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"Canuck" wrote in message
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"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message
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"Canuck" wrote in message
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"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message

They MAY encourage recruitment for the military. That is debatable. What
is not debatable that they are a symbol for the military and for Canada
in general. Canada and Canadians need this. What is so hard to
understand about that?

How does it relate to force effectiveness? Anything that does not
contribute to the mission of the Forces of protect the interests of the
Canadian state, and I can find no way that the Snowbirds contribute to
the mission, is non-essential. Any non-essential activity that costs
money should be cut.

In whose opinion??? The Snowbirds are not non-essential. I repeat: they
are a symbol of Canada and act as good will ambassadors for our country.
They enhance Canadian unity. How is this non-essential?

Because they are part of the Canadian Forces, and the symbolism and
goodwill has no direct connection, nor can one quantify a contribution, to
the generation of forces that can, either through action or their
existence, "defend Canada and Canadian interests and values while
contributing to international peace and security," the role of the CF laid
down in the plans at http://www.cds.forces.gc.ca/pubs/strategic_e.asp. The
notion that the Snowbirds "enhance Canadian unity" is highly debatable, if
not downright preposterous. The aircraft are pretty and their pilots are
talented, but the money thrown at them could fund hundreds of billets for
people in the arms and technical trades, and those are what we need in the
field. The Snowbirds fall on the circus side of the "bread and circuses"
balance sheet. I am reminded of the sign on the Armaments Section of 434
"Bluenose" Squadron, my battery's neighbours in Chatham: "Pilots do it
better but without armament it wouldn't be of any military significance."

So.... the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, ad infinitum should just
pack it in?

Yes, unless the case can be made for their contribution to the mission of the
service that fields them.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message


So.... the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, ad infinitum should
just pack it in?

Yes, unless the case can be made for their contribution to the mission of
the service that fields them.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

You are taking a very narrow view of things. Perhaps you work for Air
Canada? No frills....pay for your peanuts...pillow...luggage?

The Snowbirds are an extension of the air force. They do not have a combat
purpose. That is self evident. They serve a different purpose as do any of
the other aerobatic teams out there. You know that. File it under
nationalism/patriotism/recruitment as well as international goodwill. The
Canadian military is out there doing disaster relief. The Canadian military
is out there doing peace "keeping" and other missions. These are not combat
missions yet they exist side by side with the combat role. It goes with the
territory.

Nick

"Canuck" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message


So.... the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, ad infinitum should just
pack it in?

Yes, unless the case can be made for their contribution to the mission of
the service that fields them.

You are taking a very narrow view of things. Perhaps you work for Air
Canada? No frills....pay for your peanuts...pillow...luggage?

The Snowbirds are an extension of the air force. They do not have a combat
purpose. That is self evident.

That's my point. The mission of the CF is combat, or the threat of combat.

They serve a different purpose as do any of the other aerobatic teams out
there. You know that. File it under nationalism/patriotism/recruitment as
well as international goodwill.

You still have not shown how it contributes to the CF's mission.

The Canadian military is out there doing disaster relief.

Disaster missions are (arguably) contributions to international stabilility,
part of the mission of the CF. They go over well with the Canadian public,
while allowing the CF to keep its hand in.

The Canadian military is out there doing peace "keeping" and other missions.
These are not combat missions yet they exist side by side with the combat
role. It goes with the territory.

Peacekeeping is a form of warfare using the avoidance of decisive engagements.
We go in there proclaiming our neutrality, but always aware of our interest.

You do not appear to differentiate between tasks and the overall mission of
the CF. Having done UNEF II, UNFICYP, ONUSAL and UNTSO, I can tell you that
the peacekeeping sold to you as Canada's benign mission are actually a mailed
fist in a velvet glove out there to crush anyone who would interfere with
Canadian interests. If you have done peacekeeping, you know that you are a
tripwire, and that an ally's carrier group, or something like, lurking over
the horizon will back you up past the point where your nose bleeds.

Been there, done that, bought my mum several spoons.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)