Learning to Speak the Language

[Armymedic]

Learning to speak
the languageStory and photo submitted by
Lt Aaron Scherle, CSOR
CFB PETAWAWA – On June 13,
award winning author and wellknown
CBC journalist Carol Off
delivered a professional development
lecture to leadership of the Canadian
Special Operations Regiment
(CSOR) as part of the unit’s ongoing
professional development series.
Besides being host of CBC Radio’s
long-running “As It Happens,” Ms.
Off was a documentary contributor to
CBC’s The National for 10 years, and
is the author of “The Lion, the Fox
and the Eagle: A Story of Generals
and Justice in Yugoslavia and
Rwanda,” “The Ghosts of Medak
Pocket: The Story of Canada’s Secret
War,” and most recently, “Bitter
Chocolate: Investigating the Dark
Side of the World’s Most Seductive
Sweet.” During the session, entitled
“Canadian Military Forces in the
Contemporary Operating
Environment: The View from the
Media,” Ms. Off delivered a frank
assessment of CF communication
successes and failures from a seasoned
journalist’s perspective, and
entertained questions from some 60
officers and NCOs for over an hour.
Ms. Off eloquently compared the
interaction between the CF and the
media to learning a language. While
we have both (the CF and the media)
gotten better at speaking over recent
years, we must continue our efforts
and, as is the case with learning a language,
not let the fear of making mistakes
stand in the way of progress.
Having the input of a journalist of
Ms. Off’s calibre will assist CSOR’s
development of a robust Public
Affairs capability, able to balance the
secrecy required for special operations
with the openness and transparency
being the public face of
CANSOFCOM demands.
Journalist Carol Off addresses
CSOR leadership at a recent professional
development lecture.
Petawawa Legion Band
presents summer concerts
Petawawa