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Army soon will have just 500 available troops
By September, the Canadian army will have only 500 troops available for deployment, fewer soldiers than the National Hockey League has players. Last yearâs sudden deployment to Afghanistan was the last straw after years of cutting corners, senior commanders told David Pratt last month as he assumed his new position as Defence Minister. That unexpected 2,000-person deployment to Kabul taxed the 11,900 soldiers in the armyâs field force beyond its limit. Rotations home had been deferred and training delayed. In consequence, 6,200 troops will need to go on operational waivers (the armyâs term for downtime) in the coming months. Another 2,600 are scheduled for training courses. There are 600 committed to peacekeeping in the Balkans, with 200 doing similar work in the Middle East. The army has a smattering of peacekeepers and observers in such places as the Congo and Sierra Leone. That means, Mr. Pratt was told, that starting Sept. 1, for a period of about one year, the Canadian army will be able to field only 500 regular troops for new commitments. Whatever the United Nations might need of us, whatever might be NATOâs requirements, whatever coalitions the Americans might ask us to join, whatever the need may be in Afghanistan once our current deployment ends in August, Canada will be ready, aye, ready with 500 men and women.There are qualifications. About 150 reserve troops could supplement that regular force, if required. It might be possible to scrape up a few more soldiers if they were integrated into an international force that could provide all the logistical support. In a national or international emergency, the army could throw out the rules and rush troops back into service. In the absence of such an emergency -- which would in the long run make the situation even worse -- this country has only a few hundred troops ready to answer the call. On January 6, 2004, in my predictions for the New Year, I wrote: Canada will disolve its armed forces in favor of defense by junior hockey leagues. Is that spooky or what? Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-01-14 |
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