National Defence Committee on March 23rd, 2015

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

I also am interested in recruitment. I understand that it's well below target, especially for the air reserves, but for the naval reserves as well. What's happening there? What's being done to improve recruitment?

Also, how long does it take from the beginning to actually recruit someone? I understand that in the regular forces it's a big enough problem that people head off to take up a university degree because they haven't even heard back eight months after their application. Are there similar challenges with reserves?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

Any delay in reserve recruiting is more problematic, especially for university students who want a guarantee of summer employment or for high school students who may have other options.

As I mentioned earlier, what we've tried to do, in particular in the army reserve and the naval reserve, is to do more at the unit level so that people don't have to go into a recruiting centre and so that they're dealing with the same people over again. We're taking on some of the administration and the processing to try to speed things up and to maintain contact with that individual. We find that it's one of the greatest demotivators when they just haven't heard back—

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

[Inaudible—Editor]...the budget for that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Ms. Murray, I'm afraid that's your time.

We'll hear from Ms. Gallant, please, in beginning the five-minute round.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It was mentioned that you're the defence champion for women. However, what measures are being implemented in the reserves with respect to UN Resolution 1325?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

In fact, I'm quite proactive in that file. I sit on a NATO committee for reserves, representing Canada, and just briefed on that. We're about to celebrate the 15th anniversary of that resolution; we look at Canada's part.

The reserves are more diverse. We have higher percentages generally of visible minorities, aboriginals, and women across our force. Our presence on operations has meant that we've been able to utilize not only civilian skills but the presence of women.

Part of that resolution is to better integrate and inform societies about women in combat. The presence of Canadian women in uniform, regular or reserve, was part of that.

In our pre-deployment training as well, we've integrated gender awareness training. It's something that we're more aware of in the reserve world, so we're helping the regular force in terms of adoption of some of that as well.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

What about the application of UN 1325 with respect to being in theatre and how women in conflict are being dealt with, from the reservists' point of view?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

It isn't something that is reserve or regular per se. Canada's pre-deployment training, as well as our cultural awareness when we go into any theatre of operation, includes those gender considerations.

We've gone beyond that as well to look at the different ways women interact with women. We were quite instrumental in Afghanistan in women being able to integrate in a village and being able not only to gather intelligence but to help inform and engage women and children. Also, just serving as an example in that culture and that community, I think having women see Canadian women in uniform who are leading men and who are driving vehicles...there's that sort of thing as well.

While we may not have labelled it particularly with a checklist for Resolution 1325, Canada has been very proactive and has had a leading role in that. As well, I think, reservists, with our civilian expertise, language, and cultural awareness that we've brought to this, have been able to integrate in a number of operational scenarios that we might not otherwise have been able to.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you for explaining that, because Mr. Harris and I were at a briefing with the NATO parliamentary association internationally, and during a part of the briefing they put up on a screen the rankings in terms of countries that had adopted most of the measures. Canada was at the very top, so we thank you for making our entire delegation proud that day.

I do have a question in terms of maternity leave. For regular forces personnel, the women attend the doctor at the base clinic. How are the reservists who go on maternity leave dealt with in terms of both their compensation and their health care?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

It depends on whether you are a full-time or part-time reservist at the time you apply for maternity leave. As a part-time reservist, you must maintain your civilian medical care. If you're a full-time reservist for a period of more than six months, that is, if you're on a term of employment, then you will receive medical care that is comparable with that of the regular force.

Again, there are differences. Not all reservists would receive full and comprehensive Canadian Armed Forces medical care, nor do regular forces as well. Because of the special nature of some pregnancies, they are often offered civilian expertise or access to civilian care.

For part-time class A reservists, the majority of reservists, they have to maintain their provincial health care and their own doctor, so they aren't provided with medical care in that case for maternity.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

In terms of compensation...?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

You are not compensated if you are not entitled and eligible to medical care through the military prior to, then you would not be compensated during your pregnancy, but that's well communicated.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you, Ms. Gallant.

Ms. Michaud, the floor is yours for five minutes.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Bennett, I would first like to thank you for your presentation.

Several months ago, we were looking at the issue that our troops deployed in Afghanistan did not have access to francophone, or at least bilingual, military psychologists on the ground. They had to call on the American forces to obtain the services there. This issue is affecting both the regular force members and the reservists deployed.

Could the Health Services Reserve be called upon since it has its own military psychologists who can be deployed? Could that be something to consider? I would like to hear what you have to say about that.

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

May I answer in English?

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

No problem at all.

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

To the extent possible, if we were to have psychologists or social workers who were enrolled in the reserve...and, by all means, across a variety of languages, including French, we also have employed civilians, so certainly the spectrum of care provided here in Canada is much wider than that provided in deployment.

Maybe General Bury can speak to whether that was the case in theatre.

[BGen P.J. Bury]

A number of individuals were deployed, but for reservists it comes out as a task, and while we try to match language profiles with the battle group going into theatre, many times it will be a matter of who is available at the time, who has the training, and what portion of that block of time in theatre they can go for, because some of the health-services individuals do not go for an entire six-month or nine-month rotation.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I understand that, but the real issue remains that there are not enough resources to provide the services required under the Official Languages Act.

My question was whether, after those events, there has been a plan to officially hire military psychologists in the Health Services Reserve.

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

While that isn't my area of responsibility and expertise, I do know that health services are expanding their use of and integrating those with civilian skills on the medical side. I can't speak for any programs formally, but I do know there is an opportunity to exploit reservists for a variety of medical skills, including those in psychology.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you very much.

Earlier, you mentioned the issue of access to medical care for reservists coming back from their mission. You said that you are increasingly trying to use social media to keep in touch with them if they leave the reserve.

What is your actual strategy in that sense? Do you contact their loved ones? Can you elaborate on that?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

As we mentioned, one of the greatest challenges is that in the reserve you don't have to go through a formal release program as you would in the regular force. Reservists can simply stop parading at a unit, which makes it very difficult for us to keep in contact with them. We rely on their last address or their email.

What we have found to be more effective in the reserve network is that network of friends or schoolmates or people at work who keep track of them. I think people are less intimidated if you reach out through social media than if you arrive at their house, but we do have a challenge in the reserves with people who just make a choice not to show up anymore—and that's for everything from getting uniforms back to providing resources to ensuring that we have that contact.

Again, we have an excellent network, and there's a real camaraderie at the unit level, and wherever possible we try to exploit that so that people will keep in touch by checking Facebook statuses and reaching out to families as well.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

My understanding is that designated people in the unit get in touch with them if there have been problems. A proactive approach would be taken by the superiors of the person who has left the reserve in order to contact their loved ones with a view to meeting with the individual afterwards.

Have I understood what you said correctly?

[RAdm J.J. Bennett]

There is no formal program, but certainly the commanding officer and the regimental sergeant major will do their best to provide any resources possible or to keep in contact through those who are friends with them.