Top Canadian soldier in Afghanistan booted in scandal
Could this have happened in Pak that a soldier fired because of hanky panky?
Sun May 30, 7:30 AM By Tara Brautigam, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, has been relieved of command after allegations surfaced that he was involved in an inappropriate intimate relationship with a female member of his staff while in theatre, the Canadian military said Sunday.
In an unexpected announcement, Col. Simon Hetherington, the deputy commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, woke up reporters at Kandahar Airfield at 4:30 a.m. local time Sunday to reveal that Menard was relieved of his duties.
Hetherington said Lt.-Gen. Marc Lessard, the commander of Canadian military members stationed overseas, lost confidence in Menard's capacity to command and made the decision to relieve him.
"As soon as Lt.-Gen. Lessard was made aware of the allegations, which was the 29th of May, he did the proper assessment and made the decision to have him relieved," Hetherington said.
Hetherington declined to comment on the specifics of the allegations, including with whom Menard is accused of having a personal relationship.
An investigation into the conduct of Menard, who is married, has been launched.
The military has strict rules forbidding its personnel from engaging in personal relationships while in theatre. They include relationships of an emotional, romantic or sexual nature.
Hetherington said he was confident that Menard's dismissal which comes less than a week after he was fined for a weapons offence earlier this year would not harm the military's public reputation.
"The allegations against Brig-Gen. Menard are that they're allegations against Brig.-Gen. Menard," Hetherington said.
"It's a personal thing, so I don't see that as any sort of mark against the institution at all."
Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance will assume command in the meantime and is expected to arrive in Afghanistan within a week.
"Operations continue unabated," Hetherington said.
An official in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office said the allegations against Menard involve a member of his staff, but no further details could be provided while they are under investigation by the Canadian Forces Investigation Service.
Last Tuesday, a court martial fined Menard $3,500 for negligently firing two rounds from his assault rifle in an incident on March 25. The incident occurred as Menard and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the chief of defence staff, were about to board a Blackhawk helicopter at Kandahar Airfield.
Menard struggled to load a magazine into his C8 assault rifle. His gun was at waist level, pointing at the runway, when it fired a two-round burst.
The bullets whizzed between two armoured vehicles, missing two Blackhawk helicopters and about 10 soldiers also within range. No one was hurt and no property was damaged.
Menard took over as commander of Task Force Kandahar last November and was supposed to remain in that position until the fall, when Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner takes over.
He is only the second general to be court martialled. The first was in 2001 over the misuse of a Defence Department computer.
Menard joined the Canadian Forces in 1984 and quickly moved up the ranks. He has served in Britain, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Haiti.
Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100530/national/afghan_cda_commander_relieved
Could this have happened in Pak that a soldier fired because of hanky panky?
Sun May 30, 7:30 AM By Tara Brautigam, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, has been relieved of command after allegations surfaced that he was involved in an inappropriate intimate relationship with a female member of his staff while in theatre, the Canadian military said Sunday.
In an unexpected announcement, Col. Simon Hetherington, the deputy commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, woke up reporters at Kandahar Airfield at 4:30 a.m. local time Sunday to reveal that Menard was relieved of his duties.
Hetherington said Lt.-Gen. Marc Lessard, the commander of Canadian military members stationed overseas, lost confidence in Menard's capacity to command and made the decision to relieve him.
"As soon as Lt.-Gen. Lessard was made aware of the allegations, which was the 29th of May, he did the proper assessment and made the decision to have him relieved," Hetherington said.
Hetherington declined to comment on the specifics of the allegations, including with whom Menard is accused of having a personal relationship.
An investigation into the conduct of Menard, who is married, has been launched.
The military has strict rules forbidding its personnel from engaging in personal relationships while in theatre. They include relationships of an emotional, romantic or sexual nature.
Hetherington said he was confident that Menard's dismissal which comes less than a week after he was fined for a weapons offence earlier this year would not harm the military's public reputation.
"The allegations against Brig-Gen. Menard are that they're allegations against Brig.-Gen. Menard," Hetherington said.
"It's a personal thing, so I don't see that as any sort of mark against the institution at all."
Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance will assume command in the meantime and is expected to arrive in Afghanistan within a week.
"Operations continue unabated," Hetherington said.
An official in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office said the allegations against Menard involve a member of his staff, but no further details could be provided while they are under investigation by the Canadian Forces Investigation Service.
Last Tuesday, a court martial fined Menard $3,500 for negligently firing two rounds from his assault rifle in an incident on March 25. The incident occurred as Menard and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the chief of defence staff, were about to board a Blackhawk helicopter at Kandahar Airfield.
Menard struggled to load a magazine into his C8 assault rifle. His gun was at waist level, pointing at the runway, when it fired a two-round burst.
The bullets whizzed between two armoured vehicles, missing two Blackhawk helicopters and about 10 soldiers also within range. No one was hurt and no property was damaged.
Menard took over as commander of Task Force Kandahar last November and was supposed to remain in that position until the fall, when Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner takes over.
He is only the second general to be court martialled. The first was in 2001 over the misuse of a Defence Department computer.
Menard joined the Canadian Forces in 1984 and quickly moved up the ranks. He has served in Britain, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Haiti.
Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100530/national/afghan_cda_commander_relieved
