On Monday, LGEN A.B. LESLIE, Chief of the Land Staff for Canada, released a message entitled, “Prohibition on Acquisition of Soldier Personal Equipment, Clothing and Camp Stores.” The point of the message was to remind units that they cannot use Operations and Maintenance monies to procure Soldier Systems items. Specifically, guidance was issued that, “THE LF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT REMAIN WORLD CLASS. AS SUCH LOCAL PURCHASE OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT WITH O AND M FUNDS BY LF UNITS IS PROHIBITED.” The list of equipment units CANNOT use O&M to purchase is pretty extensive and includes basically everything that is covered on SSD. What killjoys. From the message:
A. PERSONAL CLOTHING. OCULAR PROTECTION, HELMETS, HELMET SUSPENSION AND RETENTION SYSTEMS, HEADWEAR, FOOTWEAR, GLOVES, JACKETS, NEXT TO SKIN CLOTHING TO INCLUDE SHIRTS, PANTS, SOCKS AND UNDERGARMENTS
B. PERSONAL EQUIPMENT. LOAD CARRIAGE SYSTEMS, HYDRATION OR WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS, AMMUNITION OR WEAPON SLINGS / BANDOLIERS, KNIVES, MULTITOOLS, FLASHLIGHTS, HEADLAMPS, ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT FOR PERSONAL WEAPONS AND PISTOL HOLSTERS
C. CAMP STORES. TENTAGE, COTS, SLEEPING SYSTEMS, AIR MATRESSES OR SLEEPING PADS, GENERATORS / HEATERS OR THEIR ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT, STOVES, POWER DISTIRBUTION, LIGHTING KITS AND VCP KITS
Truthfully, our favorite quote from the entire message is, “THE LF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT REMAIN WORLD CLASS.” Really, you can’t make this stuff up. Despite the assertion of world class kit, a previously released message from LGEN Leslie authorizes Canadian Soldiers to privately purchase and use equipment from the following sources:
A. ARKTIS
B. BLACKHAWK
C. EAGLE
D. FELLFAB
E. HIGHSPEED GEAR
F. PACIFIC SAFETY PRODUCTS
G. TACTICAL TAILOR
H. SORD
I. COTMS
It must be noted that products from the manufacturers on this list include makers of trials kit from the Modular Fighting Rig program which should finally see theater this August. So I guess that the current “world class” kit will be replaced by even more world class once they make a decision on MFR. Until then, if you are a Canadian Soldier, if you want equipment that outclasses world class, you are going to have to buy it yourself.