***This is another case where I'm going to be talking in detail about fighting a war in a Canadian town, specifically the towns of Chisasibi and Radisson in Norther Quebec. Obviously, this brings up several serious morale issues which I discussed at length here. The nature of the text requires me to get into the … Continue reading 50-Chisasibi Map Recce!
Women in the CAF – Uh…Swooch?
So let's establish a few things right off the bat... I'm a forty-one year old Sergeant who's last named hair style was the mullet. I used to have long hair, so I generally get the idea behind why long-haired women would care about something like Ponytail-FORGEN, but I'm not going to claim I get it … Continue reading Women in the CAF – Uh…Swooch?
49-Or maybe be better?
***Okay, it's been...wow...a long time since my last post, and I'd like to apologize for that. I'm currently on tasking for RST (Reserve Summer Training) here at the 4 Division Training Centre in lovely Meaford and the pace of work here has been...pretty damned intense. I've been a regular fixture at RST for the last … Continue reading 49-Or maybe be better?
Guest Post – The King Byng Affair
An Introduction from your Humble Blog Host... Today I’m going to be doing something a bit different. I’ve been doing this blog for a little more than a year, and while the number of readers I’ve had has fluctuated, the overwhelming majority of the comments here have been by a gentleman named Bill. Bill is … Continue reading Guest Post – The King Byng Affair
Billy Bishop – Let’s have a proper introduction…
I've been meaning to do this for a bit. In Douglas Bland's Uprising, General Andrew Bishop is named after (and in story he's the descendent of) the real life William Avery "Billy" Bishop, who was a Canada's top Ace pilot during the First World War, and was a General training new pilots within the British … Continue reading Billy Bishop – Let’s have a proper introduction…
Leadership(?) – NTM/NMB/NLT and why timing is everything
I got some mixed feelings about the classic war movies like 'The Longest Day' or 'A Bridge Too Far.' Sometimes they capture the spirit of the age in a way we don't always manage in modern films, but other times they get uncomfortably sentimental or melodramatic (and in the case of wars featuring the Japanese, more … Continue reading Leadership(?) – NTM/NMB/NLT and why timing is everything
48-Can we hear from Mr G-G, please?
General Bishop can see events unfolding before him and, although the picture is still unclear, it's clear that danger is immanent, and that he must act. So, of course, he calls a meeting. General Bishop was in a stern mood. He’d called this operations meeting of the Armed Forces Council - to which no civil … Continue reading 48-Can we hear from Mr G-G, please?
Supplemental Reading – In Peace, Prepared
Andrew B. Godefroy's history 'In Peace Prepared: Innovation and Adaption in Canada's Cold War Army' traces the history of Canada's post-Second World War military. This was a remarkable decade, where Canada emerged from the War with a huge army and a wealth of experience, demobilized to almost nothing, then rebuilt within the span of a decade. All the … Continue reading Supplemental Reading – In Peace, Prepared
47-Molly’s greatest hits…
I've already made the observation that half of good writing is the editing process. If Bland had taken this concept seriously, then this next section, where Molly Grace and Bill Whitefish give another briefing in the Complex at Akwesasne, would probably have been merged with her confrontation with the Council, or else cut out altogether. Most … Continue reading 47-Molly’s greatest hits…
Residential Schools & the Sixties Scoop – Some Basic History
A Note Before We Begin: ***I realized a little while back that I was going to have to set down some of the basics about the Residential School System in Canada, and I'm kind of freaked out by the prospect. The issue here is - like I've said many times before - I'm not Indigenous. … Continue reading Residential Schools & the Sixties Scoop – Some Basic History
Putting Down Uprising 