Bronze Stars for Canadian Snipers?

An article in today's National Post (www.nationalpost.com) goes into great detail over the possible awards of US Bronze Stars to five Canadian snipers who took part in Operation Anaconda. The awards, three stars and two others with, I assume, the "V" for valor device, are being held up by the Canadian government for "protocol" reasons.
American readers might be interested in the remarks of the US platoon commander, who stated that the Canadian sniper equipment was better than the US gear! That's quite a switch. Usually, we in Canada are constantly told who poorly equipped our troops are.
Finally, a related article tells about how one of the five snipers has been returned to Canada for court martial on an unrelated incident.

[Michael]

Permission to accept and wear foreign awards has always been a touch issue. It apparently dates back to Queen Elizabeth I who is supposed to have said "We do not allow our dogs to wear another master's collar." Permission to wear foreign awards for gallantry and distinguished service are more common than permisison for service medals.

Here I'm sure that part of the problem is that the Canadian government hasn't finalized any honours and awards for Afghanistan, and so it looks bad if someone else is handing out gongs to our troops before we do.

Given that this is a U.S. show, I see no reason why we shouldn't accept the recognition that they see fit to bestow.

Michael,
I wish that the Canadian government was a bit more speedy in handing out honours & awards. How long was it between the end of the Kosovo air campaign and the decorations given (even if it was only two MSM's)? On the other hand, while I understand the Americans giving out an award like the Purple Heart immediately, I am surprised at the speed of some Bronze Stars being issued, often only a few days after an event.
I don't know if the government has the guts to award "combat" decorations like the Star or Medal of Military Valour as opposed to the multi-purpose bravery awards like the SC or MB. The newspaper article alluded to the fact that our political masters are a bit edgy about someone actually winning a gong for killing a bad guy. It goes against our peacekeeper image. This must be a real joke to all our peacekeepers who dodged bullets and returned fire in Yugo.

[Michael]

Terry,

I agree with you. *The time has come to stop being mealy-mouthed and take a postition on things - which politicians try to avoid at all costs.

Lets choose one of the following options:

1. Decide that there is no distinction between war and peacekeeping. *That means we award military gallantry decorations, pay gratuities in appropriate situations, and honour the dead with full public recognition. A soldier is a soldier is a soldier.

2. Decide that we won't participate in wars, just peacekeeping operations. *This will cost us internationally, but if the government wants it that way it's an option.

What we can't continue to do is put Canadian lives at risk and pretend that they really aren't there, and sweep the losses under the carpet. *I agree with Lewis Mackenzie that the peacekeeping casualties deserve equal recognition. *I see no distinction between the four from 3 PPCLI and the nine killed when the Syrians shot down a 116 ATU Buffalo in 1974.

We want the prestige of participating in world affairs, but we don't really want to make the commitment and pay the freight.

Michael,
I just finished watching Art Eggleton on TV. The two main points:
- apparently Brig.Gen Dumais will be "co-chair" of the US inquiry. Rather a jump up from observer status mentioned yesterday by Donald Rumsfield.
- concerning the five Bronze Stars, he said that the government hadn't received the documentation,etc. from the US authorities yet, but would be proud to accept the awards.
I assume you saw the other article about the MCpl (one of the five) being flown home for court martial?

[Michael]

Yes, I saw that. It brought to mind a British War Medal [if I wrote BWM you'd know what i meant, but the others don't speak medalese ] I once owned to a VanDoo. When I got his service record it showed that he'd won the Military Medal, about a month after being courmartialled on alternative charges of a. attempted murder b. conduct prejudicial to good order (he was acquitted on the former and convicted of the latter) seems he pulled a gun on an nco while drunk - I don't recall whether he fired or not.

[Barrett]

Apparently not for this troopie:

London Daily Telegraph
April 25, 2002
Canadian Sniper Hero FacesCourt Martial
By David Rennie in Washington
THE Canadian military has been accused of excessive "squeamishness", after recalling a sniper hailed for his bravery in Afghanistan to face a court martial for shouting at a chaplain.
Master Cpl Arron Perry is one of five Canadian snipers nominated for a Bronze Star by American commanders for saving the lives of UStroops during missions to root out die-hard Taliban and al-Qa'eda fighters in mountains.
Cpl Perry has been sent back to Canada to face, instead of a hero's welcome, a court martial on discipline charges, reported to be inconnection with threatening remarks he is alleged to have made to the Canadian chaplain during a "stress debriefing".
The sniper is also under investigation in connection with a photograph showing the corpse of an Afghan fighter with a cigarette in its mouth and bearing a sign reading "F*** terrorism". He denies responsibility for the photograph, which was taken during combat.
Cpl Perry is now confined to the city of Edmonton, forbidden from carrying a weapon, and working in a supply role.
"Look at what they did to me"; he said. "This is how they show their appreciation to me, by sending me back to Canada.";
Military experts yesterday denounced what they called Canada's culture of disdain for its armed services, despite their courageous record in two world wars, as well as in the Korean war and numerous peacekeeping operations.
Canadian commanders have been unusually sensitive to any hint of misconduct since a scandal involving Canadian commandos serving as peacekeepers in Somalia, who beat a teenager to death while he was in their custody.
American plans to award Bronze Stars to all five Canadians have now been delayed.

* * * * * *

Between The Language Problem and such dedicated PC nitwittery as this, it looks as if the US is gonna follow the Canadian example as we cross more of that frigging "Bridge to the XXI Century."

Barrett,
The Somalia incident wiped away all the good things that the Airborne did - rebuilding schools, building bridges, bringing peace to the region,etc.
Oddly enough, our media pounced on the story at the time, flinging around theories of white supremicist skinheads in uniform. These seemed to fade away, however when it was pointed out that most of the killings were done not by white soldiers but by First Nations (Indian) members of the unit.