It is close to the core, and in that way I think there's a definite asset that Canadians bring to the table when they walk in the door. I have truly seen that among very young and junior soldiers, in the way they approach people, in the way they conduct themselves in working in diverse environments, and even in training environments.
I was reminded of this when we were down on a mission to help train some of the nations of the Caribbean island chains. I was approached by one of their officers who said they admired Canadians because we spoke to them in the right way.
I think we just bring that as Canadians. And I think that's very important to put out there, because as we come in, one of the harder things to do is to train soldiers on a combat level and where they have to go. Then when we build on this, and when I look at the context of where your question is going, I would point out that we're always working as part of a team. We recognize that. It's why, as an example, some reservists who have so little time in the army have been able to respond so brilliantly in domestic operations. So I think we bring that there.
Has doctrine been modified? At the higher level piece, I think, if anything, it has only reinforced what we already had. It has allowed us to look at that, underpinned by the army ethos, as an example, where we see diversity in Canada as a strength. As we work in teams, in coalitions, yes, we can find things that divide us and that cause friction, but there's always more that unites us. I was reminded by our men and women in uniform overseas that we probably have more in common with one another than we do with many of our own sectors of society back home.
So I think that it has amplified some of the existing doctrine and, for sure, there are elements of this that have changed. But I think that's just been a gradual evolution and it's been heavily influenced, not so much by the operations necessarily, but by who we are as Canadians. From where we were 15 to 20 years ago to where we're now, it's been a gradual evolution of Canada and our values, and these are the people who are coming in the door to represent you.