CDS SITREP - JAN 2010

General Walter Natynczyk, the Chief of Defence Staff, talks to the 3 Royal 22 Regiment troops in Lynx camp in Leogane, Haiti for OP HESTIA, on 18 February 2010.

2009 has been a good year for the CF: it has also been a tough year. We have faced a lot of challenges and we continue to face war. Yet all the hard work, determination and professional service we have invested in training, preparations, exercises and operations will set us up for success in 2010. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to visit our men and women from coast to coast to coast. From El Gorah in the Sinai, to Sperwan Ghar in Afghanistan; from Alert in the Far North to Port au Prince in Haiti, Canadians are rightfully proud of our accomplishments and honour our sacrifices. They also expect us to be ready for future challenges, both those we see on the horizon and those yet unforeseen. They expect us to be ready to answer the call, as we have done admirably well in response to the recent earthquake in Haiti. In this SITREP, I will address where we are and what we yet need to do in order to improve the way we defend Canada and Canadians.

My sense is that we are making good progress in several areas that we need to sustain. We are:

• Succeeding in our operations at home and abroad and delivering on the six core missions assigned to us in the Canada First Defence Stratetgy (CFDS);
• Delivering key elements of the CFDS, including:
  • Meeting our personnel targets to grow and sustain the CF;
  • Making needed improvements to our infrastructure; and
• Caring well for our wounded, ill and injured.

But there is always room for improvement. As we seek to build on our successes, there are some areas in which we need to do better:

• Enhancing Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic;
• Delivering on other key CFDS commitments, including:

  -Recapitalizing our major land, sea and air fleets
  -Adjusting our organizational structure to ensure that we make the best use of our personnel, equipment, and infrastructure; and

• Improving our support to and care of our families.

SUCCESS IN OPERATIONS

The sun never sets on the CF because the defence of Canada begins 10,000 kilometers away where Canadian soldiers are at the point of the spear, fighting insurgency in Afghanistan, in Canada's largest combat commitment since the Korean War. It extends to the Gulf of Aden where sailors are deterring pirates, to a dozen task forces playing a variety of key roles on several continents, and to the Arctic where airmen and women patrol the skies and SAR Techs jump into frigid waters to save lives.

The intensity and tempo of CF operations is as high as ever and are demanding a tremendous effort from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces and the broader Defence Team. Our efforts to transform the command structure of the CF are paying dividends. CEFCOM, CANADACOM, CANSOFCOM, CANOSCOM are all enabling mission success in Canada and around the world.

Over the past six months, CANADACOM has continued our preparations for the Vancouver Olympics, conducted Op NANOOK 2009 and begun preparing for the G8/G20 Summit.

Countless members of the Defence Team have put forth a tremendous effort to prepare our security mission in support of the 2010 Olympics. Over the past year, we have built up Joint Task Force Games under CANADACOM, and its approximately 4,500 CF members are well prepared to head into a defined Canadian area of operations on the West Coast. Working together with other government departments, and also our American allies in NORAD and NORTHCOM, the CF is proud to take on this vital role.

CANADACOM is also taking the CF lead in planning for the security of the G8/G20 Summits. Working in close coordination with other government departments and agencies, CANADACOM will build on the recent success of EX DETERMINED DRAGON with another preparatory exercise, EX TRILLIUM SENTRY to assess the interoperability of government agencies supporting the G8/G20 summits.

In August, CANADACOM conducted Op NANOOK 2009 - a deployment to Canada's Eastern Arctic and the latest in a series of exercises designed to increase our nation's ability to operate in the Arctic in concert with other key government departments and agencies. Op NANOOK 2009 was a success, yet we must continue to aggressively renew our ability to operate in the Arctic and test ourselves against its harshest conditions. This will continue as a significant priority for the CF.

Search and Rescue operations continue without respite. This year alone some 1096 Search and Rescue missions have been flown, providing a response to 1561 calls for immediate assistance.

Beyond our borders, we continue to make valuable contributions to international peace and security and project Canadian leadership abroad in operations around the world. On the high seas, HMCS FREDERICTON is deployed on Operation SAIPH, conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and making an important contribution to protecting the lawful use of the seas that is so vital to the global economy and Canadian prosperity. Throughout the Middle East, across Africa, and in the Balkans and Haiti, our small but vital task forces are playing key peace support and security sector reform roles in a dozen different NATO, UN and Multi-national operations. I have personally seen how each of these contributions is advancing Canadian interests and values, and is promoting peace, security and stability.

Let me state how proud I am of all members of the Defence Team for their response to the earthquake in Haiti which has wrought catastrophe upon a small, impoverished island nation that has long been a close friend of Canada. Our response has been, in a word, remarkable. All across the CF - Army, Air Force, Navy, and SOF - we moved out at a pace that has drawn high praise from our government, Canadians, the international community and the Haitian people. Today in Haiti, we see the potential of a transformed Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that is much more agile, responsive and relevant. We see an example of how Canadian land, maritime and air components can work together under the leadership of a deployed Canadian Joint Task Force commander in a Canadian area of operations to deliver strategic effect for Canada and add immeasurably to our reputation as an agile, flexible military force of the highest professionalism and ability. Bravo Zulu to all members of the Defence Team who lead, executed, or supported the initiation of OP HESTIA.

In Afghanistan, we continue to work with our national, international and multi-national partners to bring security and stability to Afghans. We have re-focused our efforts and resources on Kandahar City and the surrounding populations, building on the opportunities created by new force contributions from allies, as well as a renewed international focus on delivering development and improving the lives of the Afghan people.

Over the past year, Canadian soldiers innovated and then successfully transitioned to a population-centric village approach. As our soldiers expand the process of moving out of the Forward Operating Bases, and into the villages, our allies have recognized and begun following Canada's lead. Indeed, so respected is the Canadian approach and our professionalism, that the US has accorded Canada the most meaningful of compliments: placing three US task forces under Canadian command. This is historically unprecedented.

Our soldiers increasingly operate partnered and embedded within Afghan security forces helping them to secure their population while developing their capabilities. We're standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Afghan brethren, and we're achieving results, protecting Afghans. Our mentorship is producing Afghan National Security Forces that have never been stronger or more capable, including an Afghan National Army brigade headquarters that is now capable of planning, executing and sustaining autonomous operations, and three Kandaks rated at the highest level of proficiency.

None of this easy. All of it is dangerous. Our soldiers live in austere conditions and work in the presence of the enemy. We deeply appreciate their achievements in securing Afghans and improving their lives. We are grateful for their fortitude and commitment to this difficult mission. We continue to suffer casualties. We have all felt each of them, the dead and the wounded. We honour their sacrifices and those of their loved ones.

The next 12 months will be critical as we see allied forces in Afghanistan surge to levels that we believe to be a necessary enabler for success in this mission. And this comes at a time when our men and women are providing a model of how these additional forces can be used to achieve success and assure a secure future for the Afghan people. We can be justifiably proud of our accomplishments in this difficult, dangerous and vitally important mission in support of international peace and security.

TRANSFORMATION

The transformation journey persists and we are embarked upon two important activities that will inform where we need to do better as a Defence Team. The first is the ongoing Strategic Review, which will conduct a 100% review of every program and activity in Defence. The second is Defence Force Structure Review, which will unify the analysis of our organizational structure. Armed with a clear understanding of the state of all of our resources, focused on the missions assigned to us by Government, and driven by our determination to deliver success in operations today and in the future, we will take informed decisions and issue new direction on the next bounds of CF transformation.

An element of transformation includes developing a land operations-focused joint deployable headquarters based in Kingston, Ontario. This initiative will enable the CFDS objectives of excellence at home and projecting leadership abroad by improving our capacity to exercise effective command of national and coalition forces at home and abroad. I also intend to see designs on how we can lead future joint operations in the Air and Maritime domains as well. The CF needs the flexibility and capacity to operate and lead land, air and maritime operations as an integrated force, alongside our whole of government and coalition partners, with Canadians supporting Canadians.

We will continue to promote learning as an institution by taking advantage of the Land Operations (expeditionary) After Action Review this spring. I intend to append an Operational Level activity to it, and then embark on a deliberate rhythm of Operational Level AARs this fall, focusing next on domestic operations.

CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY

The CF continues to grow, modernize and transform within the framework of the CFDS. While much work remains, we are attaining important milestones:

• The Chinook helicopters have been fully operational since May 09, and have since flown over 1300 hours in support of operations, directly reducing the threat to our soldiers on the ground. Introducing the Air Wing into service in such a short time is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the mission focus of our people.
• This past summer the Government of Canada announced new investments in a family of Land Combat Systems and LAV III upgrades to rejuvenate the Army fleet of vehicles.
• Since January 2009 key infrastructure announcements were made across the country totaling $2.2 billion. These critical investments will modernize facilities that we have owned for decades.
• Recruiting/intake was up 10% across the country and as high as 15% increase in some provinces. Meanwhile, attrition has declined by 11% from a year ago. As a result, growth of the Reg F has exceeded our expectations and we are on track to meet the target strength of 68,000 ahead of schedule.
• Our efforts in support of developing a national shipbuilding strategy are bearing fruit, and will ensure that we have the industrial capacity in Canada to build a government fleet of about 50 large vessels over the next 30 years. Cutting steel on Canada's next generation of warships remains my number one equipment priority.
• And importantly, many members of the Defence Team continue to progress many smaller, yet no less vital, capital projects.

CARING FOR OUR PEOPLE

Wherever I go across Canada it is evident that CF members are proud of their service, and that their communities are fully behind their hometown soldiers, sailors and air men and women. I encourage you all to continue forging links with communities, stakeholders, business leaders, and our veterans.

In the past year we have witnessed the generosity and appreciation of Canadians in events supporting our three funds, the Military Families Fund, the 'Soldier On' Fund and the Hospital Comforts Program. These initiatives support our men and women and their families in need and have my full support.

In June, we launched the "Be the Difference" mental health awareness campaign with the goal of breaking down the stigma that some unfortunately associate with mental illness. I charge leaders at all levels to emphasize the importance of social support within the workplace.

Another issue, which troubles me deeply, is suicide: one suicide in the CF is too many. To that end, the Surgeon General convened an international working panel to share best practices and methodologies on suicide prevention.

Awareness and treatment of mental health injuries and suicide prevention are key health care priorities and I look to all commanders to leverage the knowledge in our medical professionals, educate our entire chain of command and enable current and forthcoming support systems and support networks.

We will continue to do everything in our power to rehabilitate and care for our wounded warriors who have served the nation with honour and distinction. I am pleased to note the active involvement of leadership at all levels to do what is right in support of those who have sacrificed so much.

The families of our fallen soldiers will forever remain a close part of the CF family. The work of several hundred assisting officers over the past decade has been commendable and reflects our commitment to the families of our fallen. We must however continue to maintain contacts, provide moral support and enable networks between the families of the fallen as they transition through the stages of grief knowing that Canada honors our fallen comrades.

As we enter a new year, I reflect on our accomplishments in 2009 with pride. We are conducting operations globally in a variety of theatres and are achieving strategic effect for our nation. We are making progress on CFDS through force growth and infrastructure improvements, and we continue to move forward on our efforts to recapitalize the force. We are recognized amongst allies as a leader in how we treat our ill and wounded and we are committed to the families of our fallen.

As we look to 2010, we see that many challenges lie ahead. We need to remain focused to enable our RCMP partners to ensure that the Olympic Games and the G8/G20 Summits are secure. We need to build upon the success we have achieved in our international operations, especially in Afghanistan. We need to examine how we can enhance Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. We must support our government partners and cooperate with industry stakeholders to gain momentum to recapitalize our major equipment fleets. And, finally, we need to continue to set the bar high in how we care for our families, because that's what they deserve. I am confident that we will pull together to tackle another challenging year and keep moving the yardsticks downfield.

I am proud of you, proud of what you have accomplished and proud to be your CDS.

W.J. Natynczyk
General
Chief of the Defence Staff

Canada First
Defence Strategy