Reply #6: Defence minister denies slain soldier was 'misled' [View All]

[tuvor]

(snip)

But yesterday, (Defence Minister Gordon) O'Connor showed little sympathy to the concerns and even joked about his own time in the military.

"You don't get a choice in what you do or don't do. This is the military,"he said in a remark that sparked laughter and applause during a stop at a military base in Winnipeg.

"As an old sergeant said to me years ago when I was a young officer 'You only volunteer once,'" he said. The defence minister defended the training of reservists and publicly doubted that Boneca was "misled" about his mission.

"I would be very surprised to find out if a soldier was misled on what operation they're going out on. These operations are well-planned, orders are given, they're given all the way down the line," he said.

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