My Introduction to the Forum

[BruceinAlberta]

I am new to the forum so I wanted to introduce myself.  I am from the USA, and I am living in Calgary now managing the Calgary and Edmonton branch of the Investment Banking I have worked for since 1996.  I was transferred from the New Orleans office (just before Katrina struck).  I served in the US Army after graduating from Notre Dame on both active duty and in the National Guard for 20 years, and I just retired from the Louisiana National Guard as a LTC.  On active duty I served in Germany with the 8th ID(M), the 1st Cavalry Division in Texas, and the 10th Mountain Division (L) in New York.  In the National Guard I served with the 256th Infantry Brigade(M)(Enhanced) since 1996 and from 1994 to 1996 I was in the New York National Guard with the 42d ID(M) when I was getting my MBA at Columbia.  I served combat tours in the Persian Gulf War (active duty), Somalia (active duty) and Afghanistan (National Guard) and Iraq (National Guard).  I commanded a battalion in the 256th in Iraq.  When I got back it was time to retire. I love Calgary, and I hope to stay here.  My wife is from Hamilton ON, and I met her at Notre Dame. 

Enough about me.  I am very interested in military history, and I am interested in learning about the Canadian Army.  I have the utmost respect for you guys.  I exercised with the 4 CMBG in Germany, saw your Airborne battalion in Somalia and the PPCLI in Afghanistan, and I was always impressed with Canadian professionalism and skill.  I will probably post questions about the Canadian army so I ask for your indulgence.  I want to learn about the Army of this country.  My in-laws are not a military family and know very little about the CF, and I was dismayed to find so little about the CF in bookstores in Alberta.  I have read many posts, and many questions have been answered.  So again, I look forward to being part of this forum, and I hope you guys can put up with an American with a lot of questions.

 

[TCBF]

Sir,

Welcome aboard! 

I hope you have lots of spare time for this, it's addictive.

Tom

(former 4CMBG Lynx/Leopard and Kandahar 2002 Coyote)

 

[Roy Harding]

I am new to the forum so I wanted to introduce myself.  I am from the USA, and I am living in Calgary now managing the Calgary and Edmonton branch of the Investment Banking I have worked for since 1996.  I was transferred from the New Orleans office (just before Katrina struck).  I served in the US Army after graduating from Notre Dame on both active duty and in the National Guard for 20 years, and I just retired from the Louisiana National Guard as a LTC.  On active duty I served in Germany with the 8th ID(M), the 1st Cavalry Division in Texas, and the 10th Mountain Division (L) in New York.  In the National Guard I served with the 256th Infantry Brigade(M)(Enhanced) since 1996 and from 1994 to 1996 I was in the New York National Guard with the 42d ID(M) when I was getting my MBA at Columbia.  I served combat tours in the Persian Gulf War (active duty), Somalia (active duty) and Afghanistan (National Guard) and Iraq (National Guard).  I commanded a battalion in the 256th in Iraq.  When I got back it was time to retire. I love Calgary, and I hope to stay here.  My wife is from Hamilton ON, and I met her at Notre Dame. 

Enough about me.  I am very interested in military history, and I am interested in learning about the Canadian Army.  I have the utmost respect for you guys.  I exercised with the 4 CMBG in Germany, saw your Airborne battalion in Somalia and the PPCLI in Afghanistan, and I was always impressed with Canadian professionalism and skill.  I will probably post questions about the Canadian army so I ask for your indulgence.  I want to learn about the Army of this country.  My in-laws are not a military family and know very little about the CF, and I was dismayed to find so little about the CF in bookstores in Alberta.  I have read many posts, and many questions have been answered.  So again, I look forward to being part of this forum, and I hope you guys can put up with an American with a lot of questions.

Sir,

I am retired now, but have served alongside American troops in Croatia/Bosnia in '94, '97, and '01, and in Afghanistan in '02.  I have always been impressed with the similarities between our folks - I'll never forget the sentiment expressed in April 2002 after the Blue on Blue bombing in Kandahar.  Instead of the Canadians feeling anger against our American comrades, the US Army folks (on a personal level, of course) expressed their disdain for the Air Force, and in so doing knit a bond of brotherhood between the two army formations.

I was constantly impressed by the down to earth - non-politically correct speeches given by our American commanders to the troops - I will never forget the Rakassan Bde Comd saying to the troops "let's go kick some Taliban ass" - beautiful!!

Welcome aboard, Sir, and welcome to Calgary (my home town).

 

[Danjanou]

I'll add my welcome to those already posted.

We look forward to your input in the numerous discussions and assorted tall tale telling that happens about here. We have a few of your countrymen as regular posteres here and even a few transplanted Canadians who went south  (and some that joined up down there) but another of our southern cousins is always welcome.

A noted this can be addictivre. if you have a D9er ( or household 6) don't tell her :

 

[Sabre1918]

Sir,

Welcome to Calgary !

I would like to take this opportuntiy to  invite you to our Military Museum.
If you have not allready dropped by....
The Museum of the Regiment's is located just off of Crowchild Tr. SW.
There are 4 different Regiment's represented at the museum.
Two regular force units (PPCLI (Infantry) & LdSH(RC) (Armoured)), along
with two Reserve units (KOCR (Armoured) & Calgary Highlanders (Infantry).
There are also two other gallery's one dedicated to the Southern Alberta Regiment's,
and the other gallery rotates every 6-8 months. It currently has a display on the history of
Peacekeeping forces in Canada.

Wish you all the best in Calgary.... I look forward to meeting you.

L.J. Ramsden, CD
Corporal
Archivist - LdSH(RC) Regimental Museum
Museum of The Regiment's
Calgary, AB

 

[BruceinAlberta]

I will drop by to the museum, and I look forward to meeting you.  Sounds like a great collection that I would love to see.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

The Calgary Highlanders are always looking for officers...if you'd like the Adjutant's email address, drop me a PM...

 

[Infanteer]

Welcome aboard sir - you certainly have seen the world.  It should be interesting to get your perspective on many of the discussions we have going on here.

Cheers,
Infanteer

 

[BruceinAlberta]

Thanks for the welcome to the forum

 

[LordVagabond]

Hey there ;D I'm from Calgary, and I'm actually currently in the middle of the first stage of application to the armored corps  8) Still have to get my reference letters back from my two referees, and then it's off to CFRC Calgary to hand them in and then it'll be interview time! 

Anyways, welcome to our fair (if a tad chilly) city! There is a LOT of military reading and history around Calgary, you just have to know where to look. The MacKimmie Library at the University of Calgary (where I'm currently studying) has an entire half floor (and they aren't small floors either) dedicated to Canadian military and strategic history, aka The Department of Strategic Studies. I'm pretty sure if you got a public use card at the main desk of the MacKimmie library you could get books out from the strategic studies center. There is also CFRC Calgary where they have some displays of past uniforms, etc, in the lobby area to the right of the entrance of the CFRC. It's like a mini-mini-MINI-museum, but it's worth a gander if you're ever near CFRC Calgary in the Harry Hays Building.

As mentioned, we also have the Museum of the Regiments, which is hard to miss because it's across from the old CFB Calgary and has tanks and artillery parked on the front lawn  :warstory: Basically, head south down Crowchild, and if you hit Glenmore, you've gone too far. I find it easiest to turn off at 50th ave SW (going north or south along Crow), then take your first left and that takes you right to the Museum. There are other ways to get there, but I find that walking by the tanks always gives a good prep to the indoor stuff Here's a pic to help:

Crowchild is the 6 lane road down the left of the picture, and the Museum of the Regiments is that area with the parked cars, the circle (which holds the tanks) and then the two pathways to the building.

 

[BruceinAlberta]

Wow..you almost gave me grid coordinates there.  Anyway I love Calgary.  My wife is Canadian and is happy to be in the North again.  I had never been to Alberta before, and now I don't think I ever want to leave.  My firm has given me a great job, and the job gets me up to Edmonton several times a month too.  Just a little tough getting used to the cold after living in New Orleans for so many years.  Still, this is a super city with absolutely super folks.  I am looking forward to learning about the Canadian Army now, and you guys are definitely putting me on the right track.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Welcome!  On the up side, we don't build our cities 20' below sea level, so it's cold, but much drier! >

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Sir,

Welcome to Calgary !

I would like to take this opportuntiy to  invite you to our Military Museum.
If you have not allready dropped by....
The Museum of the Regiment's is located just off of Crowchild Tr. SW.
There are 4 different Regiment's represented at the museum.
Two regular force units (PPCLI (Infantry) & LdSH(RC) (Armoured)), along
with two Reserve units (KOCR (Armoured) & Calgary Highlanders (Infantry).
There are also two other gallery's one dedicated to the Southern Alberta Regiment's,
and the other gallery rotates every 6-8 months. It currently has a display on the history of
Peacekeeping forces in Canada.

Wish you all the best in Calgary.... I look forward to meeting you.

L.J. Ramsden, CD
Corporal
Archivist - LdSH(RC) Regimental Museum
Museum of The Regiment's
Calgary, AB

Cpl Ramsden, CD....just making sure I got the spelling right.

 

[1feral1]

Although this thread started back in Dec, what the helll!

Welcome Bruce!

Enjoy yourself around here (eh).

Cheers,

Wes