2001 article on Cadpat

I was cleaning up some old papers recently, and discovered that I had squirreled away this February 2001 issue of Maple Leaf / Feuille D'Erable with a cover feature on the upcoming introduction of CADPAT to the Canadian Forces. I have scanned the very brief article from p. 13 for the interest of the CADPAT enthusiasts on the forum. Note the reference to an arid pattern for possible future issue - it was already in the works before 9/11 or the first deployments to Afghanistan.

At the time that this issue was printed, I was a reservist, and soon received the CADPAT TW helmet cover and personal camouflage screen. However, I never saw any of the clothing or the tactical vests before leaving the reserves in 2002.

I love seeing stuff like this years after the fact to see how close reality matches. In this case it's pretty close. Other nations say things like this and they never happen or there's years of delays.

Steve

Sometimes it pays to be a pack-rat.

Yes, they seem to have kept to the schedule - for example, it says that LFCA (Land Forces Central Area - where I was situated) reserves were not due to get the clothing until August 2002, which was after I left the reserves. I am pretty sure that my friend who remained in the unit had the new stuff by that fall or winter.

The first unit to deploy with them was the 22nd in Bosnia.  Here's a story to put it in context:

A US Special Forces friend of mine was on a secret squirrel mission in October 2001 and their helicopter had a major mechanical failure and they managed to get over a mountain and land at a Canadian base.  They had no real idea where they were (besides GPS coordinates) and found that the personnel were "French", as their Canadian greeter continued to insist.  The my friend's team were really confused by this because they saw Canadian flags everywhere, but when they asked him if he was Canadian he kept saying he was French.  My friend specifically said they were even more confused by the uniforms because they had never seen anything like it before.  It took a while but they finally figured out that he was Quebecois.  He had high praise for the kit (the 22nd were more than happy to show it off) and the genuine milk they offered the team.  Two months later they returned and staged a raid from the base.  The Canadians were very accommodating even though it kinda-sorta wasn't done by the books.  I wasn't told what that meant

My friend didn't say they were the 22nd, but I'm positive that's who was there at the time.  My first CADPAT uniform was a bring back from that deployment.  I got a dozen or so in Quebec City a few months later.

Steve

P.S. This story comes via my virtual packratting of emails. 2003 to be specific.