"5132 Days Later" - (Somebody) From the 99% of Us









I really like some turms commonly used. One being...SOON. A relative term cocidering it means nothing really. Soon could be in 10 seconds or a week. It is all relative.

This brings me to another term used quite often and that is wounded. Now a wounded police officer, firefighter or service member, can mean many things. Most of us think of wounded as having your body disfigured in some fashion. Unfortunatly, mentally wounded can hurt just as much as missing an arm or leg. You loose a piece of yourself. If your lucky, you might get some of it back or at least under control. For others, it is permanent.

This leads me to my last word used all too often is the word.... SOMEBODY. It is usually grouped into a sentence describing something quite unpleasent. For example; Somebody should arrest that person or somebody should help put that fire out. Lastly, somebody should go over there and teach them a lesson they will not forget.

Well people, somebody is a real life person. Somebody actually trains to go into nasty situations that you as the general public would never dream of going. We can't ever forget that these somebodies are real life people. They have hopes and dreams as you do. To think they can go into the most awful situations you can imagine and not be affected, you are kidding yourself. Those somebodies get up every day and know in the back of their minds, this may be my last day on earth. Just think about having to do that day in and day out. Not a pretty picture.

I was sent this by a caring dear friend to remind me that he does think of those somebodies like me and the getleman pictured below. He is a somebody........I think the story with the pictures says the rest. Something or ..........somebody to think about today and everyday.

It is just slightly different in Canada but close to our neighbours.... Our Deputies, MPs & Senators to my knowledge receive the best compensation for the time served... I challenge you to read this and NOT have the will to pass it on. No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the U.S. or Canadian Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay on retirement. While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive full-pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense.

If each person who receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people in The United States of America and Canada will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around. Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congres s shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .." The same should be passed in Canada. You are one of my 20+. I passed it on, will you? "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice," and these brave soldiers have given you that right!! Absolutely!

"There I Was," 5131 Days Later - Lawyer Required

"There I Was," 5130 Days Later - A Poem

"There I Was," 5129 Days Later - Case Handling

"There I Was," 5128 Days Later - Email to Charlottowne

I spoke to Amy-Lyne from BPA PEI and she was very kind and helpful. I am sending her an email full of the documents that seem to not exist or have been lost. Since I have been told that any first application to be submitted I can't review prior to adjudication, I thought it best that head office be supplied with a substantial amount DND has been unable to locate IAW our Terms of Settlement," between myself and the Government on Behalf of the Queen. I am also forwarding a copy of my entire blog that contains similar information. I hope that this information will be forwarded to the head of BPA so that the appropriate action can be taken. Thank you to all mt followers. I will keep you posted.

"There I Was," 5121 Days Later - Indecision

Did you know: "Indecision is the key, to flexibility"

Did you also know: "Flexibility is key, to Canadian Military superiority"

Therefore it must stand to reason that: "Indecision is key, to Canadian Military superiority"


As I continue to wait for that ever Illusive thing called: "A Decision." 5121 days on.

"There I Was," 5118 Days Later - The Pension Act Escalation Procedure

The Pension Act Escalation Procedure

IAW: “Terms of Settlement” 01 April 1999

The steps below are followed, as warranted:

1. The plan member's file and related documentation is automatically transferred to the next level of authority for consideration.
2. The inquiry is raised to the attention of management.
3. Policy and pension experts from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) are consulted to ensure full compliance of the Public Service pension plan policies and procedures.

 

"There I Was," 5117 Days Later - In Accordance With Veterans Affairs Canada

In Accordance With Veterans Affairs Canada

Their (Our) Mission

To provide exemplary, client-centred services and benefits that respond to the needs of myself, a veteran, their other clients and their families, in recognition of their services to Canada; and to keep the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians.

Their (Our) Vision

To provide exemplary service which honours the sacrifice and achievements of, myself, a veteran and client.

Their (Our) Values and Ethics

At Veterans Affairs Canada we value our clients' contributions to the development of Canada as a nation and honour the sacrifices they have made in the defence of freedom and the pursuit of world peace. In expressing Canada's gratitude to them, we strive to exemplify the high principles which they have defended.

Integrity

We act with honesty and fairness and always strive to do the right thing.

Respect

We treat everyone with respect. We recognize the dignity that is inherent in all people and celebrate the strength that comes from the diversity of people and ideas.

Service

We take pride in our role as public servants and are dedicated to service excellence. We are committed to responsive, quality service, delivered with timeliness, courtesy and fairness.

Accountability

We are accountable and responsible for our actions and accept the consequences of our decisions.

Teamwork

We value teamwork, and promote the principles of partnership, consultation and open communication.

Balance

We encourage the achievement of a healthy balance in the working and personal lives of employees, believing that this contributes to the vitality of individuals, our organization and our communities.

From Me To Veterans Affairs

Transitioning from the military can be an adjustment for me and
my family. We're (VAC) here to help when and where you need us (VAC).

General Inquiries Regarding my File K6705156, location unknown, may be directed to the following toll-free numbers, during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (local time):1-866-522-2122 (English) 1-866-522-2022 (French) * created from actual VAC web page (altered to: personal) *

Captain (R) Michael I. Cole, CD1        ( michaelcole9112010.blogspot.com )

"There I Was," 5116 Days Later - A true story

By now you know that I am an ex-military pilot. Within my autobiography are some stories of flights I have had. In the spirit of my last blog I will tell you a true story from one of my flights. This can easily be verified by anyone who was on this flight with me.

I was giving a check ride to a potential Aircraft Commander. I was working for the training squadron 426. I was on a multi-leg trip from Trenton to initially, an air force base in the US (Savannah, GA). The crew all got going and to flight planning okay but, something was wrong. After doing this kind of stuff for so long, you just get a feeling about the mood of your crew.

Finally the Chief Warrant Officer and the Acting Aircraft Commander came to me with the problem. We had a young Corporal on board who was a Deserving Crewman. The Corporal had been informed by his wife, living in Comox, BC, that she was having serious troubles with her pregnancy and needed him home right away. The Chief had called his Squadron (429) and asked how quickly they could get this fellow home to his wife. The answer back was, 4 days. He would have to wait in Trenton for the next service flight leaving for the west coast.

I asked the Acting Aircraft Commander, what would he do? He said that his hands were tied since their Squadron could not do any better than that (this was the correct answer but I worked for a different squadron) . I told the Chief and the other Captain to leave this one to me. I called back to my squadron (426) and asked to speak to the Commanding Officer. The real CO was away, so I spoke to the Acting CO. His name was Major Michael H.(I would love to use his full name but, he is one of the real good senior officers I know and I would not want to let that secret out). I explained to the Major our situation and requested his approval for me to re-route our training trip so that I might get this poor Corporal home as soon as possible. I heard the words, do what you have to do, to get it done.

I went back to the crew and explained our situation to them. Our crew day is 18 hours and if we were fast, we might make the 20 hour crew day exception rule. To a person, they all said, let's do it. We re-filed a flight plan from Savannah, GA direct to Comox, BC. The flight was to be so long that we needed to re-fuel en-route.

I, to this day, have never seen a Chief look so proud that we all took the Corporals thoughts and feelings into consideration and we were going to get him home today. Truth be told, I was never prouder of a crew or their performance under trying circumstances than I was that day. This was a true honour. One of those you never hear or read about.

I came home from another hard day at work about two months later and there was this hand written letter addressed to me. It was in a woman's hand writing. I was curious to open this letter and see who this woman was who took the time to hand write me a letter.

When I opened it, the hand writing was all done in gold ink. Enormous care and thought was put into each and every pen stroke. It was a thank you letter from the Corporal's wife. She wrote to personally thank me as the Captain, for flying her husband directly home when she needed him the most. I must admit that it took several eye clearing sessions to wipe the tears away long enough to read the whole letter, but I made it through. I told the Chief about it and all he did was nod and smile. This is one of those stories, never told but actually happened.

"There I Was," 5115 Days Later -This is who I am too, your Canadian Military Pilot Captain!

Letter from an airline pilot:
He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a
Secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I
Saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.' 

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety.

Foot note:

I know everyone who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer for our service men and women.

Don't break it!

They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.

Posted by DHILR at 08:55 No comments: 

"There I Was," 5112 Days Later

Figured I would keep you all up to date on stuff. Wouldn't want you to feel like a mushroom too, like me.

Some days you get up and have different kind of insights. Today for example I thought something quite witty. It went something like this: "Someday's you feel like the windshield, other days, you feel like the bug". I must say that I am tired of feeling like a mushroom and a bug.

Well I sent a letter off to Prince Edward Island, if you can believe that? Yes sir. It was done in a tricky way. You know, the way that they can't say they didn't get it or it never showed up. That kind of letter. I sent it all the way out there because somewhere in those fancy brochures they give out, you know, the ones that tell you all the nice things they will do for you to help you out. Yes, those ones.

Well it seems that some of the people who work for them, never got these fancy brochures so they aren't very helpful. So, keeping it simple, I went right to the top. The big people. The university graduates. I'm sure they know what they said in their fancy brochures.

Well, I told them my problems in simple, like me, terms. Those University Graduates out there will fix me up "lickity split", I bet. Like true Spud Islanders, with the speed of a Gazel, they will get on it right away. Those Islanders really have their, "lobsters in a line", I tell you, they'll be on it like, "scum to a pond".

As for those other people I asked for help, nothing. I was most disappointed in that Governor General guy. He was the one on charge. The big cheese. The big "Cahuna". He was the guy who said go into those mean nasty ugly places because people there need our help. I'm not sure of the right term to use right now, since, I never saw him there and he has more medals than I do. He must have been all cammed' up in the bushes so I couldn't see him. I was in a big plane, ya know. It's kind of hard seeing such a little figure from such a big plane. I never did see the guy when I was the pilot flying into: Rwanda, Central African Republic, Kenya, Ethiopia, both gulf wars along with a few more I can't remember. It's that darn PTSD that's got me again. Rest assured though, he must have been there because he has so many medals.

Anyway, to finish up for today, I sent out a letter yesterday. A picture, really. Actually a picture on a piece of paper. It was a picture of something I wrote up. I just called a University Graduate friend of mine and he said that I actually emailed a scanned copy of my hand written note. Sounds fancy, but that is what I did. I sent it to all those people who were supposed to help me but didn't. People like the: disappointing Governor General (with more medals than me), the Minister of National Defense, the Justice Department and a few others I can't remember because of this darn PTSD. I told them that I didn't want them looking into my papers anymore because, if they haven't figured it out yet, they probably never will. In the case of the disappointing Governor General, he has had my stuff since March and I got "Butkus", "Squat," from him and the others.

Funny, I go to war zones because they say they need me to but when I say I need them..........Nothing. The end, for today. Today being day 5112 waiting for them to get it right.

Alice's Resturant - Old But True - Enjoy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5_8U4j51lI&feature=BFa&list=FLm4peoi70tUptsYypxRHW4g

"There I Was", 5110 Days Later

I realize that it is hard to believe but, some people still think I just came off a slow boat from nowhere and know little or nothing about anything. As far as "formal" education, they are right but I was an honour graduate from two schools some in government have never heard about. The first is the school of hard knocks and street smarts.The other was from KISS institute. KISS stands for " Keep it Simple Stupid".


Keeping these facts in mind, there I was sitting just minding my own when I received a letter that was real fancy. The person who wrote this literary masterpiece, had sadly missed a few small but significant points. I wrote a letter earlier to this person's office and explained my simple problem. Kind of like, where is Waldo? My question was a simple one, like me, I asked, "where did all my paperwork go?"


The kind people at the government who wrote up this fancy document, were happy to have me sign it and go on my way. They were so nice that they said that they would keep it for me just in case I needed it in the future. Well to my surprise, I did need all that paperwork back that they so kindly said they would keep for me. When I asked for it, the nice person who writes on fancy paper said that your papers have been destroyed (2 year rule).

I wrote back to the nice person with the fancy paper and said; they told me I could use my papers in the future if I needed them. They never told me that they were just going to get rid of them. These papers had significance to me especially the real fancy one from the Queen. I was saddened by these developments. I thought that the person who writes on fancy paper had missed some things and I was happy to point them out.

I wrote that, you government guys wrote up this real fancy paper for me to sign. It was on behalf of the Queen ya know. Everything looked okay to me so, I signed it and they signed it and we were all supposed to be friends again. Within the Queens paper that they wrote for me it said, (with absolutely no time limits), that I could have all my papers back if I needed them. The person who writes on the fancy paper said (I'm pretty sure) that the Queen doesn't like too much clutter around so if she doesn't talk to you for let's say 2 years, then she just throws your fancy stuff out. They did this and didn't even ask me if I minded. I did mind.

So as a re-cap for the slow ones like me: The Queens people at DND did up some real fancy paperwork for me to sign. This was based on us not getting along and that they wanted to get along. They said they would keep all the papers for me so I did not lose them. I think that the Queen person might be upset because even after they said they would keep all my papers for me it seems they didn't. I wonder why?

I wrote back to the person who writes on fancy paper and asked some real simple questions. They require lots of words to answer so I hope they get it right. The questions were: Do you have all my papers? Then I put in to help them, Yes or No. The second question was, if Yes, send them all to me because I miss them and need them for show and tell. If their answer is No, I will be so sad and have to start from scratch with a whole new fancy piece of paper from that Queen person. This time though, I will write it and keep it instead of all those government people holding on to it. That way I will know, it isn't lost. I hope they find all of those missing papers. Show and tell will be lot's of fun. I kept a few papers for old times sake to remember with and my supply is at least a couple hundred or so.

Can't wait for my next letter from the people who write on the fancy paper.

RCMP....Anytime Now Would Be Good!

Anytime now would be a good time for the RCMP to investigate. I know I have nothing to hide, do they?


Recap of case:

Steps Followed So Far

Letter to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

I gave him a brief outline of the mess we will call, my case file. I detailed my pursuit of lost documents and the obvious conflict of interest posed by the BPA representing me when a portion of my case involves the government itself. If BPA is paid for by the government, due you truly think they will work for my best interests only? I don't think so as proven in the past.

I asked him based on my situation, if he would support private counsel for me. The letter was sent 28 June 2012. I await his answer and keep you posted.