The chief petty officer of the Pacific Formation of the Maritime Forces has been relieved of his position due to “inappropriate comments” he made, according to a declaration released by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on Monday.
Timothy Blonde was removed from his duties after making inappropriate comments about a junior sailor’s appearance at a social event at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on May 6, the statement said.
The Chief Training Noncommissioned Officer is the highest ranking noncommissioned officer within the Pacific Maritime Forces, according to RCN.
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In the statement, Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, states that he “no longer has confidence in Blonde’s ability to carry out his leadership duties, maintain discipline and ensure the highest standards of ethics and company values.” the Royal Canadian Navy. Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Topshee noted that the investigation did not show that Blonde violated the Service Discipline Code or the Criminal Code of Canada.
However, he said the evidence showed his action was “unacceptable and incompatible with his duties and responsibilities as a training chief petty officer.”
For this reason, Topshee said that the RCN decided that it is necessary to remove Rubio from his functions.
It is unclear what comments Blonde made and the nature of the comments.
Blonde will continue to serve on the RCN because no charges have been filed, but RCN said Blonde will not be in a position of “senior leadership or influence where building trust with junior members is required.”
Last month, another Navy leader, the commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. HMCS Regina’s David Dallin has been sacked following an incident of “misconduct,” RCN announced on June 30.
Commander. David Mazur, commander of the Pacific Fleet, said the incident involved Dallin allegedly “behaving inappropriately” with a student by abusing his powers.
Three weeks before that announcement, the captain of HMCS Halifax, identified as Cmdr. Dale St. Croix, was also removed amid an investigation into what the navy said were multiple incidents aboard the ship during a port visit to Swinoujscie, Poland.
However, the June 9 announcement from the Canadian Forces made it clear that those incidents did not involve sexual misconduct.
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The Canadian Forces have been criticized for failing to address sexual misconduct and abuse of power within its ranks.
The report by former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbor, published last month, suggested that the Canadian military’s top brass are “failing” to recognize the “deficient” parts of a culture that keep behavior entrenched. inappropriate sex.
The report came after Global News first reported in February 2021 on allegations of sexual misconduct against military leaders, including former chief of defense staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.
— with files from Sean Boynton of Global
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