No Names, No Pack Drill: An Oral History of Canadians at War in Afghanistan

On this episode I welcome Dick Fadden to the show. Born and raised in the eastern townships of Quebec, Dick suffered from itchy feet and wanted to find a way to contribute from an early age. He started his career with the foreign service and had the opportunity to serve in west Africa for a couple of years. When he returned to Ottawa, he served in many of the departments with national security responsibilities - Food Inspection Agency, Citizenship and Immigration, Defence, and CSIS. He eventually became the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Since his retirement from government, he continues to find ways to serve through his engagement on national security issues and education to the public through various engagements.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

I was unprepared for my last job in the Army. I arrived in Ottawa as a general officer with none of the experience required to represent the Army in a meaningful way. I was not alone. On this NSP Short, Dick Fadden explains why the entire military benefits with generals and admirals are more adept at navigating the bureaucracy in Ottawa.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

Image credit - CTV NewsForeign Interference by China and other states has been an important topic of discussion in 2024. It’s clear this has been happening for many years with little response from Canada. Listen to Dick Fadden’s take on why this matters to our democracy and the need to take these threats seriously to protect our way of life.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

On this episode, I speak with a Canadian down under, Paul Maddison. Paul spent his formative years in Ottawa and was in no way interested in joining the military. However, in an effort to find a productive path forward, he went to military college out of high school. He spent countless days at sea and eventually became the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. After he took off the uniform, he became our high commissioner to Australia and stayed on the continent as the Director of the Defence Research Institute at the University of New South Wales. We not only cover his time in uniform, but speak about finding your way as a young person, managing mental health, threats in the Indo-Pacific region, and much more. Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

Image credit - CTV NewsAlthough citizens are ultimately responsible for who runs the country, elected officials are hired to protect Canadians and our national interests. So what are the types of things we should expect our politicians to do to stop our slide into strategic irrelevance that is putting us at increasing risk? Paul Maddison has some thoughts on this NSP Short.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

It can be challenging to look at all that’s going on in the world and determine why this matters to you. With many demands on your time, why should you care about what is happening somewhere a million miles aways like in the Indo-Pacific? As Paul Maddison explains in this NSP Short, paying attention to China in the Indo-Pacific is important if we expect to maintain our way of life.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

On this episode, I sit down with someone I had the honour to soldier with and who remains a friend and inspiration. Russ Vida was born into an Army family and eventually found his way into the same profession. He started in the militia with the field engineers and ended up as in the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Once his time was done with the airborne, he had a successful career in the Army culminating as a Regimental Sergeant Major. Upon retirement, he moved his family to Vancouver Island and found ways to continued to serve. First as an adaptive snow sports instructor on Mount Washington and then with the charity Shoulder 2 Shoulder. This charity takes ill and injured military and RCMP veterans and their spouse or caregiver and provides them with a mountain experience to introduce them to winter sports and give them a break from the daily grind. Ironically, Russ’ time as an adaptive snow sports instructor will give him the opportunity to continue to enjoy his home ski hill of Mount Washington despite his recent diagnosis of ALS. We take a deep dive into the disease and the links to military service. Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

I have my first return guest to the podcast. Steve MacBeth was featured on episode 9 and has come back to discuss his newly released book, No Names, No Pack Drill. The book is a compilation of first hand accounts from Afghanistan, but the stories are presented in a unique and compelling way. The forward was written by the Honourable Peter Mackay, another NSP alum, and he captures the spirit of the book perfectly, “This book can be summed up as the truth for Canadians about what soldiers did in our name.” Thanks for listening. Now here’s my second conversation with Steve MacBeth. Order the Book Here! Amazon Canada Amazon New Zealand / AustraliaThanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

This episode is really a conversation between two friends who happen to be retired Army officers. I first met Christian Lillington at the Royal Military College of Canada in 1994. Our relationship started with a slightly ill intentioned wrestling match at a hockey game, but has improved significantly since then. Christian served as an armoured officer and deployed to Africa and two times to Afghanistan. He concluded his career as the commanding officer and base commander of the Army Training Centre in Meaford, Ontario. Christian has been open about living with complex PTSD which he chronicles in his amazing memoire, Parade State Zero. We cover lots of ground in this discussion from mental health and addictions, veterans affairs, the military family, and transition. This is the perfect conversation to highlight many of the challenges our veterans and their families face on a daily basis.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com

On this episode, I sit down with Cole Rosentreter, the founder and CEO of Pegasus, an aerospace company developing advanced technologies to unlock the full potential of autonomous flight to end destructive wildfires. Cole grew up in Edmonton and started in the trades after high school. He enrolled in the Army after 9/11 and deployed three times to Afghanistan as an infantry soldier and leader. His military career came to an end after a parachute accident, but he quickly found his new purpose in the business world.  He was inspired to build Pegasus after responding with the Army to fires and floods in western Canada. It’s clear to me that Cole has an unwavering focus on building his company and continuing to serve in a new way. Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com