New army website a one stop shop for well-being

New army website a one stop shop for well-being

Jeanne Gagnon, Guard of Honour ~

The Canadian Army has implemented a new strategy to ensure men and women in uniform are physically and mentally prepared to participate in domestic and international operations.

The Canadian Army Integrated Performance Strategy (CAIPS) recognizes that soldiers who are healthy and fit, are socially active, have a good support network at home and have a positive outlook on life contribute to the well-being of the Forces.

The “Mission: Ready” website http://strongproudready.ca/missionready/en/home-en/ is one element of the strategy and was launched this past December. The website allows military members and civilians to find resources linked to their career, their family, their health, their relationships, their beliefs, their fitness and their finances. Users can search information by geographic location and tailored to their situation, whether they are part of the regular force or reservists, whether they are family members or DND employees.

The goal is to reinforce the army, the unit and the individual while keeping the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence informed, wrote Commander of the Canadian Army Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, in “Mission: Ready – The Canadian Army Integrated Performance Strategy (CAIPS).”
“My end state is an army that is proud, strong, and ready to deploy on demanding missions and operations but equally possessing of the resiliency requisite to succeeding and successfully returning to Canada,” wrote LGen Hainse. “Performance optimization and healthy lifestyle choices will permeate everyday life at the unit and at home.”

Other elements of the strategy include the Road to Mental Readiness training packages, a Readiness and Resiliency Guide for leaders and Performance Triad training guides to improve sleep, nutrition and activity.

The website gathers many of the programs and services available to military members and civilians in one location, which is one of the goals of the strategy, explains Maj Jolanta Harding, the team lead on the CAIPS project.

“The website provides a platform from which they can access all the information and resources already available to them,” she says. “The intent to have information available to the visitors in three clicks or less is the most unique feature of the website.”

The response so far has been favourable, says Maj Harding.

“The ultimate measure of success is the increased level of readiness and resiliency in our soldiers,” she adds.