Medal for Domestic Operation?

[slim300]

To offer another point of view:

The Americans get a medal for just about anything, and it does become a little overboard.  That being said, it represents an accomplishment publicly.  A medal is supposed to be something to be proud of, it seems to me the desired effect of an American getting a medal is remotivation and heightened esprit de corps.  And what's wrong with that?

People on this post have haggled over the criteria for getting a domestic service medal.  There are certainly a lot of oversees tours that have not been very high on the danger scale but few would ask to stop giving medals for more peaceful tours.  From my perspective we get medals for serving the will of the Canadian people... that acknowledgement should not be limited to outside our borders.  Some will say we serve Canadians on a daily basis but really we mostly train for operations and support our own military establishment.  When we go on domestic operations, we directly impact the lives of Canadians that we are around to serve and protect... I think that's something to be proud of.

Of course it's fasionable in the CF to be surly about things like new medals but I don't want to be the one who tells BC residents that saving their homes is less valid service than taking down mod tentage in Bosnia.  Currently you'd get 2 medals for doing a first tour in Bosnia and you'd get none for disaster assistance in Canada.  Why is Alert considered a tour but not scowering the Nova Scotia shoreline for body parts?

My suggestion: a special service medal for domestic ops with a maximum of 3 or 4 bars or pips on it.

 

[smokey_vet]

I cannot believe some of the ignorant comments on this subject. I have served in the infantry on two internal crisis and again over seas.. Oka being one of them. For those of  you that have never been directly involved with a Block 1,2, type of operation should keep your comments to yourself. For those of us that have been there, understand each other.  There has been very little mention of the personnel who suffer from psychological and or physical injures acquired while on ops within our own country. This has to be addressed! DVAC will not recognise certain benefits for the families of individuals who were injured. Our gov't must first acknowledge these ops before DVA will change some of their policies. 
    So, yes is my answer to the new proposed Bill. Lets not forget that the troops and our Country come first. If we can't take care of our own, how can the Canadian people expect our Forces to take care of our international interests.
    Remember that still serving personnel are not exempt from injury while on future dom ops. Therefore, it is very important that we veterans look out for the best interests for our future vets.

 

[Blakey]

I cannot believe some of the ignorant comments on this subject. I have served in the infantry on two internal crisis and again over seas.. Oka being one of them. For those of   you that have never been directly involved with a Block 1,2, type of operation should keep your comments to yourself. For those of us that have been there, understand each other.   There has been very little mention of the personnel who suffer from psychological and or physical injures acquired while on ops within our own country. This has to be addressed! DVAC will not recognise certain benefits for the families of individuals who were injured. Our gov't must first acknowledge these ops before DVA will change some of their policies.  
     So, yes is my answer to the new proposed Bill. Lets not forget that the troops and our Country come first. If we can't take care of our own, how can the Canadian people expect our Forces to take care of our international interests.
     Remember that still serving personnel are not exempt from injury while on future dom ops. Therefore, it is very important that we veterans look out for the best interests for our future vets.

Im confused...we are talking about a shiny piece of tin and you start a rant about DVA, correct me if i am wrong but, how is this associated with a Dom Op's medal? I just cant seem to make the connection...

 

[Infanteer]

Im confused...we are talking about a shiny piece of tin and you start a rant about DVA, correct me if i am wrong but, how is this associated with a Dom Op's medal? I just cant seem to make the connection...

Add me to the confused list.

 

[Big Foot]

Another one for the confused list.

 

[pbi]

There has been very little mention of the personnel who suffer from psychological and or physical injures acquired while on ops within our own country

Right, because proportionately speaking there are very, very few of these people as compared to those suffering the results of overseas operations. I know of only two major injuries and one death on Dom Ops: Gustafson Lake, Op ASSISTANCE, and Op GINGER. If you have a better idea of the impact, please share it with us.

Cheers.

 

[vonGarvin]

I'm not confused.....just drunk, so everything makes sense  ;D

 

[Lawrence]

Has anyone heard anything else about this medal recently?

 

[KevinB]

Has anyone heard anything else about this medal recently?

Let it die.

Who cares about another dumb shiny.  With our luck it will end up ranking higher than Afghan... 

 

[Spr.Earl]

Let it die.

Who cares about another dumb shiny.   With our luck it will end up ranking higher than Afghan...  

Touche.

 

[the 48th regulator]

crap,

I had left room for the snow shovel shaped medal,

oh well, maybe they will come out with a "who talks the most about the army after they leave" medal.

We can all get one! 

dileas

tess

 

[392]

So Kevin does that mean you don't want some flashy gong to commemerate doing the TEAL conf in Ottawa...you know hanging out at the hotel downtown...serious libations every night and inspections each morning.?

WOW 

There's something I haven't heard mentioned since I left Connaught after that particularly "interesting" tasking 

 

[KevinB]

Our little clique is growing is it not 

 

[Chimo]

Right, because proportionately speaking there are very, very few of these people as compared to those suffering the results of overseas operations. I know of only two major injuries and one death on Dom Ops: Gustafson Lake, Op ASSISTANCE, and Op GINGER. If you have a better idea of the impact, please share it with us.

Cheers.

With all respect, during the Winnipeg flood, Op Assistance, two Sappers were severely injured, Spr Frank Guay was electrocuted while conducting boating operations in the South of the Province and Spr Dan Rummery (last name may be misspelt) lost an eye while changing a tire on a LSVW in support of the Operation.

Although it may seem that we are presently getting several medals for less then sterling reasons, I would like you to consider another point of view, perhaps, the Canadian public is finally recognizing our collective contributions and feel a need to show it in a tangible way. I have yet to ask for any medal I have and wear each with respect because they were given to me on behalf of the people of Canada.  So ends the rant...

 

[Young KH]

For those of you that think Canadian soldiers have too many medals you aught to watch any parade where there are soldiers from differant countries and see just how bare the chests of the Canadians look. A prime example(and this is without Any foreign troops) was the celebration in Ottawa for Canada Day. In the band I only saw one medal and that was on the Drum Major, a CD, that shows that he has been in the army for at least 12 years. The rest of the band was very red with no ribons that I could see. The Honor guard wasn't much better, with the commander having a goodly amount, three people in the colour party having some but most of the guard having nothing. This was emphasized by the Governor Generals inspection and a lot of unbroken red tunics. OH ya She had four Medals, putting all the boys to shame.

When Canadians are viewed by people from other countries we should look like the professional Arny that we are and not a bunch or recruits, it instills coincidence in the people we are trying to help.

What bothers me most though is WHY was the 1970 FLQ / Quebec / October crises left off of that list.

You shouldn't have to kill some one to get some appreciateion from your own country.

Another thing you might want to remember is that most of the medals worn are from the UN and not from Canada at all. So we get reconition from the UN and none from Canada. Something that needs to be changed.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

For those of you that think Canadian soldiers have too many medals you aught to watch any parade where there are soldiers from differant countries and see just how bare the chests of the Canadians look. A prime example(and this is without Any foreign troops) was the celebration in Ottawa for Canada Day. In the band I only saw one medal and that was on the Drum Major, a CD, that shows that he has been in the army for at least 12 years. The rest of the band was very red with no ribons that I could see. The Honor guard wasn't much better, with the commander having a goodly amount, three people in the colour party having some but most of the guard having nothing. This was emphasized by the Governor Generals inspection and a lot of unbroken red tunics. OH ya She had four Medals, putting all the boys to shame.

Another thing you might want to remember is that most of the medals worn are from the UN and not from Canada at all. So we get reconition from the UN and none from Canada. Something that needs to be changed.

A little clarification might help - especially in connection with the situation outlined above.

On most (not all) ceremonial parades in Ottawa, the bulk of the CF contingent is comprised of Reserve soldiers (the Guards) and the various bands.  Neither of these, by the very nature of their service, have many opportunities to earn medals - especially on deployment.  It is true that individual Reservists proceed on tour but these are still not in the majority, particularly in the Ceremonial Guard, where summer students are hired.  Bands never deploy.

I can assure you that if you were to visit an operational part of the army (1 CMBG, for example), you'd see medals aplenty, all from operations.  I have a few myself and none are from the United Nations (only one is non-Canadian) - indicative of the massively changed pattern of CF deployments since the mid-1990s

 

[Fishbone Jones]

What bothers me most though is WHY was the 1970 FLQ / Quebec / October crises left off of that list.

Or the Olympics in Montreal, it was a massive operation. IF they produce this medal, it should be for all Dom OPs, with appropriate bars. All or nothing.

So we get reconition from the UN and none from Canada. Something that needs to be changed.

We have the CPSM given by Canada for Peacekeeping missions.

 

[Young KH]

If I am not mistaken (and I have been known to be, once in a while) Capital Hill still retains a unit of the Royal Canadian Guards for just such an occasion. I was not reflecting on these men on that parade but on how the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole, looks to the rest of the world.
The World doesn't stop to think,"maybe these are students, or only part time solders, or maybe they don't have a chance for postings", they see bare chests with no medals. This I am sure is not the fault of the average soldier. But you do have to admit that it doesn't look so good for Canada.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

If I am not mistaken (and I have been known to be, once in a while) Capital Hill still retains a unit of the Royal Canadian Guards for just such an occasion.

Nope. The Canadian Guards are long gone. The soldiers on the hill are mostly Reservists

The World doesn't stop to think,"maybe these are students, or only part time solders, or maybe they don't have a chance for postings", they see bare chests with no medals. This I am sure is not the fault of the average soldier. But you do have to admit that it doesn't look so good for Canada.

So, don't just point out the percieved problem. Give us a solution.

 

[Young KH]

The solution would be to use Regular, full time, Soldiers for such an important event that is televised to the world.
But it is also not wrong for Canada to recognise Soldiers efforts here in Canada. I for one do not believe that one medal with bars (Government saving our money again LOL) would be out of place. I remember a time when most soldiers thought of the Cyprus medal as "The Cocktail Medal", until all heck broke out. The guy is right about the Montreal Olympics also. After the Germany Olympics where it was shown that no one is safe from terrorists. This terrorist stuff didn't start on 9/11, and as time goes by more and more soldiers will be needed to protect our own soil.
That may be only my opinion but that's the way of it all.