The Private Performs - An Assessment by the Chief Comm Op

Operation ANGORA was not the first UN Peace-keeping tour of duty for most of the four officers and 13 WOs and Senior NCOs assigned to UNIFIL. For some Senior NCOs and all the privates, however, it was the first exposure to a hostile environment of frequent exchanges of gunfire, minefields and a high density of unexploded cluster bombs. Wearing helmets and flak jackets and carrying personal weapons as well as keeping a layer of sand bags on vehicle floors soon became standard protection against the constant threat to life and limb.

For the 40 or so inexperienced TQ3 Rad Ops a natural feeling of bewilderment and apprehension was evident during the hectic preparation phase in Canada and to a greater degree during transit to the Middle East. These concerns were natural and were anticipated by the officers and Senior NCOs.

Once on the ground in Lebanon, the TQ3 private made a quick appreciation. He knew that he was a young man having had basic military training, basic trades training, and, perhaps, language training. Now, he suddenly found himself working as a Rad Op under unusual circumstances. Gone was his social life, time off, leave, his mother, pay and, for all intents and purposes, his On- Job-Training (OJT) programs. He was now confronted with new priorities: danger, real radio traffic, survival, his job, his peers and lastly, his personal comfort. The real meaning of wearing a uniform as a member of a military force under difficult surroundings was now a stark reality. Fortunately, as officers and Senior NCOs made sound decisions, confidence levels rose and a keen sense of comradeship within CANSIGS developed. This led to immediate respect from other contributing nations in UNIFIL as well as the various fighting factions within the area.

In a very few isolated cases the TQ3 private tended to withdraw and thought that by sleeping as much as possible he could avoid the reality of the situation. Of course this couldn't last any longer than a few days and he soon realized that he had no alternative but to apply himself and learn as much as he could in as short a time as possible. It was basic leadership by his superiors that soon got him going. What he learned was not contained in any OJT program nor could it be taught by formal trades training. His first lesson was to develop a sense of urgency - without it, he was lost. This was soon followed by a sense of responsibility, a sense of purpose, imagination, self confidence, both in himself and in his job, and last but not least, courage. His leaders achieved this primarily through recognition of the individual, reassurance, showing by example and creating a competitive spirit between detachments. This quickly had the TQ3 out of his "shell" and performing magnificently.

Upon returning to Canada, what was once an average Rad Op TQ3 private, perhaps a little lazy and somewhat preoccupied, was now transformed into a proud professional. The secret was to motivate the man, as an individual, so he could develop and learn to take his place in a responsible position. Lebanon proved that there is essentially nothing wrong with the "calibre" of the present recruit when under fire and, that given the proper learning environment, motivation and re-assurance from his superiors, he is just as effective as his counterpart of yesteryear.

The onus was on the NCO. Trades training and OJT gave him the basic skills that represent about 30 per cent of his overall effectiveness in the field. Without the other 70 per cent provided through motivation of the individual by his superiors, those basic skills would be next to worthless.