May 24, 1996
(Executive Council)

The following is being distributed at the request of Land Force Atlantic Area:

Land Force Atlantic Area spring conference

Senior army commanders from the Atlantic provinces will be in St. John's this weekend for the Commander Land Force Atlantic Area spring conference. Hosted by LFAA commander Major General Ray Crabbe, they will discuss major issues such as training, personnel policy and budgets affecting the army in Atlantic Canada.

At the top of their agenda is the restructuring of the Land Force Reserve. "Given the fiscal realities of our country, the status quo in terms of our organizational structure is simply not an option," said Crabbe. "We will reduce the infrastructure and shift resources to support training. The objective is to improve our ability to contribute to the army's operational requirements. In short this means maximizing our training to prepare soldiers for operations in Canada and in places like the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, Somalia and Rwanda."

Crabbe said the weekend conference will bring commanders up to date on a variety of issues and allow for a frank exchange on the options facing the army in Atlantic Canada. He said that recent statements by both the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff indicate the reductions of the Militia in Atlantic Canada at less than the 25 per cent originally proposed by the special committee on reserve restructuring.

"We are not just cutting for the sake of cutting; we are changing the way our organization does its work. There are some hard choices to make, like closing some smaller sub-units or giving others new roles. No regiments will be lost from the order of battle and the hurt will be shared across the country. That doesn't mean an across-the-board cut, however. we are going to reinforce success, so some units may grow in strength while others will be reduced with the overall national effect being a reduction.

"It is important for the army to maintain its links with the community and leave a proper base for mobilization, should that become necessary. The key for Atlantic Canada will be to strike the right balance of operational and training requirements, efficiency and effectiveness and maximizing our training dollars."

The conference runs May 25 and 26, at the Hotel Newfoundland St. John's.

Contact: Lieutenant Edward Hollett, (902) 427-0239 or (902) 499-6006 (cellular).

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Major General Ray Crabbe, commander Land Force Atlantic Area, will be available to meet with reporters at Hotel Newfoundland, on Friday May 24 at approximately 5:30 p.m. Major General Crabbe is in St. John's to host a conference of senior army commanders in Atlantic Canada.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, May 25, Major General Crabbe will present Corporal Tom Anderson with an official certificate marking his retirement from the Canadian Forces. Corporal Anderson was seriously wounded in April 1994 while serving with 1st battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry as part of United Nations humanitarian relief efforts in the former Yugoslavia.

This ceremony is open to media representatives. It takes place at Hotel Newfoundland.

Contact: Lieutenant Edward Hollett, (902) 427-0239 or (902) 499-6006 (cellular).