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General R.J. (Rick) Hillier, CMM, MSC, CD, Chief of the Defence Staff, spoke to Victoria veterans of the Canadian Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted police and others, on Monday, July 24 at Bay Street Armoury. Over 200 veterans from 16 organizations with local Militia and Naval Reserve members present.
The CDS addressed his opening remarks to the RCMP veterans. Like the Canadian Forces he said, the RCMP has also suffered recent fatal casualties in the line of duty and he offered his deepest condolences to the Force. He noted how fortunate Canada was to have such outstanding and dedicated young men and women in uniform prepared to serve their country to the fullest. The applause was deafening.
“The transformation of Canada’s military into the 21st century” and “how to better connect the Armed Forces with Canadians” were the main themes of the talk. General Hillier spoke informally and without notes as he laid out his main themes. (Regrettably, his portable microphone exceeded the technical capability of the public address system and not all of his dynamic, forthright commentary could be heard.)
The new strategic environment he outlined has changed from the Soviet/ Warsaw Pact “Bear” to a more subtle and challenging asymmetrical environment involving a “Ball of Snakes” within a global context. Concurrently through the nineties, the Canadian Forces was under budgeted and downsized while being stretched by new sets of missions that were not the so-called “peacekeeping.”
The CDS affirmed that the Canadian Forces must now do business differently than during the Cold War. Now, it is in Canada’s national interest to be able to contribute to rooting out the threats to our society: from terrorists to drug lords and organized crime.
His vision involves developing a Canadian military that is again relevant, responsive, deployable and ”command centric.” The Canadian Forces needed to become much more effective. For example, they couldn’t use the existing Forces structure to deploy on off-shore or domestic tasks. The Forces had become essentially a “Public Service of Canada” in uniform, in his view.
As CDS, he found National Defence Headquarters was non-responsive to the will of the CDS. Minute decisions were routed to the CDS instead of being dealt with at the appropriate command level. Commands were awaiting authority to do ‘X’ when they already had (in his view) that authority.
The chain of command could not respond to joint operations. Thus the CDS set up a revised chain of command so that in specific areas of Canada, there would be naval, army and air assets under one commander.
General Hillier perceived that the configuration of the CF was not designed to conduct joint operations from the “get go.” He saw the need to organize and deploy forces for Afghanistan operations differently than heretofore. The soldiers sent there were under great stress physically and mentally (high altitude temperatures up to 50C degrees and dust as fine as talcum powder over a foot in depth). The need for heavy-lift helicopters became clear.
He alluded to the positive as well as the negative influences of the Regimental system. He saw a need for a different force structure to meet our joint operations requirements.
General Hillier affirmed that CF transportation assets could not move the Army off-shore. Canada’s military “reach” was non-existent and just buying new Hercules aircraft was not enough. What was needed was naval and air force heavy lift transport.
The new Canadian Forces thinking considers the operational configuration of the CF will need time to evolve and change as new operational challenges arise. A first priority is a revised procurement process and supporting procedures. Buying ready to go assets “off the shelf” will be first; no more “buy and add” processes.
The CDS reviewed the organizational
changes made to date:
Canada Command – to command
and control all CF operations in
Canada and North America with a
streamlined system of Joint Regional
Task Forces with delegated
authority extended to regional commanders;
CF Expeditionary Command –
commander of which will command
all outside-North America operations
and includes a new component
Special Forces Command;
Canada Support Command – responsible
for all operational support
activities;
Canada Personnel Command –
Chief of military Personnel performs
personnel functions from recruiting
through training and conditions
of service, etc;
Strategic Joint Staff – provides
direct advice to CDS.
General Hillier envisioned this transformation as emphasizing a cohesive, integrated “joint” Canadian Forces and, de-emphasizing the separate navy, army and air force services. The new emphasis henceforth is to maximize working together as a well-trained, closely knit team. Moreover, there will be an easier transfer from reserve to regular and vice versa, as an imperative.
The CDS harkened back to the impact of Somalia on the national conscience. It was deplorable, he said, the way in which the Canadian Forces and National Defence HQ handled this tragedy. “Never again,” he said.
Now, we need to move on and project a more positive image, he said. This includes the need to improve pride and self-image of all armed forces members.
The recruiting posture was not working and the CDS was seeking new thinking. It should be simple to join up instead of the present complicated process that turns off applicants. It should be easy for folks from any different ethnic group to join. There is a need to emphasize the huge opportunities and satisfaction in being a member of the CF: pay, education and training opportunities, sports and recreation and service to Canada. He saw the latter as being very attractive to many young Canadians.
Selection must ensure that the best people are recruited and brought in quickly.
General Hillier expressed concern about the isolation of the Canadian Forces from the good will of the general public. He sensed that the nation had become disenchanted with the Canada’s armed forces.
He applauded our RUSI VI Outreach Program as a good fit with the direction he has given to the Canadian Forces to “connect with Canadians...”
Lead organizer for this Victoria
Veterans event at Bay Street Armoury
on July 24 was the president
of RUSI of VI, Col John Eggenberger, OMM, CD, Ret.
General Rick Hillier was born in Newfoundland, joined the Canadian Forces in 1973 and graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a BSc. He completed armoured officer training and joined the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise?s) in Petawawa, Ont. Later, he served with and commanded the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany. He commanded troops at multinational formation level within Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States. In 1998, he was made the first Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Corps HQ, US Army at Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000, MGen Hillier took command of the NATO Stabilization Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 2003, he became Chief of the Land Staff and Army Commander in Ottawa. That October, he took command of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gen Hillier was promoted to his present rank becoming Canada?s Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 February 2005.
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