Letter to the editor

    MONTREAL, August 28 /CNW Telbec/ - Note below a letter that the
Colonel Ritchie, ordering 5th Group of support of sector of the Quebec of the
army desires to transmit to the media.

    Since a certain time, the documentary launch The spouses of
the Army big is approached in the media.  The subject, in himself very
important, gave rise to the public interest to know what the Canadian Forces
(FC) do to support the families of the military officers.  This interest
is justified and here an introduction to the response of the FC to this matter.
    I saw personally the film in question and I was impressed by
the depth and the engagement of Mrs Corriveau to make known and
to explain the challenges to which ones the families of military officers are confronted.
    The film raised very important points; the spouses of military officers
had to beat themselves to obtain from the services in the years 80 and 90 and these
pioneers really provoked important changes of which
can take advantage today the families of our troops.  The film also showed the
force of our military families, not only spouses and spouse, but
also parents and children, facing a life that is particularly
difficult.
    But, as military spouse, military woman and senior officer
, I have myself to reestablish certain facts concerning some allegations
reaches in the documentary as well as at the time of the multiples interviews granted
by Mrs Corriveau.
    The FC were actively implied in the World War and in
missions of peace everywhere in the world since their creation.  Our reason
to be is, and always remains, to protect the citizens and citizens of
Canada.  According to the mandate that we entrusted by the federal Government, we
have ourselves to help certain countries in the need.  In a similar case, the
military officers work to serve a cause a lot bigger one than them and in
which they believe.
    At the end of line, they and they serve within the FC principally
to protect their families and their friends.  It is true that this is not an easy choice
to do that to leave to be liked them behind oneself for well
to train and next to leave in mission.  It is as true as there are
periods of military life that are not easy for the families such as
the moves and the extended absences.  This is exactly for these
reasons that the FC created programs and services of assistance to the families
that I would qualify copies and that several communities
could envy.  The set up of these programs could not have taken place without the
denouncings, reports and the solutions brought by the families since
the 15 last years.  On the other hand, I believe that it is necessary also to give the
credit to the order chain that had the courage to be at the listens,to
 recognize the need and to launch several initiatives aiming the improvement
of the quality of life of our military officers and of their family.
    With the passing of the years, the missions are themselves strong and we had to adjust ourselves
.  Our brothers and sisters of weapons of the West and Maritime lived them
same tests and also had to adapt themselves and change their manners to do.
We resumed certain of their programs of specialized assistance.  We divided some
certain with them and we created some others ourselves.
Since 1991, at the national level, a program of structured and financed
support to the intention of all the families is in force by the bias of the Center
of the resources for the military families (CRFM).  We in have besides
three to the Quebec, the principal one being situated to Valcartier.  The CRFM have a collaboration mandate
with the chain of order but are governed by an independent committee
.  This measure assures an impartiality principally
aiming to give confidence to the families.  For example, the CRFM Valcartier is directed by
a professional civil one since 1991.  His executive counsel majority is composed
from spouse (e) military s, of an avocate in family rights
, of a chaplain, of some military officers and of other members of
families of which a renowned pioneer, Mrs Elisabeth Dallaire, marries general
to the retirement Romeo Dallaire and mother of threeChildren.
    The FC to the Quebec also developed programs and services for
their families and their military officers.  In 2001, the Group of Support to the
Deployment (GSD) was created by the order chain, notably by the
General present ordering, the General Corporal Christian Barabé,to
 support the families particularly at the time of an extended absence of the
military officers.  In 2005, the GSD intervened to more than 1000 returns with the
families to help them to overcome the obstacles of a daily one sometimes
testing.  Each year, important sums, so in public funds that in
non public funds, are invested to endow these institutions in personnel, some
structure solid administrative and some program assistance passing health care
and of psychological assistance, to the services on duty until the plumbing services
, déneigement, transportation, etc.  The hierarchic chain supports
unfailingly the services furnish by the GSD.
    Uniformly, families recognizing communicate us their
satisfaction and we underline the assessment that they have of our human and empathic approach
towards their challenges.
    Once more, military officers and civil employees work within
the different GSD to assure a representation of the two parties.
Recently, the personnel of the GSD did a turn to the Quebec, aiming
to meet all the families of military officers touched by the deployment of a
member of their family to explain them the mission in Afghanistan and
to listen their preoccupations regarding there to reply.
    These civil professionals and military officers of the CRFM and GSD of the FC totally
maintain solid links with their surrounding community as well as
with civil services such as of the nurseries, assistance to the job research
, courses of language second, interventions youths, a
service to the families of the reservists in region, a service of relation of assistance,
.
    As Ordering 5th Group of Support of Sector that heads
all the programs and support services to the military officers and to the families of the
Quebec, and as woman of military officer, I assure you that to watch on our
families is a priority.  In a context where one must squeeze oneself the elbows
in Equipe to cross unusual tests, in front of challenges of
size such as our various missions, of which the one of the Afghanistan, I have an
immense respect for our families that are essential to the moral and to the
success of these missions.

    The 5th Order
    Groups Support of Sector
    Colonel Karen Ritchie

Pieces of information: want to communicate with the officer of public matters
, the Captain Maryse Lavoie, (514) 252-2777, posts 4278,téléavertisseur
:  (514) 330-8493