Vanguard Magazine

38 JUNE/JULY 2020 www.vanguardcanada.com coViD-19 By lGen D. Michael Day (ret'D) COVID 19 A global pandemic, a resurgence of great power struggles, all the while living on the northern border of what has fast become the world's most unpredictable and unreliable global power - this is our reality and once again Canada has some big decisions to make. Like all decisions that determine the fate of our nation, they have the potential to impact us for genera- tions to come. All of this taking place during a time where the domestic pressures and consequences of these events threaten to overwhelm Canada and Canadians. Some have argued given the threat that CO- VID-19 has presented to global health, both at the individual and state level, it must be seen as a transnational security threat and dealt with as such. Few of those making these suggestions have studied security, fewer still understand policy for- mulation, let alone how to translate this approach into a national strategy, which remains, at its clos- est point, a hand waving distance away. But to claim that COVID-19 isn't a security threat doesn't mean to suggest that its emergence hasn't highlighted some of the enduring and wid- ening fractures in global security and by extension complicates the lens through which Canada evalu- ates its decisions on how best to be involved. Ev- erything has risk and cost and the heart-breaking crashes of the Cyclone helicopter and Snowbird reminds us that it is impossible to separate risk and cost. Too many nonchalantly accept the idea of risk and then are offended when that very accep- tance is translated into cost. The Canadian Armed Forces face risk every day in either doing their job or preparing to do it. Ex- perience suggests that minimizing the latter has a disproportionate effect on accentuating the for- mer. Train hard, fight easy, might be an exaggera- tion but constant hard realistic training with all of its attendant risks invariably results in a significant- ly enhanced ability to manage risk on operations. Another way of looking at this is to accept that, notwithstanding cost, being bold at the front end provides real benefit down the line. Responses to Not a DefeNce Nor Security iSSue but aN opportuNity to refreSh both Photos: DND

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