Canada’s military ombudsman is asking the Department of Defense (DND) to make an exception and provide special compensation to former language and cultural advisers who served with Canadian forces in Afghanistan.
As Canada marks the 10th anniversary of its military withdrawal from its longest war in history, Gregory Rick is seeking compensation.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Bill Blair last week, Mr Rick said there was precedent for special compensation. He cited the federal government’s 2017 decision to pay cadets injured in a 1974 grenade explosion at the Canadian Forces’ Valcartier base in Quebec.
“Until now, ministers’ powers have been limited to addressing gaps in care and coverage for people who have fallen short of receiving benefits and services commensurate with those they served with,” Rick said in a letter dated March. It has been used to cope.” Retrieved by CBC News, August 2024.
Rick and Blair met in late February to discuss the plight of Afghan-Canadian advisers.
They were directly employed by the Department of Defense from 2002 to 2009. Many Canadian military personnel and experts say the military could not have engaged in guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan without their help on the ground.
Although they wore uniforms, the advisors were civilian contractors rather than military personnel. Many of them returned from Afghanistan with injuries and broken bones.
They were only allowed to apply for federal health benefits within six months of their return. Unlike soldiers, they were not eligible for VA service.
CBC News first reported on the advisers’ plight in fall 2019. DND then agreed to support efforts to obtain benefits for injured federal employees through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB), where they are transported.
However, many of the advisors’ claims were denied by WSIB. Critics complained that the board had no experience dealing with injuries sustained in combat zones.
The Canadian Forces Ombudsman is handling approximately 65 cases of advisers whose claims have been dismissed.
“We strongly believe that we have a duty to their health, well-being, and financial support,” Rick wrote. “They had a decisive impact on CAF’s work, but since then many have suffered greatly and in silence.”
Afghan-Canadians who served as civilian advisors to the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan and helped with some of its most dangerous missions say they returned home with little or no support from the government.
The decision on the claim before the WSIB “was not positive and did not represent a cost to Canada,” Rick added.
WSIB will now cover the medical expenses of some advisors. However, it does not cover out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost earnings, or other benefits related to the period before your claim is approved.
Diana Ebadi, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Blair’s office, told CBC News that the prime minister is “aware of the challenges that former language and cultural advisers are currently facing and is looking forward to how we can address and support them.” We are actively considering it.”
“They are entitled to the psychological support they need and the minister’s team has been working with the department to liaise with WSIB on this issue to ensure that these claims are upheld,” she added. “Former language and cultural advisors played a critical role in Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.”
On Sunday, Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada marked the 10th anniversary of the end of Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan. The military training mission in Kabul ended in 2014, ending more than 12 years of military deployment.
At a memorial service at the base of the National War Memorial in Ottawa, the country’s top military commander, Gen. Wayne Eyre, reflected on the lingering effects of the war.
”[The] “No one leaves their experience in Afghanistan intact. Many people, including their families, were scarred physically, mentally and morally in Afghanistan,” Eyre said. Many of us wonder, ‘Was it worth it? ” and have continued to ask. ”
