In a ceremony full of music and military tradition on October 5, the Canadian Forces officially stood up Canadian Joint Operations Command. CJOC, or C-Jock as it will be known in acronym parlance, represents the consolidation of three operational commands into one unified structure, a recommendation of LGen (Ret’d) Andrew Leslie’s 2011 report on CF transformation.
As the flags of Canada Command, Canadian Expeditionary Command and Canadian Operational Support Command were lowered for the last time, they served as a reminder of the operational tempo and complexity the Forces have managed over the past six years. From the predicted – the Olympics and a more intense mission in Afghanistan – to the unanticipated – Haiti, Libya, numerous domestic floods and storms and the largest mission draw down in recent CF history – the three commands ensured an operational focus many felt was lacking.
As General Walt Natynczyk reminded the audience of military and political dignitaries, there has been “no such thing as…a normal work day” since the three commands were themselves stood up in February 2006. “Operations staff are always on duty and every day must feel like Ground Hog day,” he said.
When the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff structure was stood down during a similar ceremony in 2006 to create the operational commands, it marked a critical change for the CF, Natynczyk noted. “We had to enhance our agility in order to enhance the way we did our business. And a fundamental aspect of [that] change was replacing the DCDS organization with operationally focused commands: in practical terms, the move from a staff structure to a command structure.
“But we also changed our culture, [to] a culture that was focused on the Canadian Forces joint culture … we had to treat Canada like an operational theatre. We had to empower commanders with all the authorities and responsibilities so they could exercise command. And they had to be able to delegate those powers to enable mission command by leaders on the ground who had to get the job done. We had to shift our mindset and break out of strategic policy making to operational service delivery. And everyone of those operational themes remains in place today. And yet the transformation journey continues as ever before.”
CJOC, he said, “is the next logical step in the transformational journey that we began back in 2006. The creation of CJOC is fundamentally about balancing operational effectiveness and efficiency in an effort to do our business better and being prepared to adapt to the real world.”
Consolidation of the various advisory, intelligence, financial and administration functions within the three commands will reduce by about 25 percent the number of military staff required to manage CJOC, from 580 to about 450.
But LGen Stu Beare, the former commander of Expeditionary Force Command who will now lead the new organization, stressed that CJOC is about its people and partnerships. The domestic and international structures within all three commands that allowed them to succeed have not changed, he said.
“The command isn’t a headquarters, it’s an entire organization and those organizations endure; the regional joint task forces coast to coast to coast endure, the search and rescue centres persists, and our partnerships live on. The command allows us to work across what used to be boundaries between Canada, the Continent and the rest of the world more seamlessly. [W]e’re much more nimble now because we are able to do that from one command.”
In particular, Beare acknowledged the breadth of relationships with other government departments and international allies that enabled CEFCOM and Canada Command to conduct their missions. “Partners inform our success in missions of today and allow us to anticipate those that may come tomorrow.”
As for CJOC’s international priorities, Beare admitted Syria, Iran, Mali and other hot spots are all files of interest, but his immediate focus will be countries and regions where Canada currently has operations such as the Golan Heights, the Sinai, Sudan, Congo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. “The places we’re watching are the places we are, first. Now, we’re keeping an eye on the neighbourhood at large and we are seeking to understand where the trends are going in Syria and elsewhere to be prepared to respond if required.”
Whether CJOC is just the next phase in Canadian Forces operations transformation or a longer-term solution remains to be seen, but as Beare closed the ceremony he borrowed a line from General Charles Jacoby, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command: “The men and women of Canada’s Joint Operations Command have the watch.”