National Defence committee  Thank you, sir.

National Defence committee  It does not, sir. The NATO mission—

National Defence committee  It has been returned home.

National Defence committee  That happened last year. We indicated that.

National Defence committee  Indeed, the force generation for the coalition is a constant iterative effort that must evolve with the nature of the operations on the ground. When we withdrew those aircraft, the requirement for deliberate targeting had ceased to exist in terms of the need for those aircraft. Deliberate targeting demanding a long cycle of collection was less critical at that time.

National Defence committee  There are still assets available to coalition command to use in Iraq and Syria. I can't tell you today what their rate of usage is, but it has decreased considerably since the transition.

National Defence committee  We are.

National Defence committee  I can't forget the medical facility. We have fantastic doctors and technicians, and as you saw by the numbers, over 2,500 people were served for medical and dental problems. They've done a fantastic job.

National Defence committee  We are predominantly involved in the tactical operations on the ground, largely focused on maintaining security and developing the capacity and capability of the Iraqi security forces. Where it's appropriate, we are involved in intelligence sharing that may have an impact, with our Five Eyes partners and through the wider coalition effort to gather intelligence.

National Defence committee  It's a great question, sir. I'll start off by saying that the longer I've been in the forces and in this job, the more I realize that not only are our families the strength behind the uniform, but they actually in many ways form an integral part of our operational capability. One cannot conduct operations or conceive of operations without being confident that the member is supported and stable and the family is able to continue to function.

National Defence committee  Certainly. I would start with the NATO mission. We put an experienced major-general, two star, in place to mount and do the first year of this mission. It's complex to be the first rotation that does this. He is showing great leadership, as are the Canadians who are involved in force protection, the aviation support to that mission, as well as those who will be doing the training.

National Defence committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's great to be back. To all members of the committee, thank you very much for inviting me to speak before you. At the outset, I want you to know that I truly anticipate and look forward to these sessions. In my role, I think it's important to be able to answer your questions and give you the information that you want, need and deserve.

National Defence committee  I don't have troops specifically training for any particular mission. We're doing general training across the board. In anticipation of government decision-making on this, there's no question that we're doing everything we can to be prudent about being ready, but there is no mission assigned to the Canadian Forces.

National Defence committee  And I had a really good answer.

National Defence committee  Perhaps one reason it wasn't mentioned is the opening of the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, which will be an important avenue to ensure that officer production accounts for la dynamique francophone . We also are governed appropriately, and thankfully, by the laws of Canada, and we continue to follow the law of Canada as it relates to our institution.