|
Busy days
ahead for Hillier
By ALEX MORRISON
Recent editorials in this
newspaper have commented on Rick Hillier's promotion to general and appointment to the post of
Chief of the Defence Staff. To be successful as Canada's top
military officer, he will have to deal with a number of challenges.
First, he will need to
establish with navy and air force personnel that warm sense of rapport he
has enjoyed with the army. That means enhancing and expanding his
"army days" custom of traveling the country to speak to those
under his command. He needs to bring them into his confidence, engage them
in consultations and keep them informed. The contemporary Canadian military
is composed of highly educated, well-trained men and women whose opinions
are important.
Next, his
"political" skills will be tested as he deals with the
individuals in many government departments that will look at how he plans
to obtain an increase in the defence budget, what he proposes to do with
the additional dollars, and in what parts of Canada he proposes to spend them.
The Royal United Services
Institute of Nova Scotia is, naturally, concerned with our province and the
defence resources our local commanders have to carry out assigned and
potential future tasks, including threats to our security. These provincial
areas need to be approached within the context of the country as a whole.
However, what is good for Nova Scotia is good for the country.
Here are some of the issues
affecting Nova Scotians that Gen. Hillier will need to address in the
months ahead.
The strength of the military
in Nova Scotia: Is it sufficient to carry out currently assigned
missions and tasks? Does it need to be increased or augmented. How soon can
that be accomplished?
Coastal surveillance: Does the
military have the reconnaissance capability needed to detect, report and
co-ordinate responses to incursions and challenges to our laws from the sea
and on the coastline, and to respond quickly to these challenges especially
where the use of force is required?
Inter-service co-operation:
Will he enhance the current co-operation in training exercises and
operations, and ensure that the Canadian public is made aware of the extent
to which the military, coast guard, RCMP, municipal police and other
civilian agencies work together to ensure our security to the extent they
can?
How will Gen. Hillier ensure
that the new and updated equipment and weapons systems needed by all
branches and elements of the regular and reserve Canadian Forces be
introduced in a timely manner?
Reserves: How can our reserve
forces be trained and equipped to be of maximum value to the overall
military requirements? Should they train more closely with civilian
organizations that respond to crisis situations? Does our dwindling
population automatically mean that our reserve units will be reduced and
the positions allotted to units elsewhere in the country outside of the Atlantic provinces?
Will he expand co-operation with civilian employers to ensure that service
personnel deployed on essential tasks in Canada and abroad will be able to return to their civilian
jobs when released by the military?
The promised 5,000-person
"peacekeeping brigade" promised by Prime Minister Paul Martin in the last election: Will it be a "brigade in
being" (unlike the Disaster Assistance Response Team that must collect
its personnel from military units across the country)? How long will it
take to enroll, train, equip and otherwise prepare the 5,000 new persons?
Will it be trained to a general-purpose combat capability level before
receiving specialized peace-keeping training? Will the brigade have
civilian police, non-governmental organizations, and election/governance
officials allied with the military so that a timely, comprehensive approach
can be adopted to meet the many challenges of dealing with the results of
conflict? Will those non-military personnel be action-ready within 48 or 72
hours or will they need to be collected and then given refresher training?
Informing the public: Will the
necessary personnel and monetary resources be found to ensure that Nova
Scotians are constantly provided with opportunities to learn about the
accomplishments of our military forces? Will an outreach program be
instituted that will permit greater military visibility in the community?
Will the new Chief of the
Defence Staff be forced to preside over significant reductions in our navy
and air force? If so, what sea- and air-related capabilities will be
discarded? How many military and civilian jobs will be lost in Nova Scotia? By how
much will the Department of National Defence reduce its spending in our
province?
Gen. Hillier's days ahead will
be busy ones. He will need to juggle international demands for Canadian
military units and for his personal attendance with the challenge of
dealing with politicians and the bureaucracy, while at the same time trying
to meet commitments with what have been called "inadequate numbers of
personnel and resources" and still remaining visible to members of the
military as they carry out the bidding of the government. We wish him well.
Alex Morrison is chairman, security affairs committee, the Royal
United Services Institute of Nova Scotia.
Back to:
|