How about next CDS?

Here’s my hunches … intended to provoke and excite!

Minister of National Defence – Rona Ambrose (or, it could be Peter Van Loan)
Chief of the Defence Staff – VAdm Bruce Donaldson (current Vice CDS)
New Vice CDS – LGen Peter Devlin
New Commander of the Army – LGen Jon Vance (on promotion from MGen)

… but then again, I was cheering for the New Jersey Devils.

DEFENCE MINISTER PETER MACKAY HAS BEEN ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH. HE HAS BEEN DISHONORABLE IN RESPECT OF THE F-35 IN ALL ITS CONTROVERSIES. HE MUST GO. JOHN BAIRD, SEEEMILY UNVARNISHED AS HE IS, WOULD BE MY CHOICE. AND HE IS C.D. HOWE INCARNATE. THE ONLY THING THAT MAY BE RISKY IS HIS LIKELYHOOD OF GOING OFF THE RESERVATION. AND HE SHOULD LOOK AT THE MAP OF THE MIDDLE EAST. ISREAL IS NOT THE ONLY CANADA FRIENDLY ACTOR IN THAT DISFUNCTIONAL PART OF THE WORLD. AND I HOPE HE DOESN’T TALK TOO BIG GIVEN THAT OUR FORCES ARE ILL EQUIPPED WITH TOO FEW TRAINED SOLDIERS TO MAKE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE. INDEED, BECAUSE OUR FIGHTING FORCES ARE SO SMALL WE MAY BE PUTTING WHAT FIGHTERS WE DO HAVE IN VERY VULNERABLE SITUATIONS. AND THIS FAILURE WILL BE AN ORPHAN, THE DND HAS A HUGE MISALLOCATED BUDGET..WE CERTAINLY ARE LOATHE TO PAY ENOUGH SOLDIERS TO FIGHT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH. MAYBE MINISTER BAIRD COULD RADICALLY CHANGE DND’S SPENDING PRIORITIES WHICH IS SO DEARLY REQUIRED. A FACTOID TO PROVE MY POINT….THE 2011 BUDGET SLICED 1100 TRAINED SOLDIERS FROM THE DND PAYROLL. ONE WONDERS WHICH BUREACRATIC STIFF MADE THAT MOVE. HE’S LIKELY STILL THERE BEING OVERPAID. NO, THE NEGATIVES ARE TOO GREAT TO GIVE IT THE PROPER TREATMENT HERE.I GUESS, TO PREVENT THE HEMORRHAGING OF THE PERENNIAL MISMANAGEMENT OF DND, ANY CHANGE IS A GOOD CHANGE. WE MUST TRIPLE OUR RECRUITMENT FOR THE ARMY AND CUT OUT THE BUREACRACY. I THINK I READ A STAT THAT WEE, LITTLE CANADA, HAD MORE GENERAL OFFICERS PER GRUNT BY FAR, THAN ANY ARMY IN THE WORLD. .

I HOPE HE CHOPS THE TOP 15 LAYERS OF BUREAUCRACY AT DND. MY GOODNESS, WE CAN’T EVEN FIELD MORE THAN A FEW BATTALIONS OVER TIME IN THE EVENT OF HOSTILITIES OF ANY SCALE “OVER THERE”. SO, I HOPE HE COMES TO GRIPS WITH THIS FACT. AND THE AIRFORCE, PROFESSIONAL AS IT MOST CERTAINLY IS, CAN ONLY CONTRIBUTE A TOKEN PRESENCE. SO WE ARE BEST TO KEEP OURSELVES FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE REALITY OF OUR LLIMITED LIKELY MILITARY CONTRIBUTIONS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

OUR NAVY CAN PROVIDE COASTAL SURVEILLANCE AS WE DO NOW, INTIMIDATING PIRATES AND DISCOURAGING ILLEGAL ARMS SHIPMENTS, BUT ONLY IN THE EVENT OF HOSTILITIES, TO BE SURE. BUT, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, DON’T EXPECT OUR NAVY TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT.

NEW BLOOD IS REQUIRED FOR THE DND’S TOP JOB. BAIRD OR NOT. PERHAPS AS A NOVELTY, SOMEONE WHO HAS THOUGHTS OF HAVING AN ARMED FORCES WITH MORE TRAINED FIGHTERS THAN ADMINISTRATORS TO JUSTIFY AN ANNUAL $27 BILLION AND COUNTING, BUDGET.