Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2019 41 VeterAnS of warfare on a global scale will change the work of its soldiers. He foresees increased smaller scale insurgency-type operations mostly in partnership with different na- tions. He also sees an expanded role for the military at home, helping in times of natural disaster. in the field Being deployed taught White more about military strategy and the crucial role it must play before Canadian boots hit the ground in a foreign country. Lessons from Haiti stand out. A diplomatic mission was soon followed by an evacuation when it was obvious the local population didn't want troops there. "It was very volatile," recalls White. "A typical day was getting up and ready and going down to the embassy, dodg- ing road blocks, dodging bodies, dodging whatever, because it wasn't a very peace- ful environment for the people there," he describes. "You have to go in with a very clear understanding of what you want to achieve, and you have to have a group of individuals that want something to be achieved for their country," he says. "And I'm not sure that's always established." and Gagetown. Over time, he became a senior Captain, and it was while studying at university that he was promoted to ma- jor – no small feat. Upon his return to Canada after missions abroad, White spent time as an armoured officer career manager and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. Long range strate- gic planning became his new focus. Little did he know how well all these ex- periences would feed into his work in the private sector years down the road. Preparation and equipment White's early training taught him how to deal with people under challenging cir- cumstances, and he became proficient in some of the most demanding skills of the period, though they differ from what re- cruits learn in 2019. "There's no comparison when you look at the Army of those days, I think, and the Army of today," he points out. White and his fellow soldiers were trained to be "cold warriors" and "peace support operators" though they did face dangerous situations that were combat related. "We did train, and we trained hard," he says. "The Canadian soldier overall is probably, in my experience, one of the best trained overall soldiers that you could ever find. They're very adaptable to any situa- tion. We live in extremes in this country; they're used to extremes," he explains. Training, adaptability and intelligence are all there, according to White. It's some of the equipment that needs to improve in his estimation, and it remains an issue. Equipment may get the job done, but it's often out of date – like the C1 Leopards his team used in Germany almost three short decades ago. He says the tanks were in good shape because they maintained and looked after them. However, they were old. "When we first received the Leopards, they were already outdated," he says. It meant they were outgunned. Eventually Canada purchased new tanks for future missions and the Leopard 2 made an ap- pearance during the country's deployment into Afghanistan. "We've always played catch-up in tech- nology," White asserts, and it continues today. "The Air Force needs jets; the Navy needs ships." In considering the future of Canada's military, he points out the changing nature THINK INNOVATION, DURABILIT Y, QUALIT Y ROUSSEAUMETAL.COM CANSEC 2019 MEET US AT BOOTH 602 VISIT ROUSSEAUMETAL.COM/DEFENSE-SECURITY TO FIND STORAGE DESIGNED FOR YOUR REALITY. 40 0 lbs capacit y - Heav y dut y construction Multiple locking solutions - Including our L50 electronic lock 10 0 % made in Canada

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