Retired army colonel fined, reprimanded for insulting British senior officer
Retired Canadian Soldier Fined and Reprimanded for Insulting British Officer
A retired, highly decorated Canadian soldier has pleaded guilty, been fined, and given a severe reprimand for making an insulting remark about a British senior officer during a NATO exercise.
Former colonel Rob Kearney, who served in Afghanistan, made the offensive comment about British Brig.-Gen. Irena Dzisiewska in his tent in the presence of two other officers during a command post exercise in Romania in October 2023.
Kearney faced a military court martial and admitted to one count of conduct which is prejudice to good order and discipline. He was fined $3,000 and received a severe reprimand from the military judge. Kearney, a 60-year-old reservist, initially faced five charges in total.
The derogatory remark made by Kearney towards the female brigadier general was deemed unacceptable, with the incident being reported by another British officer who was present in the tent.
The court heard that Dzisiewska had criticized Kearney and his team during a briefing for two allied generals. Following a second briefing where Dzisiewska reiterated her complaints, Kearney made the offensive comment in his tent.
After the incident, Kearney apologized and took full responsibility for his actions. He also cooperated with Canadian military police during their investigation into the matter.
Having served in the regular force of the Canadian Army for over three decades, Kearney received 15 military decorations, including both Canadian and U.S. Meritorious Service Medals for his service in Afghanistan. He retired in 2012 but later joined the reserves, holding senior advisory positions at National Defence Headquarters before becoming assistant chief of staff at the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Innsworth, United Kingdom.
Kearney has since retired from the military and returned to Canada following the incident.
