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Successful-Clock-224 t1_j2e7h16 wrote

Reply to comment by jimintoronto in Ukrainian border guards receive Canadian Roshels by shiver-yer-timbers

I feel like your comment highlights Canada’s strong commitment to global security for over a hundred years with out receiving or asking for much recognition (outside of military aficionados )

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LittleGreenSoldier t1_j2er069 wrote

It's more about focusing on soft power. We like being seen as more of a quiet, sober, tempering force next to the huge devouring machine that is the US military. Putting boots on the ground risks angering the wrong people, and we don't necessarily have the resources to openly join a conflict like the US can.

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HugeFinish t1_j2f2j8l wrote

Plus Canada and the USA know we will always have each others backs. No little brother big brother shit.

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flight_recorder t1_j2f34p3 wrote

The only way we could meaningfully help the US is by convincing other NATO missions to tag along.

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HugeFinish t1_j2f77np wrote

You don't think Canada would send everything if the USA was being invaded? That was the point I was trying to make

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flight_recorder t1_j2f9kzy wrote

Canada sure would, but it would mean very little in the grand scheme of things.

Canada has 68,000 regular force soldiers. That’s 44,000 army, 8,300 navy, and 12,000 Air Force spread out all over Canada. Fort Bragg has 58,000 military personnel in ONE BASE.

Canadian Air Force has 430 operational aircraft. US Airforce has 936 operational F-16s alone.

Canada helping the US in war is like a child helping Messi play football. It’s cute, but only happens to gain their parents (NATO) support.

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LittleGreenSoldier t1_j2fdm0g wrote

It doesn't necessarily "mean very little". We don't have a lot of people, true, but we're aware of that fact and function mostly as targeted strike and shock troops. Let the US with its ten times the population field the infantry, send in a Canadian sniper team. JTF2 was the poster child for this stuff in Afghanistan.

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