National Defence committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair, it is not. Under the advise and assist role, we are able to provide the peshmerga the ability to heighten the accuracy of the weapons they are calling in for their combat role—not our combat role, but their combat role. What we would require to be in comb

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the question we get to is this: what do we use as measures of effectiveness? In the case where there are very few troops on the ground putting pressure at this point in the campaign on ISIL forces, one of the measures of success is how many target

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. What I think we're seeing is an evolution in the mission that has our special operations troops, together with the Iraqi security force that we're helping, the peshmerga, becoming very effective. About 80% of the time we're back in the classrooms with them.

National Defence committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the question we get to is this: what do we use as measures of effectiveness? In the case where there are very few troops on the ground putting pressure at this point in the campaign on ISIL forces, one of the measures of success is how many target

National Defence committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. What I think we're seeing is an evolution in the mission that has our special operations troops, together with the Iraqi security force that we're helping, the peshmerga, becoming very effective. About 80% of the time we're back in the classrooms with them.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. Through the chair, first I think we should be very clear about what a combat operation is. It is, defined in military doctrine, a military operation in which the use of force is essential to accomplish a mission. A non-combat operation, which is exact

National Defence committee  Thank you for the question. Through the chair, first I think we should be very clear about what a combat operation is. It is, defined in military doctrine, a military operation in which the use of force is essential to accomplish a mission. A non-combat operation, which is exact

Foreign Affairs committee  The special operations forces are a step up, slightly higher-trained members of the army. Some are from the other environments, but they're largely from the army. They are extremely fit and are at higher readiness levels and with capabilities that all western nations take to a sl

Foreign Affairs committee  I would just say, Mr. Dewar, that you are absolutely right in recognizing that the peshmerga have no shortage of fighting spirit or courage. What they do not have is the luxury of a significant standing army or professional standing army. Here in Canada we have the luxury of havi

Foreign Affairs committee  The only thing I would add, Mr. Chairman, is that the lead elements have been warmly received by Iraqi forces and by the Iraqi government, and we'll be working in close cooperation and collaboration with the Americans, who have quite a background of activity in Iraq.

Foreign Affairs committee  The only thing I would add to that, Mr. Chairman, is that the articles normally covered in a SOFA, as you've mentioned, will be provided to us through a diplomatic note that our partners at Foreign Affairs are helping us with at this time.

National Defence committee  I will. The recruitment process is the first chance we have to ensure that those great Canadians we bring into uniform are well enculturated in the discipline, ethics, morality that we require in the Canadian Armed Forces. So there are four groups of 40 minutes dealing with ethic

National Defence committee  The 1-800 number was folded into our member assistance program, and all those calls that used to go to that direct number are now handled among all calls that we receive. We found that to be very effective.

National Defence committee  I thank you for the nice words. Thank you very much members.

National Defence committee  Thank you. I would like to think that is not the case, that the Chief of Defence and his key leaders back here, while developing our combat readiness and capabilities, were also able, with the support of others who were very much focused on military personnel and workplaces, to d