VIP troop tours suspended
Top general also bans alcohol on aircraft after trip saw man charged with sexual assault
OTTAWA— Canada’s top general has turned off the taps on VIP tours with deployed troops abroad but is defending the visits as a valuable morale booster and suggests a troubled December trip — that saw a charge of sexual assault and complaints about excessive drinking — was an isolated incident.
Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, announced Friday that he had temporarily suspended Team Canada trips and ordered a ban on alcohol on military aircraft when they do resume.
Vance acted after getting the results of an air force investigation into a December trip that saw former Maple Leafs player Dave (Tiger) Williams charged with assault and sexual assault after alleged incidents involving a female member of the military who was a flight attendant.
During that same trip, two VIPs wet themselves in their seats, there were complaints about excessive drinking and concerns whether military and aviation regulations were adhered to. For example, one passenger was allowed to bring a 40-ounce bottle of alcohol past security and on board the flight, and several passengers were allowed to board the flight in Ottawa even though they appeared inebriated.
Vance said he’s concerned that the ability of military aircrew to perform their jobs “might have been interfered with.
“That’s not good,” he said Friday in his first comments on the incident. Vance said commanders moved fast once they were alerted to the alleged assault. “It went from there to investigation to arrest in five weeks. Lightning fast,” he said. “The decision to make sure the victim was cared for, job number one.”
The military has been running morale-boosting Team Canada tours for the last 12 years, bringing athletes, musicians and media personalities to visit with Canadian soldiers deployed abroad.
But defence department sources have told the Star that the tours have been known for excessive drinking and a party atmosphere.
Sources say that not all flight atten- dants who work on these flights have been formally trained to serve alcohol or to recognize the signs of inebriation.
And they say that flight attendants feel powerless to curb excessive drinking or rowdy behaviour on flights with high-ranking military personnel and high-profile VIPs.
In his own statement to air force officials this week, Lt.-Gen. Michael Hood, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, acknowledged those concerns. He says he ordered the internal investigation after he was told of “allegations of improper conduct by some civilian members” of the Team Canada tour.
“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,’ ” Hood said.
“While following direction to provide a positive experience for VIPs, this must never again be to the detriment of our aircrews,” Hood said, promising “speedy decisions” on the report’s recommendations.