General Rick Hillier made it known today that he's ready to call it quits as Canada's military head. In an interview, Hillier explained that he wanted to "leave on a high" and I don't blame him.
Says the soon-to-be ex-Chief of the Defence Staff:
"We have moulded our culture to one which recognizes that operations are our raison d'etre; that our efforts, all of them, must concentrate on achieving the missions and tasks given to us by the government of Canada, on behalf of all Canadians."
"We have done so while growing the Canadian Forces, re-equipping it, and while carrying out intense combat and peace support operations overseas and demanding, essential security tasks here at home."
The "moulding of our culture" bit may be suscepible to accusations of hyperbole, but it's part of his charm, no?
Hillier on Canadian forces abroad:
"We've achieved the irreversible momentum that I wanted to have. It's a transition to a whole different mode and I'm quite comfortable that I can leave on a high and leave hopefully enabling Canadian Forces to carry on to much greater things."
Hillier was an inimitable Chief of the Defence Staff. His contribution to the growth of the Canadian forces has been immense. His inability to contain his personal convictions and his influential lobbying for increased military spending in Canada have won him a lot of respect.
Harper comments:
"Gen. Hillier has worked very well with the government, he has done an excellent job in rebuilding Canada's armed forces. He is a great Canadian and we are very proud to have worked with him."
Dollars to donuts the successor is Gauthier.
Posts
|