- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 360
Just great...some of us who live long enough to see this in more widespread use (probably many decades more from now) outside Japan will have robot legs walk us around in an old folks home. :
Keeping wounded in CF - merged super-thread
- Thread starter The Bread Guy
- Start date
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
I might be able to be a 'Mechwarrior' afterall!! Thats cool. It could mean some of us will be soldiering into our 90's!
- Reaction score
- 1,187
- Points
- 940
Read this article in the Ottawa Citizen yesterday. Very interesting!
Article Link
U.S. military researchers grow new limbs, organs
Tiny scaffold helps cells rebuild bone, tissue
Vito Pilieci, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, November 08, 2008
American military researchers say they have unlocked the secret to regrowing limbs and recreating organs in humans who have sustained major injuries.
Using "nanoscaffolding," the researchers have regrown a man's fingertip and the internal organs of several test subjects.
The technology works by placing a very fine apparatus called a scaffold, which is made of polymer fibres hundreds of times finer than a human hair, in place of a missing limb or damaged organ. The scaffold acts as a guide for cells to grab onto so they can begin to rebuild missing bones and tissue.
More on link
Article Link
U.S. military researchers grow new limbs, organs
Tiny scaffold helps cells rebuild bone, tissue
Vito Pilieci, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, November 08, 2008
American military researchers say they have unlocked the secret to regrowing limbs and recreating organs in humans who have sustained major injuries.
Using "nanoscaffolding," the researchers have regrown a man's fingertip and the internal organs of several test subjects.
The technology works by placing a very fine apparatus called a scaffold, which is made of polymer fibres hundreds of times finer than a human hair, in place of a missing limb or damaged organ. The scaffold acts as a guide for cells to grab onto so they can begin to rebuild missing bones and tissue.
More on link
- Reaction score
- 4,651
- Points
- 1,160
This is a bit off topic, but ...
Some maybe not too interesting numbers:
I found this little thingy while reading an article referenced here in Army.ca.
I got to thinking about the numbers and made this little table from the data in the CP thingy:
Operation Served Killed Rate Killed Wounded Rate Wounded Total Casualties Casualty Rate Ratio Wounded:Killed
Boer War: 7,400 224 3.03% 252 3.41% 476 6.43% 1.12:1
First World War: 626,000 61,623 9.85% 174,623 27.90% 236,286 37.75% 2.83:1
Second World War: 1,100,000 42,042 3.82% 54,514 4.96% 96,556 8.78% 1.29:1
Korea: 26,000 516 1.98% 1,567 6.03% 2,083 8.01% 3.03:1
Afghanistan: 8,000 97 1.21% 300* 3.75% 397 4.96% 3:09:1
--------------------
* I got his number from another article referenced in Army.ca
A few things stand out:
• Afghanistan and Korea have a remarkably similar KIA percentage and the Wounded:Killed ratio is similar for the First World War, Korea and Afghanistan;
• The Boer War and the Second World War have similar percentages and ratios; and
• The casualty rates for the First World War are very high.
I would expect a “better” wounded:killed ratio as immediate treatment, casualty evacuation and battlefield/area medical care improve, but I would have though that there would have been marked improvements in the 1940s over the First World War but the wounded:killed ratio is worse for 1939:45. Did the very high Navy and, especially, Air Force wounded:killed ratios account for that?
Mods: if there’s a better place for this, please put it there.
Some maybe not too interesting numbers:
I found this little thingy while reading an article referenced here in Army.ca.
I got to thinking about the numbers and made this little table from the data in the CP thingy:
Operation Served Killed Rate Killed Wounded Rate Wounded Total Casualties Casualty Rate Ratio Wounded:Killed
Boer War: 7,400 224 3.03% 252 3.41% 476 6.43% 1.12:1
First World War: 626,000 61,623 9.85% 174,623 27.90% 236,286 37.75% 2.83:1
Second World War: 1,100,000 42,042 3.82% 54,514 4.96% 96,556 8.78% 1.29:1
Korea: 26,000 516 1.98% 1,567 6.03% 2,083 8.01% 3.03:1
Afghanistan: 8,000 97 1.21% 300* 3.75% 397 4.96% 3:09:1
--------------------
* I got his number from another article referenced in Army.ca
A few things stand out:
• Afghanistan and Korea have a remarkably similar KIA percentage and the Wounded:Killed ratio is similar for the First World War, Korea and Afghanistan;
• The Boer War and the Second World War have similar percentages and ratios; and
• The casualty rates for the First World War are very high.
I would expect a “better” wounded:killed ratio as immediate treatment, casualty evacuation and battlefield/area medical care improve, but I would have though that there would have been marked improvements in the 1940s over the First World War but the wounded:killed ratio is worse for 1939:45. Did the very high Navy and, especially, Air Force wounded:killed ratios account for that?
------------------------------
Mods: if there’s a better place for this, please put it there.
While anybody can have fun with numbers, the Boer War casualties are incorrect, especially the dead. The figure of 224 is based on the First and Second Contingents and Strathcona's Horse. The original document in which the number is cited, notes that it does not include all dead to date. The actual figure is just under 300 and this is reflected in the Book of Honour.
For a number of years I was part of an informal group that was trying to get all the Canadian war dead recorded in the book. As late as a couple of years ago I was contacted by VAC re a Canadian casualty. There was some (quite natural) confusion as two Canadian died on the day in question in early 1901 and both were named F. Davidson. One was an ex-Strathcona who had transferred to the Canadian Scouts, while the other was an architect from Toronto who had moved to the UK and was serving in the Imperial Yeomanry.
I also suspect there are a few others we haven't discovered.
For a number of years I was part of an informal group that was trying to get all the Canadian war dead recorded in the book. As late as a couple of years ago I was contacted by VAC re a Canadian casualty. There was some (quite natural) confusion as two Canadian died on the day in question in early 1901 and both were named F. Davidson. One was an ex-Strathcona who had transferred to the Canadian Scouts, while the other was an architect from Toronto who had moved to the UK and was serving in the Imperial Yeomanry.
I also suspect there are a few others we haven't discovered.
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
Fit to Serve: Universality of Service and Related Support Programs
BG–09.009 - March 16, 2009
In the civilian workplace, employees are generally obliged to perform only those duties specified in their job description. Military service is comparatively open-ended. The Canadian Forces (CF) principle of universality of service holds that all personnel must be capable at all times of performing a broad range of general military, common defence and security duties, in addition to the particular duties of their occupations.
The universality of service principle is also known as the “soldier first” principle, identifying the men and women of the CF as members of the profession of arms first – before they may be identified as pharmacists, logistics officers or pilots. Every member, regardless of their military occupation, regardless of whether their place of work is a desk, a ship or the cockpit of a CF-18, must meet the universality of service standards in order to remain in the CF.
The universality of service standards
The universality of service standards are very rigorous. Canadians should be proud of the men and women of their military for being able to meet them.
Among other things, CF personnel must be able to do the following:
fire and maintain a personal weapon;
conduct nuclear, biological and chemical drills;
fight fires;
administer first aid, including CPR;
communicate using a radio;
prepare written military correspondence;
deploy on short notice to any geographical location, in any climate;
work irregular or prolonged hours;
function effectively on irregular or missing meals;
travel as a passenger in any mode of transportation;
perform under physical and mental stress; and
perform with minimal medical support.
Additionally, because strength and endurance could mean the difference between success and failure in a military operation, CF personnel must be more physically fit than the general Canadian population. In order to meet the universality of service standards, CF personnel are required to undergo an annual physical fitness evaluation, known as the CF EXPRES test, where they must meet a minimum physical fitness standard1.
A legal basis
Universality of service has a legal basis. It is imposed by section 33(1) of the National Defence Act, which states that all Regular Force members are “at all times liable to perform any lawful duty.” The legislative imperative means that a member who can not “at all times … perform any lawful duty” can not serve within the Regular Force, except during a carefully limited period of recovery from injury or illness or a period of transition out of the military and into civilian life.
Exceptions are few. CF personnel under the age of 18 can not be deployed to a theatre of hostilities, but they must remain fit enough to be able to deploy upon reaching age 18. Chaplains are not required to perform any duty other than those pertaining to their calling; accordingly, they are exempt from the requirement to perform general military duties and common defence and security tasks. However, they are required to be medically and physically fit and deployable. Section 33(2) of the National Defence Act foresees that Reserve Force members “may be called out on service to perform any lawful duty other than training at such times and in such manner as any regulations or otherwise are prescribed by the Governor in Council.” Since the Primary Reserve is given the role of directly supporting the Regular Force, operational effectiveness requires these Reservists to meet the universality of service standards. Personnel in other Reserve subcomponents – the Cadet Instructor Cadre, the Canadian Rangers and the Supplementary Reserve – are only required to meet certain standards associated with universality of service, unless they are serving with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve; in the latter case the full universality of service standards must be met2.
Medical release
The CF benefits from a strong commitment from the federal government, and significant increases in funding to fix, transform and expand Canada’s military. Most recently, this has resulted in the approval of the Canada First Defence Strategy, which will allow the CF to grow over the next decade with a degree of certainty and coordination that was not previously possible. Under the CFDS, the CF will expand to 100,000 (70,000 Regular Force and 30,000 Primary Reserve) by fiscal year 2027-28.
The CF remains committed to supporting ill and injured personnel as they progress through recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. At the same time, the CF is required to take those measures necessary to field a ready, operationally effective force in the defence of the nation. Illness or injury can make it challenging for a CF member to meet the universality of service standards, as can poor physical fitness. Rigorous fitness programs and routine evaluations ensure that military personnel maintain a high level of physical fitness.
Ill and injured personnel are given the time they need to recover, before any administrative action is taken with regards to their career. Once a member is considered to be medically stable, a permanent medical category is assigned, which may include medical employment limitations (MELs). Members who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature or permanent MELs that do not put the individual in breach of universality of service are not prevented from continued service with the CF. Essentially, a member will be identified as belonging to one of the following categories:
Those who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature, and meet universality of service standards, or will likely meet them in the near future, will return to full servivce in their previous occupation.
Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, but who are employable in some capacity and wish to remain in the CF, may be retained for up to three years. This transitional period of service will be engaged only if a personnel shortage exists in the member’s occupation, or there is a requirement for the member’s particular skill set; otherwise, the member will be transitioned to civilian life.
Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, and who are not employable (or choose not to remain) in the CF, may be retained for a short period while awaiting their medical release. Upon release, they are entitled to a range of transition services and care under the purview of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).
As Table A demonstrates, about 1,000 Regular Force personnel have been medically released in each of the past four years.
TABLE A
Medical Releases From the Regular Force, 2005-2008
2005 1,102
2006 1,150
2007 979
2008 988
On average, 5,500 to 6,000 individuals leave the CF on an annual basis. Most people who leave the CF do so on a voluntary basis, not as a result of medical release. This annual attrition is a factor contributing to the constant renewal of CF personnel.
Support programs
VAC and the CF partner at many levels to care for ill and injured military personnel and their families. VAC has the legislated mandate to provide care and support for military personnel following release from the CF. When a member faces medical release, the CF works closely with VAC to establish a comprehensive, individualized management program including rehabilitation, vocational services such as job placement, financial assistance and emotional support to the injured CF member in the period leading up to, and after release. The financial compensation available to Reserve Force personnel may differ in some instances3.
A. Financial support
The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act is the pension plan for all personnel of the Regular Force. It requires contributions from its participants, and benefits depend on the length of service.
The Long Term Disability Group Insurance Program, a feature of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), provides medically released CF personnel with income protection, and prepares them to obtain gainful civilian employment.
The Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan, another feature of SISIP, provides a lump-sum benefit to CF personnel who have suffered dismemberment or loss of sight, hearing or speech that is attributable to military service. (This plan complements the Injured Military Members Compensation Act, an older legislation covering members for injuries suffered prior to February 12, 2003.)
The Allowance in Lieu of Operational Allowances compensates for the loss of operational allowances paid to deployed personnel, in the event of a member being compelled to return from deployment due to illness or injuries sustained in theatre.
Income support programs available to former CF personnel under the New Veterans Charter include the Earnings Loss Benefit while they are participating in the Rehabilitation Program, the Supplementary Retirement Benefit, CF Income Support and a Permanent Impairment Allowance.
CF personnel and former personnel with a service-related disability may qualify for a VAC Disability Award, which is designed to compensate for the fact that an individual may experience the impact of a service-related disability or death in ways other than financial.
CF personnel or former members in receipt of a VAC Disability Pension or Disability Award may qualify for funding for long-term care in a community facility or for access to the Veterans Independence Program if the need is related to their pensioned condition. The program provides housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits to assist veterans in remaining independent in their own homes.
B. Vocational support
The CF’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Serving Members allows eligible personnel with an impending medical release up to six months in a civilian vocational rehabilitation training program, covering tuition fees, books, travel and other costs.
The VAC vocational rehabilitation program will help a member determine whether it is possible to transfer their skills to another career. If not, the member may qualify for training to help obtain suitable civilian employment.
The VAC Job Placement Program offers workshops, career counselling and job searches to releasing or released Regular Force personnel, some Reserve Force personnel and their survivors.
A joint DND-VAC initiative, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) allows prospective employers access to a database of job applicants with military experience. TAP has resulted in dozens of private companies agreeing to post online employment offers specifically aimed at medically released personnel.
Many CF bases and wings participate in the Second Career Assistance Network, which makes seminars, career counselling and access to a job bank available to personnel anticipating a career change.
The CF’s Skills Completion Program reimburses eligible Regular Forces personnel with 10 years’ service the costs of upgrading their skills and education in order to transfer to a civilian career.
C. Additional support
The CF Member Assistance Program provides external, short-term counselling to Regular Force personnel and their families, and to some Reserve Force personnel, who are seeking assistance outside military health services. The program is civilian-based in that it uses professional counsellors provided by the Employee Assistance Services of Health Canada, but it is funded by the CF.
Released CF personnel have access to the VAC Assistance Service, a confidential toll-free 24/7 counselling service delivered through a nation-wide team of professional counsellors. The service, which is provided through a Memorandum of Understanding between VAC and Health Canada, is accessed initially through a toll-free line.
The Operational Stress Injury Social Support program (OSISS) provides peer support and family counselling to military personnel suffering from Operational Stress Injury (OSI), which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). OSISS also works to reduce the stigma attached to those suffering from PTSD/OSI through formal presentations and other communications tools. A joint CF-VAC initiative, the program was founded by a group of CF veterans.
Former CF personnel and their families may also benefit from the Veterans Pastoral Outreach Program, which can provide a swift response and high-quality care in various crisis situations. All former members of the CF, both Regular and Reserve Force, are eligible.
1 For more information on the CF EXPRES test, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2848.
2 Regular Force personnel work full-time and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service. Primary Reserve personnel train regularly and may work alongside their Regular Force counterparts on a full-time basis. Other subcomponents of the Reserve Force are the Supplementary Reserve (former commissioned and non-commissioned members who could be called out in an emergency), Canadian Rangers (who constitute a military presence in isolated and sparsely settled areas of Canada) and the Cadet Instructors Cadre, or CIC (officers with administrative, instructive and supervisory responsibilities to the cadet program).
3 The Reserve Force Retirement Gratuity is a severance benefit for members of the Primary Reserve only. Reservists’ eligibility for compensation under the Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan is governed by the terms of the contract under which they serve. Reservists incapable of completing the terms of their contract due to injury or illness attributable to service are entitled to pay and allowances until the termination of their contract. Compensation for disability due to injury or illness is payable when disability continues beyond the termination of the class of Reserve service during which it occurred. VAC services and benefits are available to ill or injured Reservists on the same basis as they are to Regular Force personnel, subject to eligibility provisions applicable to both groups.
BG–09.009 - March 16, 2009
In the civilian workplace, employees are generally obliged to perform only those duties specified in their job description. Military service is comparatively open-ended. The Canadian Forces (CF) principle of universality of service holds that all personnel must be capable at all times of performing a broad range of general military, common defence and security duties, in addition to the particular duties of their occupations.
The universality of service principle is also known as the “soldier first” principle, identifying the men and women of the CF as members of the profession of arms first – before they may be identified as pharmacists, logistics officers or pilots. Every member, regardless of their military occupation, regardless of whether their place of work is a desk, a ship or the cockpit of a CF-18, must meet the universality of service standards in order to remain in the CF.
The universality of service standards
The universality of service standards are very rigorous. Canadians should be proud of the men and women of their military for being able to meet them.
Among other things, CF personnel must be able to do the following:
fire and maintain a personal weapon;
conduct nuclear, biological and chemical drills;
fight fires;
administer first aid, including CPR;
communicate using a radio;
prepare written military correspondence;
deploy on short notice to any geographical location, in any climate;
work irregular or prolonged hours;
function effectively on irregular or missing meals;
travel as a passenger in any mode of transportation;
perform under physical and mental stress; and
perform with minimal medical support.
Additionally, because strength and endurance could mean the difference between success and failure in a military operation, CF personnel must be more physically fit than the general Canadian population. In order to meet the universality of service standards, CF personnel are required to undergo an annual physical fitness evaluation, known as the CF EXPRES test, where they must meet a minimum physical fitness standard1.
A legal basis
Universality of service has a legal basis. It is imposed by section 33(1) of the National Defence Act, which states that all Regular Force members are “at all times liable to perform any lawful duty.” The legislative imperative means that a member who can not “at all times … perform any lawful duty” can not serve within the Regular Force, except during a carefully limited period of recovery from injury or illness or a period of transition out of the military and into civilian life.
Exceptions are few. CF personnel under the age of 18 can not be deployed to a theatre of hostilities, but they must remain fit enough to be able to deploy upon reaching age 18. Chaplains are not required to perform any duty other than those pertaining to their calling; accordingly, they are exempt from the requirement to perform general military duties and common defence and security tasks. However, they are required to be medically and physically fit and deployable. Section 33(2) of the National Defence Act foresees that Reserve Force members “may be called out on service to perform any lawful duty other than training at such times and in such manner as any regulations or otherwise are prescribed by the Governor in Council.” Since the Primary Reserve is given the role of directly supporting the Regular Force, operational effectiveness requires these Reservists to meet the universality of service standards. Personnel in other Reserve subcomponents – the Cadet Instructor Cadre, the Canadian Rangers and the Supplementary Reserve – are only required to meet certain standards associated with universality of service, unless they are serving with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve; in the latter case the full universality of service standards must be met2.
Medical release
The CF benefits from a strong commitment from the federal government, and significant increases in funding to fix, transform and expand Canada’s military. Most recently, this has resulted in the approval of the Canada First Defence Strategy, which will allow the CF to grow over the next decade with a degree of certainty and coordination that was not previously possible. Under the CFDS, the CF will expand to 100,000 (70,000 Regular Force and 30,000 Primary Reserve) by fiscal year 2027-28.
The CF remains committed to supporting ill and injured personnel as they progress through recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. At the same time, the CF is required to take those measures necessary to field a ready, operationally effective force in the defence of the nation. Illness or injury can make it challenging for a CF member to meet the universality of service standards, as can poor physical fitness. Rigorous fitness programs and routine evaluations ensure that military personnel maintain a high level of physical fitness.
Ill and injured personnel are given the time they need to recover, before any administrative action is taken with regards to their career. Once a member is considered to be medically stable, a permanent medical category is assigned, which may include medical employment limitations (MELs). Members who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature or permanent MELs that do not put the individual in breach of universality of service are not prevented from continued service with the CF. Essentially, a member will be identified as belonging to one of the following categories:
Those who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature, and meet universality of service standards, or will likely meet them in the near future, will return to full servivce in their previous occupation.
Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, but who are employable in some capacity and wish to remain in the CF, may be retained for up to three years. This transitional period of service will be engaged only if a personnel shortage exists in the member’s occupation, or there is a requirement for the member’s particular skill set; otherwise, the member will be transitioned to civilian life.
Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, and who are not employable (or choose not to remain) in the CF, may be retained for a short period while awaiting their medical release. Upon release, they are entitled to a range of transition services and care under the purview of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).
As Table A demonstrates, about 1,000 Regular Force personnel have been medically released in each of the past four years.
TABLE A
Medical Releases From the Regular Force, 2005-2008
2005 1,102
2006 1,150
2007 979
2008 988
On average, 5,500 to 6,000 individuals leave the CF on an annual basis. Most people who leave the CF do so on a voluntary basis, not as a result of medical release. This annual attrition is a factor contributing to the constant renewal of CF personnel.
Support programs
VAC and the CF partner at many levels to care for ill and injured military personnel and their families. VAC has the legislated mandate to provide care and support for military personnel following release from the CF. When a member faces medical release, the CF works closely with VAC to establish a comprehensive, individualized management program including rehabilitation, vocational services such as job placement, financial assistance and emotional support to the injured CF member in the period leading up to, and after release. The financial compensation available to Reserve Force personnel may differ in some instances3.
A. Financial support
The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act is the pension plan for all personnel of the Regular Force. It requires contributions from its participants, and benefits depend on the length of service.
The Long Term Disability Group Insurance Program, a feature of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), provides medically released CF personnel with income protection, and prepares them to obtain gainful civilian employment.
The Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan, another feature of SISIP, provides a lump-sum benefit to CF personnel who have suffered dismemberment or loss of sight, hearing or speech that is attributable to military service. (This plan complements the Injured Military Members Compensation Act, an older legislation covering members for injuries suffered prior to February 12, 2003.)
The Allowance in Lieu of Operational Allowances compensates for the loss of operational allowances paid to deployed personnel, in the event of a member being compelled to return from deployment due to illness or injuries sustained in theatre.
Income support programs available to former CF personnel under the New Veterans Charter include the Earnings Loss Benefit while they are participating in the Rehabilitation Program, the Supplementary Retirement Benefit, CF Income Support and a Permanent Impairment Allowance.
CF personnel and former personnel with a service-related disability may qualify for a VAC Disability Award, which is designed to compensate for the fact that an individual may experience the impact of a service-related disability or death in ways other than financial.
CF personnel or former members in receipt of a VAC Disability Pension or Disability Award may qualify for funding for long-term care in a community facility or for access to the Veterans Independence Program if the need is related to their pensioned condition. The program provides housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits to assist veterans in remaining independent in their own homes.
B. Vocational support
The CF’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Serving Members allows eligible personnel with an impending medical release up to six months in a civilian vocational rehabilitation training program, covering tuition fees, books, travel and other costs.
The VAC vocational rehabilitation program will help a member determine whether it is possible to transfer their skills to another career. If not, the member may qualify for training to help obtain suitable civilian employment.
The VAC Job Placement Program offers workshops, career counselling and job searches to releasing or released Regular Force personnel, some Reserve Force personnel and their survivors.
A joint DND-VAC initiative, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) allows prospective employers access to a database of job applicants with military experience. TAP has resulted in dozens of private companies agreeing to post online employment offers specifically aimed at medically released personnel.
Many CF bases and wings participate in the Second Career Assistance Network, which makes seminars, career counselling and access to a job bank available to personnel anticipating a career change.
The CF’s Skills Completion Program reimburses eligible Regular Forces personnel with 10 years’ service the costs of upgrading their skills and education in order to transfer to a civilian career.
C. Additional support
The CF Member Assistance Program provides external, short-term counselling to Regular Force personnel and their families, and to some Reserve Force personnel, who are seeking assistance outside military health services. The program is civilian-based in that it uses professional counsellors provided by the Employee Assistance Services of Health Canada, but it is funded by the CF.
Released CF personnel have access to the VAC Assistance Service, a confidential toll-free 24/7 counselling service delivered through a nation-wide team of professional counsellors. The service, which is provided through a Memorandum of Understanding between VAC and Health Canada, is accessed initially through a toll-free line.
The Operational Stress Injury Social Support program (OSISS) provides peer support and family counselling to military personnel suffering from Operational Stress Injury (OSI), which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). OSISS also works to reduce the stigma attached to those suffering from PTSD/OSI through formal presentations and other communications tools. A joint CF-VAC initiative, the program was founded by a group of CF veterans.
Former CF personnel and their families may also benefit from the Veterans Pastoral Outreach Program, which can provide a swift response and high-quality care in various crisis situations. All former members of the CF, both Regular and Reserve Force, are eligible.
1 For more information on the CF EXPRES test, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2848.
2 Regular Force personnel work full-time and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service. Primary Reserve personnel train regularly and may work alongside their Regular Force counterparts on a full-time basis. Other subcomponents of the Reserve Force are the Supplementary Reserve (former commissioned and non-commissioned members who could be called out in an emergency), Canadian Rangers (who constitute a military presence in isolated and sparsely settled areas of Canada) and the Cadet Instructors Cadre, or CIC (officers with administrative, instructive and supervisory responsibilities to the cadet program).
3 The Reserve Force Retirement Gratuity is a severance benefit for members of the Primary Reserve only. Reservists’ eligibility for compensation under the Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan is governed by the terms of the contract under which they serve. Reservists incapable of completing the terms of their contract due to injury or illness attributable to service are entitled to pay and allowances until the termination of their contract. Compensation for disability due to injury or illness is payable when disability continues beyond the termination of the class of Reserve service during which it occurred. VAC services and benefits are available to ill or injured Reservists on the same basis as they are to Regular Force personnel, subject to eligibility provisions applicable to both groups.
- Reaction score
- 2,970
- Points
- 1,260
Latest version as of 29 Jun 10
Fit to Serve: Universality of Service and Related Support Programs
BG–09.009 (Revised) - June 29, 2010
In the civilian workplace, employees are generally obliged to perform only those duties specified in their job description. Military service is comparatively open-ended. The Canadian Forces (CF) principle of universality of service holds that all personnel must be capable at all times of performing a broad range of general military, common defence and security duties, in addition to the particular duties of their occupations.
The universality of service principle is also known as the “soldier first” principle, identifying the men and women of the CF as members of the profession of arms first – before they may be identified as pharmacists, logistics officers or pilots. Every member, regardless of their military occupation, regardless of whether their place of work is a desk, a ship or the cockpit of a CF-18, must meet the universality of service standards in order to remain in the CF.
The universality of service standards
The universality of service standards are very rigorous. Canadians should be proud of the men and women of their military for being able to meet them.
Among other things, CF personnel must be able to do the following:
* fire and maintain a personal weapon;
* conduct nuclear, biological and chemical drills;
* fight fires;
* administer first aid, including CPR;
* communicate using a radio;
* prepare written military correspondence;
* deploy on short notice to any geographical location, in any climate;
* work irregular or prolonged hours;
* function effectively on irregular or missing meals;
* travel as a passenger in any mode of transportation;
* perform under physical and mental stress; and
* perform with minimal medical support.
Additionally, because strength and endurance could mean the difference between success and failure in a military operation, CF personnel must be more physically fit than the general Canadian population. In order to meet the universality of service standards, CF personnel are required to undergo an annual physical fitness evaluation, known as the CF EXPRES test, where they must meet a minimum physical fitness standard.
A legal basis
Universality of service has a legal basis. It is imposed by section 33(1) of the National Defence Act, which states that all Regular Force members are “at all times liable to perform any lawful duty.” The legislative imperative means that a member who can not “at all times … perform any lawful duty” can not serve within the Regular Force, except during a carefully limited period of recovery from injury or illness or a period of transition out of the military and into civilian life.
Exceptions are few. CF personnel under the age of 18 can not be deployed to a theatre of hostilities, but they must remain fit enough to be able to deploy upon reaching age 18. Chaplains are not required to perform any duty other than those pertaining to their calling; accordingly, they are exempt from the requirement to perform general military duties and common defence and security tasks. However, they are required to be medically and physically fit and deployable. Section 33(2) of the National Defence Act foresees that Reserve Force members “may be called out on service to perform any lawful duty other than training at such times and in such manner as any regulations or otherwise are prescribed by the Governor in Council.” Since the Primary Reserve is given the role of directly supporting the Regular Force, operational effectiveness requires these Reservists to meet the universality of service standards. Personnel in other Reserve subcomponents – the Cadet Organizations and Training Services (COATS), the Canadian Rangers and the Supplementary Reserve – are only required to meet certain standards associated with universality of service, unless they are serving with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve; in the latter case the full universality of service standards must be met.
Medical release
The CF benefit from a strong commitment from the federal government, and significant increases in funding to fix, transform and expand Canada’s military. Most recently, this has resulted in the approval of the Canada First Defence Strategy, which will allow the CF to grow over the next decade with a degree of certainty and coordination that was not previously possible. Under the CFDS, the CF will expand to a sustainable 100,000 (70,000 Regular Force and 30,000 Primary Reserve) by fiscal year 2027-28.
The CF remain committed to supporting ill and injured personnel as they progress through recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. At the same time, the CF are required to take those measures necessary to field a ready, operationally effective force in the defence of the nation. Illness or injury can make it challenging for a CF member to meet the universality of service standards, as can poor physical fitness. Rigorous fitness programs and routine evaluations ensure that military personnel maintain a high level of physical fitness.
Ill and injured personnel are given the time they need to recover, before any administrative action is taken with regards to their career. Once a member is considered to be medically stable, a permanent medical category is assigned, which may include medical employment limitations (MELs). Members who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature or permanent MELs that do not put the individual in breach of universality of service are not prevented from continued service with the CF. Essentially, a member will be identified as belonging to one of the following categories:
1. Those who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature, and meet universality of service standards, or will likely meet them in the near future, will return to full service in their previous occupation.
2. Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, but who are employable in some capacity and wish to remain in the CF, may be retained for up to three years. This transitional period of service will be engaged only if a personnel shortage exists in the member’s occupation, or there is a requirement for the member’s particular skill set; otherwise, the member will be transitioned to civilian life.
3. Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, and who are not employable (or choose not to remain) in the CF, may be retained for a short period while awaiting their medical release. Upon release, they are entitled to a range of transition services and care under the purview of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).
Regular Force and Primary Reserve members who have a medical condition that precludes their return to normal duty in a timely manner may be posted to the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) and either assigned to one of its component parts - an Integrated Personnel Support Centre (IPSC) - or transferred to the Service Personnel Holding List (SPHL) where an IPSC has not yet been stood up in the area. The JPSU provides a CF/VAC integrated “one-stop service” for ill and injured CF personnel and their families by facilitating access to care and support while personnel reintegrate into military life or explore new options in the civilian workplace. It supports currently serving and releasing CF personnel, both Regular Force and Reserve Force, and caters to both referrals and walk-in clients, to long-term injured personnel and to members considering retirement.
As Table A demonstrates, about 1,000 Regular Force personnel have been medically released in each of the past five years.
TABLE A
Medical Releases From the
Regular Force, 2005-2009
Year
2009 986
2008 988
2007 979
2006 1,150
2005 1,102
On average, 5,500 to 6,000 individuals leave the CF on an annual basis. Most people who leave the CF do so on a voluntary basis, not as a result of medical release. This annual attrition is a factor contributing to the constant renewal of CF personnel.
Support programs
VAC and the CF partner at many levels to care for ill and injured military personnel and their families. VAC has the legislated mandate to provide care and support for military personnel following release from the CF. When a member faces medical release, the CF work closely with VAC to establish a comprehensive, individualized management program including rehabilitation, vocational services such as job placement, financial assistance and emotional support to the injured CF member in the period leading up to, and after release. The financial compensation available to Reserve Force personnel may differ in some instances.
A. Financial support
* The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act is the pension plan for all personnel of the Regular Force. It requires contributions from its participants, and benefits depend on the length of service.
* The Long Term Disability Group Insurance Program, a feature of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), provides medically released CF personnel with income protection, and prepares them to obtain gainful civilian employment.
* The Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan, another feature of SISIP, provides a lump-sum benefit to CF personnel who have suffered dismemberment or loss of sight, hearing or speech that is attributable to military service. (This plan complements the Injured Military Members Compensation Act, an older legislation covering members for injuries suffered prior to February 12, 2003.)
* The Allowance in Lieu of Operational Allowances compensates for the loss of operational allowances paid to deployed personnel, in the event of a member being compelled to return from deployment due to illness or injuries sustained in theatre.
* Income support programs available to former CF personnel under the New Veterans Charter include the Earnings Loss Benefit while they are participating in the Rehabilitation Program (and longer, if the person is unable to work after rehabilitation), the Supplementary Retirement Benefit, CF Income Support and a Permanent Impairment Allowance.
* CF personnel and former personnel with a service-related disability may qualify for a VAC Disability Award, which is designed to compensate for the fact that an individual may experience the impact of a service-related disability or death in ways other than financial.
* CF personnel or former members in receipt of a VAC Disability Pension or Disability Award may qualify for funding for long-term care in a community facility or for access to the Veterans Independence Program if the need is related to their pensioned or awarded condition. The program provides a number of benefits, including personal care, housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits to assist veterans in remaining independent in their own homes.
B. Vocational support
* The CF’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Serving Members allows eligible personnel with an impending medical release up to six months in a civilian vocational rehabilitation training program, covering tuition fees, books, travel and other costs.
* Many CF bases and wings participate in the Second Career Assistance Network, which makes seminars, career counselling and access to a job bank available to personnel anticipating a career change.
* The CF’s Skills Completion Program reimburses eligible Regular Forces personnel with 10 years’ service the costs of upgrading their skills and education in order to transfer to a civilian career.
* The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) allows prospective employers access to a database of job applicants with military experience. TAP has resulted in dozens of private companies agreeing to post online employment offers specifically aimed at medically released personnel.
* The VAC vocational rehabilitation program will help a member determine whether it is possible to transfer their skills to another career. If not, the member may qualify for training to help obtain suitable civilian employment.
* VAC’s Career Transition Services offer workshops, career counselling and job searches to releasing or released Regular Force personnel, some Reserve Force personnel and their survivors.
C. Additional support
* The CF Member Assistance Program provides external, short-term counselling to Regular Force personnel and their families, and to some Reserve Force personnel, who are seeking assistance outside military health services. The program is civilian-based in that it uses professional counsellors provided by the Employee Assistance Services of Health Canada.
* The Operational Stress Injury Social Support program (OSISS) provides peer support and family counselling to military personnel suffering from Operational Stress Injury (OSI), which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). OSISS also works to reduce the stigma attached to those suffering from PTSD/OSI through formal presentations and other communications tools. A joint CF-VAC initiative, the program was founded by a group of CF veterans.
Released CF personnel have access to the VAC Assistance Service, a confidential toll-free 24/7 counselling service delivered through a nation-wide team of professional counsellors. The service, which is provided through a Memorandum of Understanding between VAC and Health Canada, is accessed initially through a toll-free line.
1 For more information on the CF EXPRES test, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2848
2 Regular Force personnel work full-time and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service. Primary Reserve personnel train regularly and may work alongside their Regular Force counterparts on a full-time basis. Other subcomponents of the Reserve Force are the Supplementary Reserve (former commissioned and non-commissioned members who could be called out in an emergency), Canadian Rangers (who constitute a military presence in isolated and sparsely settled areas of Canada) and the Cadet Instructors Cadre, or CIC (officers with administrative, instructive and supervisory responsibilities to the cadet program).
3 For more information on the JPSU, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=2880
4 The Reserve Force Retirement Gratuity is a severance benefit for members of the Primary Reserve only. Reservists’ eligibility for compensation under the Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan is governed by the terms of the contract under which they serve. Reservists incapable of completing the terms of their contract due to injury or illness attributable to service are entitled to pay and allowances until the termination of their contract. Compensation for disability due to injury or illness is payable when disability continues beyond the termination of the class of Reserve service during which it occurred. VAC services and benefits are available to ill or injured Reservists on the same basis as they are to Regular Force personnel, subject to eligibility provisions applicable to both groups.
Fit to Serve: Universality of Service and Related Support Programs
BG–09.009 (Revised) - June 29, 2010
In the civilian workplace, employees are generally obliged to perform only those duties specified in their job description. Military service is comparatively open-ended. The Canadian Forces (CF) principle of universality of service holds that all personnel must be capable at all times of performing a broad range of general military, common defence and security duties, in addition to the particular duties of their occupations.
The universality of service principle is also known as the “soldier first” principle, identifying the men and women of the CF as members of the profession of arms first – before they may be identified as pharmacists, logistics officers or pilots. Every member, regardless of their military occupation, regardless of whether their place of work is a desk, a ship or the cockpit of a CF-18, must meet the universality of service standards in order to remain in the CF.
The universality of service standards
The universality of service standards are very rigorous. Canadians should be proud of the men and women of their military for being able to meet them.
Among other things, CF personnel must be able to do the following:
* fire and maintain a personal weapon;
* conduct nuclear, biological and chemical drills;
* fight fires;
* administer first aid, including CPR;
* communicate using a radio;
* prepare written military correspondence;
* deploy on short notice to any geographical location, in any climate;
* work irregular or prolonged hours;
* function effectively on irregular or missing meals;
* travel as a passenger in any mode of transportation;
* perform under physical and mental stress; and
* perform with minimal medical support.
Additionally, because strength and endurance could mean the difference between success and failure in a military operation, CF personnel must be more physically fit than the general Canadian population. In order to meet the universality of service standards, CF personnel are required to undergo an annual physical fitness evaluation, known as the CF EXPRES test, where they must meet a minimum physical fitness standard.
A legal basis
Universality of service has a legal basis. It is imposed by section 33(1) of the National Defence Act, which states that all Regular Force members are “at all times liable to perform any lawful duty.” The legislative imperative means that a member who can not “at all times … perform any lawful duty” can not serve within the Regular Force, except during a carefully limited period of recovery from injury or illness or a period of transition out of the military and into civilian life.
Exceptions are few. CF personnel under the age of 18 can not be deployed to a theatre of hostilities, but they must remain fit enough to be able to deploy upon reaching age 18. Chaplains are not required to perform any duty other than those pertaining to their calling; accordingly, they are exempt from the requirement to perform general military duties and common defence and security tasks. However, they are required to be medically and physically fit and deployable. Section 33(2) of the National Defence Act foresees that Reserve Force members “may be called out on service to perform any lawful duty other than training at such times and in such manner as any regulations or otherwise are prescribed by the Governor in Council.” Since the Primary Reserve is given the role of directly supporting the Regular Force, operational effectiveness requires these Reservists to meet the universality of service standards. Personnel in other Reserve subcomponents – the Cadet Organizations and Training Services (COATS), the Canadian Rangers and the Supplementary Reserve – are only required to meet certain standards associated with universality of service, unless they are serving with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve; in the latter case the full universality of service standards must be met.
Medical release
The CF benefit from a strong commitment from the federal government, and significant increases in funding to fix, transform and expand Canada’s military. Most recently, this has resulted in the approval of the Canada First Defence Strategy, which will allow the CF to grow over the next decade with a degree of certainty and coordination that was not previously possible. Under the CFDS, the CF will expand to a sustainable 100,000 (70,000 Regular Force and 30,000 Primary Reserve) by fiscal year 2027-28.
The CF remain committed to supporting ill and injured personnel as they progress through recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. At the same time, the CF are required to take those measures necessary to field a ready, operationally effective force in the defence of the nation. Illness or injury can make it challenging for a CF member to meet the universality of service standards, as can poor physical fitness. Rigorous fitness programs and routine evaluations ensure that military personnel maintain a high level of physical fitness.
Ill and injured personnel are given the time they need to recover, before any administrative action is taken with regards to their career. Once a member is considered to be medically stable, a permanent medical category is assigned, which may include medical employment limitations (MELs). Members who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature or permanent MELs that do not put the individual in breach of universality of service are not prevented from continued service with the CF. Essentially, a member will be identified as belonging to one of the following categories:
1. Those who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature, and meet universality of service standards, or will likely meet them in the near future, will return to full service in their previous occupation.
2. Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, but who are employable in some capacity and wish to remain in the CF, may be retained for up to three years. This transitional period of service will be engaged only if a personnel shortage exists in the member’s occupation, or there is a requirement for the member’s particular skill set; otherwise, the member will be transitioned to civilian life.
3. Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the universality of service standards, and who are not employable (or choose not to remain) in the CF, may be retained for a short period while awaiting their medical release. Upon release, they are entitled to a range of transition services and care under the purview of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).
Regular Force and Primary Reserve members who have a medical condition that precludes their return to normal duty in a timely manner may be posted to the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) and either assigned to one of its component parts - an Integrated Personnel Support Centre (IPSC) - or transferred to the Service Personnel Holding List (SPHL) where an IPSC has not yet been stood up in the area. The JPSU provides a CF/VAC integrated “one-stop service” for ill and injured CF personnel and their families by facilitating access to care and support while personnel reintegrate into military life or explore new options in the civilian workplace. It supports currently serving and releasing CF personnel, both Regular Force and Reserve Force, and caters to both referrals and walk-in clients, to long-term injured personnel and to members considering retirement.
As Table A demonstrates, about 1,000 Regular Force personnel have been medically released in each of the past five years.
TABLE A
Medical Releases From the
Regular Force, 2005-2009
Year
2009 986
2008 988
2007 979
2006 1,150
2005 1,102
On average, 5,500 to 6,000 individuals leave the CF on an annual basis. Most people who leave the CF do so on a voluntary basis, not as a result of medical release. This annual attrition is a factor contributing to the constant renewal of CF personnel.
Support programs
VAC and the CF partner at many levels to care for ill and injured military personnel and their families. VAC has the legislated mandate to provide care and support for military personnel following release from the CF. When a member faces medical release, the CF work closely with VAC to establish a comprehensive, individualized management program including rehabilitation, vocational services such as job placement, financial assistance and emotional support to the injured CF member in the period leading up to, and after release. The financial compensation available to Reserve Force personnel may differ in some instances.
A. Financial support
* The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act is the pension plan for all personnel of the Regular Force. It requires contributions from its participants, and benefits depend on the length of service.
* The Long Term Disability Group Insurance Program, a feature of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), provides medically released CF personnel with income protection, and prepares them to obtain gainful civilian employment.
* The Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan, another feature of SISIP, provides a lump-sum benefit to CF personnel who have suffered dismemberment or loss of sight, hearing or speech that is attributable to military service. (This plan complements the Injured Military Members Compensation Act, an older legislation covering members for injuries suffered prior to February 12, 2003.)
* The Allowance in Lieu of Operational Allowances compensates for the loss of operational allowances paid to deployed personnel, in the event of a member being compelled to return from deployment due to illness or injuries sustained in theatre.
* Income support programs available to former CF personnel under the New Veterans Charter include the Earnings Loss Benefit while they are participating in the Rehabilitation Program (and longer, if the person is unable to work after rehabilitation), the Supplementary Retirement Benefit, CF Income Support and a Permanent Impairment Allowance.
* CF personnel and former personnel with a service-related disability may qualify for a VAC Disability Award, which is designed to compensate for the fact that an individual may experience the impact of a service-related disability or death in ways other than financial.
* CF personnel or former members in receipt of a VAC Disability Pension or Disability Award may qualify for funding for long-term care in a community facility or for access to the Veterans Independence Program if the need is related to their pensioned or awarded condition. The program provides a number of benefits, including personal care, housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits to assist veterans in remaining independent in their own homes.
B. Vocational support
* The CF’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Serving Members allows eligible personnel with an impending medical release up to six months in a civilian vocational rehabilitation training program, covering tuition fees, books, travel and other costs.
* Many CF bases and wings participate in the Second Career Assistance Network, which makes seminars, career counselling and access to a job bank available to personnel anticipating a career change.
* The CF’s Skills Completion Program reimburses eligible Regular Forces personnel with 10 years’ service the costs of upgrading their skills and education in order to transfer to a civilian career.
* The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) allows prospective employers access to a database of job applicants with military experience. TAP has resulted in dozens of private companies agreeing to post online employment offers specifically aimed at medically released personnel.
* The VAC vocational rehabilitation program will help a member determine whether it is possible to transfer their skills to another career. If not, the member may qualify for training to help obtain suitable civilian employment.
* VAC’s Career Transition Services offer workshops, career counselling and job searches to releasing or released Regular Force personnel, some Reserve Force personnel and their survivors.
C. Additional support
* The CF Member Assistance Program provides external, short-term counselling to Regular Force personnel and their families, and to some Reserve Force personnel, who are seeking assistance outside military health services. The program is civilian-based in that it uses professional counsellors provided by the Employee Assistance Services of Health Canada.
* The Operational Stress Injury Social Support program (OSISS) provides peer support and family counselling to military personnel suffering from Operational Stress Injury (OSI), which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). OSISS also works to reduce the stigma attached to those suffering from PTSD/OSI through formal presentations and other communications tools. A joint CF-VAC initiative, the program was founded by a group of CF veterans.
Released CF personnel have access to the VAC Assistance Service, a confidential toll-free 24/7 counselling service delivered through a nation-wide team of professional counsellors. The service, which is provided through a Memorandum of Understanding between VAC and Health Canada, is accessed initially through a toll-free line.
1 For more information on the CF EXPRES test, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2848
2 Regular Force personnel work full-time and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service. Primary Reserve personnel train regularly and may work alongside their Regular Force counterparts on a full-time basis. Other subcomponents of the Reserve Force are the Supplementary Reserve (former commissioned and non-commissioned members who could be called out in an emergency), Canadian Rangers (who constitute a military presence in isolated and sparsely settled areas of Canada) and the Cadet Instructors Cadre, or CIC (officers with administrative, instructive and supervisory responsibilities to the cadet program).
3 For more information on the JPSU, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=2880
4 The Reserve Force Retirement Gratuity is a severance benefit for members of the Primary Reserve only. Reservists’ eligibility for compensation under the Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan is governed by the terms of the contract under which they serve. Reservists incapable of completing the terms of their contract due to injury or illness attributable to service are entitled to pay and allowances until the termination of their contract. Compensation for disability due to injury or illness is payable when disability continues beyond the termination of the class of Reserve service during which it occurred. VAC services and benefits are available to ill or injured Reservists on the same basis as they are to Regular Force personnel, subject to eligibility provisions applicable to both groups.
Forces weighing whether soldiers wounded in Afghanistan should be let go
The Canadian Forces will review the files of up to 50 soldiers wounded during the Afghan war to determine whether they should be allowed to continue to serve or be released from the military.
The administrative review is expected to start in the spring but sources say as many as 18 of the soldiers, some severely wounded, could be asked to leave.
Rear-Admiral Andy Smith, chief of military personnel, confirmed the reviews will take place but he said it is too early to determine the outcome.
"Those who are wounded in action represent a special set of people who have gone out there and done the business and merit the full compassion of the institution and the country," he said.
But Smith said that the Canadian Forces still adhere to the principle of universality of service, which dictates that all members must be fit and capable of deploying on operations.
Smith also noted that Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk has put a priority on doing as much as possible to take care of the wounded.
"The CDS has said for those people who don't want to leave the Canadian Forces, we're not going to release them unless or until we work with them to transition their way out of the forces," Smith explained.
"As long as they are employable, if they don't want to leave the Canadian Forces we are going to look to provide them options to stay in the forces in areas where the overlying principle of universality of service doesn't apply."
He said the two main areas for that is employment with the cadet program or with the Rangers in Canada's North. There could be training or administrative jobs with either organization.
The files of 40 or 50 wounded soldiers would be reviewed, Smith added. Those all involve individuals wounded as a result of enemy action. Wounded reservists would also be covered under the same process.
Soldiers, worried that the wounded veterans would be kicked out of the military, approached the Ottawa Citizen to provide details about the review process.
But Smith said the Canadian Forces has placed great emphasis on caring for the wounded over the last several years, setting up mental-health programs and a joint personnel support unit, which provides help for ill and injured military personnel and their families.
In addition, the military has provided assistance to help upgrade homes of wounded soldiers to deal with their injuries, he added.
Smith also pointed out that he recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Corps of Commissionaires to provide employment opportunities for personnel. As well, there is a system where veterans are supposed to get priority referrals for public service jobs.
Smith said the military has learned lessons over the last several years from the Afghan mission.
"I would submit this is a good news story," he explained. "We're not taking a cold, heartless, clinical approach and pushing people out the door. We're making sure that we work with them to help them get back on their feet and if they have to turn the page we help them."
A number of injured Afghan war veterans have approached the Citizen to discuss their ongoing problems receiving help from either the Canadian Forces or Veterans Affairs but they decline to go public for fear of retribution from either organization.
Other Afghan veterans have expressed concern there are a number of physically unfit individuals in the Canadian Forces who have never been sent overseas, yet who are allowed to remain in the military while wounded combat veterans could be shown the door.
But Smith said individuals who can't pass fitness tests are provided with help but ultimately they too would be removed from the Canadian Forces if they cannot meet the universality-of-service conditions.
A number of senators have been speaking out recently to prod the government to do more for Afghan veterans.
Liberal Senator Percy Downe has written cabinet ministers urging them to show "political leadership" and order their departments to hire more ex-military who are on the waiting list for jobs in the public service.
The government gave medically discharged veterans a hiring preference in 2005 to work in the public service. But Downe has long criticized departments for not making more of an effort to hire these veterans, many of whom are young and were injured during their prime working years.
He argues the government could easily absorb the number of ex-military and RCMP sitting on priority lists. At last count, 245 went on the list and 177 found jobs over two years, with the majority hired by National Defence. Last year, 67 veterans fell off the priority list when their hiring preference expired.
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
The Canadian Forces will review the files of up to 50 soldiers wounded during the Afghan war to determine whether they should be allowed to continue to serve or be released from the military.
The administrative review is expected to start in the spring but sources say as many as 18 of the soldiers, some severely wounded, could be asked to leave.
Rear-Admiral Andy Smith, chief of military personnel, confirmed the reviews will take place but he said it is too early to determine the outcome.
"Those who are wounded in action represent a special set of people who have gone out there and done the business and merit the full compassion of the institution and the country," he said.
But Smith said that the Canadian Forces still adhere to the principle of universality of service, which dictates that all members must be fit and capable of deploying on operations.
Smith also noted that Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk has put a priority on doing as much as possible to take care of the wounded.
"The CDS has said for those people who don't want to leave the Canadian Forces, we're not going to release them unless or until we work with them to transition their way out of the forces," Smith explained.
"As long as they are employable, if they don't want to leave the Canadian Forces we are going to look to provide them options to stay in the forces in areas where the overlying principle of universality of service doesn't apply."
He said the two main areas for that is employment with the cadet program or with the Rangers in Canada's North. There could be training or administrative jobs with either organization.
The files of 40 or 50 wounded soldiers would be reviewed, Smith added. Those all involve individuals wounded as a result of enemy action. Wounded reservists would also be covered under the same process.
Soldiers, worried that the wounded veterans would be kicked out of the military, approached the Ottawa Citizen to provide details about the review process.
But Smith said the Canadian Forces has placed great emphasis on caring for the wounded over the last several years, setting up mental-health programs and a joint personnel support unit, which provides help for ill and injured military personnel and their families.
In addition, the military has provided assistance to help upgrade homes of wounded soldiers to deal with their injuries, he added.
Smith also pointed out that he recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Corps of Commissionaires to provide employment opportunities for personnel. As well, there is a system where veterans are supposed to get priority referrals for public service jobs.
Smith said the military has learned lessons over the last several years from the Afghan mission.
"I would submit this is a good news story," he explained. "We're not taking a cold, heartless, clinical approach and pushing people out the door. We're making sure that we work with them to help them get back on their feet and if they have to turn the page we help them."
A number of injured Afghan war veterans have approached the Citizen to discuss their ongoing problems receiving help from either the Canadian Forces or Veterans Affairs but they decline to go public for fear of retribution from either organization.
Other Afghan veterans have expressed concern there are a number of physically unfit individuals in the Canadian Forces who have never been sent overseas, yet who are allowed to remain in the military while wounded combat veterans could be shown the door.
But Smith said individuals who can't pass fitness tests are provided with help but ultimately they too would be removed from the Canadian Forces if they cannot meet the universality-of-service conditions.
A number of senators have been speaking out recently to prod the government to do more for Afghan veterans.
Liberal Senator Percy Downe has written cabinet ministers urging them to show "political leadership" and order their departments to hire more ex-military who are on the waiting list for jobs in the public service.
The government gave medically discharged veterans a hiring preference in 2005 to work in the public service. But Downe has long criticized departments for not making more of an effort to hire these veterans, many of whom are young and were injured during their prime working years.
He argues the government could easily absorb the number of ex-military and RCMP sitting on priority lists. At last count, 245 went on the list and 177 found jobs over two years, with the majority hired by National Defence. Last year, 67 veterans fell off the priority list when their hiring preference expired.
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
67 of 245. A 30% failure rate is acceptable? 14$ an hour as a commish doing shift work doesn't sound too great either. Try supporting a family on that.
Just stay in till they figure this out. Don't let them push you out the door. I want vets to keep building up their pensionable years and making a decent salary. That is the Canada I grew up in. Not the disposable Vets of the New Veterans Charter. Hillier would have crushed anyone who tried to push out a wounded vet. Bureaucrats like Natynczyk trying to spin this will be watched closely by the troops. There is no proper transition program. Just a great add campaign that is more about press releases than actual helping.
Bah I'm getting pissed.
Just stay in till they figure this out. Don't let them push you out the door. I want vets to keep building up their pensionable years and making a decent salary. That is the Canada I grew up in. Not the disposable Vets of the New Veterans Charter. Hillier would have crushed anyone who tried to push out a wounded vet. Bureaucrats like Natynczyk trying to spin this will be watched closely by the troops. There is no proper transition program. Just a great add campaign that is more about press releases than actual helping.
Bah I'm getting pissed.
- Reaction score
- 25
- Points
- 430
Nemo888 said:
Excuse me! This did not happen overnight. I highly doubt it happened on Natynczyk's watch, but rather on Hillier's watch.
Having known (Still do) both these men, I find your opinion offensive.
- Reaction score
- 1,304
- Points
- 1,040
The sad fact of the matter is this:
Universality of Service. If a member is unable to continue to serve in any trade in the CF, then that member ought to be released. Not kicked out on the street, but released. After all, we owe it to our Canadian citizens to have the best and fittest force we can.
Having said that, since we let fatties stay in (and deploy), then keep them all in.
Universality of Service. If a member is unable to continue to serve in any trade in the CF, then that member ought to be released. Not kicked out on the street, but released. After all, we owe it to our Canadian citizens to have the best and fittest force we can.
Having said that, since we let fatties stay in (and deploy), then keep them all in.
I hope I am wrong. The way vets are treated is maddening. I want someone to blame. The system is clearly broken and the fixes are more about saving face than actually helping. Universality is a given only if the Vet is NOT kicked to the curb and forgotten.
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I agree, Nemo, not kicked to the curb, but given our PY limits imposed on the system, so long as an unfit soldier is serving in position "x", we cannot recruit someone to fill that.
Perhaps a way ought to be established to have overages for PYs. Is the JPSU set this way, such that any PYs in there don't count against our totals? But since we are an armed force, and not a social jobfare program, we ought to only keep the fit in, and then find a "departure with dignity". After all, if someone lost their legs for the nation, then that nation owes them.
Perhaps a way ought to be established to have overages for PYs. Is the JPSU set this way, such that any PYs in there don't count against our totals? But since we are an armed force, and not a social jobfare program, we ought to only keep the fit in, and then find a "departure with dignity". After all, if someone lost their legs for the nation, then that nation owes them.
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57Chevy said:
RAdm Smith is right, overweight and other unfit people are given help and a second chance, but my perception - which may well be quite wrong - is that too many are given third and fourth and even more chances.
TV is certainly correct: real personnel/staffing issues mean that we (the country) cannot afford to have injured soldiers, but let's start with those with the self inflicted wounds. At the very least anyone who cannot pass or does not attempt his/her fitness tests should be placed on a "restricted" list which means not eligible for promotion, no matter how "valuable" (s)he is to the team until (s)he is fit and "universally" available for service anywhere.
The CDS could start with a rumoured list of seniorish officers who are never available for tours, because, I hear, some bosses don't want to lose them or, perhaps, they cannot pass the medical or something. If we are looking at pushing wounded soldiers out the door they ought to be following the deadwood - if there really is deadwoods; I said that list was a rumour.
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I have to agree with Technoviking. Universality of Service has to be upheld.
I say this, being one of the injured that may be on my way out the door (part 2 tomorrow, we'll see what Med Cat I end up with. Praying for G3, O3). Injured or not, I refuse to be a liability. If the Army says I can no longer serve (in this manner), then I will serve in some other way.
I also have to agree with the sentiment that we MUST look after our troops and not push them out the door (I don't think anyone here will argue with that at all).
I guess the major discussion to be had is whether the JPSU/IPSC's are the best place to achieve this transition or is it best to stay (if possible) with the Regimental/Branch/Unit family? I'm going to wager that the answer will be ..."It depends."
I am one of the lucky ones in that I can stay in my current position while I await release (if I need to). Whether the Career Mangler will agree with that may be a different story. The Manglers seem bent on emptying the units of broken pers and filling up those positions and I have to say that I understand that from a systemic POV, but that may not be the best for the individual. I have seen people absolutely destroyed at being cutoff from their "family" and sent to rot at JPSU and I have also seen a Pl be absolutely ineffective due to the amount of pers that had extensive limitations on them.
I think finding a balance between the manning requirements of the units and a bit of compassion/accommodation will be difficult. It will be a bit of a moving target, depending on who you are in the food chain and what your individual and/or collective requirements are.
As for the deadwood, I despise them. When I, who some days has a hard time walking upright, can leave some piece of poo in my dust on an Express test or leave them behind at the half-way mark on the BFT, it's time for those individuals to have a good hard look at themselves and for their respective CoC's to have a hard look at them as well.
Wook
I say this, being one of the injured that may be on my way out the door (part 2 tomorrow, we'll see what Med Cat I end up with. Praying for G3, O3). Injured or not, I refuse to be a liability. If the Army says I can no longer serve (in this manner), then I will serve in some other way.
I also have to agree with the sentiment that we MUST look after our troops and not push them out the door (I don't think anyone here will argue with that at all).
I guess the major discussion to be had is whether the JPSU/IPSC's are the best place to achieve this transition or is it best to stay (if possible) with the Regimental/Branch/Unit family? I'm going to wager that the answer will be ..."It depends."
I am one of the lucky ones in that I can stay in my current position while I await release (if I need to). Whether the Career Mangler will agree with that may be a different story. The Manglers seem bent on emptying the units of broken pers and filling up those positions and I have to say that I understand that from a systemic POV, but that may not be the best for the individual. I have seen people absolutely destroyed at being cutoff from their "family" and sent to rot at JPSU and I have also seen a Pl be absolutely ineffective due to the amount of pers that had extensive limitations on them.
I think finding a balance between the manning requirements of the units and a bit of compassion/accommodation will be difficult. It will be a bit of a moving target, depending on who you are in the food chain and what your individual and/or collective requirements are.
As for the deadwood, I despise them. When I, who some days has a hard time walking upright, can leave some piece of poo in my dust on an Express test or leave them behind at the half-way mark on the BFT, it's time for those individuals to have a good hard look at themselves and for their respective CoC's to have a hard look at them as well.
Wook
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I agree 100% re: deadwood. And as E.R. Campbell pointed out, the injured ought to be following the deadwood out.Wookilar said:
As for "other options", I've seen former service members in the US being hired as contractors. I know we have "TCEP" and other programs, but is there appetite to create civilian positions in DND such that they can still serve, but out of uniform? I don't mean simply as pucksters in JCATS, but as bonafide instructors in some capacity? Writing manuals? Doing clerical work?
Anyway, just an idea.
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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Not to berate you, but stay within your arcs of fire. There is a transitioni program, called TAP. There is also VRPSM.Nemo888 said:
While I admire General Hillier as much as any of you do, the current CDS is following policy set down by the Government of Canada, which we are duty bound to follow.
I do agree with your advice. Take the time and stay in til they figure it out.
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Don't know about the process mechanics, but I agree this would be a good way to circulate the experience through the CF without necessarily having people wear uniforms.Technoviking said:
Still, gotta be tough leaving "the family".
J
jollyjacktar
Guest
Just because you have been wounded in some manner does not necessarily mean that you are no longer able to contribute. Were this the case there would not have been the contributions of WC Douglas Bader and Adm Horatio Nelson for starters. I am sure there are a legion of others who made significant contributions following being wounded in some manner. If you are able and willing, then for God's sake let them stay as long as they can do some good.
The lazy bastards who don't wish to or are unwilling to contribute are another case altogether and if a fire cannot be struck under their asses to change them then they should be shown the door.
The lazy bastards who don't wish to or are unwilling to contribute are another case altogether and if a fire cannot be struck under their asses to change them then they should be shown the door.
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