Officer of Engineers

As we always say, nobody is irreplaceable, and Rick says it all the time but I don't know who had the charisma to drive home all those points. Walter Natynczyk is a good man and a damned good general. He was the Deputy Commanding Officer of the US III Corps in Iraq but his media savy is not Rick's.

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Chimo

Ray

Army Chief Hails Afghan Progress

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Source: Ananova




An Army chief who has just returned from command in Afghanistan insisted there were "real signs of progress" in the conflict there.

Brigadier Andrew MacKay, the commander of 52 Infantry Brigade, is back at its headquarters at Edinburgh's Redford barracks after six months heading operations in Helmand.

Brigadier MacKay was in Helmand Province when Prince Harry was deployed there. The 23-year-old Household Cavalry officer spent 10 weeks there, with his work involving him carrying detailed aerial surveillance behind Taliban lines and calling in bomb strikes on confirmed enemy bunker positions.

Brigadier MacKay praised him and said: "He shared the same risks, he endured the same austerity as everyone else, there were no special protection teams or anyone guarding him. He was just doing his job, like everyone else. I think that's why he enjoyed it as much as he did."

Under his leadership the Brigade HQ and the troops it commanded were responsible for recapturing the strategic town of Musa Q'alah from the Taliban.

It was the biggest operation in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion and Brigadier MacKay said: "There's now a school, with about 800 kids going to to that school. We built a road, there's a health clinic up and running, there's a work programme that employs 400 people a day on various projects, there's a mosque that will be built.

"We're trying to show the people they have a better chance this way than with the Taliban."

He stressed the importance of such reconstruction and development work to Afghanistan and said: "What we were trying to do is make sure that we don't make sure that body count is a measure of success. It never is."

Brigadier MacKay - who was in charge of some 7,000 troops in Afghanistan - told how most soldiers in Helmand had been involved in work such as digging irrigation ditches, building schools and refurbishing mosques, saying the forces were trying to improve the quality of life for the local population.

But he added: "Often the real improvement they want is security." In the six months he was in Helmand, 10 British soldiers were killed, with troops from other countries, including a number of American soldiers, also losing their lives.

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"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

Canmoore

This is a damn shame. His tenure as CoDS is 4 years, he is resigning after only 3 as the CoDS.

I think that Gen.Hilliar was becoming so popular with the military, and Canadians in general. That people were looking to Gen.Hilliar when it came to defense issues rather than the Government.

I think that the nail in the coffin when it was reported that the Military had suspending the release of Afghan prisoners to the ANA, long before the Government had publicly announced it.

Gen. Hilliar is going to be hard to replace. Charismatic leaders in Canada seems to be in short supply,

Gen.Hilliar replaced the Canadian publics sentiment toward the Canadian Forces from one of a bumbling quasi-force armed with pea shooters, that our Allies reluctantly drag around by the hand.

To one of a Strong Professional and Capable Military respected around the world and supplied with the best equipment available.

As much as Canadians used to revere our peacekeeping 'tradition' fallen soldiers in those peacekeeping missions were never given the proper respect and attention that today's fallen soldiers receive.

You can download videos on Youtube of Fallen soldiers being driven in huge motorcades surrounding the bodies.. along a stretch of the 401 highway between CFB Trenton to Toronto. Thousands of Canadians from small towns to the larger cities along the route gather along the overpass's with banners, flags, firetrucks, police..everyone just shows up and pays there respect, some salute while others wave..

Canadians made a petition and successfully lobbied the Provincial Government to name the stretch of Highway the 'Highway of hero's' and have signs erected along the route.


All of these changes in attitude are a direct result of the charisma of Gen. Rick Hilliar. That is going to be hard to replace.

Unless his successor shares Gen.Hilliar's charisma and way with people, you can bet that the left will start to chip away at the foundation of support that Hilliar has built.

cape_royds

But why would the Conservative gov't in Ottawa "push" such a popular and well-respected general as Hillier?

The Conservatives back the war, and so does Hillier. Where would the problem be?

Officer of Engineers

Rick has stated that the war would last 10 years. It won't end in 2011. And there is pressure to stop the combat mission and start to concentrate on the peacekeeping mission.

m1tch311

Did you know/serve under Rick? Sorry if its dumb ques... dont really know u guys.

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My RIGHT as an American to PWN!!

Officer of Engineers

He was the CO of Land Force Central Area.

Bob Jones

If only the politicains were as good at their jobs, as the boys and girls of the armed forces from the various nations serving Afghanistan are at theirs

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Ex1 RTR MIB