours ago by admin AP - The commander of Canada's largest Air Force base, who once flew dignitaries around the country, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of.Lawrenceburg Tennessee - http://www.lawrenceburgtn.us/

Too many stressed soldiers slipping through cracks: report

This is a CBC News Story about Canadian Troops and PTSD. CLICK for the whole News Story.

The story was published Wednesday, December 17, 2008

'Canadian Forces members are strained almost to the breaking point,' says military ombudsman

Some Canadian military personnel who have post-traumatic and operational stress injuries are not getting the care and attention they need, according to a report released Wednesday by the military ombudsman.

While senior military leaders have talked about a strong commitment to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and its devastating effects, the commitment hasn't reached down to the community level, interim ombudsman Mary McFadyen says.

There is a lack of care and support for soldiers across the country, she says in the 62-page report.

When one military officer started having symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as acute depression and blackouts in 2006, he was pushed out by his superiors, he later told CBC News.

"They were looking to manipulate things so that they didn't have to deal with it," said the man, who attempted suicide and whose identity is being protected. "They think it's a weakness in leadership and that you're going to set a poor example for others if you have this."

It's an experience the ombudsman confirmed is happening, based on interviews with 360people across the country.

The report, released Wednesday, said 18 of the 31 recommendations made in a 2002 report on the issue haven't been fully implemented.

"Clearly, the environment in which Canada's military has been operating in recent years has changed dramatically," McFadyen said in the report.

"With the mission in Afghanistan, the level and intensity of combat operations have increased substantially ... A significant number of soldiers are returning from overseas deployments suffering with mental health issues. ... It has also become evident that the Canadian Forces and Canadian Forces members are strained almost to the breaking point."

All is not equal at military bases across the country when it comes to helping military personnel.

At CFB Petawawa, an Ontario base which has seen many deployments to Afghanistan, one psychologist and a psychiatrist (0.8 of a psychiatrist, the report notes) serve 5,100 military personnel. The lack of mental health professionals forces those needing an assessment for operational stress injuries (OSI) to travel more than 160 kilometres to Ottawa, and the rehabilitative care generally recommended is not available at Petawawa, the ombudsman said.

In comparison, at CFB Edmonton, five psychologists and three psychiatrists serve 6,600 people.

It has been challenging for the military to attract mental health professionals to bases like Petawawa that are not in major cities, said Lt.-Col. Rakesh Jetley, a psychiatrist for the Canadian Forces who has treated patients in Afghanistan.

"The system is not perfect," McFadyen said in the report.

Devastating Effects

"Indeed, investigators found and the office is aware of a number of individual cases where military members and/or their families were not treated fairly by the Canadian Forces or, for a variety of reasons, did not get access to the care and treatment that they so desperately needed," the report continues.

"Injured soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen who have served their country with courage and dedication are slipping through the cracks of an ad hoc system.

"The consequences for individuals who fall through the cracks are often devastating and long lasting."

Jetley said many of the patients he saw in Afghanistan came for a few sessions.

"That really helps to de-stigmatize when you realize that these are injuries just like any other injuries," Jetley said. "You identify them early, come forward, we can fix people up and get them back into their roles again."

An expert on post-traumatic stress disorder said people might be able to function in Afghanistan, but they may fall apart when they get home.

"Their brain is still geared up to be in a war," Dr. Greg Passey said. "So unless we have proficient system to assess, to treat, to ensure transition, there's gonna be a huge impact."

There is also no national database, so people still work with paper records of medical treatments, which makes it difficult to track soldiers who have mental health problems.

Some improvements made
It appears that some progress has been made by the military since 2002. After the original six-year-old report was released, the military has:

Improved screening before and after soldiers enter conflict.
Set up and funded support groups across the country to help families.
Committed to hiring 200 more mental health professionals by March 2009.
But the negative stigma, myths and stereotypes of PTSD and OSI remains a real problem at most military establishments in Canada, the latest report reminds its readers.

Recommendations

Create a full-time operational stress injury co-ordinator responsible for all related issues, including the quality and consistency of care, diagnosis and treatment, as well as training and education.
Develop a database of Canadian Forces personnel — both regular and reserve forces — affected by stress-related injuries.

Conduct an independent and confidential mental-health survey of Forces personnel.
Change the rules governing occupational transfer to accommodate stress sufferers who could continue their military service if moved to another military occupation.

Ensure military family members have access to all the services and care they need.
Provide funding across the country for the identification, prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries.
Develop a national program to treat and prevent stress and burnout among mental-health care workers.

Commander relieved case is finally over-Court martial | Luc Plourde pleaded guilty to offences

This story can be read by clicking this link. It was published in the Monday February 8th, 2010 Edition of the Fredericton Daily Gleaner Newspaper.

John Fife doesn't want any soldier to have to go through what he had to endure during the last four years.

The commander of The Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (2RCR), was harassed during that time by a subordinate, creating a huge upheaval in his professional and personal life.

It came to a conclusion in late January when Capt. Luc Plourde pleaded guilty at a court martial to striking a superior officer and committing acts to the prejudice of good order and discipline, offences under the National Defence Act.

"I know there are several people out there, including myself, who have had their lives turned upside down by this individual and the public accusations he made in the media across N.B.," Fife, a lieutenant-colonel, said in an interview with The Daily Gleaner.

During the court martial, both sides agreed to a written statement of circumstances, outlining how the offences were committed and to an agreed statement of fact.

Judge Cmdr. Peter Lamont imposed a severe reprimand on Plourde, a former base public affairs officer and employee at Combat Training Centre headquarters, and fined him $2,500.

The prejudice of good order and discipline charge relates to statements Plourde made as a municipal councillor April 19, 2007, in which he resigned his council seat.

At the time, Plourde said he was no longer able to perform town-related duties for fear of reprisals from senior officers on base.

Fife said he was one of the individuals named.

"He accused us of municipal corruption," Fife said. "I don't understand how he could even make that link other than once again to put, what I call, a ridiculous accusation out there, with no proof."

Fife said when a person elected to office makes damaging public statements about individuals and those statements are carried by the media, someone is bound to listen.

"Essentially, it is almost impossible to take it back after it has been stated or published."

In earlier interviews, Plourde said his problem with the military could be traced to a Nov. 15, 2005, television interview he did as a councillor on improper garbage disposal within the military community.

Under military rules, a soldier can serve as a municipal councillor but can't identify himself or herself as being an Armed Forces member when performing those duties.

During the court martial, it was revealed that Plourde had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and possible bipolar disorder.

The defence argued that Plourde's mental illnesses were a contributing factor to the offences, although that argument was rejected by the court martial judge.

Fife, a former chief of staff at the Combat Training Centre, said he respects the decision of the court martial but would have appreciated an opportunity to tell his side of the story.

He wasn't allowed to address the court or to provide a victim impact statement.

Fife said Plourde sent unflattering emails about several officers, including Fife, to almost every Member of Parliament, the prime minister, the Governor General, along with nearly every senior officer in the chain of command.

That list included the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Land Staff, Commander of Land Force Doctrine and Training System, and the Commander of Land Force Atlantic Area.

"I don't know the Governor General or the prime minister or even a lot of the senior officers (which) that email was sent to but I think that whenever they hear the name Fife, they'll associate it with some pretty disparaging remarks. How do you undo the damage?"

The striking a superior officer charge against Plourde involved a different officer.

Ryan Jestin, commander of CFB Gagetown from 2005 to 2007, said Plourde wasn't targeted by senior officers.

"I believe we were trying to help him see that there needs to be a dividing line between his work on council and his work as a military member," Jestin said. "He continually blurred that line and then refused to acknowledge it."

Jestin said Plourde failed to understand that he had two masters - one as a military member, the other as a member of town council.

"The bottom line was that his baseless accusations had a terrible impact on both (another officer) and John," Jestin said. "They were consummate professionals, but his attacks were relentless and personal."

Fife, who grew up and went to school in Oromocto, said he was investigated by the National Investigative Service, the RCMP on two occasions, and by an independent harassment investigator.

"I don't know what I did to deserve what I got," Fife said. "I honestly don't. In some ways, you kind of wish you could point to something ... but I honestly don't know of anything.

He used every resource available within the CF to have people investigated."

Fife said he and another officer hired a civilian lawyer to stop the harassment. He said the move was not motivated by the need to get a monetary settlement but to protect their reputations and dignity.

Fife said he intends to address his concerns through the proper chain of command.

"I trust that my superiors will do what is appropriate to ensure no soldier has to go through this process again."

Despite all that's happened, Fife said he wishes Plourde, who's in the process of leaving the military, a speedy recovery.

"I hope he gets whatever help he needs and wants."

Where Your Money Goes From The Annual Poppy Campaign

Where Your Money Goes
Money donated during The Royal Canadian Legion's annual Poppy-Remembrance Campaign is placed in public trust funds. Some of the many ways this money is used to improve life for people in your community include:
· Providing assistance to needy ex-service members and their families
· Purchasing medical equipment and appliances for community health facilities
· Paying for medical research and training
· Building affordable housing for veterans and senior citizens
· Paying for bursaries for needy students
· Providing support services to senior citizens (meals-on-wheels, drop-in centres, etc...)

*If you would like to volunteer for our Poppy Campaign or any other activities, please contact a Royal Canadian Legion Branch In Your Area.

Does Canada Have 6,000 Afghanistan Veterans On Disabililty ?

The above is a picture of the Field Of Honour At The Fernhill Cemetery Here In Saint John, New Brunswick.

The below information and posting came from an article published in The Hill Times, Published February 8, 2010 by TIM NAUMETZ.

To read the complete Article Please Click Here. BTW- I personally call this PTSD ' THE SILENT KILLER " Do some research on Suicides related to PTSD and other Mental Conditions due to it.

Forces, Veterans Affairs reluctant to disclose casualty records after eight years of war.

More than 6,000 Canadian Forces members and discharged veterans who are receiving physical or psychiatric disability benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada have either served in Afghanistan or have a disability that has been related to their service in Afghanistan, the department says.

The majority of the soldiers receiving benefits are likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or war-related psychiatric conditions, according to global figures the department and the Canadian Forces provided The Hill Times. They also do not appear to be included in Afghanistan combat or non-combat casualty figures the Canadian Forces compiled, even though the veterans and serving members who have psychiatric conditions likely have them as a result of serving in the Afghan war.