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Top general says military families deserve special honour
Last Updated: Sunday, June 3, 2007 | 1:26 PM ET
CBC News
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Canada's top general says 2007 should be the Year of the Military Family.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said Friday military families, "the strength behind the uniform," deserve to be celebrated because of the sacrifices they make every day.
Hillier said in Ottawa it would be appropriate to acknowledge the contributions made by spouses, children and parents of Canadian Forces personnel.
His comments were made before Canadian Forces Day on Sunday. The first Sunday in June marks the day designated by the federal government to pay tribute to armed forces staff for serving the country.
"On this Canadian Forces Day, I wish to thank the Canadian public for their overwhelming support for our soldiers, sailors and air personnel over the past year," Hillier said in a news release on Friday.
"I also pay tribute to the families of CF members. They also serve in defence of Canada. They are the strength behind the uniform."
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Canada has more than 2,000 soldiers serving in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a coalition of about 30,000 soldiers from 37 countries. ISAF is trying to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan to enable reconstruction to occur.
Fifty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since Canada first sent troops to the troubled country in early 2002.
The body of the 56th soldier, Master Cpl. Jason Priede, is expected at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario on Monday. Priede, a military photographer, died on Wednesday when a U.S. military helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.
This past week has been one in which the Department of National Defence was embroiled in controversy over the way it handles funeral costs for soldiers killed on duty.
Hillier said Wednesday that the military will "do what needs to be done" to help families pay for the funeral costs of soldiers killed on duty.
Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said on the same day that the department will issue new guidelines on funeral costs and will cover more expenses linked with military funerals.
O'Connor also said the department will review whether the families of soldiers killed in the past five years in Afghanistan were shortchanged on funeral expenses
The promise came just before Lincoln and Laurie Dinning, parents of slain soldier Cpl. Matthew Dinning, expressed frustration at a news conference on Wednesday that they were not fully reimbursed for the cost of their son's funeral. Dinning was killed by a roadside bomb in April.
Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, the military's chief of personnel, apologized to the Dinnings on Thursday and promised to send a cheque for $6,551.
In April, Hillier announced that a special fund was being set up to allow ordinary Canadians to donate in aid of military families in need.
Since then, more than $100,000 has been donated to the CDS Military Families Fund.
With files from the Canadian Press
Shared under fair dealings
Last Updated: Sunday, June 3, 2007 | 1:26 PM ET
CBC News
Article Link
Canada's top general says 2007 should be the Year of the Military Family.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said Friday military families, "the strength behind the uniform," deserve to be celebrated because of the sacrifices they make every day.
Hillier said in Ottawa it would be appropriate to acknowledge the contributions made by spouses, children and parents of Canadian Forces personnel.
His comments were made before Canadian Forces Day on Sunday. The first Sunday in June marks the day designated by the federal government to pay tribute to armed forces staff for serving the country.
"On this Canadian Forces Day, I wish to thank the Canadian public for their overwhelming support for our soldiers, sailors and air personnel over the past year," Hillier said in a news release on Friday.
"I also pay tribute to the families of CF members. They also serve in defence of Canada. They are the strength behind the uniform."
Continue Article
Canada has more than 2,000 soldiers serving in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a coalition of about 30,000 soldiers from 37 countries. ISAF is trying to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan to enable reconstruction to occur.
Fifty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since Canada first sent troops to the troubled country in early 2002.
The body of the 56th soldier, Master Cpl. Jason Priede, is expected at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario on Monday. Priede, a military photographer, died on Wednesday when a U.S. military helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.
This past week has been one in which the Department of National Defence was embroiled in controversy over the way it handles funeral costs for soldiers killed on duty.
Hillier said Wednesday that the military will "do what needs to be done" to help families pay for the funeral costs of soldiers killed on duty.
Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said on the same day that the department will issue new guidelines on funeral costs and will cover more expenses linked with military funerals.
O'Connor also said the department will review whether the families of soldiers killed in the past five years in Afghanistan were shortchanged on funeral expenses
The promise came just before Lincoln and Laurie Dinning, parents of slain soldier Cpl. Matthew Dinning, expressed frustration at a news conference on Wednesday that they were not fully reimbursed for the cost of their son's funeral. Dinning was killed by a roadside bomb in April.
Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, the military's chief of personnel, apologized to the Dinnings on Thursday and promised to send a cheque for $6,551.
In April, Hillier announced that a special fund was being set up to allow ordinary Canadians to donate in aid of military families in need.
Since then, more than $100,000 has been donated to the CDS Military Families Fund.
With files from the Canadian Press
Shared under fair dealings
