Military shuts out families of dead soldiers: Ombudsman

[the 48th regulator]

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/900327--military-shuts-out-families-of-dead-soldiers-ombudsman?bn=1


Military shuts out families of dead soldiers: Ombudsman


Allan Woods - Ottawa Bureau


OTTAWA — Families of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan and elsewhere are being kept in the dark years after the death of their loved ones, the Canadian Forces ombudsman says.

In a statement released Thursday, Pierre Daigle says the military is withholding information that is vital for families struggling to cope with their grief.

Daigle says that he has asked Defence Minister Peter MacKay in numerous letters to provide families timely access to details of a number of deaths where the military investigation has not come to a timely conclusion, but he has been repeatedly rebuffed.

The letters included details on the plight of six families fighting for information on the death of their family member, including one mother still seeking answers about the death of her son in 2003.

Another case involves a widow who has been waiting a year and a half for a summary report into the death of her husband that was finalized in June 2009.

“With these disturbing cases, I wanted to demonstrate to the minister that the problems endured by families in 2005 (when an ombudsman’s report on inadequate support to military families was first released) are still affecting families in 2010. And I wanted him and the Canadian Forces to finally take action to address the problems that we have raised over many months and years,” he wrote.

“Families should not have to come to Ottawa and plead their cases publicly before the institution will listen to them and act on their concerns.”

Daigle said there would be no cost to the Canadian Forces for taking steps to integrate families into the post-mortem probes of their sons, daughters and spouses and parents.

One measure he suggests is giving family members a voice at the official military investigation – known as a Board of Inquiry – that is convened every time a Canadian soldier is killed.

“I have seen first hand how much this participation can assist families and help them understand and gain closure,” he wrote.


© Copyright Toronto Star 1996-2010

 

[OldSolduer]

There are measures in place already that the AO should brief the family on.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Full statement from CF Ombudsman's page:

As the Ombudsman for National Defence and the Canadian Forces, I have become increasingly troubled by the treatment received by a number of military families who have lost a Canadian Forces loved one while serving their country.

Instead of being cared for respectfully and compassionately, some military families are being forces to fight for their loved ones - loved ones who died for their country.

The Canadian Forces' treatment of families after the death of a military loved one has been a priority for our office since the release of our special report, entitled When a Solider Falls, in 2005.

Last Year, our follow-up to that report concluded that military families are still not receiving the support and information they need when a military love one dies as a result of military service.

For example, we found that the Canadian Forces continues to refuse to give family members standing at Boards of Inquiry convened into the death or serious injury of a military loved one. I have seen first hand how much this participation can assist families and help them understand and gain closure.

We also found that the Canadian Forces has not yet put in place a national policy for support to families of deceased Canadian Forces members.

When I provided these findings to the Minister of National Defence, I advised him that we were continuing to receive complaints from family members who could not get information regarding the death of their loved one in a timely manner, if at all.

In December 2009, I received a disappointing response from the Minister, which led me to believe that the Canadian Forces was not taking these important ‘human’ issues seriously. In his response to our concerns, the Minister simply highlighted changes that had been made by the Canadian Forces and ignored the outstanding – and, I would say, very serious – problems.

In order to ‘humanize’ these problems for the Minister, I wrote him again in April 2010, detailing the troubling experiences of six military families after the death of their Canadian Forces loved one.

This letter included the tragic case brought forward by Mrs. Fynes several weeks ago. The Fynes family has been waiting two and a half years to get responses to concerns that have been lingering since their son’s death.

My letter also included the case of a mother who is still fighting to get access to information regarding the death of her son in 2003.

My letter included the case of a widow who has been waiting for a year and a half to get access to a Summary Investigation report into the death of her husband. This report was finalized in June 2009.

My letter included the case of Mr. Ron Grozelle who feels as though he has been treated as an enemy by the Canadian Forces since the disappearance and death of his son, Officer Cadet Joe Grozelle, in the fall of 2003.

And my letter included the case of a widow who has been waiting more than four years for a copy of the Board of Inquiry report following the death of her Canadian Forces husband.

With these disturbing cases, I wanted to demonstrate to the Minister that the problems endured by families in 2005 are still affecting families in 2010. And I wanted him and the Canadian Forces to finally take action to address the problems that we have raised over many months and years.

Families should not have to come to Ottawa and plead their cases publicly before the institution will listen to them and act on their concerns.

In August 2010, I received another response from the Minister. Unfortunately, it provided little in terms of new information and there has been no significant movement on the part of the Canadian Forces to make much needed change, including providing grieving families with briefings, reports and responses regarding the loss of their family member.

This is the fourth time that I am bringing these very troubling ‘human’ issues to the Minister’s attention. And very little – if anything – has been done for these families. And they are suffering.

It’s even more disappointing when one considers that the changes needed to ensure that military families are treated with dignity and compassion would cost the Canadian Forces nothing.

It is inconceivable to me that the Canadian Forces continues to ignore important recommendations aimed at helping military families after the death of a Canadian Forces loved one.

Families who lose a military loved one deserve more than encouraging words, or a bureaucratic response pointing to commitments to improve care and service. they deserve real action.

And, as I informed the Minister, I will continue to raise these important issues until the Canadian Forces finally addresses their concerns in a fair and compassionate manner.

Pierre Daigle
Ombudsman

Text of letter to Defence Minister here - also attached if link doesn't work.