After six months as Canadian Army Commander, and having recently toured all of the Army divisions, including the deployment in the Philippines and new Army capabilities, Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse talks about the future of the Canadian Army.
You recently toured all the Army Divisions across Canada. What are your impressions from your visits?
Very positive impressions. I saw good morale and it also allowed me to see some realities from division to division that varies either from a recruitment or from a resource point of view. It’s a great opportunity to connect with what is happening on the ground.
What impact did the interactions with troops have on you?
When I get up in the morning, I am still very happy to put on my combat boots. Every time I go and visit the troops I get re-energized. It’s a good reminder of what we are all about - the soldiers that will deliver effects either in Canada or abroad. We should never lose sight of this.
What were the key messages for the troops?
We need to make sure that in a post-Afghanistan era, we know what the Army is all about. The Army needs to set itself to be able to continue contributing to internal security and obviously domestic challenges when need be. It’s not “"business as usual"” but it’s still very important that we carry on. We need to learn a lot from our era in Afghanistan, we need to introduce what we have learned in practice and bring it back to our reality.
The CAF is getting a lot of positive attention for its humanitarian work in the Philippines. How is it shaping perceptions?
We have a great circumstance right now of being very popular. I think operations such as Operation RENAISSANCE in the Philippines, helps keep our popularity at a good level. This contribution is also a testimony of our ability to deploy and to be versatile. Most importantly, it’s a testimony to the competence, the professionalism and the great commitment of our personnel. There is no greater ambassador on the international scene than our soldiers. I am very proud of each and every one of them for what they have done.
A number of large equipment projects are ongoing such as the upgraded LAV. What do these new capabilities mean for the Army?
Those capabilities mean the Army will be set for the future. They will help guarantee that we will be able to conduct all tasks set by the Canada First Defence Strategy in the full spectrum of conflict. I think from a soldier’s point of view it is all positive because they see that we are taking care of them.
What are your priorities for the Army for 2014?
The key priority is aligning the Army with what we are asked to do. Readiness is our bread and butter. Everything we do needs to have readiness behind the scenes.
In terms of sustaining the Army, we need to make sure that we assess our processes, to achieve efficiencies in terms of process and in terms of dollars.
And finally – let’s engage with our colleagues, let’s engage with our superiors and our friends let’s tell them with a common voice what the Army is all about and where we are going.
