MOOSE JAW — Military Police officer Jim Alexander served in various countries during his 34-year career, but Afghanistan may have been the most memorable because of the heat and the wonderful aroma of “poo ponds.”
Alexander, 58, was in the West Asian country in the late 2000s, helping guard Canadian bases, the personnel working there and any famous people — like country singer George Canyon — who visited.
A military policeman (MP) is similar to a municipal police officer, except he guards higher-level venues such as military installations or embassies.
One thing that has stuck with Alexander from his time in Afghanistan was the weather and how it affected his body.
“There was a dry heat. It was good, but the temperature would drop massively between day and night,” he said. “So, the weather was good. It was good on the body … (because there was) no pain in the knees, neck or hips. (It was also) hot every day (and) sweaty.”
One humorous memory Alexander has from Afghanistan is the “poo ponds” — open aeration sewage venues — that he encountered during his travels.
“Whenever somebody would come in, we would take them for lunch and then take them around the poo pond … (to) get them to get the aroma of Afghanistan, you could say,” he chuckled. “So I think a lot of (MPs) did that to show (guests) what it was about.”
Another satisfying memory Alexander has is the work that Canada and its allies performed that helped transform the country, from which the Afghanis benefitted.
“I worked (security) in the markets in Afghanistan just to see the locals and the success of their businesses while we were there to keep the economy going and keep them employed,” he said.
With a chuckle, Alexander added that he was unable to pick up any of the country’s languages since he’s no good at that and can barely speak “Frenglish — I mean English.”
Alexander joined the military in 1983 at age 17 because his father and grandfather had both served, so he felt called to serve his family and his country. He initially joined the 13th Field Battery, 26th Field Regiment, in Portage la Prairie, Man., before he joined the regular force and transferred to the Prince Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in Calgary.
Interestingly, his son also joined the military and was posted to Cold Lake, Alta. — 20 years after Alexander was posted there, whose own father had served there 30 years before. In total, the Alexander family has contributed 125 years of military service.
In 1983, at age 18, Alexander was posted to Wainwright, Alta., where, during one special regimental day, he engaged in a snowball fight with others and received a cut under his right eye.
He was receiving stitches in the infirmary when the duty sergeant walked in and said his mother was on the phone and wanted to speak — yell! — with him. The officer knew his father, so he called Mrs. Alexander to report the injury.
“Everybody knew everybody … . It was terrible,” Alexander chuckled.
In 1991, because of an injury, he re-mustered and became an MP, an operational unit with which he served — in other places like the Middle East and Balkans — until retiring in 2017 after 34 years.
“I’d do it (serve) again. Within a heartbeat, I would do it again if I had the opportunity (because of the) sense of service,” he said.
Alexander finished his career at 15 Wing Air Base, saying that his career was fulfilling, he felt like he accomplished things, and he had no regrets.
“You do a lot of things that a lot of normal people wouldn’t do. And every day was a different day … ,” he added. “No matter what the task was, it was done (and) it was completed.”
