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Topic: General Hillier Retires (Read 725 times)
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Clair "WHYTIE" Whyte
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Hillier did a great job
By Lorrie Goldstein
The test of a good general is whether his soldiers would want to share a foxhole with him in combat.
Gen. Rick Hillier, who yesterday announced his retirement as Canada's chief of defence staff, effective July 1, passed that test with flying colours.
Widely praised as a "soldier's soldier," Hillier, 52, who spent three years in the top job and 36 years in the military, said he's not being forced out, and if anything, Prime Minister Stephen Harper wanted him to stay.
We hope that's true, in light of reports last fall -- denied by Harper -- that Hillier would be fired because his so-called clashes with the government on the end date of Canada's military mission in Afghanistan, offended unnamed Conservative officials.
If accurate, those officials were (and are) idiots.
Canada was lucky to have Hillier overseeing our first official combat operation since Korea.
He articulately explained the mission's importance, steadied public support as casualties mounted, restored military pride and successfully lobbied the Conservatives for major new investments in the armed forces.
Appointed by the previous Liberal government of Paul Martin, Hillier was unafraid to speak truth to power.
That was the case whether he was describing the Taliban ("detestable murderers and scumbags"), the role of the military ("We are not the Public Service of Canada ... our job is to be able to kill people") or how long it will take before the Afghanistan military can pacify the Taliban without NATO's help ("10 years or so").
Contrary to criticism by some bureaucrats and media desk jockeys, Hillier never challenged the right of the government to set the end date for Canada's mission in Afghanistan, first for 2009 and now, 2011. Rather, he said securing Afghanistan would take longer, a view most experts share.
Hillier also said he's not ready to retire and once joked he'd love to be general manager of his beloved Maple Leafs. (The Canucks could use him, too.)
More seriously, what company looking for a dynamic leader, wouldn't want Hillier as its CEO?
Whytie
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1 RCR 83-87, 4 RCR 98-02, UN - CYPRUS 84, Strathroy-Caradoc Police 03-Present
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Good man, stood up for the troops and called it as he saw it. He will be missed.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
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Doug Clarkson
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This was in my in box this morning when I came into work, I think this sucks, we finally get a General who is worth his weight in gold. I had the pleasure of doing Brigade PT with him up in Pet when he was 2 Brigade Commander, one of the best damn officers I have ever had the pleasure of working for, he will be sorely missed by all of the troops. His retirement message:
I have chosen to retire from the Canadian Forces and end my tenure as your Chief of the Defence Staff in July of this year.
I accepted the leadership of the Canadian Forces in February 2005. My goal was to set the conditions for our sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen to succeed in our critical and often dangerous tasks in defence of Canada, Canadians, and Canadian interests and values.
We have achieved those key objectives, and reached the critical milestones I originally set out for us to reach by the end of my time as CDS. We have moulded our culture to one which recognizes that operations are our raison d’ętre; that our efforts, all of them, must concentrate on achieving the missions and tasks given to us by the Government of Canada, on behalf of all Canadians.
We have transformed how we recruit, train, equip, command, deploy, employ, bring home, recognize and care for our operational forces and our families, focused on achieving a strategic effect for Canada. We have done so while growing the Canadian Forces, re-equipping it, and while carrying out intense combat and peace support operations overseas and demanding, essential security tasks here at home.
We have remembered how to grieve; to never forget our comrades and dear friends who have died in the service of Canada. Their sacrifice, and that of their families, deserves our unwavering commitment to ensure their loss is not in vain.
We have been strengthened, immensely, by the vocal and visible support of millions of Canadians who have demonstrated that they recognize, understand and honour your service, and the sacrifice of your families.
Leadership in the Canadian Forces is not the role of one single person; it is the responsibility of all who wear the Canadian Forces uniform. I believe you will now be best served by the invigoration of new leadership, with the vision, energy, and strength to lead you through the challenges that will lie ahead. For we have not finished evolving. We must continue to adapt, and improve our Forces to accomplish the tasks Canadians need us to perform in the complex, dangerous security environment before us.
It is with great confidence that I await the selection of the senior leader who will take my place. I will continue to serve as your CDS until relieved of my duties by my successor, to be named in due course by our Prime Minister.
My wife Joyce and I thank you for the rewarding years we have shared with you, and look forward to many years ahead as part of the Canadian Forces family.
You are Canada’s greatest credentials, our national treasures, and I am so very proud of you. It has been my honour and privilege to be your Chief of the Defence Staff.
R.J. Hillier
General
Chief of the Defence Staff
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Cornwallis 78 - 79, 1 RCR 79 - 84, Cyprus 84 - 85, 1 RCR: 85 - 89, Cyprus 89 - 90, 1 RCR 90 - 92, Kingston 92 - 94, 1 RCR 94,
Croatia 94 - 95, 1 RCR: 95 - 97, 3 RCR 97 - 98, Bosnia 98 - 99, 3 RCR 99, CFJSR Kingston 99 - 04, DAT Kingston 04 - 07, Retired: 07, Class "B" BCWO Assistant CFB Kingston 07 - Present
UNFICYP 2, UNPROFOR, NATO Former Yugo, CFPSM, QGJM, CD1
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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'Dark day' in Kandahar as Hillier news breaks
Apr 16, 2008 02:45 PM
James McCarten
THE CANADIAN PRESS
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Canadian soldiers at Kandahar Airfield marked a "dark day" Wednesday as they awoke to news that Gen. Rick Hillier, the popular, populist leader many consider the principal architect of Canada's mission in Afghanistan, was stepping down as chief of defence staff.
Word of Hillier's departure – he confirmed Tuesday he would be stepping down in July after more than three years in Canada's top military job – seemed to be on the lips of every soldier in a uniform with a Canadian flag on the shoulder.
Lt.-Col. Dan Drew, deputy commander of Canada's Operational Mentor and Liason Team, which trains members of the Afghan National Army, described Hillier as a "personal hero" who won't be easily replaced.
Hillier almost single-handedly breathed fresh life into a Canadian military that had been robbed of its resources and its sense of value, said Drew, 50, a no-nonsense commander from Medicine Hat, Alta.
"He took us out of the dark ages of the 1990s and reshaped us, reformed us, made us proud to be who we are, and he made the Canadian people know who we are and to be proud of us again," Drew said.
"We're more focused on operations now, we care more about our own people, and Gen. Hillier's the guy who led us out of that darkness."
Drew called Hillier the best chief of defence staff since "J-Dex" – Gen. Jacques Dextraze, a Canadian Army general who served from 1972 to 1977.
"It's a dark day for us to be losing him."
Despite Hillier's persistent denial he has any designs on a political posting, Drew said he considers him worthy of the top job in the land.
"There's only one Gen. Hillier, so whomever's coming in behind him's going to have a tough job – I'm thinking Hillier for prime minister next," he smiled.
Hillier, 52, was the most visible Canadian Forces leader in a generation, a blunt, straight-talking "soldier's soldier" who showed visible affection for the "soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen" under his command and constant admiration for their work.
His visits to Afghanistan were frequent, as much to bolster the morale of the members of the rank and file as to meet with senior commanders.
Twice within a year, most recently last month, Hillier arrived at the airfield with a squad of retired hockey players and the Stanley Cup in tow, talking trash in advance of a ball-hockey showdown with soldiers and boasting of a Cup win by his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.
"The Taliban have been closer to the Stanley Cup than the Maple Leafs," he liked to crack.
Along the Kandahar Airfield boardwalk, just down the way from the ever-popular Tim Hortons outlet where the gleaming trophy has twice been on display, Master Cpl. Bob Gaudet was among a group of soldiers talking about Hillier's departure.
"He's been fantastic for the military," said Gaudet, 40, originally from Moncton, N.B.
"I've been in 20 years, and he's done wonders for us. He is one of the pinnacle figures in the Canadian Forces that is going to be missed. He's done a lot for us."
Drew said one of Hillier's most important accomplishments has been to fundamentally change how the Canadian Forces treats its injured members and the families of those who are killed in action.
Jim Davis, whose son Cpl. Paul Davis died in a light armoured vehicle accident in Afghanistan in 2006, echoed that sentiment.
Davis was one of eight family members who arrived Tuesday at Kandahar Airfield for a first-hand look, arranged by the Canadian Forces, at the country where his son lost his life.
"Gen. Hillier told me once that he wanted to make sure the families are taken care of and looked after, and I think this is proof of that, this is the result of that," Davis said of the trip.
"The soldiers here are welcoming us with open arms to make sure we are comfortable and I think the Canadian military has gone overboard to make sure that grieving families are not forgotten."
Master Cpl. Brad McCaughey, 36, with the National Command Element, said news of Hillier's departure came as a blow to many soldiers.
"Definitely disappointment, absolutely – I think everybody has a sense of disappointment that he's leaving," he said.
"He was such a personable guy and everybody liked him, so everybody is disappointed that he's leaving."
McCaughey said he was proud to have served under Hillier, who did an "amazing job" during his time as chief of defence staff.
"We were very fortunate that we had him for the time we had, and I hope that whomever follows suit does as equal a job as he did," McCaughey said.
"I don't think anyone's ever irreplaceable, but definitely some, as the saying goes, big boots to fill. We certainly have some lofty expectations of whoever comes next."
Hillier issued a statement on his departure, saying the military has "reached the critical milestones I originally set out for us to reach."
"We have transformed how we recruit, train, equip, command, deploy, employ, bring home, recognize and care for our operational forces and our families, focused on achieving a strategic effect for Canada."
"We have been strengthened, immensely, by the vocal and visible support of millions of Canadians who have demonstrated that they recognize, understand and honour your service, and the sacrifice of your families."
Having earned a science degree from Memorial University in his native Newfoundland, Hillier joined the army 36 years ago and trained as an armoured officer.
He said when he joined he had no ambitions to be a general: "I just wanted to be a soldier."
Hillier's career took him from regimental duties in a tank unit to staff jobs in Montreal and National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, where he eventually became army, then defence, chief.
He has served across Canada, twice in Europe and the United States, and did a term as the senior NATO officer in Afghanistan.
His predecessor, air force Gen. Ray Henault, served five years in the job, while Gen. John de Chastelain served two separate appointments – from 1989 until 1993, and again in 1994-95.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Jim Hickson
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Hi Ron
It's sad but it's true, that all good men have to let go when it's time and it was time for a great man to let go.
Jim
PS Good luck Gen Hillier and pick a team better than TO, maybe the Habs.
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1961-Depot San Lenorado
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Interesting article...
No general should quit in times of war
There has to be a reason for Hillier departure
By PETER WORTHINGTON, TORONTO SUN
If it's true that the PM wanted Gen. Rick Hillier to stay on as Canada's top soldier for another two or three years, why did Hillier quit?
Sure, the tensions and frustrations of being chief of defence staff (CDS) are intense -- especially having to deal with politicians and outside criticisms rather than pure military matters.
But what commander leaves his troops in the middle of a war?
And while Canada, at home, seems at peace, our troops are in a real war in Afghanistan that is different from any other war we've fought, and in its way more demanding and nerve-wracking.
In war, leadership is vital -- the sort of leadership that Hillier provided better than any previous CDS in recent years.
Canada is now committed to staying in Afghanistan until at least 2011.
Should not the general who (1) has revitalized the army, (2) put tanks into the battlefield for the first time since Korea, (3) is considered the most effective chief of defence staff in memory and (4) is trusted by both the soldiers and the public, seen the job through to the end?
Would Gen. Patton take retirement before the war was won, while the battle still raged? Would Montgomery? Would Currie in World War I, or Simons in World War II, or MacArthur in the Pacific?
There's a difference between a general, or commander-in-chief, being fired or replaced, and one choosing to retire and take up a different profession.
Personally, I have difficulty understanding why Hillier would quit if he didn't have to. Especially when his country needs him, wants him, is reluctant to see him go.
Here is a career soldier, a guy who apparently tried to join the army at age 8, but had to wait until he was 17, who never seriously wanted to be anything but a soldier, and who is bailing out before the job is done. Both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Peter MacKay have heaped praise on Hillier. Expressed regrets. Unless this is all an act and phony, they didn't want him replaced. And why would they?
Hillier was totally loyal to his calling. He talked straight, gave his views and assessment of situations the army faced -- then obeyed and adhered to whatever the government decided.
He wasn't like a couple of other generals who, at the time of the crisis in the Airborne Regiment, assured troops that they'd stand up for them -- and then wilted and capitulated when the regiment was disbanded. Some leadership.
According to the Canadian Press, the troops in Kandahar -- the region of battle -- are stunned and dismayed at his resignation. They feel lost, abandoned. From corporals to colonels, Hillier was a "hero" -- the one who revived the military, got them needed equipment, restored morale, spoke to them and for them. They must soldier on -- Hillier is merely moving on.
WAR CHANGES THINGS
Yes, the role of CDS is traditionally a three-year rotation -- the pinnacle of an exceptional officer's career. But not when there is a war going on. Again, no commander wants to leave until the battle's over.
In World War II, Andrew McNaughton headed the Canadian army until politics got in the way and he was replaced by Harry Crerar -- who commanded until the war's end.
My father trained and commanded an armoured division in World War II but, as a McNaughton man he, too, was replaced during the shakeup. It broke his heart not to take his beloved tanks into action. His replacement was soon fired and replaced when the division was beat up at Falaise.
The moral being -- no commander wants to quit. So why did Hillier quit, when by his nature he is anything but a quitter?
In the Korean war, the colourful Brig. John Rockingham was replaced as brigade commander by Pat Bogart, who was not effective and replaced by Jean Allard who was, arguably, Canada's most distinguished combat soldier.
In an interview with the Sun's Kathleen Harris, Hillier said the "worst thing" about his job was phone calls at 3 a.m. about casualties. One can understand that. But it comes with the territory, as Hillier knows better than anyone.
And far better to have a sensitive commander receiving those phone calls, than someone who doesn't care.
As Hillier himself has said, soldiers are not the public service: "Our job is to be able to kill people."
Yes, and his job is also to inform parents and families when one of theirs has been killed. Not easy, but necessary. Platoon commanders in the field do it -- so should generals.
Unless there are circumstances none of us know, Rick Hillier should not have resigned when he did. He should have stuck with his troops, who have always stuck with him, and continued serving his country and his soldiers until at least 2011 -- the target date when the Afghan mission may end.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Doug Clarkson
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I agree Mike, it is an interesting article, but it pisses me off to no end. I don't know about anyone else, I guess you could look at this article in a couple of ways. He could be implying that Gen Hillier went because he was forced no matter what the politicians say, or (as I see it) he could be implying that Gen Hillier has become a coward. If the latter is the case then this article has no other use than to wipe my butt with it after a good crunch!! It is because of media people like this dick that things like the disbanning of the Airborne Regt happened in the first place, how do idiots that sit in an office in downtown Toronto believe they have a right to question the decisions of a man like Gen Hillier when their biggest decision is how can I lift my fat ass out this chair to get to the coffee room for another doughnut?? Mr Worthington how dare you compare Gen Hillier with Patton, Montgomery and MacArthur? Three arrogant asses that cared nothing about their troops, only about how their TROOPS made them look! Three arrogant asses that only cared about how their name went down in history. Mr Worthington have you ever had the pleasure of meeting Gen Hillier? If you have or have not I guess really doesn't matter his accomplishments speak more for the type of man that he is than meeting him. I don't know why I am always so surprised when I read an article like this that has no other purpose than to question the decisions of fine man like Gen Hillier, that cast doubt on his credibility, when all of us in the military know exactly how powerful the media is. Shame on you Mr Worthington for throwing the first stone, the first of I'm sure many more to come from other media dicks that will jump on this bandwagon. I want to thank you Mr Worthington for reconfirming to me that the Toronto Sun, and any other Sun rag for that matter, serves no purpose other than checking out the Sunshine Girl. I have alot more to say on this but right now I have worked myself into a rage and need to stop before I write things that will get me in trouble.
If I have offended any member of this forum I appologise, if any member would like to forward this in whole or in part to Mr Worthington himself feel free, you can add my address if you like (51 Rose Abbey Dr Kingston On) and my position Sgt Clarkson DE, Base RSM's Assistant CFB Kingston. Again my appologies to any one I offended.
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Cornwallis 78 - 79, 1 RCR 79 - 84, Cyprus 84 - 85, 1 RCR: 85 - 89, Cyprus 89 - 90, 1 RCR 90 - 92, Kingston 92 - 94, 1 RCR 94,
Croatia 94 - 95, 1 RCR: 95 - 97, 3 RCR 97 - 98, Bosnia 98 - 99, 3 RCR 99, CFJSR Kingston 99 - 04, DAT Kingston 04 - 07, Retired: 07, Class "B" BCWO Assistant CFB Kingston 07 - Present
UNFICYP 2, UNPROFOR, NATO Former Yugo, CFPSM, QGJM, CD1
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Oddly enough, Doug, Worthington is usually on the side of the conservative government, supports the mission and the troops... however, to be honest, sometimes he'is a tad bit to far right for my taste. I usually cut him some slack because he was Patricia platoon commander in Korea.
I do not think the general is a coward, BTW. I think he was a victim of something he could not control, read the writing on the wall and, as gracious as he has always been, stepped aside before he was replaced. I can certainly think of several times when he went head to head with Harper's government, the most recent, when PMO mouthpiece Buckler blamed him for not informing them that Canadians were transferring prisoners back to the afghans and, of course, the major event, O'Connor's firing. Indeed, were he not so popular with the troops, I dare say he would have been bumped last year...
As for Harper's praise, well, if I have noticed anything about the man, he is always at his best when he gets what he wants. And when he gets all uncharacteristically bubbly like that, you know he just got what he wanted.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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General motors
Outspoken defence chief Rick Hillier departs Armed Forces
By MICHAEL DENTANDT
Rick Hillier was too able, too outspoken, too likable and too impatient to last for more than a few years in the upper echelons of Ottawa.
Yet in little more than three years as chief of the defence staff he achieved more than what half a dozen of his predecessors did combined.
Hillier reversed the disgraceful mistreatment of the Canadian Forces by the Chretien Liberals in the 1990s. He transformed the military into a modern fighting force. He persuaded and bullied a succession of hapless defence ministers to do the right thing -- about equipment, about budget and about Afghanistan.
The broader public didn't pay a whole lot of attention to Rick Hillier until July 2005, when he famously said of the Taliban: "These are detestable murderers and scumbags, I'll tell you that right up front. They detest our freedoms, they detest our society, they detest our liberties."
The context of those remarks was a public push by the then-Liberal government to prepare Canadians for a much bolder and more dangerous military mission than we had seen since the Korean War. And of course, Hillier was exactly right. There's no other way to describe people who behead teachers and doctors and blow up children by remote control.
But Hillier's words were too vivid. Overnight he became "the brash general." With that came popularity and a big public persona that made politicians twitchy. And the chattering classes were delighted to be scandalized by this throwback, who could say with a straight face: "We are the Canadian Forces and our job is to be able to kill people."
A MAN WITH STONES
When Hillier said that, soldiers, sailors and airmen across Canada and around the world whispered a silent thank you. Finally, someone with the stones to tell the truth. But in Ottawa, among the flatterers and the courtiers, honesty goes down poorly. It's impolite. It makes all the liars look bad.
Behind the scenes, Hillier was bulldogging past decades worth of bureaucratic inertia. In 2005 Hillier needed gear -- trucks, armoured vehicles, tanks, helicopters, planes. He needed everything and he needed it now.
So never mind the traditional procurement process. Instead, Hillier in effect sketched a wish list on the back of a napkin and handed it to the defence minister. My guess is that this took him all of five minutes. Miraculously, it worked.
That ruffled feathers in a serious way, because by then there was big money at stake -- billions. Corporations such as Lockheed-Martin and Boeing were vying for the right to build aircraft for Canada. Lobbyists for one firm would whisper, anonymously, that Hillier was too friendly with lobbyists from the other. The backbiting was intense. In the end the general shut them all up by persuading the new Harper government to buy from both companies.
There were more twists: The very Liberals who'd claimed prideful ownership of the Afghan mission in 2005 turned against it the moment they fell from power in 2006. The Harper government developed its mania for controlling every speech by any senior government figure and tried to impose this on Hillier. He resisted.
Through it all, Hillier continued speaking out in defence of his soldiers and in defence of the mission in Afghanistan. And he continued to take the calls, at all hours of the day or night, each time a Canadian soldier fell in combat. Those moments, he said, were always his worst. Somehow, you believed him.
The greatest irony of Rick Hillier's career? His greatest gifts are those we once expected of politicians: Vision, idealism, brains, eloquence, bluntness. Yet he'll never be in politics. He said so categorically this week. The reason why is obvious five minutes into any of his speeches: He's too dead honest to have anything but loathing for that profession, as it now exists in our capital city. That is a sad state indeed.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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A couple of more...
Right from the Cod
Thu. Apr 17 - 4:48 AM
LAST YEAR, the prime minister’s office felt obliged to tell Canada’s blunt-spoken and popular chief of defence staff he wasn’t the chief spokesman for the mission to Afghanistan.
That didn’t fool anyone. Constitutional niceties aside, in his three years as CDS, General Rick Hillier has come to be widely regarded and highly respected as a top soldier who will speak plainly and honestly – both for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and to the Canadian public. What he talked about mattered: the realities of risking your life to fight terrorists and what you need from the folks back home by way of moral support, proper equipment, a clear mission and an understanding of tactics and the enemy.
Does this forceful openness, and his Newfoundland touch for the irreverently unforgettable phrase, make the "Big Cod" a political general? Yes, but only in a proper and admirable way. He’s not the type who has accumulated stars by telling political bosses what they wanted to hear or trimming his advice to suit the party in power. Rather, this is a soldier who has the political smarts and courage to tell his civilian bosses and the public what they need to know if they’re going to make informed political choices on where and how to deploy Forces personnel.
The results speak for themselves. In announcing his retirement this week, Gen. Hillier leaves the Armed Forces with better equipment, stronger morale and a higher standing among our allies and with the Canadian public than they have had for decades.
He’d be the first to say this isn’t all his doing. Canadians in uniform have earned our respect by their outstanding performance – or as Gen. Hillier once quipped, visiting the troops in Afghanistan always improved his morale. But a commander who cut through the old snail’s-pace procurement and was not afraid to be their public champion was an invaluable advance in military leadership. Well done, Big Cod.
Retiring general hailed for influence in Calgary
Stephane Massinon
Calgary Herald
Friday, April 18, 2008
MILITARY BOSS LEAVES MARK: Gen. Rick Hillier, right, signs a photo for Acting Sgt. John Froese after a Calgary police motorcycle squad provided an escort for the general's visit on Thursday.
CREDIT: Ted Jacob, Calgary Herald
MILITARY BOSS LEAVES MARK: Gen. Rick Hillier, right, signs a photo for Acting Sgt. John Froese after a Calgary police motorcycle squad provided an escort for the general's visit on Thursday.
Linda Loree has fond memories of the time she spent with Canada's top soldier after the death of her son, Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, last fall in Afghanistan.
When Hornburg's body was returned home, Gen. Rick Hillier remembered in detail a conversation he'd had with Hornburg in Ottawa and relayed that story to Loree in her time of grieving.
That he remembered her son from even a brief encounter struck her at the time as a nice personal touch.
Loree and other members of Calgary's military community greeted Canada's chief of defence staff warmly Thursday in his first visit to the city since announcing his retirement this week after more than three years in the top job.
She said Hillier has been supportive to the parents who have lost children in Afghanistan.
"He remembers each and every parent by name," Loree said.
Hillier announced a June 14 fundraising gala for the Military Family Funds, a year-old initiative that gives money to families of those serving abroad when they are suffering unpredictable financial difficulty and can't get government help.
Since last April, 87 families have shared $205,000.
He also visited two injured soldiers in Calgary hospitals.
Hillier called the fund a stress reliever for service members and their families.
"It actually allows Canadians to directly show their support to the Canadian Forces and their families," Hillier said.
The top soldier said that since his retirement decision became public Tuesday, he's been most touched by correspondence from soldiers who begin their e-mails apologizing for breaking the chain of command to write to him.
Hillier's influence on Calgary has been noticeable, says the military community.
Bob Millar, president of the Canadian Defence and
Foreign Affairs Institute, a Calgary-based think-tank, said Hillier showed locals what the military is about.
"He has recognized the value of the Calgary Stampede and has gone out of his way to make sure that the Canadian Forces are well represented at the Stampede," Millar said.
Tom Doucette, director of the Military Museums, said Hillier's support for his museum has been appreciated.
The Department of National Defence contributed $5 million to the Calgary museum, he said.
"General Hillier was certainly involved in that decision," Doucette said. "Huge, huge support from General Hillier," he said.
Doucette, who previously served with Hillier before he became Chief of Defence Staff, said he was impressed with his leadership.
"I always referred to him as a soldier's general."
smassinon@theherald.canwest.com
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Doug Clarkson
Veteran 100+ Member
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Mike, I don't believe that I implyed that you thought he was a coward, I believe you and I are on the same page when it comes to Gen Hillier. And yeah I know a tiny bit about Peter Worthington, in fact I have read a few of his articles, maybe that's why I got so worked up about it, a guy that I thought was well for lack of a better term "on our side", to write an article like that, to, like I said earlier "cast doubt on Gen Hilliers credibility", I guess I kinda felt betrayed I guess. Anyway brother, | | | |
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