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I first laid eyes on this bio on Friday, at the parade in Petawawa - it's also on the DND/CF website.
"General Rick" certainly has an awesome sense of humour, eh? And, at least he and the Lieutenant-Governor showed up for the parade, as did somebody's family who drove all the way from ALBERTA (but of course, the Minister of Defence and Papa Doc Crouton were no-shows ... and as a result CBC NewsWorld didn't even show the parade)
Here's the bio, and coverage of the parade:
(not only was this bio printed in the program for Friday's parade, but it's on the DND/CF website!)
Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier was born in Newfoundland and joined the army as soon as he could. After graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree, and having completed armour officer classification training; he was posted to his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise?s) in Petawawa, Ontario, and subsequently, to the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He has served as a Dragoon since then.
Throughout his career, LGen Hillier has had the privilege and pleasure of commanding troops from platoon to division and having worked as a staff officer in both Army headquarters in Montreal and National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. He has served throughout Canada, twice in both Europe and the United States and has enough time with the United Nations and NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia to be eligible to vote there.
In 1998 LGen Hillier was appointed as the Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Armoured Corps, US Army in Fort Hood Texas and, following that, in 2000, as Commander, Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia. On return to Canada, he assumed the duties of Assistant Chief of Land Staff and on 30 May 03 was appointed as the Chief of the Land Staff.
LGen Hillier enjoys most recreational pursuits but, in particular, runs slowly, plays hockey poorly and golfs not well at all.
++++
Army needs your support, General says
Chris Wattie
National Post
Saturday, June 28, 2003
The commander of Canada's army told more than 3,000 troops bound for overseas missions yesterday that the Canadian public will "walk with them" when they are deployed to far-off countries such as Afghanistan.
But Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier, the Canadian Forces chief of land staff, said the country needs to pay more attention to its land forces.
"I have a lot of sympathy for the vast majority of the 31 million Canadians who will never get to see you and just what great Canadians you are and how well you represent them," Lt.-Gen. Hillier told the soldiers of 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, parading in CFB Petawawa. "And that is a sad thing."
"I call upon Canadians to really, actually start taking an interest in their army, because I'd like to underscore for them that when a single Canadian soldier walks on soil in a foreign, hostile land, every single Canadian walks with him or her. They need to pay attention to their army. They need to visibly support you, and they need to ensure that you are set up for success."
The troops of the brigade, whose members will begin shipping out for missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan in a few weeks, were holding their final parade before going overseas.
The parade included soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, deploying on Operation Athena to Kabul in August, and troopers of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, bound for Operation Palladium in Bosnia in September.
After reviewing the parade, Lt.-Gen. Hillier made an unusual break with military protocol and asked the soldiers standing at attention to break their ranks and gather around him.
"Now I've got to tell you I love formations, and this is one of the finest formations of soldiers I have ever seen," the general said, to applause and cheers from the ranks. "And I'm sorry, I'm going to break up your formation. I want the soldiers on the flanks and the soldiers in the centre out here to squeeze forward right up to me here.... I like to be able to see those soldiers' faces."
Lt.-Gen. Hillier acknowledged that the coming mission to Afghanistan will be dangerous, but pledged to give the battle group in Kabul "whatever they need."
Commanders have rated the threat to the Canadian contingent, part of the 5,000-strong, 29-nation International Security Assistance Force as high, and some military intelligence estimates have predicted a near certainty of Canadian fatalities on the 12-month mission.
Lt.-Gen. Hillier however, advised the soldiers yesterday to minimize the risks.
"Be vigilant. Use the training. Use the experience. Listen to your leadership, ears and eyes open and just go do the job. Do it as you professional Canadian soldiers can only do it. And come home safely. That's what we want you to do."
Major General Andrew Leslie, who will be the senior Canadian officer in Kabul, said that without the NATO-run force in Afghanistan, the country would quickly slide back into anarchy.
"It would devolve very quickly back down into all-out war, quite frankly. That's how potentially grim the situation is," he told reporters after the parade.
The force assembled for the missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan represents a third of the Canadian army's field soldiers, leaving the rest of the army stretched thin, critics say.
cwattie@nationalpost.com
++++
Afghanistan mission a test of mettle
By DANIEL LEBLANC
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
UPDATED AT 2:08 AM EDT Saturday, Jun. 28, 2003
CFB Petawawa ? A dozen wives nervously tended youngsters in strollers behind the bleachers while a mother cried in the stands.
Behind the stiffness of a military parade for 1,800 Canadian troops on their way to Afghanistan yesterday, the thoughts of family members and friends turned often to their greatest fear: suicide bombers pouncing on loved ones in the streets of Kabul.
Victoria Kirbyson drove from Alberta to see her son parade in this army base in eastern Ontario. Sergeant John Kirbyson will soon embark on his fifth foreign mission, and his mother said this one is the hardest for her. Emotional throughout the day, Ms. Kirbyson saw to it that her hands were never far from the tissues in her pockets.
"We're not too sure about this one," she said of her son's impending mission. "Here, we have such a strong desire for life, but they just don't seem to have that respect for life."
The Canadian Forces have made no attempt to hide the dangers of the mission from the soldiers and their families. Short of straight-out combat, this is the most dangerous of deployments.
Afghanistan is teetering on the edge of anarchy. Four German soldiers were killed on June 7 when a suicide bomber attacked a bus that was taking them to the airport for a flight home.
"My greatest fear, and arguably the greatest fear of the soldiers, is a suicide bomber," said Major-General Andrew Leslie, who will be the deputy commander of the multinational International Security Assistance Force in Kabul.
"Despite all the military training and the vigilance and the attention to detail, it's very, very tough . . . to defend yourself against someone who is willing to die to kill you," he said.
Soldiers say they have been trained to avoid the danger. They've been told to be attentive to details around them, to avoid using the same routes, always to know where they are, and never to take anything for granted.
Captain Jennifer Casey said the trick will be for Canadians to be "firm, friendly, fair and professional."
Captain Brian Healy, who will oversee the street patrols, is calling for constant vigilance. "There is no known enemy. Every time someone comes and takes a picture of Canadian soldiers, there is a concern for us. We have to see why they're taking that picture."
While clearly aware of the threat, the father of two is loath to talk about it with his family. "It's not something I bring up at the supper table," he said.
His wife, Kathy, acknowledged that these are stressful times. All the soldiers have been granted a month's leave before they head out to Afghanistan in August. The vacation is welcome, but too short, she said.
"It all seems surreal right now. Probably two or three days before he goes, it will hit me," Ms. Healy said of her husband's first foreign deployment. "He doesn't like to talk about it. He's upset about leaving the kids, particularly."
Sgt. Kirbyson's family hope that this is the last time he leaves the country for a six-month rotation. He jokes that he's bought a pool with the extra allowance he is getting for the mission, calling it a "guilt gift."
But his wife, Heather, said that no amount of money or extra leave is worth it.
His 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca, said that spending July with her dad does not change the fact that "he is still going away."
On the other hand, the unmarried younger soldiers who will be patrolling the streets of Kabul seem to deal with the threat of suicide-bombers with a shrug or a laugh, pointing out that there's not much they can do after a bomb goes off.
"That's why we've just been given a month's leave," Corporal Glen Phillips said, eating a hamburger and joking with half-a-dozen colleagues after the morning procession.
For them, the partying that comes with one month's leave was just an hour away.
More than 3,000 soldiers had gathered on this windy morning in Petawawa for what is called an operational-readiness parade. It's the official signal that they are trained and ready to go.
Looking at his troops, Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier pointed out that fully one-third of Canada's field army was in front of him, about to leave the country.
In addition to 1,800 soldiers going to Afghanistan, another 1,300 are set to leave for Bosnia. The dual missions are a clear sign that the Canadian Forces are playing a significant role on the world stage these days ? and being spread thin.
"We're stretched," Lt.-Gen. Hillier said, while praising his soldiers' professionalism and dedication.
The Canadian Forces are coming off a rough decade, during they were hit by billions in cutbacks, scandal in Somalia, and high-profile failures such as an aborted mission to Zaire in 1996.
The Department of National Defence received an $800-million boost to its budget earlier this year, but the full effects have yet to trickle down and heal all the wounds that years of cuts created.
That is why Ottawa's plans for Afghanistan didn't get off to a smooth start. Senior officers said it would take too much of a toll on tired troops, but the government insisted it was within its rights to order their deployment.
"In a democracy, the army does not decide where to deploy the army. The elected government makes that decision," Defence Minister John McCallum said in February.
To avoid accusations that it has deliberately sent Canadian troops into harm's way, however, he added that the government would spare neither money or effort to ensure that those in Kabul have all the necessary equipment.
Army spokesman Captain Jay Jansen said soldiers have received new gear, such as lighter and cooler load-bearing vests and flak jackets. The soldiers also have new laser sights and night-vision equipment, and will have both green and desert-tan uniforms in Afghanistan.
"There's a lot of new stuff coming in the system," Capt. Janzen said.
Toward the end of the parade, Gen. Hillier called on his troops, who were lined up at the edges of a large public square, to gather into a tight, informal huddle close to him. He vowed that they would have all necessary equipment to "come home safely."
The message was well-received, but years of cutbacks have left their mark.
"Canada has probably one of the best trained armies in the world," Ms. Healy said. "Best equipped? That's debatable. But trained, yes."
- 30 -
"General Rick" certainly has an awesome sense of humour, eh? And, at least he and the Lieutenant-Governor showed up for the parade, as did somebody's family who drove all the way from ALBERTA (but of course, the Minister of Defence and Papa Doc Crouton were no-shows ... and as a result CBC NewsWorld didn't even show the parade)
Here's the bio, and coverage of the parade:
(not only was this bio printed in the program for Friday's parade, but it's on the DND/CF website!)
Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier was born in Newfoundland and joined the army as soon as he could. After graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree, and having completed armour officer classification training; he was posted to his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise?s) in Petawawa, Ontario, and subsequently, to the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He has served as a Dragoon since then.
Throughout his career, LGen Hillier has had the privilege and pleasure of commanding troops from platoon to division and having worked as a staff officer in both Army headquarters in Montreal and National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. He has served throughout Canada, twice in both Europe and the United States and has enough time with the United Nations and NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia to be eligible to vote there.
In 1998 LGen Hillier was appointed as the Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Armoured Corps, US Army in Fort Hood Texas and, following that, in 2000, as Commander, Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia. On return to Canada, he assumed the duties of Assistant Chief of Land Staff and on 30 May 03 was appointed as the Chief of the Land Staff.
LGen Hillier enjoys most recreational pursuits but, in particular, runs slowly, plays hockey poorly and golfs not well at all.
++++
Army needs your support, General says
Chris Wattie
National Post
Saturday, June 28, 2003
The commander of Canada's army told more than 3,000 troops bound for overseas missions yesterday that the Canadian public will "walk with them" when they are deployed to far-off countries such as Afghanistan.
But Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier, the Canadian Forces chief of land staff, said the country needs to pay more attention to its land forces.
"I have a lot of sympathy for the vast majority of the 31 million Canadians who will never get to see you and just what great Canadians you are and how well you represent them," Lt.-Gen. Hillier told the soldiers of 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, parading in CFB Petawawa. "And that is a sad thing."
"I call upon Canadians to really, actually start taking an interest in their army, because I'd like to underscore for them that when a single Canadian soldier walks on soil in a foreign, hostile land, every single Canadian walks with him or her. They need to pay attention to their army. They need to visibly support you, and they need to ensure that you are set up for success."
The troops of the brigade, whose members will begin shipping out for missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan in a few weeks, were holding their final parade before going overseas.
The parade included soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, deploying on Operation Athena to Kabul in August, and troopers of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, bound for Operation Palladium in Bosnia in September.
After reviewing the parade, Lt.-Gen. Hillier made an unusual break with military protocol and asked the soldiers standing at attention to break their ranks and gather around him.
"Now I've got to tell you I love formations, and this is one of the finest formations of soldiers I have ever seen," the general said, to applause and cheers from the ranks. "And I'm sorry, I'm going to break up your formation. I want the soldiers on the flanks and the soldiers in the centre out here to squeeze forward right up to me here.... I like to be able to see those soldiers' faces."
Lt.-Gen. Hillier acknowledged that the coming mission to Afghanistan will be dangerous, but pledged to give the battle group in Kabul "whatever they need."
Commanders have rated the threat to the Canadian contingent, part of the 5,000-strong, 29-nation International Security Assistance Force as high, and some military intelligence estimates have predicted a near certainty of Canadian fatalities on the 12-month mission.
Lt.-Gen. Hillier however, advised the soldiers yesterday to minimize the risks.
"Be vigilant. Use the training. Use the experience. Listen to your leadership, ears and eyes open and just go do the job. Do it as you professional Canadian soldiers can only do it. And come home safely. That's what we want you to do."
Major General Andrew Leslie, who will be the senior Canadian officer in Kabul, said that without the NATO-run force in Afghanistan, the country would quickly slide back into anarchy.
"It would devolve very quickly back down into all-out war, quite frankly. That's how potentially grim the situation is," he told reporters after the parade.
The force assembled for the missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan represents a third of the Canadian army's field soldiers, leaving the rest of the army stretched thin, critics say.
cwattie@nationalpost.com
++++
Afghanistan mission a test of mettle
By DANIEL LEBLANC
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
UPDATED AT 2:08 AM EDT Saturday, Jun. 28, 2003
CFB Petawawa ? A dozen wives nervously tended youngsters in strollers behind the bleachers while a mother cried in the stands.
Behind the stiffness of a military parade for 1,800 Canadian troops on their way to Afghanistan yesterday, the thoughts of family members and friends turned often to their greatest fear: suicide bombers pouncing on loved ones in the streets of Kabul.
Victoria Kirbyson drove from Alberta to see her son parade in this army base in eastern Ontario. Sergeant John Kirbyson will soon embark on his fifth foreign mission, and his mother said this one is the hardest for her. Emotional throughout the day, Ms. Kirbyson saw to it that her hands were never far from the tissues in her pockets.
"We're not too sure about this one," she said of her son's impending mission. "Here, we have such a strong desire for life, but they just don't seem to have that respect for life."
The Canadian Forces have made no attempt to hide the dangers of the mission from the soldiers and their families. Short of straight-out combat, this is the most dangerous of deployments.
Afghanistan is teetering on the edge of anarchy. Four German soldiers were killed on June 7 when a suicide bomber attacked a bus that was taking them to the airport for a flight home.
"My greatest fear, and arguably the greatest fear of the soldiers, is a suicide bomber," said Major-General Andrew Leslie, who will be the deputy commander of the multinational International Security Assistance Force in Kabul.
"Despite all the military training and the vigilance and the attention to detail, it's very, very tough . . . to defend yourself against someone who is willing to die to kill you," he said.
Soldiers say they have been trained to avoid the danger. They've been told to be attentive to details around them, to avoid using the same routes, always to know where they are, and never to take anything for granted.
Captain Jennifer Casey said the trick will be for Canadians to be "firm, friendly, fair and professional."
Captain Brian Healy, who will oversee the street patrols, is calling for constant vigilance. "There is no known enemy. Every time someone comes and takes a picture of Canadian soldiers, there is a concern for us. We have to see why they're taking that picture."
While clearly aware of the threat, the father of two is loath to talk about it with his family. "It's not something I bring up at the supper table," he said.
His wife, Kathy, acknowledged that these are stressful times. All the soldiers have been granted a month's leave before they head out to Afghanistan in August. The vacation is welcome, but too short, she said.
"It all seems surreal right now. Probably two or three days before he goes, it will hit me," Ms. Healy said of her husband's first foreign deployment. "He doesn't like to talk about it. He's upset about leaving the kids, particularly."
Sgt. Kirbyson's family hope that this is the last time he leaves the country for a six-month rotation. He jokes that he's bought a pool with the extra allowance he is getting for the mission, calling it a "guilt gift."
But his wife, Heather, said that no amount of money or extra leave is worth it.
His 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca, said that spending July with her dad does not change the fact that "he is still going away."
On the other hand, the unmarried younger soldiers who will be patrolling the streets of Kabul seem to deal with the threat of suicide-bombers with a shrug or a laugh, pointing out that there's not much they can do after a bomb goes off.
"That's why we've just been given a month's leave," Corporal Glen Phillips said, eating a hamburger and joking with half-a-dozen colleagues after the morning procession.
For them, the partying that comes with one month's leave was just an hour away.
More than 3,000 soldiers had gathered on this windy morning in Petawawa for what is called an operational-readiness parade. It's the official signal that they are trained and ready to go.
Looking at his troops, Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier pointed out that fully one-third of Canada's field army was in front of him, about to leave the country.
In addition to 1,800 soldiers going to Afghanistan, another 1,300 are set to leave for Bosnia. The dual missions are a clear sign that the Canadian Forces are playing a significant role on the world stage these days ? and being spread thin.
"We're stretched," Lt.-Gen. Hillier said, while praising his soldiers' professionalism and dedication.
The Canadian Forces are coming off a rough decade, during they were hit by billions in cutbacks, scandal in Somalia, and high-profile failures such as an aborted mission to Zaire in 1996.
The Department of National Defence received an $800-million boost to its budget earlier this year, but the full effects have yet to trickle down and heal all the wounds that years of cuts created.
That is why Ottawa's plans for Afghanistan didn't get off to a smooth start. Senior officers said it would take too much of a toll on tired troops, but the government insisted it was within its rights to order their deployment.
"In a democracy, the army does not decide where to deploy the army. The elected government makes that decision," Defence Minister John McCallum said in February.
To avoid accusations that it has deliberately sent Canadian troops into harm's way, however, he added that the government would spare neither money or effort to ensure that those in Kabul have all the necessary equipment.
Army spokesman Captain Jay Jansen said soldiers have received new gear, such as lighter and cooler load-bearing vests and flak jackets. The soldiers also have new laser sights and night-vision equipment, and will have both green and desert-tan uniforms in Afghanistan.
"There's a lot of new stuff coming in the system," Capt. Janzen said.
Toward the end of the parade, Gen. Hillier called on his troops, who were lined up at the edges of a large public square, to gather into a tight, informal huddle close to him. He vowed that they would have all necessary equipment to "come home safely."
The message was well-received, but years of cutbacks have left their mark.
"Canada has probably one of the best trained armies in the world," Ms. Healy said. "Best equipped? That's debatable. But trained, yes."
- 30 -
