Canadian troops forced to buy their own helmets and meals in Latvia after Trudeau government fails to provide either

Canadian military personnel deployed overseas to bolster NATO operations are against being forced to fend for themselves by the Trudeau government. 

Canadians in Latvia are forced to buy their own modern ballistic helmets with integrated hearing protection that can also be used as a headset.

The soldiers, sailors and airmen who are in the eastern European country as part of NATO efforts to curtail any further territorial expansion by Russia call it “Gucci gear” according to CBC News.

The troops are also buying their own rain gear and ammo belts and females deployed with the force are not happy with the body armor that they’ve been issued because it doesn’t fit properly. 

There are about 700 Canadians attached to the 1500 person strong battlegroup in Latvia. It isn’t properly equipped with current anti-tank weapons, anti-drone defenses or an air defense system that can counter helicopter and jet threats, the CBC reports.

Ironically, some of the Danish soldiers who are arriving in-theater have Canadian made equipment that hasn’t been issued to the Canadians. 

"In general, it was concerning verging on embarrassing to see the differences in issued soldier equipment between us and the Danes," explained Lt.-Col. Jesse van Eijk, the Canadian battle group commander in Latvia, in a May 12, 2023 email released by CBC.

"This was only exacerbated by the fact they were carrying more advanced Canadian-made Colt Canada rifles, mounting more advanced Canadian Elcan DR sights, and the fact that most of the systems our soldiers lacked were easily available on the open market and not some sort of closely guarded technology,” von Eijk continued. 

"Here we go again!” Official Opposition Defense Critic James Bezan (CPC-Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman) told The Post Millennial. “The Liberals can’t even buy our deployed troops proper helmets and body armour. This is ‘embarrassing’ and very reminiscent of the last decade of darkness when they sent our troops to Afghanistan with green uniforms and without army boots."

This is only the latest recent example of Canadian troops having to fend for themselves while deployed in support of NATO.

Canadians deployed to Poland had to buy their own meals because cooks did not accompany them on the mission. If they thought they would be reimbursed for dining on the local economy, they soon found out that a massive bureaucratic backlog of claims made that impossible, causing mounting restaurant bills.

Despite repeatedly assuring NATO in public statements, that Canada intends to meet the alliance’s target of military spending that is 2 percent of the country’s GDP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said something quite different in private.

The leaked Pentagon document details how Trudeau admitted that Canada will never achieve that defense spending goal and states that Canada’s “widespread” military parsimony is a source of deep division and security concerns within NATO.