'Bankrupt' Canadian Forces may shut 5 bases

[Seraphim]

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=97f7dbbe-981a-4085-9686-e87fab611fbb

[Jack Mehoff]

Look on the bright side, you guys get more funding for your socialized health care by cutting down CF budget. Equilibrium is the name of the game here

[EvanL]

this was already posted today

[Skaman]

This is getting out of control. sigh....Spendthrift bastard liberal party!

Arghhhhh

[Yard Ape]

CFB Winnipeg was on the block to be axed years ago. Local politicians saved it.

The Army is already in the process of leaving the city for CFB Shilo. That leaves only Air Command in Winnipeg. Why keep open an entire base for just a headquarters? They can move to Ottawa or Cold Lake where we have activities that require us to maintain infrastructure. Air Command could also stay in Winnipeg, but in a single building that is not part of a base.

[Andyman]

I dont understand this **** man. I mean this last weekend the 32 brgd commander was talking to my BMQ course and he was telling us that a whole bunch of different units withing 32 brgd were givin the go ahead to increase their numbers. How can a military with a dwindling budget continue to recruit. Fawkin unorganized if you ask me!

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

I dont understand this **** man. I mean this last weekend the 32 brgd commander was talking to my BMQ course and he was telling us that a whole bunch of different units withing 32 brgd were givin the go ahead to increase their numbers. How can a military with a dwindling budget continue to recruit. Fawkin unorganized if you ask me!

Ironically thats what I've been hearing and I'm a Civillian. I myself am planing on joining the army once my stomach problems are fixed/solved (on another note the results come in tomorrow so wish me luck...). I've been told to go ROTC or be a "lifer" otherwise its not really worth it. I and preffer to stay infantry....

Then you hear **** like this, its like 1 step forward 3 steps backwards type deal. Like come on does the guys at the NDHQ have there heads that far up there ass? Is there like two different factions? It seems like it, one wants the army to do good and regroup. The other would preffer if we didnt have an army period.

Being on the outside of things and thinking about joining... news like this doesnt exactly make me run out to the base and sign up :roll:

[Yard Ape]

Soldiers are more important than buildings for REMFs. The CF is able to shift money to higher prioreties (with gov approval) to ensure the important things get done. Don't assume money goes up or down evenly across the board.

The Budget is not "dwindling." It has been too small for far too long (most of your instructor's probably don't even remember a heathy budget), and it has recently begun to grown at a rate that is still too slow.

[marktigger]

we in the UK have similar problems. A large chunk of the Aldershot Garrison has been sold of for housing development to get funding to rebuild the remaining Barracks in the Garrison.
The comments about closing bases down to save money to invest in deployable capability is a painful process and does send out mixed messages. As a few posters have said why keep a base open for 1 department that could be located somewhere else.
REMF's are actually useful people as the British army has found out following 'Front Line First' we lost a large chunk of things like cooks, we lost our Military Hospitals and our medical services were decimated. Our Soldiers now are treated through the NHS public health system were they are not given any priority and now we have a backlog of Soldiers who are undeployable because they are medically downgraded. But who we can't get operated or delt with medically because although they are seen by the NHS they don't count on the waiting lists, So are then canceled in favour of NHS patients who are. This gets very frustrating for the military wards in the NHS hospitals as they are constantly having to cancel Military patients and are filled with NHS patients. It is getting so bad the military are now spending a large ammount of money sending soldiers/sailors /airmen to private hospitals as well as paying for beds and capicity in the NHS they don't get to use. The remaining military medical staff have poor retention rates and a low morale problem. (morale went up when they were warned of for the Gulf war). Added to which because of the contracts and the capibility the military medical service has to provide in the NHS hospitals military and career progression courses are nearly impossible for military medical personnel to get.

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

we in the UK have similar problems. A large chunk of the Aldershot Garrison has been sold of for housing development to get funding to rebuild the remaining Barracks in the Garrison.
The comments about closing bases down to save money to invest in deployable capability is a painful process and does send out mixed messages. As a few posters have said why keep a base open for 1 department that could be located somewhere else.
REMF's are actually useful people as the British army has found out following 'Front Line First' we lost a large chunk of things like cooks, we lost our Military Hospitals and our medical services were decimated. Our Soldiers now are treated through the NHS public health system were they are not given any priority and now we have a backlog of Soldiers who are undeployable because they are medically downgraded. But who we can't get operated or delt with medically because although they are seen by the NHS they don't count on the waiting lists, So are then canceled in favour of NHS patients who are. This gets very frustrating for the military wards in the NHS hospitals as they are constantly having to cancel Military patients and are filled with NHS patients. It is getting so bad the military are now spending a large ammount of money sending soldiers/sailors /airmen to private hospitals as well as paying for beds and capicity in the NHS they don't get to use. The remaining military medical staff have poor retention rates and a low morale problem. (morale went up when they were warned of for the Gulf war). Added to which because of the contracts and the capibility the military medical service has to provide in the NHS hospitals military and career progression courses are nearly impossible for military medical personnel to get.

Thats sad dude I hope it gets better. I myself am sick at the moment, I have some unknown stomach problems (I get the results tomorrow/today). I have been off work for six and a half months before getting my final operation done late last month. I can tell you I certainly feel the same anger as those soldiers do, being sick isnt fun. Being sick and nobody doing anything about it is frustrating (especially when your a soldier and you put your life on the line...).

Ironic they closed the Military Hospitals because they cost too much yet they probably spend more on sending these soldiers/sailors and airmen to these private hospitals and private beds. I bet dollars to doughnuts that I'm right when I say that. I can certainly see why the remaining staff has low morale... :roll:

[marktigger]

Yep the imediate savings looked impressive but long term it has proved to be a disaster and surprise surprise it was forecast this would happen.