The Army and Disaster Management

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Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) helped during Covid-19 outbreak.

Daddy, what do you do in the army?

Veterans do not talk about what happened over there, in foreign countries and how they killed populations the government identified as the enemy. Nothing personal, just doing their patriotic duty.

As a result, families and civilians in general do not understand how the army protects Canadian and American interests thousands of miles away, in other continents.

The pandemic and floods give us a glimpse of the human side of the army, at home. In Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) provided much needed help in Ontario and Quebec long term care homes, devastated by Covid-19 in 2020.

The army is well-equipped for disaster management because it has special skills and resources designed for combat. These came in handy during peace time, when climate change resulted in July floods in Germany and China.

Climate change cannot be reversed. It cannot be stopped either because we don’t want to change production practices detrimental to nature’s checks and balances.  

Therefore, the post-pandemic army should fortify its resources and skills  so that it continues to help at home, should disaster strike again. It will, because climate change is real.

This is another ‘written podcast’ from Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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