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Oh, puh-leeeeezz ...
As if the MND would really rock the boat and fire anybody.
I recently encountered the most abusive, foul-mouthed pointy-headed Neanderthal ever to grace the higher ranks of the Canadian Army ... and guess what? When somebody tried to blow the whistle on this bullying thug and made a harassment complaint ... it was just swept under the rug. And, sad but true, they're now grooming this "bad apple" for even higher office.
Thus, after witnessing this from close range, I don't hold out much (any) hope the MND's bold, brave assertion will actually materialize - instead, the "old boys club" will close ranks, and abuse will continue to rage unchecked.
What really bugs me is the dearth of genuine, good leaders, who would NEVER treat their subordinates like dirt (i.e. Sun Tzu said "treat your soldiers like your own children, and they will follow your into the darkest valleys").
But, that's just my personal opinion.
(I'm just plum worn out from being abused myself, but I'll be damned before I'd do it to anybody else.)
McCallum vows action against 'bad apples'
Ombudsman's report: Military officers treat lower ranks as 'disposable soldiers'
Sheldon Alberts
National Post
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
André ?arin, the Canadian military's civilian ombudsman, says officers become more aloof to soldiers' needs after being promoted.
OTTAWA - John McCallum, the Minister of National Defence, vowed yesterday to punish "bad apples" in the senior ranks of Canada's military who mistreat lower-ranked soldiers and suggested military officers undergo sensitivity training so they act with more compassion toward their troops.
Mr. McCallum's pledge came after the military's civilian ombudsman reported that many officers in the Canadian Forces treat their charges as "disposable soldiers" and the department of National Defence is "rife with discrimination" against soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"My message is that if people maltreat staff, then that is not acceptable," Mr. McCallum said after André ?arin released an annual report detailing more than 1,400 complaints by soldiers against the Canadian Forces in the past year.
"I think it is unacceptable when the higher ranks treat the low ranks badly, but ... you are going to get mistakes made and you are going to get some bad apples," Mr. McCallum said.
"We have a number of processes and procedures in place to root these people out."
Mr. Marin's report said many high-ranking officers in Canada's military elite continue to show disregard for rank-and-file soldiers despite persistent scrutiny from the ombudsman's office since it was created by the federal Cabinet four years ago.
Mr. Marin details several cases in which Canadian Forces personnel were mistreated by their superiors, including one in which an on-duty soldier who had suffered severe back injuries was not allowed to undergo therapy for two years.
For another year and a half, the military failed to heed an evaluation that recommended it install bathroom and office equipment to help the soldier function at work.
The equipment was installed only after inquiries by the ombudsman.
Of the 1,489 complaints Mr. Marin investigated last year, 293 dealt with concerns about military benefits, 109 dealt with claims of harassment, 189 cases involved claims of improper release from the Forces and 39 dealt with misuse of power.
"The common thread we have identified in dealing with these cases is the failure of the chain of command to properly assess the impact of military or operational decisions on individual soldiers and their families," Mr. Marin said. "In other words, the military has to do a better job of looking after the little guy."
Mr. Marin said officers, in particular, become more aloof to soldiers' needs after receiving promotions. "It is easy, according to the old school of thinking, to overlook the welfare of individual soldiers when you are making military and operational decisions," he said.
"I'm not sure what the effect of getting an extra bar or Maple Leaf on their soldier has, but it usually hasn't been good news for our office."
Mr. McCallum, who was appointed Minister of National Defence last month, said he is considering new requirements for officers to undergo specific training for sensitivity toward lower-ranked soldiers, sailors and aviators.
"I think perhaps the training processes could be improved to focus more on human-related issues," he said.
Mr. Marin is awaiting a government response to an investigation that found the Canadian Forces tend to dismiss as malcontents soldiers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mr. Marin made 31 recommendations about how to help soldiers suffering from PTSD, including the creation of a post-traumatic stress co-ordinator and the establishment of a database to document the problem.
As if the MND would really rock the boat and fire anybody.
I recently encountered the most abusive, foul-mouthed pointy-headed Neanderthal ever to grace the higher ranks of the Canadian Army ... and guess what? When somebody tried to blow the whistle on this bullying thug and made a harassment complaint ... it was just swept under the rug. And, sad but true, they're now grooming this "bad apple" for even higher office.
Thus, after witnessing this from close range, I don't hold out much (any) hope the MND's bold, brave assertion will actually materialize - instead, the "old boys club" will close ranks, and abuse will continue to rage unchecked.
What really bugs me is the dearth of genuine, good leaders, who would NEVER treat their subordinates like dirt (i.e. Sun Tzu said "treat your soldiers like your own children, and they will follow your into the darkest valleys").
But, that's just my personal opinion.
(I'm just plum worn out from being abused myself, but I'll be damned before I'd do it to anybody else.)
McCallum vows action against 'bad apples'
Ombudsman's report: Military officers treat lower ranks as 'disposable soldiers'
Sheldon Alberts
National Post
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
André ?arin, the Canadian military's civilian ombudsman, says officers become more aloof to soldiers' needs after being promoted.
OTTAWA - John McCallum, the Minister of National Defence, vowed yesterday to punish "bad apples" in the senior ranks of Canada's military who mistreat lower-ranked soldiers and suggested military officers undergo sensitivity training so they act with more compassion toward their troops.
Mr. McCallum's pledge came after the military's civilian ombudsman reported that many officers in the Canadian Forces treat their charges as "disposable soldiers" and the department of National Defence is "rife with discrimination" against soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"My message is that if people maltreat staff, then that is not acceptable," Mr. McCallum said after André ?arin released an annual report detailing more than 1,400 complaints by soldiers against the Canadian Forces in the past year.
"I think it is unacceptable when the higher ranks treat the low ranks badly, but ... you are going to get mistakes made and you are going to get some bad apples," Mr. McCallum said.
"We have a number of processes and procedures in place to root these people out."
Mr. Marin's report said many high-ranking officers in Canada's military elite continue to show disregard for rank-and-file soldiers despite persistent scrutiny from the ombudsman's office since it was created by the federal Cabinet four years ago.
Mr. Marin details several cases in which Canadian Forces personnel were mistreated by their superiors, including one in which an on-duty soldier who had suffered severe back injuries was not allowed to undergo therapy for two years.
For another year and a half, the military failed to heed an evaluation that recommended it install bathroom and office equipment to help the soldier function at work.
The equipment was installed only after inquiries by the ombudsman.
Of the 1,489 complaints Mr. Marin investigated last year, 293 dealt with concerns about military benefits, 109 dealt with claims of harassment, 189 cases involved claims of improper release from the Forces and 39 dealt with misuse of power.
"The common thread we have identified in dealing with these cases is the failure of the chain of command to properly assess the impact of military or operational decisions on individual soldiers and their families," Mr. Marin said. "In other words, the military has to do a better job of looking after the little guy."
Mr. Marin said officers, in particular, become more aloof to soldiers' needs after receiving promotions. "It is easy, according to the old school of thinking, to overlook the welfare of individual soldiers when you are making military and operational decisions," he said.
"I'm not sure what the effect of getting an extra bar or Maple Leaf on their soldier has, but it usually hasn't been good news for our office."
Mr. McCallum, who was appointed Minister of National Defence last month, said he is considering new requirements for officers to undergo specific training for sensitivity toward lower-ranked soldiers, sailors and aviators.
"I think perhaps the training processes could be improved to focus more on human-related issues," he said.
Mr. Marin is awaiting a government response to an investigation that found the Canadian Forces tend to dismiss as malcontents soldiers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mr. Marin made 31 recommendations about how to help soldiers suffering from PTSD, including the creation of a post-traumatic stress co-ordinator and the establishment of a database to document the problem.
