Last weekend, Lieutenant General. Simon Bernard – a senior army officer in charge of personnel – was among several RMC Kingston and RMC Saint-Jean alumni who changed their LinkedIn profile photos to RMC graduation photos. Some graduates explicitly acknowledged that the reason for posting these photos was to support military academics and their graduates in the wake of the strong condemnation of culture in these colleges in Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbor’s report released last year. week. As part of its comprehensive review of sexual harassment and harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Arbor has identified RMC Kingston and RMC Saint-Jean as institutions “from a different era” with a problematic leadership model in desperate need systemic reform. The story goes on under the ad
Read more: New report recommends review of Canadian military colleges
Arbor went so far as to say that the “discriminatory culture” and outdated mentality within these institutions is so persistent, it questioned whether they should continue to exist in their current form and warned that a lack of significant reform could prevent CAF from real by adopting a necessary culture of change. College graduates have since posted messages of support on LinkedIn for the RMC and the positive impact these institutions have had on their lives, including some who have challenged Arbor’s findings. Global News has identified at least 21 different individual LinkedIn profiles involved in this activity. On June 4, Bernard changed his profile picture to the RMC graduation portrait and commented on “TDV” in a LinkedIn post written by another alumni. TDV is an acronym for RMC’s motto: truth, duty, bravery. But this external show of support did not stay on the internet for long.
Read more: Reforming Canada’s military academies will be a “Hercules project”, experts say
After many women, who said they had been attacked and injured in schools, challenged him for this public show of support for the colleges, Bernard deleted his comment and removed the photo of his graduation. The story goes on under the ad In a statement to Global News, Bernard said he immediately removed the posts after he “realized the potential impact of this post on others”. “Although there was no bad intention in my post, I accept responsibility for what, after all, I did not consider the impact on others and I sincerely apologize to anyone who was affected.” A day after his comments on LinkedIn, Bernard posted a lengthy message expressing his support for Arbor’s recommendations as a “positive thing for the department and the CAF”. One day after RMC support post on LinkedIn, Maj.-Gen. Simon Bernard published this message expressing support for Arbor’s recommendations as a “positive thing for the department and the CAF”. Photo from LinkedIn profile In a statement to Global News, a Pentagon staffer who assisted in compiling the report said Bernard “immediately informed the LinkedIn posting chain and as soon as he realized that the post could harm others, he removed it.” “He acknowledged responsibility for his actions and acknowledged that his position may have affected survivors,” said Derek Abma, DND senior communications consultant. The story goes on under the ad He also noted that Defense Minister Anita Anand has accepted the recommendations of the Arbor report, which calls for a review of military schools. Defensive suspensions are “disappointing”, “childish”, experts say However, some experts say that Bernard’s actions and those on social media to defend the RMC are an example of a “fortress mentality” that demonstrates the firm stance against change that Arbor and victim advocates have identified as significant obstacle to improvement. “I thought it was unusual,” said the retired lieutenant colonel. Mark Popov, who was responsible for the training of probationary officers in 2014 and 2015 in colleges. “I thought it was the actions of those who did not actually read the Arbor report in detail and who, in a reactionary way, simply tried to push against the recommendations.” Although not everyone will agree with all of Arbor’s calls for change, Popov says he believes a full review of colleges is needed to address deep concerns about their functions and the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault that many experience. students. Retired Lt. Col. Mark Popov, who was in charge of training officers in 2014 and 2015 at RMC Kingston, says alumni who use social media to defend colleges from RMC findings at the Arbor show are an example of a “fortress mentality” that demonstrates entrenched attitudes against change. Photo submitted. “The reactionary view I see on social media is frustrating for many people I know personally, because Justice Arbor does not attack them; Forces “. The story goes on under the ad Julie Lalonde, a women’s rights activist and educator for the public, says she believes the social media response to Arbor’s findings stems from a denial of systemic problems within institutions. Too many members of the military see the army’s criticism as personal attacks, he said. Related News
Defense Secretary Promises Army Sexual Harassment, But Understands Skepticism
“It’s very immature to be an adult and see a report from the Supreme Court say that this campus has a problem and then it’s convenient for you to change your profile picture because you want to be proud of the RMC – it’s so childish.” he said. he said. “They should be ashamed that you are a military insignia and that is your reaction to what happened.” Businessman defends RMC as “big institution” Among those who have published to support the RMC is Bryan Brulotte – a businessman and former member of the military who also briefly tried to take over the leadership of the Federal Conservative Party in 2020. Brulotte says he felt “compelled” to publish his photo by the RMC and express his support for Canada’s military colleges because he believes the Arbor report and the response to it to date “give the impression that everything is wrong. college”. “It’s not true. “I think there are a lot of good things happening there and there is a lot of progress that has been made,” he told Global News. The story goes on under the ad Businessman and ex-military Bryan Brulotte says he felt “compelled” to post his photo by the RMC and express his support for Canada’s military colleges because he believes the Arbor report “gives a sense that everything is wrong in college.” . Photo from LinkedIn profile In its report, Arbor said that almost every female experimenter has experienced one or more incidents of sexual misconduct “or worse”, including persistent comments and discriminatory behaviors. Arbor also cited a report by Statistics Canada 2020, which found that 68 percent of students at RMC Kingston and RMC Saint-Jean have either seen or been exposed to unwanted sexual behavior during their time in schools. But Brulotte believes Arbor has overestimated the prevalence of sexual misconduct in military colleges compared to the percentage of reports of such incidents in political universities. She also strongly criticizes the leadership structure of college students, who she says has been likened to “kids driving kids”. 10:21 The Minister of Defense “fully understands” the skepticism about the reform of military culture The Minister of Defense “fully understands” the skepticism about the reform of military culture Brulotte said he believed the Arbor report was positive as it provided a voice to many who felt the need to be heard, and said he supported measures to properly address sexual assault, racism or bullying in schools that may be required for a case. case. The story goes on under the ad But he also said he believed Arbor’s trial was “flawed” and that he was suffering from “inherent prejudice”. That’s why he used social media to defend the RMC and the many prominent Canadians who have graduated from these colleges, he said, listing many of them. created fantastic Canadians. “ Related News © 2022 Global News, part of Corus Entertainment Inc.
