The Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman, Mario Baril, spent the past week at 8 Wing Trenton as the first stop on a national tour.
The Ombudsman is a role outside the military chain of command, meant to educate current and former service members on how to navigate complaint procedures, and to ensure people are being treated fairly while moving through those processes. When someone feels they aren’t being treated fairly, the Ombudsman can initiate an investigation and make recommendations to the armed forces to address any problems found.
Speaking on the Lorne Brooker Show, Baril said that he and the others at his office need to show a lot of empathy when working with service members.
“Part of the ombuds role is making people really comfortable in expressing what they’re going through,” said Baril. “What is their lived experience? What are the barriers that they’re facing?”
By learning about their experience, he said that they’re able to identify systemic issues in armed forces policy, and make proper recommendations on how to break down those barriers.
The Ombudsman also touched on the recent military pay increases, praising the decision.
“It was a huge recognition of their level of work, and what they do,” said Baril. “We really want the members to feel that they are recognized and that they’re equipped to do the work they were hired to do.”
You can listen to our full conversation from The Lorne Brooker Show with the Ombudsman below.
