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My morale seldom required second-rate entertainers and has-been athletes; I usually volunteered to take a duty shift to free up someone who was interested.
Tiger Williams charged by MP's.
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medicineman
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Journeyman said:
There were no entertainers on any of my deployments...just political tourists and reporters. Apparently we were supposed to be entertained by what we saw going on around us and be happy to be in such exotic places at Crown expense ;D.
MM
Lumber said:
Now I know this is going to open a can of worms but I’m going to offer my opinion on this. Using Afghanistan as an example, the only people who got to benefit from the morale visits were those in KAF, who by battle group standards had a very high quality of life. It could actually be construed as a morale killer to those who don’t get to watch a concert while drinking their nightly timmies on the boardwalk.
Further, being that we were told we had to take all our patches off etc. in KAF because people there complained they weren’t allowed to wear them and it isn’t fair they didn’t get to do the same as others outside the wire. Well I argue if not everyone can watch the concert then that’s not fair either and therefore nobody should get to.
Back on topic though, it’s evident these flights are just another example of the higher ups hypocrisy of “do what I say not what I do.” I don’t believe for one second the VCDS or CWO West weren’t aware what was going on around them on an 8+ hour flight.
Scrap these waste of tax payer money party flights of entertainers nobody has heard of most of the time.
Towards_the_gap
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PMedMoe said:
I made much the same point on FB. 12 years between Brit and Canuck armies, and during that time, not once during any number of overseas deployment did the appearance of some C-list, past-their-prime, trotting out offering up lame jokes and the random cheerleader squad courtesy of the USO, improve my morale one iota.
These 'team canada' jaunts seem more to be self-aggrandising back-slapping on both parts, the leadership getting away from their desks and the random 'celebrities' for whom the red carpet is rolled out for.
Pte. Bloggins just wants new mukluks and better Wi-Fi at his location.
J
jollyjacktar
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WeatherdoG said:
I was there for that. I know it made the hockey fans happy. For myself, l was happy for the BBQ and beer that came with it.
Eye In The Sky
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This is the story I saw on this.
Article Link
Peeing in the seats? Military eyes air force alcohol ban after troubled VIP trip
OTTAWA—It was meant as a pre-Christmas morale booster, a trip by sports stars and senior military personnel to visit Canadian soldiers deployed overseas.
But the troubles started even before the military Airbus aircraft got off the ground in Ottawa when several of the passengers showed up for the 1 p.m. departure appeared to have already been drinking.
It went downhill from there.
By the time the jet arrived in Athens more than eight hours later, there was an allegation of assault against a former Maples Leafs star and complaints of drunken, boorish behaviour by others, including two people so drunk they wet themselves in their seats.
As the fallout of the ill-fated December tour continues to ripple, the military has cancelled plans for a March morale visit and is reviewing its policies for alcohol consumption onboard military aircraft.
Past goodwill tours have included entertainers, athletes and media figures who donate their time to visit soldiers overseas. But this most recent tour has left military brass shaking their heads. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, is said to be “extremely unhappy.”
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” one astonished defence official told the Star.
The Star has spoken to several defence department officials about what unfolded on the trip. They asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information and an ongoing internal investigation by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
One of the stars on this tour was Dave “Tiger” Williams, a former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer and a regular participant on these goodwill visits. The military has refused to identify who else travelled with the contingent.
The trips are organized by the Strategic Outreach Team, which reports to Vance’s office. Vance has gone on these Team Canada trips in the past but skipped this one because of a scheduling conflict.
Two senior personnel went in his place — Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent, the vice chief of defence staff, and Chief Warrant Officer Kevin West, the most senior non-commissioned member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Military flights usually have strict policies regarding the consumption of alcohol. But those rules are relaxed when civilians are carried onboard. On Team Canada flights, a small amount of alcohol is provided by the military and participants are also allowed to bring their own for consumption during the trip, which often involves lengthy overseas flights.
That was the case for this most recent tour, which departed Ottawa on Dec. 2, headed first to Athens, Greece to meet up with the crew of the frigate HMCS Charlottetown, then on deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
But several members of the tour who showed up for the mid-day departure had already been drinking, one source familiar with events told the Star.
“They showed up with their own alcohol and they were already inebriated,” the source said.
Once airborne, there was a “bit of a party going on,” the source said, with yet more drinking by a small group gathered at the back of the cabin.
One passenger invited a female steward to “sit on his lap,” the source said.
Another passenger tried to wrap his arm around a female steward. “They were grabbed like they were in a bar,” the source said, making the woman feel “uncomfortable.”
Two passengers were so intoxicated that they urinated in their seats. And yet another is alleged to have sworn at a steward.
It was during this flight to Athens — not the later leg to Latvia, contrary to earlier information provided by the military — that Williams is alleged to have assaulted a female steward. His lawyer, Michael Lacy, said in an earlier statement, that military police allege that Williams touched the victim on the buttocks.
Following their troop visit in Greece, the goodwill tour continued to Riga, Latvia — that flight too had a “lot of partying,” the source said.
While the alleged assault by Williams had been immediately reported to the first officer while the flight was still in the air to Greece, it wasn’t until after their arrival in Riga that the flight crew talked further about what had transpired and decided then to formally inform the chain of command. “It was not only unpleasant, it’s not okay. These women want a safe working environment,” the source said.
That delay partly explains why Williams was allowed to continue on the tour and participate in events in Latvia.
Once notified, commanders took steps to “distance the victim from the accused,” the military explained in an earlier statement. The victim and other female flight stewards all accepted an offer to return home on commercial flights.
“The bottom line is that we took care of the victim with respect and dignity, while dealing with the accused through a thorough and expedient police investigation,” the statement said.
Just over a week ago, the military police announced that Williams had been charged with one count of assault and one count of sexual assault.
“Tiger denies any wrongdoing and is confident he will be vindicated,” Lacy, the lawyer, said in his statement.
Over the past week, the military has been pressed to explain why Williams was allowed to continue on the tour even though the alleged misbehaviour occurred on the initial flight. And there have been questions about what, if anything, Parent and West knew about the activity on the plane. A senior source says they only became aware of the alleged assault later, after the tour was over.
In the wake of the charges and bad publicity, the military announced this week that it was reviewing its policy on serving alcohol onboard air force flights, whether to limit passengers to two drinks or eliminate it altogether.
“On this particular flight, like on commercial flights, alcohol was permitted and served to Team Canada guests — not aircrew,” defence department spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said in an email.
“The intent behind this practice is to enable participants to enjoy a few beverages throughout the course of a long trip, not unlike a commercial flight,” he said.
“Much like passengers on civilian aircraft, participants on these trips are responsible for knowing their own limits, while air crew members are professionally trained to recognize sings of intoxication,” Le Bouthillier said.
The Royal Canadian Navy went through its own soul-searching about drinking onboard warships after several incidents of bad behaviour by sailors. The navy decided in 2014 to ban sailors from consuming alcohol while at sea.
Plans for future goodwill tours are also in limbo. A trip planned for March was already up in the air because of troubles rounding up entertainers and artists. It’s now been postponed and the military is weighing whether such trips are worth the effort and expense.
“Due to limited VIP availability, we have decided to postpone a previously scheduled visit for March to ensure the focus remains on providing deployed troops with a quality, relevant experience,” Le Bouthillier said.
He said that the Team Canada concept launched a dozen years ago to serve military personnel deployed in large numbers in Afghanistan is now under review.
“The morale of our deployed members is extremely important to the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Team Canada visits have been a unique way to show our appreciation for their personal sacrifices,” he said.
“We are also examining ways to enhance the program with the intent to always meet the needs of our people,” Le Bouthillier said.
Article Link
Peeing in the seats? Military eyes air force alcohol ban after troubled VIP trip
OTTAWA—It was meant as a pre-Christmas morale booster, a trip by sports stars and senior military personnel to visit Canadian soldiers deployed overseas.
But the troubles started even before the military Airbus aircraft got off the ground in Ottawa when several of the passengers showed up for the 1 p.m. departure appeared to have already been drinking.
It went downhill from there.
By the time the jet arrived in Athens more than eight hours later, there was an allegation of assault against a former Maples Leafs star and complaints of drunken, boorish behaviour by others, including two people so drunk they wet themselves in their seats.
As the fallout of the ill-fated December tour continues to ripple, the military has cancelled plans for a March morale visit and is reviewing its policies for alcohol consumption onboard military aircraft.
Past goodwill tours have included entertainers, athletes and media figures who donate their time to visit soldiers overseas. But this most recent tour has left military brass shaking their heads. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, is said to be “extremely unhappy.”
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” one astonished defence official told the Star.
The Star has spoken to several defence department officials about what unfolded on the trip. They asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information and an ongoing internal investigation by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
One of the stars on this tour was Dave “Tiger” Williams, a former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer and a regular participant on these goodwill visits. The military has refused to identify who else travelled with the contingent.
The trips are organized by the Strategic Outreach Team, which reports to Vance’s office. Vance has gone on these Team Canada trips in the past but skipped this one because of a scheduling conflict.
Two senior personnel went in his place — Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent, the vice chief of defence staff, and Chief Warrant Officer Kevin West, the most senior non-commissioned member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Military flights usually have strict policies regarding the consumption of alcohol. But those rules are relaxed when civilians are carried onboard. On Team Canada flights, a small amount of alcohol is provided by the military and participants are also allowed to bring their own for consumption during the trip, which often involves lengthy overseas flights.
That was the case for this most recent tour, which departed Ottawa on Dec. 2, headed first to Athens, Greece to meet up with the crew of the frigate HMCS Charlottetown, then on deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
But several members of the tour who showed up for the mid-day departure had already been drinking, one source familiar with events told the Star.
“They showed up with their own alcohol and they were already inebriated,” the source said.
Once airborne, there was a “bit of a party going on,” the source said, with yet more drinking by a small group gathered at the back of the cabin.
One passenger invited a female steward to “sit on his lap,” the source said.
Another passenger tried to wrap his arm around a female steward. “They were grabbed like they were in a bar,” the source said, making the woman feel “uncomfortable.”
Two passengers were so intoxicated that they urinated in their seats. And yet another is alleged to have sworn at a steward.
It was during this flight to Athens — not the later leg to Latvia, contrary to earlier information provided by the military — that Williams is alleged to have assaulted a female steward. His lawyer, Michael Lacy, said in an earlier statement, that military police allege that Williams touched the victim on the buttocks.
Following their troop visit in Greece, the goodwill tour continued to Riga, Latvia — that flight too had a “lot of partying,” the source said.
While the alleged assault by Williams had been immediately reported to the first officer while the flight was still in the air to Greece, it wasn’t until after their arrival in Riga that the flight crew talked further about what had transpired and decided then to formally inform the chain of command. “It was not only unpleasant, it’s not okay. These women want a safe working environment,” the source said.
That delay partly explains why Williams was allowed to continue on the tour and participate in events in Latvia.
Once notified, commanders took steps to “distance the victim from the accused,” the military explained in an earlier statement. The victim and other female flight stewards all accepted an offer to return home on commercial flights.
“The bottom line is that we took care of the victim with respect and dignity, while dealing with the accused through a thorough and expedient police investigation,” the statement said.
Just over a week ago, the military police announced that Williams had been charged with one count of assault and one count of sexual assault.
“Tiger denies any wrongdoing and is confident he will be vindicated,” Lacy, the lawyer, said in his statement.
Over the past week, the military has been pressed to explain why Williams was allowed to continue on the tour even though the alleged misbehaviour occurred on the initial flight. And there have been questions about what, if anything, Parent and West knew about the activity on the plane. A senior source says they only became aware of the alleged assault later, after the tour was over.
In the wake of the charges and bad publicity, the military announced this week that it was reviewing its policy on serving alcohol onboard air force flights, whether to limit passengers to two drinks or eliminate it altogether.
“On this particular flight, like on commercial flights, alcohol was permitted and served to Team Canada guests — not aircrew,” defence department spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said in an email.
“The intent behind this practice is to enable participants to enjoy a few beverages throughout the course of a long trip, not unlike a commercial flight,” he said.
“Much like passengers on civilian aircraft, participants on these trips are responsible for knowing their own limits, while air crew members are professionally trained to recognize sings of intoxication,” Le Bouthillier said.
The Royal Canadian Navy went through its own soul-searching about drinking onboard warships after several incidents of bad behaviour by sailors. The navy decided in 2014 to ban sailors from consuming alcohol while at sea.
Plans for future goodwill tours are also in limbo. A trip planned for March was already up in the air because of troubles rounding up entertainers and artists. It’s now been postponed and the military is weighing whether such trips are worth the effort and expense.
“Due to limited VIP availability, we have decided to postpone a previously scheduled visit for March to ensure the focus remains on providing deployed troops with a quality, relevant experience,” Le Bouthillier said.
He said that the Team Canada concept launched a dozen years ago to serve military personnel deployed in large numbers in Afghanistan is now under review.
“The morale of our deployed members is extremely important to the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Team Canada visits have been a unique way to show our appreciation for their personal sacrifices,” he said.
“We are also examining ways to enhance the program with the intent to always meet the needs of our people,” Le Bouthillier said.
Towards_the_gap
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Eye In The Sky said:
Maybe a critical eye SHOULD be cast upon this program. I mean, what actual mission effects are enabled by Tiger Williams showing up on tour. Let's see some empirical evidence, hell, run a poll amongst deployed troops!
I mean, they are only away 6-8 months anyways, I could see the point back in the big war when guys spent 5-6 years overseas with the odd fling in London/Paris to relieve the monotony of training/frontline and mail took months to get back and forth. But now, with smartphones/wifi/satellite entertainment, the troops do just fine, sure the odd care package is nice but I really don't recall, as I sat behind a mud wall hearing AK rounds snap overhead, thinking 'damn, wish I could meet a retired NHL dude who I don't know right now, that would make this war so much more bearable'
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To be fair not every, or even most deployments are like that now. They haven't been like that in a long time really.
I get the idea of wanting to do something to break up the monotony of a tour, but maybe the best answer isn't to send a flying party bus full of "stars" nobody has heard of. Maybe the better plan is to spend that money giving people a few days break in a close but safe location. I hear Germany is quite nice, not too far from Latvia either. The navy really doesn't require the same sort of break as most ports the crew get a day or two off ship to wind down and refresh themselves.
I get the idea of wanting to do something to break up the monotony of a tour, but maybe the best answer isn't to send a flying party bus full of "stars" nobody has heard of. Maybe the better plan is to spend that money giving people a few days break in a close but safe location. I hear Germany is quite nice, not too far from Latvia either. The navy really doesn't require the same sort of break as most ports the crew get a day or two off ship to wind down and refresh themselves.
donaldk
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Towards_the_gap said:
Well the similar thread in the /r/CanadianForces group on a certain well known site sure implies these morale tours aren't well appreciated - however unless hell freezes over there isn't going to be an official gallop poll on this as that would be it's own fine PR disaster production. This topic over in that thread is practically a shooting galley with the blame finger pointed at the VCDS/CDS (frankly well deserved as their offices organized this crap show to begin with).
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Weinie said:
PM inbound
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Interesting to read the story after the constant messages down from the very top around OP Honour about looking out for each other, the bystander training, and the veiled threats of kicking people out that ignore something happening (alongside punishing the actual perpetrators).
Really helps their credibility and doesn't feed the existing cynicism. :facepalm:
Really helps their credibility and doesn't feed the existing cynicism. :facepalm:
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Navy_Pete said:
Some stuff coming out about other guests on the plane, this only has one source but it is talking about Brian Burke also being intoxicated.
(Link removed)
Edit: not sure if it's satire or not but I'm hoping it is.
Edit:
And there is video footage up now, oh boy!
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Dimsum said:
It's been removed from Facebook now. They had a sound system set up and were rocking out with a bunch of people up dancing and drinking. Looked like fun :rofl:
Eye In The Sky
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Navy_Pete said:
Aside from the aircraft captain (who is responsible to a certain extent), the story I posted also indicated the VCDS and CF CWO were on board.
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