Tuesday February 14, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Top Canadian military official charged with 2 murders

World Feb. 09, 2010 - 02:16PM JST ( 22 )

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22 Comments

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sabiwabiFeb. 09, 2010 - 04:39PM JST

Murderers in the military! Who woulda thunk it!
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yabusamaFeb. 09, 2010 - 04:50PM JST

This isn't your run of the mill grunt looking to join the military because there's nothing else on the outside.. He is/was a highly respected, high level member of the air force. If he did it it's good they caught him before he could cause any more damage. R.I.P. to the murder victims and I hope the assaulted ones can find some happiness.
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smithinjapanFeb. 09, 2010 - 07:01PM JST

Lock him up for life and throw away the key.
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USNinJapan2Feb. 09, 2010 - 08:48PM JST

He's only a Colonel. A headline that says, "Top Canadian Military official..." is sensationalizing/exaggerating things a little no?
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timorborderFeb. 09, 2010 - 09:25PM JST

Would have to agree with USN on this one, reading the headline, you would think that they had arrested a member of the General Staff or something. The chap is just a colonel for CS.

By the way, with this on your service record I reckon this chap might just get passed over at his next promotion board.

Murderers in the military! Who woulda thunk it!

Wonderful comment this one.
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tmarieFeb. 09, 2010 - 09:49PM JST

You guys might want to know that ranks and whatnot are different for Canadian and US forces. He's VERY high ranking and was a base commander. This is MAJOR news for the Canadian military.
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oberstFeb. 09, 2010 - 09:53PM JST

you think it is easy to make colonel in mid 40's ?
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ca1ic0catFeb. 09, 2010 - 09:54PM JST

In the UASF a full bird colonel is a high rank. Might be a middle rung elsewhere but it's up there in the air force.

I would have thought this guy would have had to pass a few psych profiles along the way but given what happened at Ft. Hood maybe those things aren't so thurough after all.
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LIBERTASFeb. 09, 2010 - 09:54PM JST

Dispelling the stereotypical myth of the polite Canadian.
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SuperLibFeb. 09, 2010 - 10:47PM JST

Which shopping mall was he recruited at?
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SargeFeb. 09, 2010 - 10:54PM JST

smith: "Lock him up for life and throw away the key"

Before he's been convicted? And if he is convicted, are you going to pay for his food, clothing, housing and medical care for the rest of his life or the rest of your life? Well, if you're a tax-paying Canadian, I guess you will be, lol.
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USNinJapan2Feb. 09, 2010 - 11:28PM JST

tmarie, cat1cat, oberst

A Colonel is a Colonel in any branch with very little difference. As similar as the US and Canadian military rank structures are (aside from the rank names/titles) there's not much difference there either. An O-6 is officially a "Senior Officer" but to be considered top brass one has to be a flag officer (General or Admiral) of which there are four ranks above Colonel/Group Captain. If you've ever spent any time at the Pentagon or other HQ-type command you'd know that Colonels are are the ones scurrying around making coffee for all of their seniors. As for making O-6 in your 40's yes it's not that hard, especially in the Air Force which seems to have more younger senior officers than the other services. And FYI, a base commander is usually an O-6 that for some reason or another wasn't on the fast track to making flag rank and was relegated to flying a desk. They are not the elite by any stretch. If they were they would be in charge of an operational command like a squadron, ship, regiment, etc. Google and read Williams' bio. He's a glorified lear jet pilot who's previously had command of a transport squadron and another base. Definitely shouldn't qualify as a top military official.
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adaydreamFeb. 10, 2010 - 03:35AM JST

WOW!! But there's nuts in all ranks. Pretty soon he'll be a newest member of the thigh-wide club. Initiation will be right after lights out. < :-)
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wontondFeb. 10, 2010 - 04:10AM JST

He's only a Colonel. A headline that says, "Top Canadian Military official..." is sensationalizing/exaggerating things a little no?

According to news reports here in Canada, he's also acted as the pilot for the Prime Minister and Governor General. I'm guessing he's not an ordinary Colonel if he's had that duty.
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bushloverFeb. 10, 2010 - 05:02AM JST

A Canadian friend of mine is posted to CFB Trenton and says that everyone there knows as much as we do with this report. It was quite a shock that he was arrested but that no one can speculate about his guilt until a court tries him. So far the only thing the police said they got him on were "geographical" similarities so that sounds pretty circumstantial however we may speculate that there may be more physical evidence for them to make such a high profile arrest. So hang onto your keys yet Richard. Your military is carrying on and so are your police services doing their jobs to high standards. We will have to wait and see if this guy, Russ Williams gets found guilty or not.

Canadian Forces rank structure is as per the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CanadianForcesranksandinsignia and my friend tells me that Captain is a working rank for officers and that it has 10 pay levels within it because an officer can be a Captain for a long time.

So remember as much as you want to hang a military guy right away how you always give the benefit of the doubt to your drug taking friends/selves. Give him the same benefit of the doubt until he has been proven guilty.
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SmytheFeb. 10, 2010 - 07:06AM JST

Obviously the Police will be sniffing around every darn place he has been just in case they find similiar patterns like above. A Colonel is pretty high ranking to use Cdns & highest I have knowen was a low rank Private like myself to meet him about to retire as a Major.
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UnagiDonFeb. 10, 2010 - 07:17AM JST

USN;

A Col in the CF is a high rank, and being placed in charge of an airbase is a big deal.esp Trenton as its the home of all of our strategic airlift. This guy WAS being groomed for BGen or higher - if guilty good thing he was caught.
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USNinJapan2Feb. 10, 2010 - 09:50AM JST

UnagiDon

This guy WAS being groomed for BGen or higher

Sure, he may have been in the process of being groomed but that doesn't make him a TOP military official YET. It doesn't matter how bright a future he may have (had) he's still only a Colonel. Reading the headline you'd expect the Chief of the Air Staff to have been the one in trouble.
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bushloverFeb. 10, 2010 - 11:12AM JST

Being a Wing Commander is high enough. But the headline is misleading. Typical JT.
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bushloverFeb. 12, 2010 - 01:59AM JST

Friend says that a base email told them to refer to him as MR. Williams now Not Colonel Williams. Lost his status and respect just like that. I knew the Canadian Military also harbored War Criminals and common criminals alike.