Canadian AFG War "Resister"

[Good2Golf]

I am glad I would not have to serve with someone like that........

 

[rz350]

A reservist quit? WOAH, big deal man, you did what your allowed you to do on 30's day notice anyways. Why diddnt he just finish the course and release? Then he wouldnt get a fine, get a good discharge, and get a bit of training out of it.

what a Dumb Shite

 

[17thRecceSgt]

The NDP invited Juarez to its policy convention this weekend, its members proud to meet a veritable "war-resister" on the same day their party voted to pull Canadian troops out of Afghanistan.

None of this made sense until I read that line.  I expect to see a pic in the paper with this POS and Jerk Layton.

He says he's no war resister - he was never actually deployed to Afghanistan.

He also describes in vivid detail the issues that soldiers grapple with before heading on a hazardous mission

What?  What?  You didn't go anywhere BUT you can descibe the...never mind.

Well, there is one less waste of rations/air/stuff walking around in CADPAT.  Seems like the system is still working to weed out those who don't pack the kit to serve.

 

[TCBF]

And now, for the nth time, I am going to suggest AGAIN that we need mandatory psych testing for ALL applicants to the CF.  Ten more Clayton Matchees and we won't have an Army left.

 

[Bill Smy]

A lot of good comments here. I hope you all wrote the Canadian Press to point out the errors and the fact that the story is unbalanced.

I have.

Unless there is a wave of objections to articles like this, the media will continue to print them.

My objections relate to the accuracy of "grooming", sent to Afghanistan without volunteering, being "dragged" before superior officers, etc.

Write the CP! Write the Recorder! Write the Reporter!

:threat:

 

[vonGarvin]

Hence why I have always said we should have a "snowball" one night and stand up all regs and reserves.Tell them we are leaving tomorrow and see who comes up with excuses.Put all the willing troops on trains/ bus,meet in a central location and have a big *** barbeque.Take all the mir commandos and people here for a paycheck who weasled out and release.

(BTW I know this is impossiable,logistically and human rights bullpoop....but common!)

Well, in 1987 or 88 (or so), The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment did something "similar" to this on a GMT course being run in Point Petre, south of Belleville in Prince Edward County.  We had two weeks to train these guys before the infantry portion.  Just prior to deploying, the US Navy shot down that Iranian Passenger liner over the Persian Gulf.  So, that was the last contact with the real world that these recruits had.
Anyway, before I digress, the two weeks were almost up, and it became clear that if we were going to do the Escape and Evasion portion, the lads would know that it was coming on TONIGHT.  So, over the period of two days, we fed them rumours of war.  Not the instructors, but the CQ staff, complaining why they were always late with haybox supper out of CFB Trenton, because "1 RCR was all over the place: doing this, doing that, training a battalion's worth of men and FEEDING them from the same kitchen."  and "I have never seen so many aircraft in one spot" and stuff like that. 
Then we told the lads that for "other reasons" the E and E ex was cancelled.  Then we had them all sit in for a brief by the course officer.  I forget his name, but it was very convincing.  He told them that we were forming a composite reserve company to form D Coy 1 RCR.  We would become 10 platoon, the QOR of C would form 11 platoon and the Tor Scots would form 12 platoon.  The HQ would be a composite platoon with our training company's OC being OC D Coy.  We were going to have the weekend off, and then starting Monday, we would redeploy to Point Petre for initial trianing.  Heck, this guy even gave possible deployment dates, timelines for medicals, SISIP and insurance and all that.  Also, we were being mobilised as part of a "Special Force" (as per the Q R and Os) and were now, for all intents and purposes, Regular Force, meaning that we were now locked in.  There was going to be a new camp layout, and as part of the bluff, we started laying out new tentage for Coy HQ and everything.
So, the stage was set, the troops all thought "this is it!". 
The op picture we sent was that after the airliner was shot down, the Iranians sunk a US Warship, followed by cruise missile strikes, followed by us joining Iraq in the war vs. Iran (ironic, eh?). 
Anyway, the reaction from 99.9% of the lads was "well, this *is* what I joined for.  I'm nervous, I'm scared, but this is *it*".  1 guy seemed to be rather eager, but there was this one fellow who's reaction was "Hey, I didn't join for this!  I just want weekends and summers to pay for my school!"  Well, in the end, Mr. "Weekends only" failed to complete the course, but I must admit, it had nothing to do with that attitude he displayed right then.  IIRC, he had asthma and couldn't complete the training.
Oh, we let the cat out of the bag later that evening when we sprung the E and E ex on them

 

[The Bread Guy]

Sorta-kinda similar situation, but one where I had some respect for the individual:

Summer recruit course, at an armoury, one of the 1980's - We were trying to reinforce weapon safety to the troops.  We built up during the day about safety precautions, in this case with a pistol.  One of the sect cdrs was gracious enough to wear a bag of hamburger and ketchup under his combats, and a movie blood capsule in his mouth.  At one point, the pistol went off with a blank, and he slammed himself against the wall, spurting blood and hamburger out of his shirt.  We collected the troops, brought them up into the lunch room, and locked the door.  Told 'em we'd called police, and that if they didn't have lunch with them, share with your buddy.  Crse Cdr comes in saying the sect cdr was being taken care of.  Pretty damned quiet for a bit.  Then, sect cdr in bloody shirt comes in, and the whole class breaks out into applause after about 6-7 seconds of stunned silence.

Shortly after lunch was over, a young woman came to me saying, "MCpl, I feel shaken from today's incident, and I don't think I should be wasting your time carrying on with my training.  This isn't for me."  I told her that she was pretty good (she was), and asked if she'd ride out the rest of the week.  She did, and did well in classes, but came in Friday saying, "This isn't what I expected.  I know this sort of work is necessary, but I don't think I'm the one to do it." 

No whining, no grumbling, just realizing it wasn't for her, and left with no drama.

 

[Devlin]

 
No whining, no grumbling, just realizing it wasn't for her, and left with no drama.

See now that's all that's required and you even get to leave with your dignity intact. Totally understandable

 

[The Bread Guy]

Devlin - good point.  I was VERY careful not to beast on her (like I might if I thought it was someone whining and lazy) because she sounded sincere and had worked very hard all the time she was in.

 

[ArmyRick]

This Juarez clown soundslike a complete loser and will probably become the NDP "Defence expert"  :

 

[Trinity]

Well, in 1987 or 88 (or so), The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment did something "similar" to this on a GMT course being run in Point Petre, south of Belleville in Prince Edward County.  We had two weeks to train these guys before the infantry portion.  Just prior to deploying, the US Navy shot down that Iranian Passenger liner over the Persian Gulf.  So, that was the last contact with the real world that these recruits had.
Anyway, before I digress, the two weeks were almost up, and it became clear that if we were going to do the Escape and Evasion portion, the lads would know that it was coming on TONIGHT.  So, over the period of two days, we fed them rumours of war.  Not the instructors, but the CQ staff, complaining why they were always late with haybox supper out of CFB Trenton, because "1 RCR was all over the place: doing this, doing that, training a battalion's worth of men and FEEDING them from the same kitchen."  and "I have never seen so many aircraft in one spot" and stuff like that.  ................................................  (cut for length)

In today's army, that would be harassment!  ;D

sigh

 

[HDE]

Interesting to see how quickly the NDP latched on without bothering to check out the guy's claims.  It turns out he's not much of a "war resister" after all.  The NDP seem to be forever consigned to messing up the simplest of things ;D

 

[George Wallace]

What I find amusing and discusting at the same time, is the fact that the Reporter who wrote this piece is so naive as to believe that whole convoluted story told by a Reservist.  No wonder the CF gets a bad name in the press.  The Press have no concept of what reality is when it comes to the Military, especially the differences between Regular and Reserve Force personnel and what their commitment and responsibilities are.  Either this Reporter is completely ignorant of what they wrote about or has a very Leftist agenda.

 

[The Bread Guy]

In theory, reporters cross check material to ensure veracity.  In practice, I wonder how many go with what they have because they don't know where else to check?

 

[Bobbyoreo]

I just read this article and was super mad. How can anyone reg or mo go to the papers and tell that BS. First off being in the MO he was never going to Afghan unless he begged to go....you have to ask ans ask again and ask some more to get on tour from the reserves. 2nd off...why did he wait till the Army shipped him to Gagetown for a course to tell them that he is a coward...They should make him pay back the forces for all his training. As a reserve member I'm total disgusted with this POS.

 

[patrick666]

Oh well, atleast he is gone now, better soon than later. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to listen to him bitch and moan all the way to Afghanistan and then more when he got there, possibly getting somebody killed because of his careless attitude.

They should have made him walk out of the CF like Pvt Pile in FMJ - pants around his ankles and sucking his thumb.

 

[McG]

No whining, no grumbling, just realizing it wasn't for her, and left with no drama.

All the observations on cowardice are off-base.  Like the individual described by milnewstbay, the guy in the article was getting his first taste of the Army (sure he was Navy, but that is not the same life as Infantry).  The individual described by milnewstbay discreetly left (like many a part-time employee that finds a new job does not meet expectations) while the attention whore in the article felt the need to become a hero.  His method was to make an ass of himself and then claim to be a victim of issues which never touched him (and issues which never would have touched him unless he volunteered to go).

I can only imagine how annoying it would be to listen to him bitch and moan all the way to Afghanistan and then more when he got there, possibly getting somebody killed because of his careless attitude.

He was never supposed to go.  He is a lying attention thief.

 

[armyvern]

He was never supposed to go.  He is a lying attention thief.

Absolutely he is. What with reserves having to VOLUNTEER to go to Afghanistan, formally at least two times.

So how did the NDP hear about him? Better yet...why did the NDP hear about him? His yap, lack of honour and integrity evidenced by his outright lying on his operational situation and ability (with the aid of the reporter in question) to spin his useless self into an honourable left-wing "anti-war resistor" have probably guaranteed him the funding required to complete his education at some-one else's expense.

Be guaranteed that some left-wing crackpot has taken this poor stomped on lying door-mat of the arms movement under their wing. He most probably has succeeded in accomplishing his goal.

Hope the door slammed his a$$ on the way out.

 

[McG]

Gents,
Lots of complaints coming in on this topic already.  We are posting with our angry voices & need a short breather.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

From CanWest today (Fair Dealings, etc.):

Afghan war resister speaks out: Disillusioned Canadian says why 'wrong mission' forced him to quit army reserves

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VICTORIA - Early this year, Francisco Juarez joined the Canadian army reserves intent on volunteering for duty in Afghanistan.

He expected to be dispatched to Afghanistan in 2008 as a second lieutenant. He hoped to act as a liaison between the Canadian military and local Afghan officials.

But Juarez, who describes himself as Canada's first Afghanistan war resister, quit the reserves in June because of his growing disillusionment with Canada's counter-insurgency action in southern Afghanistan.

"I am resisting this war because this is the wrong mission for Canada," said Juarez, a 35-year-old Victoria resident.

"By directly engaging in war in southern Afghanistan, we are escalating rather than reducing opposition to the Western troops and to Canadians."

Juarez, who grew up in Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast, joined the navy in 2002, attracted by the prospect of a steady paycheque. He was based in Esquimalt and considered making the military his career.

He switched to the army reserves last year to have more time to complete a correspondence course in justice studies at Royal Roads University.

His left-of-centre parents were strongly opposed to the possibility that he might serve in the Afghanistan war. They said the new Conservative government was following U.S. foreign policy rather than Canada's peacekeeping tradition.

Eventually, after much reading about the Afghanistan conflict, Juarez came to the same conclusion.

"I decided that I could no longer support the mission and work in that environment."

Juarez felt the Afghanistan conflict was becoming a replay of Iraq, where the aggressive presence of U.S. troops appeared to strengthen rather than weaken the insurgency.

He became convinced that the powerful sense of Islamic group identity among the rural peasants of southern Afghanistan was making them more sympathetic to the Taliban than to NATO soldiers.

Shortly after beginning infantry school in Gagetown, N.B. in June, Juarez decided he wanted out.

He spoke with an army chaplain and wrote a memo to his commanding officers, saying he wanted out of the military for personal and family reasons.

Juarez was hauled in front of two army captains and told he would regret his decision and would feel like a failure for the rest of his life. They told him to go back to work.

A few days later, during early morning training, Juarez refused to walk onto an obstacle course. Under questioning, he told officials that he didn't support the Afghanistan mission.

They fined him $500 for poor discipline but eventually agreed to give him a discharge without a court martial.

As a member of the army reserves rather than the regular Canadian Armed Forces, Juarez was never in danger of being sent to Afghanistan without his consent. He said he quit the military so he would be free to speak out.

After his return to Victoria in the summer, Juarez became an anti-war activist. He criticized the war during a panel discussion at the federal New Democratic Party convention in September.

He is scheduled to speak tonight at an anti-war event at the Unitarian Church at 49th and Oak St. in Vancouver.

Only one line in this otherwise biased and poorly researched piece indicates the true status of this "war resister":  he was a reservist in no danger whatsoever of being deployed overseas, let alone to Afghanistan.  Indeed, he hadn't finished the most basic of infantry qualifications before "refusing".  :