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http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061222/hillier_christmas_061222/20061222?hub=Canada
Gen. Rick Hillier to spend Christmas with troops
Updated Fri. Dec. 22 2006 8:05 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- Gen. Rick Hillier celebrated Christmas with his family a week ago so he could spend the real holiday with soldiers, sailors and air personnel in and around Afghanistan.
The chief of the defence staff flew aboard the patrol frigate HMCS Ottawa in the Persian Gulf on Friday to start a whirlwind holiday tour.
He flies into Afghanistan on Christmas Eve after a day aboard the warship.
"I'm going to spend some time with our troops both inside and outside the wire at Kandahar and the provincial reconstruction team and a few hours in Kabul because we've got probably got 75 Canadians in Kabul,'' he said in a telephone interview from the ship, minutes after his helicopter landed in the darkness.
Hillier has brought some entertainment for the troops, including comedians Rick Mercer and Mary Walsh and the Montreal rock band Jonas.
Jonas released its self-titled first album in 2004 and has just released another called Suite Life.
Hillier said the band members, Jonas Tomalty, Corey Diabo, Ange E. Curcio and Domenic Romanelli are keen to get on the ground with the soldiers.
"They're pretty excited to be able to come out and show their support,'' he said.
HMCS Ottawa left her home port of Esquimalt, B.C., in September for a six-month deployment as part of what the navy calls Operation Altair.
The ship, with a crew of 225, has been patrolling the region watching for contraband as part of a coalition naval force. Earlier this month, the vessel rescued 18 sailors from a sinking boat.
Ottawa has also been keeping an eye for an old threat: pirates.
"Piracy is a major major issue in this part of the world,'' said Hillier.
The general, a 51-year-old Newfoundland-born armour officer, has been chief of the defence staff, for almost two years.
He has overseen the toughest phase of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and has made a number of visits to the troops.
Hillier said he always tries to talk to every single soldier, sailor or airman or women on these trips.
Their morale, he says, never ceases to impress him.
"People are focused on the job, they're happy in what they're doing, they believe in the mission they have and that's the truth.''
He said the kind of minor gripes and complaints he hears at bases back home rarely come up at the front lines.
"When they're involved in the serious business of the intense operations, the complaints of minuscule things that you might hear back in Canada just disappear.''
Hillier managed to shoehorn a family Christmas into his schedule last Saturday, sitting down with his wife, Joyce, their two sons, a daughter-in-law and grandson Jack.
But he couldn't manage to find time for a shopping trip.
"I have yet to do any shopping for my wife, unfortunately,'' he said with a wry chuckle. "I had to beg forgiveness based on future recompense.''
Gen. Rick Hillier to spend Christmas with troops
Updated Fri. Dec. 22 2006 8:05 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- Gen. Rick Hillier celebrated Christmas with his family a week ago so he could spend the real holiday with soldiers, sailors and air personnel in and around Afghanistan.
The chief of the defence staff flew aboard the patrol frigate HMCS Ottawa in the Persian Gulf on Friday to start a whirlwind holiday tour.
He flies into Afghanistan on Christmas Eve after a day aboard the warship.
"I'm going to spend some time with our troops both inside and outside the wire at Kandahar and the provincial reconstruction team and a few hours in Kabul because we've got probably got 75 Canadians in Kabul,'' he said in a telephone interview from the ship, minutes after his helicopter landed in the darkness.
Hillier has brought some entertainment for the troops, including comedians Rick Mercer and Mary Walsh and the Montreal rock band Jonas.
Jonas released its self-titled first album in 2004 and has just released another called Suite Life.
Hillier said the band members, Jonas Tomalty, Corey Diabo, Ange E. Curcio and Domenic Romanelli are keen to get on the ground with the soldiers.
"They're pretty excited to be able to come out and show their support,'' he said.
HMCS Ottawa left her home port of Esquimalt, B.C., in September for a six-month deployment as part of what the navy calls Operation Altair.
The ship, with a crew of 225, has been patrolling the region watching for contraband as part of a coalition naval force. Earlier this month, the vessel rescued 18 sailors from a sinking boat.
Ottawa has also been keeping an eye for an old threat: pirates.
"Piracy is a major major issue in this part of the world,'' said Hillier.
The general, a 51-year-old Newfoundland-born armour officer, has been chief of the defence staff, for almost two years.
He has overseen the toughest phase of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and has made a number of visits to the troops.
Hillier said he always tries to talk to every single soldier, sailor or airman or women on these trips.
Their morale, he says, never ceases to impress him.
"People are focused on the job, they're happy in what they're doing, they believe in the mission they have and that's the truth.''
He said the kind of minor gripes and complaints he hears at bases back home rarely come up at the front lines.
"When they're involved in the serious business of the intense operations, the complaints of minuscule things that you might hear back in Canada just disappear.''
Hillier managed to shoehorn a family Christmas into his schedule last Saturday, sitting down with his wife, Joyce, their two sons, a daughter-in-law and grandson Jack.
But he couldn't manage to find time for a shopping trip.
"I have yet to do any shopping for my wife, unfortunately,'' he said with a wry chuckle. "I had to beg forgiveness based on future recompense.''
.
:cheers:
