This is bad news, I'm not sure who will replace him will live up to the standard that has been set.
Sir! You have earned your rest and will be sadly missed.
Sir! You have earned your rest and will be sadly missed.
Hillier stepping down as head of Canada's military
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 | 5:35 PM ET Comments130Recommend297
CBC News
Gen. Rick Hillier, the outspoken chief of Canada's defence staff and strong advocate of Canada's military intervention in Afghanistan, will step down in July.
"I have chosen to retire from the Canadian Forces and end my tenure as your Chief of the Defence Staff in July of this year," said Hillier in a letter released Tuesday.
The native of Newfoundland and Labrador has been in the job since February 2005, appointed by then Prime Minister Paul Martin. The role doesn't have a defined length, but the average tenure is three to five years.Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of defence staff, arrives in Kandahar, Afghanistan, to visit Canadian soldiers serving in the country, on Sept. 29, 2006.
(Les Perreaux/Canadian Press)
"My goal was to set the conditions for our sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen to succeed in our critical and often dangerous tasks in defence of Canada, Canadians, and Canadian interests and values. We have achieved those key objectives, and reached the critical milestones I originally set out for us to reach by the end of my time as CDS," Hillier wrote.
He gave no reason for his resignation, but is expected to speak later Tuesday.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised Hillier during question period.
"Gen. Hillier has worked very well with the government," said Harper. "He has done an excellent job in rebuilding Canada's armed forces. He is a great Canadian and we are proud to have worked with him."
Friction with PMO?
Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who said Hillier's decision was for personal reasons, called him an "exceptional soldier."
"Gen. Hillier was among the most capable, dedicated, informed and professional people I've ever met," said MacKay during an appearance at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa to launch a new round of Canadian Forces recruitment ads.
Hillier, considered one of the most charismatic and publicly visible Canadian military leaders, was said to have been the driving force behind an increased Canadian military presence in Kandahar province.
But his predilection to speak his mind led some to suggest he had a tense relationship with the Prime Minister's Office.
Last October, it was reported the Conservatives were seeking to push the outspoken senior military commander out of his job. But Harper denied the report, praising Hillier as an outstanding soldier and saying there had been no discussion about the possibility of changing the chief of defence staff.
Hillier had also said then his work as defence chief was unfinished.
"I love being a soldier," Hillier said in October. "I still have things to do here in the immediate future, and I intend to do them."
But later that month, Hillier said it might be "10 years or so" before Afghanistan is strong enough to police itself, a comment that appeared to contradict the Conservative government, which stated in its throne speech that Afghanistan would be able to handle its own security by 2011.
Not one to mince words
Earlier this year, there was also a report that an angry Hillier called Harper over the government's handling of the Afghan detainee issue.
His blunt talk made headlines, for example, when he referred to the Taliban as "detestable murderers and scumbags."
He also raised the ire of some Liberals when he described the period of budget cuts to the military that began in 1994 as the "decade of darkness." The remark prompted then Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre to refer to Hillier as a "prop to the Conservative party."
Last February, he urged Parliament to come to a quick decision on the country's role in Afghanistan, warning that the longer the debate goes on, the likelier the Taliban would "target us as a perceived weak link."
But Hillier is viewed as highly popular among the rank-and-file of Canada's military. His own career has spanned three decades — he joined the army right after graduating from Memorial University.
Before being named chief of defence staff, he was the head of the army and also commanded the NATO-led multinational Afghanistan mission in 2004.
David Bercuson, director for the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies in Calgary, told CBC News that he was surprised to learn Hillier is stepping down. Bercuson said he thought Hillier would stay on for a few years, since we are in the middle of a war. However, he noted, three years is a normal term for defence staff.
Bercuson rejected speculation that Hillier may have been pushed out of the post by the government.
"Hillier has almost become an indispensable part of the Canadian Forces," Bercuson said. "I think the government realized he's so good for morale — he has such credibility with our allies that they wanted him to stay around."
He postulated that Hillier was resigning now because "the strain and the tension on the man has been so great that he’s decided to give it a pass."
Bercuson added that Hillier is leaving "at the top of his game right now" — the Afghanistan mission has been extended and the military is stronger and better equipped.
"This is probably as good as time as any" to quit, Bercuson said.