Brian Stewart has written a story based on a leaked internal military report signed by the head of Canada's army, Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie. The report reveals a disturbing analysis of the current and future state of our military if action is not taken soon to correct the situation. My suggestion would be to vote the current Prime Minister out of office and put someone in charge who would actually “support the troops”, and not use the phrase as a political mantra, like Steve Harper does.
I’m not an expert on the issue, but I assume that Harper would be aware of the conditions our forces are working under, no? Or is he simply too preoccupied approving attack ads on Canadians who have lived overseas? Certainly, at a point in time when a leader of a country has men and women dying in war, a competent one would consult closely with the people directly involved on a continuous basis to determine whether or not the troops had whatever was needed to carry out the mission, right?
But as I said, I am not an expert and my assumptions must be wrong, because the report paints a grim picture of where our forces are. Run down equipment, exhaustion, personnel shortages, multiple tours, $5 billion needed for new armoured and transport vehicles, and on, and on. Oh, and this mess is scheduled to carry on for another two and a half years. Is this what you mean when you say “support the troops”, Mr.Harper?
The restricted report, circulated several months ago only within the uppermost levels of the Defence Department, points out the current efficiencies in all branches of the military. Its most searing conclusion is that the army "is now operating beyond its capacity."
Outside military observers insist the army still downplays its problems. Even the term "hollow army" is not stark enough; it's now close to being a "broken army," suggests Doug Bland, a highly regarded military lecturer and historian from Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
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