CANADIANS FIGHTING IN UKRAINE: NOT A GOOD IDEA by Wayne Johnston

While not in great numbers, there are Canadians going to Ukraine to fight Russians. I certainly understand folks with Ukrainian heritage wishing to go, and to a lesser extent, veterans of military age wishing to join the fight. But beyond concerns about what will happen if they get captured…, simply put, the Russians will shoot them on the spot, bet on it…my thoughts on totally untrained civilians wishing to go to war are certainly a horse of a different colour. I’m here to tell you war isn’t a game. War is miserable, vile and shows mankind at our worst. War is best left to professional warriors or folks with skin in the game who have no choice.

Ukraine is openly recruiting foreign nationals with experience, rightly so, in the profession of arms. While totally untrained folks, with high ideals or a sense of adventure wish to join, the Embassy of Ukraine is doing the wise and responsible thing; turning these well-meaning civilians away, with a thanks but no thanks. Indeed ex-military people with minimal experience are being turned away.

In the theatre of war these untrained people will be very much a liability for Ukraine and Ukrainian Forces and, in the end, they will become very much a liability for Canada as they scream to be evacuated when it’s no longer fun and games. Then there is the matter of the real possibility of them being captured. I promise you it will not go well for them as they are no longer civilians, but rather combatants, with a very dubious, sketchy status insofar as the Russians are concerned. Will the Russians shoot them? Quite likely, or perhaps they will use them as bargaining chips.

Then what does Canada do? Just exactly what do we do on the world stage if they are executed or captured? Indeed given their complete lack of professional status, particularly as to the conduct of war, just what happens if one or more are accused of war crimes? Again highly likely given what Russia is communicating these days with all sorts of accusations flying. Foreigners from a NATO country committing war crimes will suit Putin’s narrative quite well indeed.

Some of these well-meaning civilians are looking to be “trained” quick and dirty, just like Cole’s notes when we were young. With their “training” in hand they can revisit joining up, by telling the Ukrainian embassy they’ve been trained. No doubt in two weeks Ukraine will take them…

Naturally, war brings out the worst in mankind, and clearly we can see that being reported by the media. What the media isn’t reporting is that some Canadians are looking to make a fast buck offering a two week, crash course in becoming a Warrior.

As crazy as it sounds it’s quite true…

I was just blocked by the famous Philanthropist, Chris Ecklund of Hamilton Ontario. Yes the same character who wraps vehicles with the names of the fallen. The same Chris Ecklund who claims to support the troops and Afghanistan refugees. This is noble work, work he should stick with.

He’s advertising an upcoming “two week training course” for totally untrained civilians who wish to travel to Ukraine to fight the Russians. In other words facilitating the completely untrained to remain untrained but allowing them to go to war, thinking they have been trained.

I commented that two weeks training is insane, and he is likely facilitating the deaths of these poor, well intentioned souls. BTW they are required to pay for their own training. Funny how that works, or is that just me seeing how unethical and dangerous this is?! I repeat, War brings out the worst in people, I’m sorry how could anyone think this is ethically all right?

I queried who was conducting the training, what’s the training syllabus etc. All fair questions given that he has taken on the position of the recruiter/facilitator of the untrained. The man is clearly clueless about what it takes to build an effective warrior who, given a chance, will survive the battle space, while at the same time inflicting the maximum damage and casualties on the enemy.

The stark reality is FIBUA (Fighting in Built Up Areas), known as house to house fighting, is a skill set that requires highly trained troops… if you wish to be successful. Having a mere 2 weeks training is a sure recipe to be killed in battle and I told him so. Any experienced soldier will tell you that it is likely the most difficult battle space to fight in.

Chris, for all his bluster and self-promotion, clearly is quite devoid of education on what it takes to prepare individuals for battle. Rather he trades in giving folks false hopes, thinking that with two weeks they are good to go. It is dangerous, irresponsible and morally bankrupt, with all the ingredients for a disastrous, horrid experience and a sad end.

When I commented on it and asked fair pointed questions, guess what this hero did? All he could counter with was, “I agree but some knowledge is better than none”. I couldn’t disagree more, this is a frigging high intensity war, a case where a little knowledge is a deadly, dangerous thing.

He took a vile little run at me on DM claiming I’m way out of line. I’m sorry Chris for pointing out what is clearly obvious. For all his talk of supporting troops he is in fact nothing but a mental health stigmatizer of the highest degree. Then, like a true coward, he blocked me. Hardly a courageous warrior, just a cheerleader without the courage of his convictions.

Instead of actually explaining his feckless, self-serving position he claimed I must be having a bad mental health day. Oh yes…the go to for all of his unsavoury ilk, attack someone who once suffered with PTSD etc. due, ironically, to the War in Afghanistan as Repatriation Officer to the Fallen. What a fricking moron and frankly a faux operator. I couldn’t be thinking clearer, Ukraine isn’t a place for well-meaning untrained souls to go on an adventure.

If you’re untrained, never did a stitch of soldiering and you think that a 2 week weekend warrior course you paid for will prepare you… You might want to rethink that, seriously rethink it. But hey, in the end it’s your life.

I can say this with absolute certainty, that in my 41 years as a soldier I have trained exponentially far more troops than this character. I certainly don’t lay any claim to an ability to prepare a civilian for high intensity warfare in 2 weeks, maybe 2 months, but 2 weeks… Not a chance.

This two week training caper, that the trainees pay for, is hardly noble work. Chris encourages and facilitates young folks to go to war completely ill prepared. Will he be going with them? If so, I sure hope he shows some real leadership vs cheerleading.

I for one have weighed and measured him and found him totally lacking. In the event that you know this guy, by all means let him know exactly what a self-serving, self-promoting, completely stupid, irresponsible Cockwobble he truly is. Two weeks indeed! It is beyond low to fill these people with a false sense of security that they will be a “trained warrior”.

I wonder what Chris will say to the parents, spouses etc. of these poor devils when many fail to return? The Ukrainians have certainly put up an incredibly stiff resistance which is escalating quickly. Will the Russians go so far as to use chemical, biological warfare? They may, as their level of frustration grows with the unexpected resistance.

Somehow I don’t think that information on Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare will be part of the 2 week Warrior Course. At best these folks will be able to strip and assemble their weapons, very basic field craft, basic battlefield first aid, perhaps basic camouflage and concealment. When I say basic I mean a rudimentary, low level skill sets. Hopefully they will be able to shoot reasonably straight.

Nor will FIBUA be covered with any detail. Trust me FIBUA is a whole different matter. Wicked and deadly with death waiting around every corner and behind every door. Then there are the booby traps, mined floorboards and everyday household items etc. Going forward, as the Russians try to take urban areas, the cost will be high on both sides.

Sadly, some untrained Canadians will die in this conflict, they are simply ill prepared for the reality of war. I hope I’m wrong and they all come back alive, but I don’t think that’s even remotely possible.