WRITER PROFILE

A proud Newfoundlander, General Rick Hillier likes to boast that he joined the Canadian Forces as soon as he could. In May 2003 he was chosen as Commander of the Army and a few months later, commanded ISAF, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was promoted to General in 2005 to assume the duties as Chief of Canada's Defence Staff. He retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in July 2008.
Articles by this writer
The CDS speaks with conviction on what it means to protect & support our troops.
The Canadian Forces exists for Canada first, we see this as our clear and overwhelming priority. The main pillars of activity have numerous implications across our Canadian Forces - and they are staggering. We have been re-equipping the Forces with an energy and a scope that has not been seen in decades, and with a speed that would have been unbelievable even two years ago.
General Hillier explains his understanding of why Canada has agreed to help Afghan government authorities establish a secure environment and aid in governance and reconstruction.