No respect.

I saw this magnet on the back of a car today. I got angry and it took me a minute to realize why.

Respect.

I don't care whether someone wants to express their views on Canada's involvement in Afganistan, but breaking the symbolic yellow ribbon to do it strikes me as completely heartless.

The yellow ribbon (as far as I could google) doesn't have a long history. The ribbon is a symbol of hope used in the US and Canada and while it has only been around for about 20 years, it's everywhere you look in any military town. The yellow ribbons are tied in the hopes that loved ones will be safe in a combat zone, and that they'll do their jobs and come home to their families.

Don Cherry put it best so I'll paraphrase him:
"I don't care whether you support the war, but you'd damn well better support our troops."

By breaking the ribbon, even symbolically, you're breaking faith with the people I know over in Afganistan right now. You're disrespecting my friends who are putting their lives on the line because the government we all elected decided that Canada has a responsibility over there.

Not on.

Chris

Roving Reporter

So here I am in the middle of the Wainwright training area. No paved roads for kilometers, no wireless internet, and I actually have to SHARE a tent with people! I feel so abused.... actually I'm full of shit. For living in the field, this is pretty pimp.
Damn I love the Air Force!
Truly we've got it good out here. We've got large modular tents (mod-tents) with plenty of head room, they're also heated and have lights and power for us to recharge our cellphones (yes, there's digital coverage) and laptops. There are hot showers which we can take advantage of every day, we've got a skilled kitchen crew who feed us extremely well, and somehow they hooked up public internet computers as well.
The mantra I kept hearing while packing for this exercise was "Any idiot can be uncomfortable in the field". It's quite impressive what some people have come up with to make their stay just that much more comfortable. 4" thick foam mattresses, makeshift headboards for the cots, bamboo carpets under the cot so you don't get cold feet in the morning, folding lawn chairs and other things like that. I'll try to get a picture of my setup later once I figure out how to upload onto these compy's.
For now I'm doing maintenance ground runs and tomorrow I'll be doing my first shift as a CASEVAC first officer. Hurray, validation for years of training!

Reporting from the field,

-J.