Can anyone, Canadian or otherwise, tell me why I have been seeing convoys of Canadian Military vehicles on I-5 in Western Washington? I usually only travel anywhere on I-5 on the weekends, and at these times, I always see Personnel carriers, trucks toting tanks, and other miscellaneous military vehicles, all with Canadian plates.
This is in the general area of Fort Lewis and McChord AFB, but why would Canadian Soldiers be rallying down here?
(We have been joking that Canada is silently invading the US while no one is paying attention…)
A Slightly Altered Perception of Reality…
Chrome Toaster
The only specific reference to a Canadian military presence in Washington I could find was to the participation of some RCAF fighters in an air show in Tacoma.
I’ll bet it’s no suprise to see US military vehicles tooling down the roads of the various NATO countries. I guess it’s only fair that we get our share of foreign troop presence as well.
Have the troop convoys included a mobile Tim Horton’s? If not, then don’t worry, because our troops cannot function for prolonged periods without a “double-double” and a bear claw.
Actually, Fort Lewis is used by many NATO troops. I recall about 12 years ago, there was a British group training there, composed of Gurkhas. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a Gurkha pipe band, marching along at Rifle Regiment pace!
I believe our brave boys and girls are down at Fort Lewis as it is much closer than going to our training ranges in Alberta or Manitoba (chosen back in the '50s for their similiarity to the Ukrainian Steppes).
The Canadian force sent to Korea was sent to Fort Lewis, shipping out directly from there to Korea.
We have US ships in our port very often (expecting the USS Abe Lincoln in April), and our anti-submarine ships often do join exercises with US subs.
The troops you saw were probably part of EXERCISE CASCADE PEAK. Here’s a link:
It’s revenge for what youse did to Terence and Philip.
Dee da dee da dee dee do do / Dee ba ditty doh / Deedle dooby doo ba dee um bee ooby / Be doodle oodle doodle dee dohhttp://members.xoom.com/labradorian/
If you’ve been in the service any amount of time, you get used to the Canadian Forces either training with them or just having them pass through your base.
Using the Canadian Forces base facilities in Germany was routine for a lot of us doing tours in Europe. Plus we got a better deal with the exchange rate. I’ve done several deployments in Canada also.
I guess when you think of exotic, distant lands and people, Canada doesn’t really come to mind since we pretty much share a common language among other things. Military-wise we were so intergrated under NATO in all our procedures and other aspects.
I know this sounds kinda patronizing, especially to the Canadian dopers here, but seeing Canadian military in the US is pretty much routine for people like me.
Still sucks about the Braves dropping the Series to Toronto. I still have bad karma about that.
I seem to remember an article sometime back (in the Chicago Tribune) about a Canadian General who was in charge, on secondment from the canadian army, of a large US unit in Texas, IIRC. An unusual situation, eh? I think he was a general, anyway, eh?
A Newfoundlander no less. And with a Polish pope, you better be careful with your jokes.
First, we take Point Roberts. Then we take the Northwest Angle. Then Aroostook County, the Alaska Panhandle, St-Pierre, Greenland, the rest of Alaska, the Turks and Caicos, and them islands in St. Mary’s River that should be on the Ontario side of the line instead of Michigan.
Dee da dee da dee dee do do / Dee ba ditty doh / Deedle dooby doo ba dee um bee ooby / Be doodle oodle doodle dee dohhttp://members.xoom.com/labradorian/
The Newfie in question is Major General Hillier, second-in-command at Fort Hood, Texas. He’s there as part of the joint exercise training that we do with you guys - been there about 2 years. There are two limitations on his authority - he can’t be in comand of the base if the US. camp commander (a Lt. Gen) is off the base, and he can’t preside over court martials.
A lot of cross-training goes on between US and Canadian militaries. Especially the Search and Rescue crews. But it’s all just camouflage…we began the invasion years ago, and it was working too…until someone exposed it in a film called “The Canadian Conspiracy”. (Real movie, check it out!)
Face it, with the choices you’ve got in November, Canadian rule wouldn’t be so bad, now would it?
dhanson…true, true. Chretien, Dictator For Life, or Jurassic Clarke, or that new guy…who belongs to a party called CCRAP. (US readers, I am not kidding!!)
Sheesh…what happened to all the leaders? ME for Prime Minister!!
