In the wake of the shooting on Parliament Hill Wednesday, Canadian soldiers are being asked to avoid wearing their uniforms in public.
The directive comes amid concerns members of the Canadian forces could be targets.
“It’s about mitigating risk.. you don’t want to present a target of opportunity when it’s not needed,” said Major Graham Longhurst.
Major Longhurst says soldiers are accustomed to being enemy targets on the battlefield, where they wear their uniforms.
But he says he never thought there would also be at risk on home soil.
“I know my family is concerned that I put on the uniform when I go to work based on what’s happened this past week.” said Major Longhurst.
“But we have to do our job, and that means being in uniform just like any other first responder in a uniform, and we take the inherent risks to situations like that.”
Because it represents so much of their identity, some say it isn’t easy to shed the very thing that gives them a sense of purpose.
“The uniform represents service to our country,” said Major Longhurst.
“It’s hard to describe unless you’ve been in it,” said Major John Vintar.
“When you wear the dress uniform with our medals we literally wear our careers on our chest,” he added.
And they say wearing it has the power to make an undeniable statement.
“We’re not going to be intimidated as a complete society, whether it’s representation in uniform civilian on the street police, EMS or institutionally,” added Major Vintar.
“We are going to go on. That’s how terrorists win, isn’t it? By instilling fear and makes people change patterns and look over their shoulders.”
“I think the response is measured and thoughtful.
“We have to vigilant, but no knee jerk, no mass panic with that we win.”
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