So the next part of the Deconstruction deals with a planned Airborne Operation carried out by Douglas Bland's fictional Canadian Special Service Regiment (CSSR). A lot of the shit that gets presented is seriously, blatantly, wrong, but that wrongness is not necessarily self-evident. So I figure it might be a good idea to lay out … Continue reading Airborne Ops: A (very) basic primer
Leadership(?)-First one to look
So there's this joke in the militia about how you determine who's leadership material, but for it to make sense I need to explain a few things first. This might take a moment, but I am going somewhere with this. Identifying potential NCO leadership is a tricky situation in the militia, and a major part … Continue reading Leadership(?)-First one to look
54-You and what army?
Now then. When this scene began, Gen René Lepine was sitting alone in the Canada Command conference room. Now, all of a sudden, he's not only running a multi-time zone video conference with a bunch of CF Base Commanders who are probably very busy, but also a number of key staff members from his headquarters … Continue reading 54-You and what army?
“Anything that moves…” ROEs when things aren’t simple.
***This post started out as a footnote for an upcoming post, before I tried to tie it in to a previous post, at which point I realized I needed to turn it into a full sized article and so here we are.*** ROEs. Rules Of Engagement. These are vital orders that must be given in … Continue reading “Anything that moves…” ROEs when things aren’t simple.
53-Lepine is loading Chekhov’s gun with blanks!
In case you were wondering what our token “good Indian”[1] with the western sounding name, we’re now back to Gen Lepine’s headquarters.... [Heavy sigh. Time for a sidebar.] Okay, so, I'm still not sure what to make of the fact that René Lepine is native. Because it feels like it should mean something, even though … Continue reading 53-Lepine is loading Chekhov’s gun with blanks!
Some thoughts on Don Cherry…
So here's a thing that happened... The lead up to Remembrance Day is always a time that puts me into a contemplative mood. The Day itself is usually a stressful rush given that I'm part of the ceremonies. So I end up focussed on doing my job right, rather than taking a moment to reflect. … Continue reading Some thoughts on Don Cherry…
52-What are we talking about again?
The next couple of pages take us back to Molly Grace’s HQ in ‘The Complex’ in Akwesasne. For the most part it’s a re-hash of previous briefings where characters in the story go over what the reader already knows, although a few new tidbits are presented here. When we last left the 'the Complex' at … Continue reading 52-What are we talking about again?
Film Studies: Six Days & The Raid on Entebbe
One of the things that Douglas Bland seems to be setting up as a kind of grand finale for the novel Uprising, is a kind gigantic showdown in the North: Will Boucanier, a traitor to Canada's special forces community, will go toe-to-toe with the CSSR (the fictional version of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment) as … Continue reading Film Studies: Six Days & The Raid on Entebbe
51-Tower Defence
So now that we have a broad, big-picture idea of how Will Boucanier plans to defend James Bay, let's see what they got planned for Highway 109 and the power lines leading in! Once rescue columns moving from the south-he assumed first the SQ and then army units from Valcartier-were committed on Highway 109 from … Continue reading 51-Tower Defence
Supplemental Reading – A Soldier First
In the novel Uprising, Douglas Bland makes it pretty clear that his fictional CDS, Gen Andrew Bishop, does not respect the Prime Minister Jack Hemp. That in and of itself wouldn't be too strange, if it wasn't for the fact that (apparently) no-one else respects the Prime Minister either. During the meeting in Langevin Block … Continue reading Supplemental Reading – A Soldier First
Putting Down Uprising 