[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

The following in the Toronto Sun today.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Canad...63768-sun.html

Danger pay cut for hurt soldiers

Wounded trooper's dad furious with army skinflints

By KEVIN CONNOR, TORONTO SUN

PICTURE CUTLINE -- Bill Hunter holds a picture of his soldier son Jeffrey Hunter, badly wounded in a Taliban attack on Monday. Jeffrey awoke from anesthesia yesterday and learned that his danger pay for serving in Afghanistan has been cut because he's in hospital. (CRAIG ROBERTSON, SUN)

Bill Hunter has never been as angry and upset as when he learned the Canadian military pulled his son's danger pay after he was seriously wounded in Afghanistan during a Taliban attack.

Jeffrey Hunter, 23, with the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at CFB Petawawa, suffered serious leg injuries during a missile ambush that killed two of his fellow soldiers Tuesday.

He was flown to a military hospital in Germany for surgery.

"(Yesterday) he came out of surgery in pain and on morphine and he was told his danger pay has ended. He was prepared to sacrifice his life for his country and this is how they treat him," Hunter, a retired Toronto policeman, said yesterday at his home in Aurora.

"The danger hasn't ended. He could lose a leg and may never walk again."

BONES SHATTERED

The bones in one of Hunter's legs were shattered and he suffered extensive shrapnel damage in the other. More surgeries will be required.

"It's unbelievable (the government) doesn't support our troops. I'll never speak to anyone with the Dragoons again," Hunter said.

"When Jeffrey called (yesterday) he was confused and said he just didn't understand why."

Danger pay for a tour in Afghanistan is tax-free and worth up to $25,000.

Pulling a soldier's danger pay after he or she is hurt in the line of duty is outrageous, Liberal MP Dan McTeague, the consular affairs critic, said.

"The whole purpose of danger pay is just that and then we cut it because they are wounded. We owe these soldiers their money."

'NOT SURE WHY'

The family liaison for the Dragoons wouldn't comment on Hunter's case yesterday.

Public affairs at CFB Petawawa confirmed once a soldier is injured he loses his danger pay.

"I'm not sure why and we don't make the policy, but when the guys come back they lose their pay," said 2nd Lieut. Chris Stachura.

National defence spokesman Karen Johnstone said she was unaware that injured soldiers lose their danger pay and it would take time to uncover the policy reasons for such a move.

Hunter is scheduled to return to Canada tomorrow.

"(The Dragoons) told us they would pay for our family to go to Ottawa to see him. It's unbelievable. Now they have told us we have to pay our own way," Hunter said.

From the perspective of those on the inside, what's the true story here? Does our support for these laddies effectively end once they're off the line?