Gen. Vance ‘concerned’ about antics on flight
Junkets now halted pending military review
Canada’s top soldier says he is disappointed and “deeply concerned” about the antics on a military flight that featured free-flowing booze, a live band and VIPs and military personnel dancing in the aisles — and which led to a sexual assault charge against a former NHL enforcer.
But the taxpayer-funded flight, transporting entertainers and celebrities to Latvia as part of a tour intended to raise the morale of Canadian troops stationed overseas, was planned by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance’s own office, the military has confirmed. And according to military sources, such antics are common on the tours.
In a statement Friday, Vance said he has suspended such junkets until the military can carry out a review. Alcohol will not be served on future such morale flights, he added.
“The commander of the RCAF and I are deeply concerned and disappointed about what is said to have transpired aboard this service flight, and we will sponsor the necessary changes to prevent reoccurrence and ensure the safety and morale of our members,” Vance’s statement said.
The Dec. 2-3 flight to Greece and Latvia has been dubbed the “party” flight by some military personnel because of what unfolded aboard the RCAF CC-150 Polaris. One passenger boarded the aircraft with a 40-ounce bottle of alcohol. Passengers who had already been drinking were also allowed to board the plane, sources said. Two individuals were so drunk they urinated on themselves, forcing flight attendants to place the wet seat cushions in plastic bags for cleaning once the aircraft returned to 8 Wing in Trenton, Ont.
Video taken aboard the flight and posted to one of the passengers’ Facebook accounts showed people with their drinks — including one member of Vance’s staff — dancing in the aisles of the aircraft as a rock band plays at the back of the plane. Amplifiers were also set up in the aisles in direct violation of aircraft safety procedures.
Two months after the flight, military police laid sex assault and assault charges against Dave “Tiger” Williams, a former NHL player and one of the VIPs on board. Williams has denied any wrongdoing, his lawyer said.
RCAF Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent, the vice chief of the defence staff and the secondhighest ranking officer in the Canadian Forces, as well as Chief Warrant Officer Kevin West, the most senior noncommissioned member of the Canadian Forces, were also on the flight.
RCAF commander Lt.Gen. Michael Hood said in a statement sent to personnel that he has completed an investigation of the incident, which he has forwarded to Vance. “It is clear to all of us that our crew members have been placed in an unacceptable situation, in particular in terms of clearer guidelines with respect to civilian VIP passengers, and the absence of policies with respect to alcohol and passengers, notwithstanding that the large majority of our flights are ‘dry,’” he wrote.
The military says it flew the victim of the alleged sex assault, a flight attendant — and three of her colleagues — back home on a commercial flight so as “to distance” the individual from Williams, the accused. Those tickets cost $24,000, according to a source.