That’s not what it’s for

Vincent J. Curtis

19 Apr 23

RE: Special military unit needed to help with climate emergencies.  Op-ed by Trevor Greene, a Canadian journalist, wounded Afghan veteran, and author.  The Hamilton Spectator 19 Apr 23.

Some ideas are so dumb they never seem to die.  One of these is that the Canadian Armed Forces should be dedicated to purposes other than fighting wars.  The call for the CAF to stand up a unit especially dedicated to fighting climate emergencies such as wildfires, floods, and massive storms wouldn’t see the light of day but for the cachet of “climate change.”  The same argument could be made on its merits and without invoking climate change as a remote, far-fetched justification.

In the first place, there is no climate change.  What we observe lies within the ambit of normal extremes of weather; you just need a memory long enough to recall the last time a similar disaster occurred.  Secondly, the CAF already maintains certain disaster relieving units, such as air-sea rescue squadrons.  Thirdly, the CAF is already flexible enough to respond to disasters, such as the Quebec ice storm of 1998.  The problem lies in how much expressive preparedness is required for civilian disasters, and why does the money have to come from the defense budget?  People ought to be looking to their local government first, not to distant Ottawa for immediate help.

Lastly, you don’t want a Federal government with the power to intervene with soldiers in a provincial matter unasked, and when Ottawa thinks it knows better and can act faster than the provincial government.  The opportunity for constitutional mischief is obvious, and what if the locals refuse to cooperate with CIMIC?  Soldiers answer to their chain of command, that is, from Ottawa, and don’t take orders and instruction from civilians.

Bad idea, often refuted, and without justification.

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I published a paper about 20 years ago entitled, “Human Security and the Canadian Armed Forces.”  It’s still kicking around the internet, and covers the brilliant idea that the CAF should be used for purposes other than war.