King
10 May 2001, 03:31
Not really anything all that new, but something regardless...
May 9, 2001
Not the right stuff
Our soldiers sapped of fighting spirit: MacKenzie
By STEPHANIE RUBEC -- Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA -- Canada's military has become a haven for sensitive soldiers who don't have the right stuff for combat, charges a respected Canadian general.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie told a Commons committee the Canadian Forces has been stripped of its fighting forces by budget cuts and couldn't even scrape up a 5,000-strong fighting brigade.
MacKenzie complained Canadian soldiers not pegged for ongoing peacekeeping missions are too busy taking sensitivity training instead of warfare techniques.
"I would prefer fighting against the Canadian army of today rather than the Canadian army of 10 years ago," he said, contradicting Chief of Defence Staff Maurice Baril's recent claims that the Canadian Forces is more combat ready now than it was a decade ago.
"I cannot concede that anyone who knows anything about the military will not believe that we've gone past a critical mass, especially in the army," he added. "It's hard to make the argument that we're better off."
MacKenzie said Defence Depart-ment cuts have eliminated fighting brig-ade training and trust-building exercises.
"I would be de-lighted if we spent as much on marksmanship training as we have on sensitivity training," he said. "I think some priorities need to be looked at."
MacKenzie blamed the current practice of throwing soldiers from different backgrounds together on missions for the increase in post traumatic stress disorder. "The absolutely worst thing you can do before you go out is re-organize," he said, pointing to the need to build trust.
MacKenzie predicted a future international mission failure for Canada as soon as the United Nations calls soldiers to a war zone.
"Canadian soldiers haven't had an opportunity to train for it and they don't have the equipment for it," he said. "I'm also overly concerned that we are becoming a laughingstock with the Americans," he said.
May 9, 2001
Not the right stuff
Our soldiers sapped of fighting spirit: MacKenzie
By STEPHANIE RUBEC -- Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA -- Canada's military has become a haven for sensitive soldiers who don't have the right stuff for combat, charges a respected Canadian general.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie told a Commons committee the Canadian Forces has been stripped of its fighting forces by budget cuts and couldn't even scrape up a 5,000-strong fighting brigade.
MacKenzie complained Canadian soldiers not pegged for ongoing peacekeeping missions are too busy taking sensitivity training instead of warfare techniques.
"I would prefer fighting against the Canadian army of today rather than the Canadian army of 10 years ago," he said, contradicting Chief of Defence Staff Maurice Baril's recent claims that the Canadian Forces is more combat ready now than it was a decade ago.
"I cannot concede that anyone who knows anything about the military will not believe that we've gone past a critical mass, especially in the army," he added. "It's hard to make the argument that we're better off."
MacKenzie said Defence Depart-ment cuts have eliminated fighting brig-ade training and trust-building exercises.
"I would be de-lighted if we spent as much on marksmanship training as we have on sensitivity training," he said. "I think some priorities need to be looked at."
MacKenzie blamed the current practice of throwing soldiers from different backgrounds together on missions for the increase in post traumatic stress disorder. "The absolutely worst thing you can do before you go out is re-organize," he said, pointing to the need to build trust.
MacKenzie predicted a future international mission failure for Canada as soon as the United Nations calls soldiers to a war zone.
"Canadian soldiers haven't had an opportunity to train for it and they don't have the equipment for it," he said. "I'm also overly concerned that we are becoming a laughingstock with the Americans," he said.