Monday, Aug 23, 2004
Speculation on possible navy, air force cuts irks top general
OTTAWA (CP) - The country's top general called an unusual news conference Monday to complain about what he called inaccurate speculation about possible cuts to the navy and the air force in favour of the army.
Gen. Ray Henault, the chief of the defence staff, complained that members of the Forces, protected by anonymity, have suggested in media reports that a proposed increase in the ranks of the army will cost the navy four destroyers and strip 20 fighter jets from the air force.
"We are not doing anything at this point in time to reduce either the navy or the air force in favour of the army," he said.
"Reports that the expansion of the Canadian Forces would result in cuts to other parts of the defence program are simply false."
A Liberal election promise called for 5,000 more peacekeepers in the Forces. Recent reports suggested that paying for these extra people will mean cuts in ships and planes.
Henault called reporters to a hastily arranged news conference in the foyer of defence headquarters to denounce those reports as inaccurate and said those who were feeding these stories with anonymous comments were betraying military professionalism and discipline.
Insiders said Henault was prodded to call the news conference by the prime minister's office, which was upset by the suggestions that adding peacekeepers would mean losing other capabilities.
The general, a career air force officer, said rearrangements in the Forces are being debated, but no decisions have been made. It may mean changes in the navy or air force, but those aren't connected to the addition of 5,000 new people.
"This is an expansion of the Forces capacity and its capability," he said. "The 5,000 is not driven as a number which will . . . drive us toward a reduction in either the navy or the air force."
He also said he expects the government will come up with more money for the Forces, saying Defence Minister Bill Graham has promised more support.
Henault said the extra 5,000 soldiers promised during the election means the military manpower cap, now 60,000, will rise to 65,000. There will be more reservists as well, he said.
He conceded that the army will get the lion's share of the new manpower, if only because it bears the brunt of most peacekeeping missions.
While the Forces are authorized to have 60,000 full-time people in uniform, it now has only about 58,000 enrolled. Of those, only about 52,000 are fully trained.
The 6,000 difference includes recruits awaiting training, veterans on courses, people on sick leave and those on leave awaiting retirement.
Defence analysts say adding another 5,000 recruits will only increase pressure on an already strained training system. The point out that it takes years, not months, to produced a trained, effective infantry soldier and more years to season sergeants and warrant officers.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
