Forces keep Rangers waiting
Reimbursement or compensation for damaged equipment slow to get to Rangers
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, March 27, 2017
NUNAVUT
Personal equipment of Canadian Rangers damaged in service of the Canadian Armed Forces is not being compensated for in a timely manner, according to an update from the Office of the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence.
Ombudsman Gary Walbourne is leading a third-party investigation into the Canadian Rangers as an organization. He released a second update from the investigation on March 15.
The speed of reimbursement of claims for loss of or damage to personal equipment was a common concern nationally.
"The impact of the delays extends beyond the individual Ranger - it can be felt throughout the community," stated Walbourne. "When personal equipment is damaged or lost during an operation, a Canadian Ranger may not be able to hunt or fish, activities often critical to their livelihoods."
It is the Rangers' mandate to provide lightly equipped, self-sufficient, mobile forces in support of domestic and sovereignty operations of the Canadian military in rural regions. When personal equipment is damaged during an operation or patrol, the forces will see the damage paid for or compensated.
On inquiry by the investigation team, the Directorate of Compensation Benefits Administration in Ottawa, the body that reimburses claims, said the majority of claims were processed within eight to 17 weeks in 2016.
The office found delays seen by the Rangers were most commonly due to lack of access in remote locations, particularly communities only accessible by air, and hold-ups due to incomplete or inaccurate paperwork.
Rangers experienced problems obtaining quotes for lost material, accessing computers and scanners to send forms with signatures, and having a military staff member sign off on a report when they are not present in the community or during the time equipment was damaged.
The Ombudsman's Office also saw a lack of standard procedure observed by all units for filling out and submitting claims, and an increase in time taken for back and forth approval of complex claims when the Ranger is experiencing all of the above hurdles simultaneously.
During the investigation the ombudsman's office will continue to provide updates of its findings on seven issues being reviewed, such as health care entitlements, tracking of physical and medical fitness and training.
"Talking to the Rangers, I'm absolutely amazed by their sense of pride and participation," Walbourne told Nunavut News/North following his first update in January. He said while the forces have been working to promote the Ranger program in Canada, his concern is that the group is not receiving the full coverage of possible services it could be on the ground. Walbourne said poor information-sharing is the main cause for this disparity.
"It's an education gap where people are not quite sure who they should speak to or how they should reach out to get access."
The office said it is on track to release a full report from the investigation in the fall of 2017. Walbourne hopes to announce review findings at 1CRPG in Yellowknife.
"We're still in the evidence-gathering mode," he said. "I'm an evidence-based organization, so wherever the evidence takes us that's where we'll go."
