A Test of Philosophies

I am writing to you today from the comfort of my hotel room looking over a frozen and snow-covered lake Ontario.  We are over the halfway point in our training now and we’re finally starting to get into what many of us consider the most valuable part of the training; the meat and potatoes so to speak.  This training reminds us in vivid and chilling ways that we have volunteered and committed ourselves, our families, and our friends to a very difficult mission.  Many of us tend to downplay this particular aspect of the mission because it’s not a very comfortable prospect to dwell upon, neither for us nor for those who love us.  We’re accustomed to facing the risks of police work and we’ve grown quite proficient at operating among threats and uncertainties to our personal and collective security.  One of my colleagues from Montreal recently reminded us that we’ve been ‘on mission’ for 20 years.  For me that experience brings comfort and a degree of confidence.

Stepping into one of the most dangerous places in the world demands reflection and serious deliberation.  Do the guaranteed risks outweigh the potential benefits? Are there any benefits to be realized at all?  Will our efforts in Afghanistan and the separation from our families be worthwhile?  I think so, and so do my family and each of my colleagues going over.  I’ve had a chance to speak to just about all of the police officers and I can tell you with certainty that they are each true humanitarians committed to this mission.  We have come from all parts of Canada, each with different professional and personal backgrounds, of different religions and ethnicities, Franco and Anglo, equally resolved to giving our best to our tasks because we believe in what we are doing. 

As I continue to prepare myself mentally and physically for the assignment ahead I find myself wondering to what degree my ideals about this mission might change as the months drag on and my future becomes my past.  This blog is as much a vehicle to let you know what I am thinking as it is to let you know what I am doing.  So in the spirit of self-reflection, and maybe a bit of cheap self-administered therapy, I’d like to share a couple of the personal philosophies that compel me.  I’ve been accused many times of being naïve but I don’t mind because it means I’m also easily inspired. 

There is universal equality in humanity.  Nobody can claim credit for the conditions or circumstances of their birth and nobody is entitled to claim privilege as a result of their beginnings.  Likewise nobody can be assigned any blame or responsibility for the situation into which they were born.  When I realize that it could just as easily be me walking in their shoes then I recognize the equality of humanity. There is no privilege assumed in birth, only the responsibility to do what we can in the name of humanity.  If you want to read a compelling example of this philosophy then please pick up General Dallaire’s latest book: “They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children”.  Imagine your child’s soul in the body of a 10-year old boy or girl child soldier in the African bush, or pedaling a bicycle loaded with explosives into an Afghan marketplace and your life will never be the same again.  General Dallaire is eloquent, honest, and writes with the vivid emotions he carried away from a genocide.  You’ll never forget this book.

No relationship is inevitable.  That’s a small statement but it carries with it a self-evident truth that relationships, be they between states, between a government and its citizens, between families, and between individuals, are created and manufactured.  Because they are created these relationships (which some would call social structure) can be changed.  The present condition of a relationship is not the only condition possible and sometimes change just can’t be stopped.  Consider what is happening this very day in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen.  This belief has a particular significance for me now as my colleagues and I become actors in the fractured and violent relationships in Afghanistan.  I understand and believe that the current social structure of Afghanistan, rife with violence, insurgencies, religious extremism, and corruption is not inevitable.  Afghanistan's citizens know what it is they require in order to live a better life and we; I, can help them get it done.  And I will.

Thanks for checking in.

   "PEUX CE QUE VEUX, ALLONS-Y"

LGEN. THE HON. ROMEO DALLAIRE

Shift in Training

As you can see, our training has taken on a different look.  We arrived earlier this week at CFB Kingston for the Individual Pre-Deployment Training course at the Peace Support Training Centre.  The school is part of the Canadian Forces Centre of Excellence for Peace Support Operations Training (http://armyapp.forces.gc.ca/pstc-cfsp/ipt_e.asp).  We joined approximately 25 members of the CF who are also taking this course.  The soldiers come from all three branches of the CF, are of different ranks and trades and come from all parts of Canada.  Most of these CF members will be coming to Afghanistan but some will be going to Bosnia, Sudan, and other places.  The two groups got along well from the beginning and camaraderie and morale is high within the class.  Our instructors are supremely qualified and many have been on multiple tours in Afghanistan.  They are very professional and eager to teach us what they know.

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday learning and qualifying on the C-7.  It is essentially the same carbine that most police services issue to their Tactical Teams and carbine operators.  Its been 10 years since I trained on one but things came back quickly enough.

The weather was perfect and gave us a good taste of what we can expect in the deserts of Afghanistan!

In this photo we are qualifying in the prone position from 200m.  The woman in the yellow snow pants is a civilian 'war artist' commissioned by the government who will be going to the Sudan.   The middle photo shows us qualifying at 100m.  We came back later that evening for a night shoot from 50m.  Believe it or not it was actually warmer in the evening.

Thanks for checking in and feel free to share the link with family and friends.

Ken.

We're working through the weekend on our pre-deployment training.  We spent the day on firearms training.  On this mission we will be issued the handgun carried by the RCMP which is a 9mm Smith and Wesson.  All municipal police officers (Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Montreal, Ottawa, etc) carry a different firearm and for some of us it was the first time we have shot with this particular style handgun.  The day went well and we will all qualify tomorrow. 

The weather here in Ottawa turned a bit sour today and it's not as sunny as the photo taken the day before.  However, its much better than the weather in Edmonton: -34 C with another 6 inches of snow.

Thanks for checking in and all the supportive posts.

Ken.

Kit Issue

Yesterday afternoon I received my kit issue from the RCMP International Peace Operations Branch stores.  Talk about a bunch of stuff!  The quality of the clothes and gear all looks good and the quantity certainly is generous.  We'll get a chance to test out some of the clothing over the next few weeks when we transfer to a nearby CF base for our military component of pre-deployment training.  The quartermasters were good guys, supremely organized, and good-natured.  They kit out all the members for all the UN missions including Afghanistan.  They loaded us down with gear, shook our hands, wished us luck, and off we went.

The Afghanistan mission is unique in some respects because it is a NATO mission and not a United Nations mission.  Because of this arrangement we won't be wearing the UN blue berret or the UN crests on our shirts and jackets.  Instead we have a Canadian flag and "Police" shoulder flash and a brassard (slips over the sleeve of your shirt and covers your shoulder) with the shoulder flash of our home police service.  There is a chance that some of our rotation will be assigned to the European Union Police Mission to Afghanistan (EUPOL) ( http://www.eupol-afg.eu/ ). Those members will be issued a EUPOL berret but the rest of the uniform will remain more or less the same. 

We've been advised of the postings that we've been tentatively assigned but since changes are guaranteed for many of us I'll postpone telling you my assignment until I'm actually there.  It looks good though.

Thanks for all the kind posts over the last few days.  We sure appreciate it.  If you have any questions or curiosities please post them.  I'll do my best to answer them.

Pre-Deployment Training Underway

I'm settled in at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa and we're into Day 2 of our pre-deployment training.  I've had a chance to meet and talk with most of the mission members. We've got a pretty senior group with an average seniority of about 18-20 years.  The most senior member has 40 years and the most junior has around 10 years.  The members have come from all parts of Canada and some have been on United Nations missions before.  One of my cohorts has been to Haiti twice already.  Nobody has been to Afghanistan though and we're all eager to soak up any bits of knowledge our course coordinator throws our way.  We've already picked up a few interesting bits on Monday morning.  Suffice it to say that nobody is expecting a comfortable stay in Afghanistan regardless of where we might get posted.  That hasn't dissuaded the group and enthusiasm and anticipation remain high.

This is my first trip to the Canadian Police College and I'm impressed so far.  The accommodations are nice and the food is great.  I've got the internet in my room and a nice view over the river.  My neighbour is from Fredericton Police Service but is a former Camrose member who went through EPS recruit training a few years ago.  My good friend and old patrol/tactical partner J-GL is an instructor here at the CPC and he has given me the grand tour.  Its always nice to have a familiar face around and I'm going to enjoy spending a few evenings shooting the breeze and catching up with him before we deploy.

I've been able to Skype home every evening and stay connected.  N was tested early; she woke up Monday morning to a burned out motor on the furnace.  She took it all in stride though and got it all sorted out in short order.  It was probably a good confidence booster for all of us.  On top of all that N had the recent snowfall to clear away too.

I'm able to check out what's going on with C and J at school on the EPBS web site.  I can review their homework assignments, school events, and even send e-mails to their teachers.  Tonight I'll practice their spelling words with them on Skype.  Skyping is going to take some of the edge off this separation and we're glad to have such technology available. 

I appreciate all the kind words of encouragement that were sent our way in the days before I left Edmonton.  A very special thanks to JS and RP who surprised me at the airport early Sunday morning.  They braved the icy roads to wish us well and bring us a card signed by Squad 8.  Thanks for the nice words everybody.  I love you too Turtle but not like you hope.

That's all for now folks.

Thanks for checking in.

Ken.

Kick-Off

Our patience and persistence have finally paid off and our adventure is set to begin. I leave for Ottawa to begin pre-deployment training January 09, 2011. I expect to be in Afghanistan by March 2011. Please visit the site often to catch up on where I am and what I'm doing.

I want to open this blog site with by honouring the three most important people in my world for their love and support. I'm glad that we can share this adventure together.

Ken.