Defence chief promises to fix morale tours, plays down allegations of partying
OTTAWA — The military’s top general has promised to get to the bottom of what happened on a recent Team Canada tour, but says he has never heard of widespread problems with the morale-boosting trips.
The Team Canada program has been under a cloud since military police charged former NHL player Tiger Williams earlier this month with sexually assaulting an Air Force steward while participating in a tour to Latvia in December.
Since then, various media reports have painted a picture of heavy drinking and partying during such trips, which involve the military flying athletes and celebrities overseas to meet with Canadian troops deployed abroad.
Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance announced on Friday that he is banning alcohol from all future Team Canada tours and suspending the program temporarily until military officials can determine what, if anything, needs to be fixed before resuming the trips.