The General Hillier Years. The Merged Superthread

[OldSolduer]

3rd Herd:

Well said. And yes, like it or not, the job of the CF is to kill people. I 've said that for over 30 years, and will continue to say it. Too many lace panty wearers (both in and out of uniform) thought we were Boy Scouts with rifles.

 

[2 Cdo]

3rd Herd:

Well said. And yes, like it or not, the job of the CF is to kill people. I 've said that for over 30 years, and will continue to say it. Too many lace panty wearers (both in and out of uniform) thought we were Boy Scouts with rifles.

Thankfully the ones in uniform are getting fewer and fewer.

 

[geo]

3rd Herd:
Well said. And yes, like it or not, the job of the CF is to kill people. I 've said that for over 30 years, and will continue to say it. Too many lace panty wearers (both in and out of uniform) thought we were Boy Scouts with rifles.

Funny how a couple of years of fighting a real foe will clear the cobwebs and make people realise that, we are an army & our No 1 job is "to close with and destroy the ennemy".

 

[Gunner98]

I had the chance to hear the CDS speak on a number of occasions and got to shake his hand in Norway during pre-deployment training. I think the thing the everyone needs to rememberis that he has managed to schedule visits into his itinerary so that he can see his soldiers doing whatever they are doing and not on formal parades.  His visits to KAF have been frequent and he has 'dragged' a variety of personalities with him, whether they be rich guys like Eugene Melnyk, former NHL superstars, the Stanley Cup, Tom Cochrane and the list goes...  He has not made one 'novelty' photo op trip but many important and unexpected visits, especially at Christmas when he could have kicked back with his family, instead he was with his extended family - his troops - shaking hands, serving meals and sharing a laugh and a pat on the back.

He has been the epitome of a leader - visbily ubiquitous and always morale-raising.  I think Peter W. has forgotten that Afganistan has been Hillier's war for more than just his tenure as CDS.  He commanded the NATO ISAF in Afghanistan from February 9 to August 12, 2004 at which time he began the concept of the Strategic Advisor Team. 

A few of my favorite CDS quotes:
"When a soldier steps on foreign soil in a high-risk environment, every single Canadian should be walking with him or her."
"Any time you are close to or come under direct or indirect fire, it concentrates the mind wonderfully."
"You have to be confident that what you're doing is right and that the sacrifices are actually going to mean something. Is that on my mind? Damn right it is."
 
Edit to add fav quotes.

 

[combat_medic]

Too bad it's illegal for us to sign petitions. I bet we would get every serving member of the CF to sign a petition to ask him to stay on.

 

[geo]

T'would be flattering BUT, I think the fella has done a tremendous job of slapping us out of our 50 year doldrums.
I think he deserves a break AND it would bode poorly on him if there were no one coming up behind him to take the reigns.  I figure that if he has decided that this is the time, then he knows there is someone out there to take the lead.

To the CODFATHER..... Thank you!

CHIMO!

 

[Yrys]

Too bad it's illegal for us to sign petitions. I bet we would get every serving member of the CF to sign a petition to ask him to stay on.

... and some civilians. I would .

Maybe someone could start it and circulated it among troops family and friends. Would be a nice gift departure ...

What would also be a nice gift departure is a Canadian flag (or something more army) with the max sig by troops ...

 

[Eland]

That's a petition I would gladly sign - if I could, considering that I ceased being an Army reservist over 25 years ago.

I have a huge, huge amount of respect for General Hillier. Simply because he has been a tireless and fearless advocate for the military in general and the troops he commands and in so being, has done Canada a tremendous service. Not only has he put Canada's military back on the map, he has put Canada back on the world stage. He has done what few politicians (or Chiefs of the Defence Staff) in previous administrations would have had the courage to do.

The other reason why I like General Hillier is that he is a soldier's soldier. His concern for the welfare of the soldiers, sailors and aircrew serving this country is real and it's sincere. That concern is the byproduct of working his way up the ranks. In other words, he not only knows how to talk the talk, he knows how to walk the walk. He's also not afraid to speak his mind and takes 100% responsibility for what he says and does - unlike some of the sycophantic politicians-in-uniform the CF has been saddled with in the past.

What makes him so unique is that he has captured the imagination of and galvanized the people of Canada, who have tended think of themselves as a somewhat unmilitary people. You could even say that he stands as tall as General Dwight Eisenhower did in the minds of Americans during the Second World War. The only other Canadian generals in recent memory who have earned a similar degree of esteem and respect (in my mind, at least) are Lewis MacKenzie and J.A. Dextraze.

It's truly a shame to see him go. A soldier like Hillier makes me feel proud to be Canadian again. Bravo Zulu, sir. Bravo Zulu. 

 

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

.....not only did he work tirelessly to rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces to a level of respectability, he instilled a long-lost pride in our military by spearheading the change from ‘peacekeeping force’ to actual ‘military’. In some nations, they would give him his own ‘day’.

In usual Canadian form, he is underappreciated and, in some cases, scoffed at by his countrymen.....

http://www.themoderateseparatist.com/2008/05/general-ly-speaking.html

 

[geo]

LPS.... I for one have not heard anyone scoff at the CDS - if anything, he's one of the people working out of Ottawa that receives respect wherever he goes.

Giving him his own day?.... you're kidding aren't you?

The CDS did his job like few other CDS' have over the last century.... he's just put the bar up .... real high for the next one.  (The next CDS might want to try and deride the current CDS - if only to reduce expectations of his work.).

 

[Old Sweat]

Geo: (The next CDS might want to try and deride the current CDS - if only to reduce expectations of his work.).

I can't think of anything that would destroy the new CDS quicker than an attempt to demean Rick Hillier's legacy.

 

[geo]

Heh... I know that   (wouldn't if be interesting for him / them to try )

he certainly has set the bar real high for those that follow

 

[Garett]

This is too long so I'm just going to post the link.

http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2008/05/chief-of-the-defence-staff-general-rick-hillier/

 

[combatbuddha]

Maybe a good job would be as a civilian instructor at the Leadership Acedemy.
Maybe if we can get to the young 'uns before they get assimilated in with the rest of the ticket punchers we might have a shot at actually having folks who follow the Principles of Leadership rather than see them as a list of things to avoid.

Just a thought

 

[glock17]

Any chance he might be sitting in the House as a Conservative MP, or even Cabinet Minister after the next Fedral election? 

The Right Honourable Rick Hillier, Minister of Defence?

And if that Dog don't hunt, how about the PM's job after Mr. Harper?

He's a pretty popular guy on the street as well as in the CF.

I know, too good to be true....

 

[9nr Domestic]

Last weekend he mentioned something that if the Toronto Maple Leafs asked him to be GM he would consider it.

 

[Love793]

Last weekend he mentioned something that if the Toronto Maple Leafs asked him to be GM he would consider it.

He'd be the only Leaf to to touch the cup in a couple of years. ;D, and the job is up for grabs, but he'd probably be more suited for Paul Maurice's old job.

 

[Mountie]

Any predictions or hopes for the next CDS?  My vote would be for LGen. Leslie.  I think he would be the closest thing to a Hillier and would continue in his foot steps.  Then ship Gen. Hillier over to the RCMP.  We'll take him as Commissioner!

 

[GAP]

'General Charisma' leaves big boots to fill
New leader will have experience, but not the bravado
Don Martin, National Post  Published: Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA -The guard will change at the top of Canada's military on Independence Day.

Okay, so the U.S. holiday timing's a bit strange, but sources say General Rick Hillier will surrender his chief of defence staff title at a ceremony on July 4 and call it quits four days later.

That clears up one theory --and kickstarts another.

The handover date means Gen. Hillier has no intention of peddling his influential military insights on the open market.

It's important to clear up the possibility created by, ahem, a certain National Post columnist whose face appears at left, because Gen. Hillier insists he never ever wants to be a lobbyist unless it's to seek the job of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager. The man clearly relishes no-win assignments.

Besides, the thrust of new lobbyist regulations is targeted below his level. The new legislation coming into force on July 2 extends the number of public servants officials banned from lobbying to "former designated public office holders and former designated members of a prime minister's transition team," according to Registrar of Lobbyists Michael Nelson.

But the second question now that Gen. Hillier has decided this old soldier will fade away in just over four weeks, likely with all the subtlety of a police siren, is wither his replacement?

This isn't a transition that can be accomplished over a long weekend. It's a seriously steep learning curve to guide the 55,000 troops plus reservists under the position's command, particularly if the appointment is an underdog, and it would be useful to have Gen. Hillier around for seasoned guidance.
More on link

 

[Mike Baker]

Honestly, whoever will be the next CDS, I don't think that they will be as great as General Hillier was, and still is for that matter. He brought the nation to respect the Military, and more people to join, and for the Gov to increase funding. He was truly a great man, and I wish I would have the honour to meet him one day.


General Hillier, thank you.


Baker