The Department of National Defence has just distributed the following “Letter to the Editor”, in response to reports like this about the compensation wounded soldiers receive:
Over the last few days, media coverage regarding special pay allowances for our Canadian Forces members deployed overseas has been inaccurate and confusing.
When Canadian Forces members are deployed on foreign military operations, they are paid what we call operational allowances. These allowances are over and above regular pay, designed to recognize the difference between normal conditions and those exclusive to overseas deployments.
These allowances are determined based on the degree of risk, hardship, and other inherent factors of a specific military operation like our mission in Afghanistan.
This operational allowance policy has been in place since 1995 and other operation tax breaks are in place since 2004. We have no intention of changing this policy.
However, and quite separately, our military is looking at options regarding the benefits wounded soldiers receive upon their return to Canada before the end of their rotation period to ensure they are being properly compensated.
This review doesn't affect the current pay and benefits package Canadian Forces members are entitled to. Canadian Forces members still retain their full salary while they are injured, and they are also eligible for a wide variety of benefits and services, financial or otherwise, provided by National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada.
The Honourable Gordon O'Connor P.C. M.P.
Minister of National Defence