18 troops head to Gulf region

The Globe and Mail ^ | Mar. 12, 2003 | ALLISON DUNFIELD

[No Truce With Kings]

18 troops head to Gulf region

By ALLISON DUNFIELD

Globe and Mail Update

— An platoon of 18 troops from the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry left for the Persian Gulf Wednesday to support troops already deployed in Operation Apollo.

The troops will be performing security duties to support Canada's land, air and navy forces participating in the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism.

"The remainder [17] will be deployed next week," Major Mike Audette, a public affairs spokesman with Land Force Western Area, told globeandmail.com. "They'll be assigned security tasks once they get there. It will be a fairly wide spectrum — from observation to check points to access patrol."

Brigadier-General Ivan Fenton, Commander of the Land Force Western Area, said in a statement that the "safety of the men and women of the Canadian Forces is a top priority. This security platoon will provide additional protection for the significant investment of CF personnel and equipment already contributing to the campaign against terrorism in the Arabian Gulf region."

Since they will be based mostly on land, Major Audette said the troops won't likely be affected by the fact that two Canadian warships headed to the area will have to share a single Sea King helicopter.

A Sea King crashed late last month on the deck of HMCS Iroquois as it was en route to the Gulf. The ship returned to Halifax for repairs to its deck. The Iroquois and HMCS Fredericton left again last week but, because no replacement helicopter will be found, the ships will share a Sea King between them.

Major Audette also said that the troops will stay with their assigned duties in the event of a war in Iraq.

"In no way does [their mission] have to do with any international developments [in terms of a war in Iraq]," he said.

The members of the battalion will spend at least two months in the Gulf region, he added.

Sergeant Manny Mandrusaik, who is in charge of The Homefront, a resource centre located within the Edmonton Garrison's military resource family centre, said the establishment was fairly busy after the troops left Wednedsay morning.

"We had a lot of families come in to talk to us about their general anxieties," Sgt. Mandrusaik told globeandmail.com.

"We find communication's the key. Keeping families informed is important," he added, explaining that friends and families who visit the Homefront are able to use the Internet to send e-mails to their loved ones, receive briefings on what is happening overseas and have access to crisis counsellors.

Sgt. Mandrusaik also sends out e-mail bulletins with information and will phone families at home as well. But children and parents of those who have been deployed mostly just want to come to the centre to talk.

"Families will feel they're the only ones going through this. They'll find that they're not the only ones," he said.

[No Truce With Kings]

There are so many directions to go with this one. Curiousity at Canada's gummint sending troops to the Middle East, wonder at the small size of the commitment (35?), etc. Is this a "maximum effort" given the way that the Liberal Party has emasculated the Canadian Armed Forces? Is this the military, registering its view of things? What happens if Saddam lands a SCUD on their barracks, despite Canadian "neutrality" in the Iraq phase of the WoT?

Any of our Northern neighbors care to comment?

[headsonpikes]

This is a hockey team, not an army.

Down with Chretien and the Liberals!

Heads on Pikes!

[tomkat]

it'd be interesting to see just what the shoulder patch of the Princess Patricia's battalion might look like ...

[Argus]

It sounds like the Canadian military (who have a proud tradition behind them, let's be honest) would like very much to be involved in this war, and the liberal Canadian government has begrudgingly made the tiny concession of allowing a few to go to Iraq.

[Interesting Times]

Okay, they can do Baghdad.

We'll take care of the other stuff.

[RoughDobermann]

[Ancesthntr]

An platoon of 18 troops from the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry left for the Persian Gulf Wednesday to support troops already deployed in Operation Apollo.

The troops will be performing security duties to support Canada's land, air and navy forces participating in the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism.

"The remainder [17] will be deployed next week,"

Gosh, I'm so glad that the lieberal government of Canada has decided to send those troops - the very outcome of the entire War on Terror may depend on these 35 Canadians. Thank you for helping out.

Seriously, at least Canada is on the right side of this issue, even if rather half-heartedly. And, of course, this action places Canada leagues ahead of the smelly, obnoxious Froglandians.

[Conspiracy Guy]

This is what a Clinton type government can do to your military might. Military, might?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I'm going to guess that a platoon of guys from Canada (the good part) calling themselves Princess Patty's are worth a couple thousand Republican Guards. Just a hunch.

Kind of a Boy Named Sue idea.

[eyespysomething]

dang it, you beat me!

Here's the link and all their pertinant info

http://www.regiments.org/milhist/na-canada/inf/914PPCLI.htm

[SamAdams76]

Well it is still hockey season after all. Maybe we'll see some more troops deployed after the playoffs. At any rate, every little bit helps.

[ought-six]

This is just show, and really is a wasted gesture since it is getting ever more apparent there is not going to be any war in Iraq. There was a blurb on the radio a few minutes ago that the U.S. is putting on hold any more deployments to the area. There seems to be some speculation that Hussein is now going to be allowed to cry "mea culpa", promise to cooperate under strict supervision, and thus there will be a moratorium on any attack. The scuttlebutt is that because the Brits are now going wobbly, and the international anti-war sentiment is growing, and there is beginning to be some concern about the increasing temperatures (weather-wise), the conventional wisdom is that we are NOT likely going to be initiating a fight any time soon. This will give all parties the chance to claim some kind of win. It is beginning to look like Ol' Saddam has been able to pull his nuts out of the fire again. At least for the foreseeable future. That's not to say that there will not be some kind of covert effort to get rid of him. But it is now looking like any full-scale attack is becoming increasingly unlikely, at least at this point. The next four or five days should clarify this,.

[Mr. Lucky]

The Princess Pats are mean sons of bitches; too bad only 18 are coming over. I suspect most of them have about as much admiration for Msr. Cretien as most United States Marines did for Bill Clinton.

[No Truce With Kings]

"The Princess Pats are mean sons of bitches; too bad only 18 are coming over."

In Texas the tradition is "one riot, one Ranger."

Maybe the Pricess Pats have something similar for wars.

[tomkat]

well, it's kinda pretty at that !

thanks

[monkeywrench]

"There was a blurb on the radio a few minutes ago that the U.S. is putting on hold any more deployments to the area. There seems to be some speculation that Hussein is now going to be allowed to cry "mea culpa", promise to cooperate under..."

The 'media spin' and "speculation" these days is all about making the President look like a dumbass incompetant, which everyone should become totally exasperated and disgusted with. Keep salt handy.

[jriemer]

A Sea King crashed late last month on the deck of HMCS Iroquois as it was en route to the Gulf. The ship returned to Halifax for repairs to its deck. The Iroquois and HMCS Fredericton left again last week but, because no replacement helicopter will be found , the ships will share a Sea King between them.

Are the Canadians down to what, three Sea King helos by now?

[tomkat]

guess my original crack was a bit of low blow.
your analogy is prolly correct - it's only a wonder we didn't lose more good men to resignation when that POS was in 1600 ...

[Interesting Times]

This is just show, and really is a wasted gesture since it is getting ever more apparent there is not going to be any war in Iraq.

Wanna bet a quarter?

[joesnuffy]

Their whole Army?
Who will defend der Father land?