Corrections After The Fact?

Now that is unfortunate. To have received an encomium in the way of additional payment in recognition of work well done under difficult and dangerous circumstances, and then to be informed that it was inadvertently forwarded.

These are member of the Canadian military, after all, serving in what really is a war zone. The battle with Islamist insurgents, the Taliban, with their ferocious will to exterminate the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan and equally determined to victimize Afghans themselves in their zeal to return to power, is a dangerous one.

It may be considered to represent a low-level danger with a relatively small number of Canadian military now stationed in the country as military trainers, away from combat zones, but Kabul, though the capital and felt to be as secure as any place could be in that war-torn society, is still a dangerous place.

Suicide attacks take place there just as they do elsewhere, and with alarming success, all the more so when they occur in areas that are held to be well defended.

The increasing incidence of Afghan police or soldiers or Taliban in police or military uniform attacking foreign troops also represents an undeniable presence of danger. Canadian troops doing their duty through training of the Afghan military in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif have received a truly dismayingly unfortunate communication, that they are expected to repay danger pay previously received.

This shameful decision on the part of the Canadian Forces and the Defence Department for reimbursement of danger pay already received does not shine a particularly good light on those concerned whose protestations of appreciation for the work performed by military members are belied by this action.

The previous announcement that troops in Kabul were to have their hazard pay reduced resulted in an outraged reaction from the Canadian electorate.

Which resulted in embarrassment to those who made that determination and an executive order that overturned the decision, restoring hazard pay where it is most certainly justified. On this occasion, the incident resulted from what might be seen to be a clerical accounting error. The amounts concern a handful of Canadian soldiers, some 30 in number, being advised they are expected to return to the government between $900 and $1,600 each.

"In accordance with Treasury Board regulations, the recovery of an overpayment is required as soon as practicable. It is important to note that this issue is based on an earlier decision by the Departmental Hardship and Risk Committee and is separate and distinct from recent stories about Hardship and Risk", the circulated email announced.

A departmental committee had been convened a year ago to evaluate hardship and risk pay rates for several operations, including troops working at Camp Spann in Mazar-i-Sharif. Soldiers there, the committee decided, would be paid a lower rate of hardship and risk pay then that paid to troops in Kabul. An administrative error succeeded in producing the overpayment.

Which, under the circumstances, should be waived, those involved informed of the error, and advised that henceforth the lower rate would apply, not affecting the overpayment already received.