Good afternoon. Thank you for this opportunity to present my insights on training and, ultimately, commanding Canadian Armed Forces personnel in combat. I was asked to present these insights in order to provide the realities of military service with a particular focus on duty, unlimited liability, fighting spirit and discipline.

The CAF's primary mission is to detect, deter and defend against threats to or attacks on Canada. As such, military personnel are unique as citizens. Once we voluntarily enrol, we are the only ones who are sanctioned to manage violence on behalf of the state and to use force or the threat thereof in the pursuit of national interests and political objectives. Having pulled the trigger and taken several enemies' lives, this is not an abstract concept for me.

To achieve the CAF's unique mission within Canadian society, there are certain professional expectations. I provide my interpretations of four that are most relevant to this testimony.

Duty means the mission comes first, always. Service to Canada before self means that when we enrol, we subordinate ourselves to the team, the unit and the greater good. That means sacrifice, a price paid for by our members willingly—and their families, sometimes unwillingly.

Unlimited liability means the legal requirement for CAF members to accept that in the process of their duties, they may have to risk their lives or the lives of those they lead. I've buried a soldier, and I continue to know more who struggle with physical injuries and mental health conditions, so many of us are still living the sacrifice.

Fighting spirit means we must have a warrior culture and ethos. We must be able to operate across all planes—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual—to close with and destroy the enemy. To quote General Rick Hillier, “We're not the public service of Canada. We're not just another department. We're the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people.” We manage violence on all of your behalf. Discipline and the rule of law means following lawful orders from the chain of command, orders that may put our lives at risk or may require us to injure or kill enemy combatants. Therefore, our great leadership challenge is to prepare ourselves and our people to engage in the grim matters of warfare without losing our humanity.

Now I have an example from combat operations in Kandahar, a so-called “special duty area”.

In summer 2006 the Taliban, with many hundreds of heavily armed soldiers, attempted to seize Kandahar. That threat led to Operation Medusa, Canada's largest combat operation since the Korean War and, at the time, NATO's largest combat operation in its history. While we were equipped with exceptional armoured fighting vehicles, we did not have any breaching assets to defeat the extensive Taliban defences, so we rented yellow civilian bulldozers. My operators thought this was a crazy plan and expressed their concerns based on the obvious significant risks. We mitigated the risks as best as we could and, regardless of the residual dangers, they were ordered to breach the Taliban defences. They had no choice in the matter.

In the end, we were successful. However, one member of my squadron was blown up three times while operating heavy equipment outside the wire, earning him two sacrifice medals for his injuries. His name is Lance Hooper. He's now a warrant officer. To me, by embracing unlimited liability, Lance is the embodiment of duty and of how discipline is the foundation of fighting spirit.

In conclusion, enrolment in the CAF is voluntary. Once enrolled, CAF members must serve until released, in accordance with the regulations; have numerous obligations of service that do not have civilian equivalents; and have an obligation to respect, uphold and obey the chain of command. Training and socialization during times of service are designed to cultivate a habit of obedience and respect for authority, which are essential for conducting effective and efficient military operations during active service.

Combat operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan, cost the lives of many CAF personnel and involved the application of significant violence against a determined enemy. Calling it a “special duty area” rings hollow when judged against the realities on the ground.