Dead soldier hit with parking bill

[GAP]

Dead soldier hit with parking bill
Families of soldiers left with car fees
By JOE WARMINGTON The Toronto Sun   
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/01/30/8200556-sun.htmlArticle Link

PETAWAWA -- The last thing you'd think we would want our soldiers in Afghanistan worrying about is if they die there, will a $250 cancellation fee have to be paid to get their car out of a storage facility and returned to their family.

And yet this is what a lot of them and their families were worrying about this week -- when word got out that a $250 cancellation fee had to be paid for a contract broken by Pte. Michael Freeman.

The contract was indeed broken. But there was a pretty good reason.

Freeman, of Peterborough, was killed in action by a roadside bomb on Boxing Day.

In the end, grieving families are compensated but the fact is at their most vulnerable moment they still have to deal with a $250 bill and a cold bureaucracy.

"It's disgusting," military wife Wendy Leduc said. 
 

No word on whether this would happen to Taliban fighters.

Needless to say, there are people here on the base outraged -- as are some in the war zone in Afghanistan.

"There are guys e-mailing their wives telling them to get their cars out of there," said one military insider.

There is a Facebook page dedicated to this, with dozens of angry comments and puzzled people.

How could this be? It seems heartless. The family has to see their son brought home in a box and then be told he's violating a storage contract?

"It's just wrong," said Karen Beauparlant last night at the Tim Hortons on the base which is abuzz with a mini-controversy swirling here all week.

"What can you say about something like that?" adds her friend Kristen Vincent. "It's not fair."

Both of their husbands will deploy to Afghanistan next year. "We worry about them every day," said Beauparlant. "We don't need this."

Calls to the owner of privately owned Carbank, who has a contract with the base to store cars, were not returned and a woman answering the phone for businessman Kevin MacWilliams said, "the base commander speaks for him."

Lieut.-Col. Bill Moore, base commander, CFB Petawawa, did issue a base-wide memo to "clarify" what has become a hot topic in a place which has had to endure the loss of 24 soldiers during the war -- and has many men and women stationed there still today.

He wrote: "Mr. Kevin MacWilliams, the owner of Carbank storage, has dealt with approximately two dozen incidents whereby the car owners were killed during operations. He incurs a cost of $250 each time this happens. The removal fee is a legitimate fee which Director of Compensation Benefits Administration (DCBA), not the family, pays for. It covers an incurred cost to Mr. MacWilliams and is part of a legitimate contract established with DND."
More on link

 

[George Wallace]

This is the statement from the Base Comd:

Subject: IMPORTANT: MESSAGE FROM THE BASE COMMANDER
Importance: High

MESSAGE FROM THE BASE COMMANDER

This e-mail is being sent to clarify a recent issue with regards to Carbank Storage, located on the Base.

There has been an e-mail chain that has grown yesterday to the point where I have deemed it important to ensure the facts of the situation have been given to all members of CFB Petawawa.  The issue deals with Carbank Storage and their charge for the early removal of a fallen soldier's, Pte Michael Freeman, vehicle from their storage facility.  Pte Freeman was killed in Afghanistan on December 26th, 2008.

Below are the facts and the situation as of 28 Jan 09:

Mr. Kevin MacWilliams, the owner of Carbank storage, has dealt with approximately two dozen incidents whereby the car owners were killed during operations.  He incurs a cost of $250 each time this happens. The removal fee is a legitimate fee which Director of Compensation Benefits Administration (DCBA), not the family, pays for.  It covers an incurred cost to Mr MacWilliams and is part of a legitimate contract established with DND.  In this particular case, Mr. MacWilliams had also completed a number of repairs totalling $500 which was not charged to the family or DCBA.  He did this at his cost as he wanted the car to be safe and completely roadworthy for the Freeman family.

While there have been many occasions whereby Mr. MacWilliams and the Base Service Station/Carbank have gone out of their way to assist soldiers who have been injured, these actions are never really known within the community.  It is unfair to single out this particular business man who has done much behind the scenes to help out our troops.  For example, he also donates all of the funds generated by the coin operated air pump at his station to the Base Fund to support military families.  As a result of this story being spread all around the Base and the community, without all the facts or details, Mr. MacWilliams is receiving telephone calls and mail from frustrated service and community members.  Please note that Mr. MacWilliams had previously served 20 years in the Canadian Forces and is doing his best to serve the members of this Base.

Unfortunately this one-sided story spawned from an initial e-mail chain and has spread within the Base, to other bases, and within the general public.  Understandably, this is a sensitive and emotional issue for many soldiers, families, and community members; however, I would urge all to fully consider the facts of this issue before coming to a conclusion about how the Base Service Station does business.

Thank you.

W.R. Moore
LCol | Lcol
Base Comd | Comdt de la Base
CFB/ASU Petawawa | BFC/USS Petawawa

As to the matter of vehicle storage; not everyone deploying requires the storage of their vehicle.  Married members have their spouses who need transportation, so there would be no requirements in the majority of cases (Some spouses admittedly do not drive.) to store a vehicle.  Many others attached to a BG return their vehicles to their homes before deploying.  So to think that there is a requirement to store thousands of vehicles, may be stretching it a bit.

 

[GAP]

So......that's what a comparison between Fact and Fictions looks like......

 

[geo]

Lieut.-Col. Bill Moore, base commander, CFB Petawawa, did issue a base-wide memo to "clarify" what has become a hot topic in a place which has had to endure the loss of 24 soldiers during the war -- and has many men and women stationed there still today.

He wrote: "Mr. Kevin MacWilliams, the owner of Carbank storage, has dealt with approximately two dozen incidents whereby the car owners were killed during operations. He incurs a cost of $250 each time this happens. The removal fee is a legitimate fee which Director of Compensation Benefits Administration (DCBA), not the family, pays for. It covers an incurred cost to Mr. MacWilliams and is part of a legitimate contract established with DND."

so.... where is the problem ???
The MsM article is a tempest in a teapot - I'm shocked !

 

[The Bread Guy]

The only interesting question he asks in the article (and I can't tell whether he asked anyone in the system in any detail or not) is how this company got the chance to do this in (what appears to be) an exclusive situation - I'm guessing there's a good answer to that out there (and I'm guessing it's not the business owner who set up any process, either).  I find it odd that this question is near the BOTTOM of the piece, while the question that's already answered (the family doesn't pay the fee) is the lead element.  How about "how are big bases dealing with this kind of ROTO issue?" as an angle?

While the writer may think he's looking out for the troops and the families, there may be better ways to to that than this kind of coverage....

 

[geo]

how this company got the chance to do this in (what appears to be) an exclusive situation ?

Tony...
with our bachelor troops going on tour, there is a HUGE need to find storage facilities for their vehicles.  It's either that or you'd have huge parking lots on base jammed full of cars for the 6 months the troops are away.
Soo - Instead of leaving it to the individuals to find their own storage means, the ASU commander has found a business that will look after them - at a reasonnable price.  It's all part of the cost of deploying.... and services are all paid for by the state.  I am certain that competitive bidding due diligence has been taken care of.

 

[mover1]

This is an excellent example of flying off the handle half cocked and how the MsM only reports what sells. InfoTainment as it were.
Also how the rumint system can work so blindingly fast as to hurt  ones business and ones career.
So before we get all fired up over something next time and your sitting at Tims dicussing it. Just remember to stay in your lanes and check your facts before adding any fuel to the fire.

The whole carbank thing is now a non-issue.
I belive an apology is in order for Mr MacWilliams.

 

[the 48th regulator]

This is an excellent example of flying off the handle half cocked and how the MsM only reports what sells. InfoTainment as it were.
Also how the rumint system can work so blindingly fast as to hurt  ones business and ones career.
So before we get all fired up over something next time and your sitting at Tims dicussing it. Just remember to stay in your lanes and check your facts before adding any fuel to the fire.

The whole carbank thing is now a non-issue.
I belive an apology is in order for Mr MacWilliams.

Actually,

There was an e-mail chain that went around like wildfire, which is a good thing, and it ended up getting sent to the Media.

Kudos to the Grass roots method of the Military banding together, however, I can not stand by and have the media blamed for the piece that was written.  The whole situation was resolved faster than a pace stick flying out of the hand of an angry CSM on parade.

dileas

tess

 

[George Wallace]

The only interesting question he asks in the article (and I can't tell whether he asked anyone in the system in any detail or not) is how this company got the chance to do this in (what appears to be) an exclusive situation -

From experience on other deployments, there is usually a list of recommended storage facilities.  I am sure the facility in Ottawa, that has been used by CF members deploying for the past fifty years is still on one of these lists.  Remember, not all pers are from Pet, so they may not be storing anything in Pet.  I highly doubt that one facility has been chosen as "exclusive".

 

[PMedMoe]

Threads about this were started on the Petawawa PSP forums only to be deleted immediately.  While I certainly understand that the family is going through a difficult time, I also understand that Carbank is a business and that is how businesses are run.  It's not like the family is actually out that amount of money as it is paid by DND.  I knew this was going to hit the media.  There's a group on Facebook as well (which I refuse to join).  This is no different than a funeral home charging for coffins, services, etc.  Do you think they'd waive those fees?  ???

 

[The Bread Guy]

how this company got the chance to do this in (what appears to be) an exclusive situation ?

Tony...
with our bachelor troops going on tour, there is a HUGE need to find storage facilities for their vehicles.  It's either that or you'd have huge parking lots on base jammed full of cars for the 6 months the troops are away.
Soo - Instead of leaving it to the individuals to find their own storage means, the ASU commander has found a business that will look after them - at a reasonnable price.  It's all part of the cost of deploying.... and services are all paid for by the state.  I am certain that competitive bidding due diligence has been taken care of.

That all makes sense - and could have been included in a story on "how does this get dealt with?"

From experience on other deployments, there is usually a list of recommended storage facilities.  I am sure the facility in Ottawa, that has been used by CF members deploying for the past fifty years is still on one of these lists.  Remember, not all pers are from Pet, so they may not be storing anything in Pet.  I highly doubt that one facility has been chosen as "exclusive".

Thanks for that - that's why I weasel worded the "exclusivity" - barring information to the contrary, it appeared to me to be the only game in town.  Also, I was thrown by some references to the business being on base, as opposed to nearby.

Kudos to the Grass roots method of the Military banding together, however, I can not stand by and have the media blamed for the piece that was written.

I guess we have to agree to disagree, since this angle doesn't appear to have been handled prominently in this article:

The whole situation was resolved faster than a pace stick flying out of the hand of an angry CSM on parade.

Where does the buck stop with an attributed piece of research and writing?  With the researcher/writer, no? 

For example, the editor that wrote the sub-headline:
Families of soldiers left with car fees
didn't read far enough down the piece to realize that they aren't "left" with said fees.  OK, I'll let the researcher/writer off the hook for the headline, then, since he probably didn't write it 

 

[Journeyman]

The Carbank office is located beside the CANEX; as such it's the most handy for troops dropping off vehicles, but it's not "exclusive."

The fact that Warmington chose to write that sensationalist piece of crap, highlighting the opinions of some wives in Timmies over the BComd's factual explanation, speaks volumes about his abilities and motivations as a "journalist." My only surprise is that such a tabloid-style hack isn't working for the Toronto Star.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The Carbank office is located beside the CANEX

Not familiar with Pet - does that make it on or off base?

 

[Journeyman]

Not familiar with Pet - does that make it on or off base?

On the road that divides the Base from the PMQs. I'd have to call it "on base."

 

[the 48th regulator]

The Carbank office is located beside the CANEX; as such it's the most handy for troops dropping off vehicles, but it's not "exclusive."

The fact that Warmington chose to write that sensationalist piece of crap, highlighting the opinions of some wives in Timmies over the BComd's factual explanation, speaks volumes about his abilities and motivations as a "journalist." My only surprise is that such a tabloid-style hack isn't working for the Toronto Star.

He did not get the story from someone's wife, and it was sent to him before the Base Commander addressed it, which was lightening fast.

dileas

tess

 

[geo]

Check it out.....

http://www.baseservicecentre.ca/carbank/

 

[Bzzliteyr]

So the Timmies is "on base" as well?

 

[Journeyman]

Tess, read  the article, as Warmington provided it in the Sun:

By JOE WARMINGTON The Toronto Sun     
......
"It's just wrong," said Karen Beauparlant last night at the Tim Hortons on the base which is abuzz with a mini-controversy swirling here all week.
"What can you say about something like that?" adds her friend Kristen Vincent. "It's not fair."
Both of their husbands will deploy.....

Ergo, "wives" at "Timmies."

Lieut.-Col. Bill Moore, base commander, CFB Petawawa, did issue a base-wide memo to "clarify" ..... He wrote......

Warmington had the facts in hand when writing his column.

Regardless of where/when he got the initial email, his "research" provided him with the whole story, yet he chose to emphasize uninformed, scandal-mongering opinion rather than correct fact.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Tess, read  the article, as Warmington provided it in the Sun:Ergo, "wives" at "Timmies."
Warmington had the facts in hand when writing his column.

Regardless of where/when he got the initial email, his "research" provided him with the whole story, yet he chose to emphasize uninformed, scandal-mongering opinion rather than correct fact.

Seen,

In Hindsight, the reporter must have some contacs, which would ahve helped him to wade throught the wives chatter.  And chose not to, so I see now what you mean.

dileas

tess

 

[RCR Grunt]

The issue here is not the money, as the family does get reimbursed.  The issue is that the owner, who knows full well that the military will cover the cost, had the gall to force the parents of young Pte Freeman to pay the money up front for the release of his vehicle in the first place.  I'm not saying he shouldn't get paid (but anyone who believes that he cannot absorb the cost in the event of a death overseas is fooling themselves) if he is owed money he should get it.  I'm saying that, if he can call up the Base Commander and have him write a base wide email defending him (which is what I believe occurred, with help from the PAFFO) why couldn't he write or call and explain about the cost and work on another way to get his money, without bothering the parents or spouses of dead soldiers?  I'm sure that is not beyond impossible, he might have to wait a couple of weeks for the check to roll in, but that's the price of supporting the troops, isn't it?

There's a few businesses in town that claim to support the troops, but what does that mean?  Does it mean they support the troops when it is convenient to them?  In the case of certain businesses, yes.  Or, does it mean they support the sacrifices we make and are willing to make sacrifices themselves in support of our efforts?  Very rarely in this town.

You see, Petawawa is different.  It's not Edmonton, that's a big city with many options available for personnel to give their business to. Businesses there that support the troops do so because they actually support us and want our business, they know soldiers can go anywhere else and they work to keep them happy. It's not Shilo, with 2 large cities on either side, each less than an hour's drive away.  Shilo has only recently grown with the move of 2VP, local businesses there are happy for the boom and will work to retain the business.  It's not Gagetown, with Fredericton just down the highway from Oromocto.  A major city within rock throwing distance gives soldiers and their families a plethora of options to choose from.  Petawawa is unique.  It's an hour and a half from Ottawa.  It's nearest "city" is Pembroke, which isn't much of a city at all.  There are businesses in this area that hold the attitude of "I'll do what I want to, when I want to, for what I want to charge regardless, because I'm the only show in town.  Those poor schmucks up the hill don't have a choice."

Business owners like that believe they hold the base hostage.  In reality, it is the base that could very well hold Petawawa hostage.  If more people sent an email, like the one that started this whole broo-ha-ha, saying "I went here and they ripped me off, don't give them your business." the level of customer service would go up and prices would become more competitive.

How many of you have heard "Don't buy a car in Pet, go to Ottawa."  Well, there's a reason for that.  Who has tried to get things done on a weekend in Petawawa only to find the business you are looking for closed?  All too common.  Has anyone noticed that with the growth of the base there has been no new commercial development in this town?  No new restaurants, no new stores, no new anything.  Housing is booming, of course, but not the commercial sector of Pet.  What you DO notice, is old businesses moving to new locations.  Pizza Pizza moved up the street, Rexall Pharmacy moved to the new mall, the movie gallery moved to the new mall, the old mall is left to die.  The Sears outlet is set to move to where the old dollar store used to be.  Craze Electronics has moved a half dozen times since I've been here.  But nothing new.  Why?  No one wants competition, that would make it easy for the "Pongo's" to take their tour money some place else.

I'm a little bitter, as you can tell.  If anyone saw the original email that started this whole thing, you would understand my frustration.  The owner of the Base Service center acted like a douche, but he didn't care.  He called the clerk's bluff, and now he stands to lose.  He deserves what he gets, in my opinion, and so does anyone else who claims to support the troops but steals from us instead.  From what I've been told, his garage is one of the worst places to take your car to anyways.

This whole post is the way I see it from my point of view, it's my opinion on the whole matter.  I'm not trying to deride all business owners here, just the shady ones, and they know who they are.  I'm frustrated because finally, someone has been called on their BS, and instead of saying "TAKE THAT, COBRA!!" we're blaming the media for sensationalizing it and writing emails defending the culprit.  I mean, c'mon, we all know how the media works, seriously.  As for the defenders ... I understand that we have an image to uphold and going around with pitchforks and torches is inappropriate, but the fact is it's not a reputable business, and the owner conducted himself poorly and people should be made aware of it.

My $0.02, take it or leave it.

[/rant]