October 10, 2006: Canadian military brass got a lot of heat recently when a journalist reported that Canadian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan, lose their combat pay when they leave the combat zone. That, of course, is what happens when you get wounded. You are quickly taken off to a nice, safe hospital. In past wars, troops didn't worry about losing combat pay that way, as they were more concerned about being safe, still alive and no longer getting shot at. But things have changed in the 21st century. First of all, combat pay is much higher than it was in past wars. For Canadian troops, combat pay is now nearly $1,800 a month. Troops serve in combat zones about six months per tour. Commanders have the option of keeping wounded troops on combat pay for up to 25 days after they were hurt, and removed from the combat zone. But in several recent cases, wounded troops were told, within hours of reaching the military hospital in Germany (where NATO wounded from Afghanistan are treated) that they were immediately losing their combat pay. While this was very efficient, it was not very tactful. But that was not why there was such an uproar. There were other factors in play.
Many Canadians do not approve of Canadian troops operating in Afghanistan. Like many Europeans, Canadians see the war on terror, and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as bad policy decisions by the United States. This, in the eyes of those who would just treat terrorism as a police matter, means that injured Canadian troops must be given every possible consideration for their suffering. Another factor, which is not much noticed, is that combat troops these days suffer far fewer casualties. That's because of changes in equipment (better body armor and other protective measures, more air recon with UAVs and the like), better training and better combat leadership. The result of that is a popular feeling that those unfortunate enough to get wounded, deserve more compensation for that misfortune. Thus do attitudes towards wars, and the wounded, change over the generations.