2009 Investiture Ceremony

THE NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

High honours for a soldier
Former chief of defence staff honoured by Niagara-based order of St. George
Posted By Corey Larocque

Canadians crave information about the country’s role in Afghanistan, something they’re not getting enough of from the media, says Gen. Rick Hillier, one of the country’s most respected soldiers.

“They don’t get enough information. They desperately want information so they can make their own decisions,” Hillier said during an interview between public appearances in Niagara Falls Saturday.

The retired general was Canada’s chief of defence staff for the first few years of this country’s military role in the war-torn country. He was in Niagara Falls where he was named patron of the Canadian branch of the International Knightly Order of St. George, an organization formed in 1326 by the King of Hungary.

Hillier was Canada’s top soldier from 2005 until his retirement last year. His straight-talking approach made him popular with the troops he led and a force to be reckoned with in Ottawa. The chief of defence staff gives military advice to the government and is responsible for carrying out the military objectives Parliament sets.

He jokes he has “failed at retirement” because he’s still active with national organization and his opinion still has a lot of clout among federal politicians.

“I’m still a soldier, whether I’m wearing a uniform or not,” he said, wearing a black tuxedo with his military medals and the insignia of the order of St. George on a red ribbon around his neck.

“I have not looked back (since leaving the defence department). I still think about Afghanistan. So should all Canadians,” he said.

Hillier endorsed the opinion expressed last week by his successor, the current chief of defence staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk, who praised the American administration for building up its presence in Afghanistan.

“I support what the Americans are doing,” Hillier said.

The U.S. military has recognized the Taliban might be more entrenched now than in 2001, still poses a threat to western democracies, and more troops will be needed for a longer time to defeat them.

“You’ve got to have the soldiers on the ground to do it. We knew that back in ’04,” said Hillier, who was then commander of Canada’s Afghanistan mission. Canadian troops have been involved in the NATO-led mission to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan since 2002. The United States and Britain led the 2001 invasion to topple the Taliban regime because it harboured Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida regime, responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack against the U.S.