July 17, 1996

1. AFTER ALMOST TEN MONTHS AS THE COMMANDER OF THE CANADIAN ARMY, I NOW FEEL THAT I HAVE A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE STRENGTHS AND OF THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR LAND FORCE. THIS UNDERSTANDING IS THE PRODUCT OF NUMEROUS VISITS TO OUR TROOPS IN TRAINING AND DEPLOYED ON OPERATIONS OVERSEAS. I HAVE ALSO BEEN DEALING WITH BOTH THE POSITIVE AND THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF OUR ARMY ON A DAILY BASIS. I AM OVERALL, VERY PLEASED AND PROUD OF THE DEDICATION, VALUES AND PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR REGULAR AND RESERVE FORCE PERSONNEL. MOST ARE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND ARE EARNING CANADA AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION ABROAD. SADLY HOWEVER, I HAVE ALSO NOTED A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS THAT CAUSE ME CONSIDERABLE CONCERN, AS THEY BRING DISHONOUR AND DISCREDIT TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND REFLECT POORLY UPON THE CALIBRE OF OUR LEADERSHIP. AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE LEADERSHIP DEFICIENCIES EVIDENT IN THE CANADIAN AIRBORNE REGIMENT, THESE INCIDENTS LEAD ME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR ARMY, I HAD TO PERSONALLY ACT TO ADD ADDITIONAL VIGOUR TO OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO REGAIN THE NECESSARY VALUES AND THE CORRECT APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE LAND FORCE.

2. LET ME START WITH AN INCIDENT FROM 1994, OF WHICH MOST MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WILL RECALL, HAS RECENTLY GIVEN MY PROCESS OF CHANGE NEW IMPETUS. YOU MAY RECALL A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST JANUARY, CONDUCTED BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL COUTURE, THE COMMANDER OF 5e GROUPE MÉCHANISÉ DU CANADA IN VALCARTIER, CONCERNING A MILITARY POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALLEGED MISCONDUCT OF CANADIAN FORCES PERSONNEL AT BAKOVICI MENTAL HOSPITAL IN BOSNIA. BRIGADIER-GENERAL COUTURE ACCURATELY AND HONESTLY REPORTED THE FACTS AS HE AND I KNEW THEM AT THAT TIME. AS A RESULT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE THOUGH, MILITARY POLICE INVESTIGATORS RECEIVED NEW INFORMATION REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR BY CANADIAN SOLDIERS OF CANADIAN BATTALION 2, OR CANBAT 2, AT THE HOSPITAL AT BAKOVICI BETWEEN OCTOBER 1993 AND APRIL 1994. I AM PARTICULARLY DISTRESSED TO HAVE TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF MISCONDUCT BY CANADIAN SOLDIERS. THESE ACTS RANGE FROM INDIVIDUAL INSTANCES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, BLACK MARKET ACTIVITY AND ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PATIENTS, TO GENERAL DISORDER INVOLVING THE FAILURE TO ASSIST A SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BOSNIAN SERB, THE LOSS OF A MACHINE GUN AND THE POSSIBLE ALTERATION OF OPERATIONS LOGS TO COVER THESE DEFICIENCIES. YOU WILL NOTE FROM THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED, ESSENTIALLY MY CORRESPONDENCE TO THE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF AND HIS REPLY, THAT A SERIES OF ACTIONS WILL BE INITIATED, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, TO DEAL WITH ANY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE ACTIVITIES AT BAKOVICI AND IN CANBAT 2 DURING THE 1993 TO 1994 TIMEFRAME.

3. YOU WILL ALSO NOTE IN THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT I HAVE INFORMED THE CDS OF THE SPECIFIC ALLEGATIONS AND MY PROPOSED PLAN TO DEAL WITH THEM. THE CDS HAS SUPPORTED MY APPROACH, HAS GIVEN ME CLEAR DIRECTION AND WILL ASSIST ME WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IF NECESSARY. I WILL NOT GET INTO THE DETAIL OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, MY ACTIONS WILL INVOLVE THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:
   1. FIRST, I WILL SUSPEND FROM COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES, ANY LEADERS, WHETHER THEY BE OFFICERS OR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, WHO HAVE DISPLAYED UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR. IF THEY ARE CURRENTLY COMMANDING OR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TROOPS, THEY WILL BE ASSIGNED TO OTHER DUTIES. I WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO COMMAND MY SOLDIERS, TO TEACH MY SOLDIERS ONE DAY LONGER NOR WILL I ALLOW THEM TO HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE LIVES OR EDUCATION OF MY SOLDIERS UNTIL I HAVE CLARIFIED THE GRAVITY OF THEIR SHORTCOMINGS.

   2. SECOND, THE REPORTED INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PATIENTS, LOSS OF A CREW SERVED WEAPON (HEAVY MACHINE GUN) AND EXCESSIVE DRINKING, TO NAME BUT A FEW OF THE IRRESPONSIBLE ACTIONS IN THIS OPERATION IN BOSNIA, WILL BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER BY THE MILITARY POLICE AND BY SUMMARY INVESTIGATION. IN ADDITION, THE CDS HAS DIRECTED ME TO CONDUCT AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW BY A BOARD OF INQUIRY OF CANBAT2'S COMMAND AND CONTROL, LEADERSHIP AND DISCIPLINE. THIS WILL BE CARRIED OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY ONE OF MY TOP OFFICERS WHO WILL HAVE FULL INVESTIGATIVE POWERS AND WHO WILL REPORT DIRECTLY TO ME.

   3. OVER THE LONGER TERM, BASED UPON THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE BEING ORDERED, I WILL CLOSELY EXAMINE THE FUTURE USEFULNESS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TO THE CANADIAN FORCES. I ALSO WISH TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THESE ACTIONS MAY ALSO INVOLVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ALREADY RETIRED FROM OR HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE CANADIAN FORCES. IN THESE CASES THEIR TERMS OF DISCHARGE WILL BE REVIEWED AND CHANGED IF DEEMED APPROPRIATE.

4. I AM WELL AWARE THAT THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE IN MY VIEW TO INVESTIGATE MYSELF OR MY PREDECESSORS, ON WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO INVESTIGATE AND AS A RESULT, I HAVE REFERRED THIS MATTER TO THE CDS AND HAVE ASKED HIM TO TAKE THE ACTION THAT HE DEEMS TO BE ESSENTIAL TO DETERMINE THE FACTS; AND HE WILL DO THIS!

5. THESE INCIDENTS COME ON THE HEELS OF AN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH NUMBER OF CASES OF MISCONDUCT ACROSS THE WHOLE ARMY, MANY OF WHICH ARE DIRECTLY TRACEABLE TO FAILURES OF LEADERSHIP. THESE RANGE FROM HAZING, HARASSMENT, AND RACISM, TO ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OF AUTHORITY, POSSIBLE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, MISUSE OF ALCOHOL IN OPERATIONAL THEATRES AND THE QUESTIONABLE OPERATIONAL COMPETENCE OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN COMMAND APPOINTMENTS. THESE ISSUES ARE - IN AND OF THEMSELVES - SERIOUS TO SAY THE LEAST. HOWEVER, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THEY ALL POINT TOWARDS ONE OVERRIDING AND CRITICAL WEAKNESS - LEADERSHIP. GIVEN THAT LEADERSHIP IS CENTRAL TO THE ARMY ETHOS, I HAVE FOUND IT ESSENTIAL TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE SITUATION MYSELF AND TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT BEFORE ALL OF YOU TODAY. IN SHORT, THE ARMY HAS A SIGNIFICANT LEADERSHIP DEFICIENCY AND I INTEND TO BOTH ADDRESS IT AND RECTIFY IT FORTHRIGHTLY.

6. IN ORDER TO ASSIST ME, THE LEADERS OF OUR ARMY, WHICH INCLUDES EVERYONE FROM MASTER-CORPORAL TO GENERAL, BOTH REGULAR FORCE AND RESERVISTS, MUST FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE AND THEN COME TO GRIPS WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP PROBLEM IN OUR RANKS. I HASTEN TO POINT OUT THAT CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED NOT ONLY BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE BUT ALSO BY MANY WITHIN THE ARMY. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL VALUE THAT WE OWE OUR GOVERNMENT, THE PUBLIC AND OUR SOLDIERS, THE BEST STANDARDS OF LEADERSHIP POSSIBLE.

7. WHILE SOME MIGHT LIKE TO SIMPLY BLAME ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS ON THE MEDIA, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE SITUATION IS NOT OF THE MEDIA'S MAKING. IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR TO ME, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF SMALL ROGUE ELEMENTS ARE IN FACT LINKED BY THE COMMON THREAD OF POOR SUPERVISION AND WEAK LEADERSHIP BY SOME.

8. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE IDENTIFIED SHORTFALLS, I WILL RE-EMPHASIZE AND DEMAND THROUGHOUT THE ARMY, RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP AND ITS ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF MORAL AND ETHICAL VALUES, WHICH HAVE BEEN TRIED AND PROVEN IN WAR AND WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE ARMY'S COLLECTIVE SOUL. VALUES SUCH AS TRUTH, DUTY, AND VALOUR ALONG WITH THE MORAL COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT RATHER THAN WHAT IS FASHIONABLE. THIS MUST BE THE CREDO OF THE OFFICER AND NCO CORPS. FORTUNATELY, WE IN CANADA ARE BLESSED WITH AN ARMY COMPRISED LARGELY OF HONOURABLE, PROFESSIONAL AND INTELLIGENT PEOPLE UPON WHOM WE CAN RELY TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP. I ONLY NEED TO GIVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR LEADERS THE MORAL AUTHORITY AND THE EXAMPLE AND THEY WILL DO THE REST.

9. MY FATHER USED TO TELL ME IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF A HOLE YOU HAD TO STOP DIGGING, SO PLEASE LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO MY OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND TO MAKE THE GROUND RULES CLEAR. SHOULD THERE BE ANY DOUBT IN ANYBODY'S MIND: TODAY'S LEADER MUST, AS A MINIMUM, DEMONSTRATE MORAL AND ETHICAL COURAGE IF HE OR SHE INTENDS TO COMMAND IN THE CANADIAN ARMY. HE OR SHE MUST ALWAYS SERVE AS A ROLE MODEL OF EXEMPLARY AND IRREPROACHABLE CONDUCT. I WILL OFFER NO TOLERANCE FOR THOSE OF US WHO VIOLATE THE TRUST SET OUT FOR US BY OUR NATION AND BY THE SOLDIERS WE SERVE. FINALLY, WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES FOR OUR HONEST FAILURES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT LESSONS AND PROVIDE FIRM GROUND FROM WHICH TO IMPROVE. EQUALLY WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO ADMIT OUR MISTAKES AND TO LEARN FROM THEM.

10. UNFASHIONABLE AS SOME OF THESE OLD BASIC VALUES MAY SEEM TO SOME, IT WAS THIS KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT PRODUCED THE MUTUAL TRUST THAT BONDED OUR ARMY IN COMBAT. THAT TRUST BETWEEN THE LEADER AND THE SOLDIER IS WHAT DISTINGUISHES OUTSTANDING UNITS FROM INEFFECTIVE ONES. THE ARMY HAS DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP DEFICIENCIES, BUT NOT EVERY LEADER IN THE ARMY HAS BEEN DEFICIENT. THAT IS WHY I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY INEFFECTIVE, IRREPARABLY TARNISH THE RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT THAT THE CANADIAN ARMY HAS PAINSTAKINGLY BUILT-UP IN ITS PROUD HISTORY AT HOME AND ABROAD. FOR THIS IS THE SAME ARMY THAT WAS APPLAUDED WORLDWIDE FOR ITS DISCIPLINED INVOLVEMENT IN DELICATE OPERATIONS SUCH AS THE OKA CRISIS, CYPRUS, THE OPENING OF SARAJEVO, IN THE MEDAK POCKET IN CROATIA AND IN RWANDA AND YES, BY THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR SOLDIERS, IN SOMALIA TOO. TODAY, AS I SPEAK, OUR ARMY IS PERFORMING EXTREMELY WELL IN DIFFICULT MISSIONS IN HAITI AND IN BOSNIA WITH IFOR. ALONG THE SAME LINE, THE ACTIONS OF A FEW AT THE HOSPITAL AT BAKOVICI SHOULD NOT MASK THE GENEROUS AND COURAGEOUS PERFORMANCE OF OUR TROOPS AT THAT SAME HOSPITAL A FEW MONTHS EARLIER. A PERFORMANCE THAT SAVED SO MANY LIVES AND THAT WAS SO ELOQUENTLY PORTRAYED BY THE MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD. IN SHORT, THE CANADIAN PEOPLE SHOULD STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE ARMY AND I INTEND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

11. LET ME CONCLUDE HERE BY STATING THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS, THE ARMY'S ACTIONS MIGHT BE PERCEIVED TO BE DRASTIC BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THEY WILL BE CLEAR, FAIR, JUST AND ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, IF WE ARE TO PROTECT THE ARMY'S COLLECTIVE SOUL. IN CERTAIN AREAS WE HAVE BEEN FOUND WANTING, AND SO I WILL, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CDS AND MY SUBORDINATES, TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO CORRECT THOSE DEFICIENCIES IN THE OFFICER AND NCO CORPS WHILE I CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR MORE PROGRESS IN OUR EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO PREVENT THE TYPES OF INCIDENTS THAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

12. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE I WANTED TO PASS ON TO YOU TODAY. I AM NOW PREPARED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.