Get This Man A Blanket!

   
Bedford, Quebec - Tuesday, January 22, 2002 - by: John Sheltus
   

camouflage
uniforms

I was so relieved to hear that Canadian military people were being issued sand-coloured blankets to disguise their northern arboreal camouflage uniforms in sandy Afghanistan. Then I got confused. The Minister of Nation Defence said everything was fine and the uniforms were great. The Chief of Defence Staff said it wasn't great but that he was fixing it - with blankets. Then I began to look at the pictures from Afghanistan with more attention.

 

 

truly
fitting
in

In most of the pictures it looks as if everybody, Taliban, ex-taliban, local police, local warlord guards etc, are wearing what often looks like a sandy blanket over a pair of baggy, often dark trousers. All it will take is for one Canadian, trying to keep the sand out of his eyes, to pull a corner of his security blanket partially over his face and -- he could be really dead. The Americans could shoot him. Another Canadian could shoot him. If he is short, he might be taken for Omar and shot. If he is tall, perhaps a shaven bin Laudin?

 

 

Canadian eh!

He sure will not be recognized, or be recognizable as a Canadian soldier.
 
 

first
coffin

Given the divergence of views between DND and MND, what will be on the plaque on the first coffin shipped home from Afghanistan? He died before he got the right uniform? He died in a politically correct uniform but nobody cared what he wore?

 

 

farce

When a government turns the serious business of war into farce, we are in trouble as a nation.

 

 

 

John Sheltus
592 Dutch St,
Bedford, Quebec

 

 
-----------------References:
  Press release today on deployment of three Hercules and troops to Afghanistan
   

 

Department of Nation Defence page on Operation Apollo
   

 

Minister of Defence's speech on the project plus press questions and answers.