Defense Minister Bill Blair calls for immediate compensation and physical and mental care to be provided to a group of former combat advisors who were denied health benefits despite playing a vital role in Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan It has refused requests from the ministry’s watchdog, CBC News reported.
Robin Hinds, Interim Ombud for the Department of Defense (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), has responded to an investigation by his office into the treatment of 81 Afghan Canadians employed by the DND as speech therapists. and made this recommendation. Cultural Advisors in Conflict (LCA).
Advisors were the eyes and ears of the Canadian Forces, wearing the same uniforms and taking the same risks as CAF members. However, when the LCAs returned to Canada, they were denied benefits and health insurance coverage for the trauma they had endured because they were civilians employed on fixed-term contracts in the federal civil service, the report said.
“The federal government sent them overseas to Afghanistan,” Hines told CBC News. ”[They] They put them at risk and are responsible for ensuring they have access to the benefits and services they need. ”
However, in a letter dated January 21 in response to Mr Hynes’ report, Mr Blair defended the system LCA was already using to receive treatment and offered nothing more. .
“I am confident that the existing government is consistent with the spirit of your recommendations,” Prime Minister Blair wrote.
Hines recognized that current programs were insufficient to meet LCA’s needs.
His review, published on Wednesday, found that former advisers continue to suffer from deployment experiences that put their lives at risk with little training and no awareness of the risks they would face. It turned out that there was.
Hines had asked Blair to immediately provide an independent assessment to determine and fund the long-term care needs of the former advisers, as well as provide immediate and reasonable financial compensation.
“I am disappointed that we have not seen additional action on behalf of the federal government,” Hines said in a statement.
Ombud is concerned about the safety of former advisers
LCA provided translation services and provided important advice regarding Afghan culture and local conditions.
They also had high-security clearances and partnered with military leaders outside the safety of wires to warn of impending attacks, eavesdrop on insurgent communications, and gather intelligence on the Taliban. .
The advisors were employed in Kandahar from 2006 until the end of combat operations in 2011, and supported CAF training and guidance in Kabul until 2014.
Many LCAs developed mental health problems, including signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), months to years after returning home. Given the secretive nature of the deployment, Hines found herself unsure of what to say to her doctor or who to turn to for help.
Advisors struggled to return to their regular jobs in Canada. Some have lost work, home and contact with family.
“I’m concerned about the safety of many LCAs,” Hines told CBC News. “Many of them found themselves financially ruined. They saw their relationships fall apart.”
CBC News has documented many of their lawsuits since 2018. The Ombud’s review is based on the experiences of 19 former LCAs who consulted her office.
DND’s response to these complaints was to refer an advisor to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB), to which injured federal employees are sent under the Public Employees’ Compensation Act.
However, many of the advisors’ arguments were rejected by the WSIB. Hines said some LCAs have filed lawsuits but abandoned them because of bureaucratic challenges and lengthy appeals processes.
Despite the Ombud’s concerns, Prime Minister Blair said the existing system was working for the former LCA, citing recent favorable decisions.
In a January 21 letter to the Ombuds, Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote: “The department remains fully committed to supporting the LCA.”
In response, the Ombud Secretariat said the WSIB’s remaining arguments were contradictory and that it supported its recommendations.
While DND followed strict deployment restrictions for CAF members with some exceptions, Hines also found that the department did not have a similar policy for LCAs and other DND civilians.
Additionally, LCAs reported that they were expected to remain on base, primarily in a classroom or office setting. But within days of arriving in Afghanistan, Hines found themselves working out of the near safety of Kandahar Airfield.
Prime Minister Blair said the DND had made changes to tighten limits on the frequency and duration of civilian employment in overseas operations. Steps have also been taken to ensure guidance on pre-deployment and post-deployment care based on LCA experience.
