National Defence Committee on June 5th, 2008

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

That's a great question.

Certainly, I would say in 2003 and 2004, that was going on, but now there are almost 3,000 combat veterans in the reserve army. There is barely an army reserve unit that hasn't had soldiers who have deployed into Afghanistan. In the combat arm, barely a unit hasn't had soldiers in combat. It was a problem, but now I think we're getting much better at sharing experiences.

[MGen D.C. Tabbernor]

Can I just make a first-hand comment to reinforce what General O'Brien said?

For a reservist coming back from theatre, it could be traumatic. A dead reservist coming back from theatre is very traumatic.

Before I went to Afghanistan, I had the honour of attending five funerals for five reservists. I must tell you that the comments I got from the families of the soldiers were remarkable, in that they had not realized how strong that regimental family connection was...and how quickly the regimental family gathered around to do what was necessary to be done. These are from the mothers and fathers and siblings of the solders who were killed. So the family gathers to do what needs to be done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you, sir.

Official opposition, are you finished?

Back over to the government. Does anybody want to have a question? That ends that round.

Mr. Bachand.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

No questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Bouchard, go ahead.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

According to a study I read some time ago, there are twice as many suicides in the regular force and in particular, among people who go to a theatre of operations, than in the general population.

A moment ago, I heard that there were 20% of reservists who participated in operations who committed suicide. I don't know if one army corps is more affected than the others but I heard the figure of 20%. This is a high figure. Do you have statistics or information showing that there are more suicides among reservists than in the general population?

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

From the army's perspective, sir, I do not have those statistics, nor am I aware of any dynamic that would be different from the norm. I think that question would probably be better put to the chief of military personnel, who could respond to that. I am unable to respond.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

It's okay if you don't have any. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Hawn, and then over to Ms. Black.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

One quick question, and again you may not be able to answer it, but I want to get this question on the table. Statistics that were recently released show that the suicide rate in the Canadian Forces is less than the general population of Canada, and it has been decreasing year by year. Are you aware of those statistics?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Does anybody want to comment?

[Cmdre J. Bennett]

I have no comment, but I was aware.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Ms. Black.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I would just go back to the ombudsman's report, because again, I think it was so critical. I wondered if any of you who have not had a chance to comment on any of the 12 recommendations want an opportunity to do that.

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

I guess you're looking at me, ma'am, so I'll take the last shot.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I had the sense you had something to say.

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

No, not at all.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Don't feel pressured to do it.

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

No, not at all.

I would echo, initially, General Tabbernor's comments. A lot of the changes that were recommended by the report were in fact already under way, with a number of initiatives launched by both our own services and the Chief of the Defence Staff's focus on Canadian Forces reserve transformation. So a lot of the issues identified by the ombudsman are already well-known and were already in the process of being worked on and resolved.

There were some issues in the report that I wouldn't say surprised me, but it was very good they were raised, because there is a question about equality of treatment. I would think that as the Canadian Forces matures and develops and changes with its own transformation, the key solution will be changing the basic terms of service. A review of that is under way through the CMP, which will have a huge impact on building that equality of support.

I would save my last comment for the fact that I think the reserve's contributions to the Canadian Forces in Canada's missions overseas and domestically are finally being recognized, and with that recognition will come the attention and the resources required to support that.

So I was very pleased to see the report and the recommendations, and I'll be even more pleased when we begin to implement some of the work that's being planned today.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Yes. I think all of us will be pleased when they're implemented, because equality of treatment has to be a fundamental principle of Canadian life, and certainly the men and women who serve in the Canadian military should not be treated with different standards.

Thanks very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you.

I always appreciate the committee leaving a few minutes for me to ask a question. Most times, I don't get an opportunity.

General O'Brien, I'd just like you to give us a little rundown on the Canadian Rangers. Can you tell us about them, how they get paid and how they get treated if they're hurt? They're a long way from hospitals most times.

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

I knew someone would ask that question.

Just by way of introduction, there are approximately 4,000 Canadian Rangers working across Canada. They are predominantly, but not exclusively, aboriginal personnel working in the northern areas of our country—not just the Arctic, but northern Quebec, northern Ontario, and, in the west, northern British Columbia. They are a great capability for the Canadian Forces, in terms of providing surveillance and assistance in some of those uninhabited parts of our country, particularly now, as the use of the Arctic and the expansion in the Arctic in terms of resources and those types of economic issues arise. There are plans to expand the rangers to 5,000 to meet this expanding role.

A ranger is, in essence, a reservist with slightly different terms of service. They are trained to a minimal standard in the use of certain equipment, because their skill sets are really the ones they bring from their environment. They are trained approximately nine days a year in the use of some of the basic equipment they need to do their jobs. They are managed by organizations set up in each of our land force areas, one in Joint Task Force North in the Arctic. There are five groups, and they are getting a lot of attention since they came under the command of the army in the last four months.

In fact, we are just about to launch a significant re-equipping of the rangers. We are providing new environmental clothes to them; we are looking at revising their terms of service; we are certainly addressing any of the administrative issues that have arisen in the past; we are giving them improved capabilities with satellite communications; and we are generally improving their capability to provide additional security for Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Very good. And what happens to them if they're injured? How about health care for the rangers?

[BGen G.J.P. O'Brien]

I couldn't speak specifically to what the process is, to be candid. But if they're on a CF operation, they'd be treated as if they were a CF member.