Coalition SOF

Canadian soldier serving in a Tier 1 SOF unit kicked out of the military for theft

A Canadian soldier assigned to the Joint Task Force-2 (JTF2) will be kicked out of the Canadian military for stealing equipment worth thousands of dollars.

Last August, a military court had found Corporal Pedro Collier guilty of possessing stolen property. He received a suspended sentence and one-year probation.

According to the Canadian publication Ottawa Citizen, Cpl. Collier’s hoard included a global positioning system (GPS), a tent, a solar charger, a fan, a magazine pouch, two C7 rifle magazines, jackets, backpacks, watches, kitchen sets, hoodies, generators, saws, several pairs of boots, and hundreds of 5.56 ammunition. All in all, the materiel that he stole is worth approximately $23,000; he took the gear between December 2016 and March 2017.

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A Canadian soldier assigned to the Joint Task Force-2 (JTF2) will be kicked out of the Canadian military for stealing equipment worth thousands of dollars.

Last August, a military court had found Corporal Pedro Collier guilty of possessing stolen property. He received a suspended sentence and one-year probation.

According to the Canadian publication Ottawa Citizen, Cpl. Collier’s hoard included a global positioning system (GPS), a tent, a solar charger, a fan, a magazine pouch, two C7 rifle magazines, jackets, backpacks, watches, kitchen sets, hoodies, generators, saws, several pairs of boots, and hundreds of 5.56 ammunition. All in all, the materiel that he stole is worth approximately $23,000; he took the gear between December 2016 and March 2017.

Cpl. Collier was serving in a support role (logistics) in JTF2. He sold $4,000 worth of gear on eBay before he was caught. He did agree, however, to pay back the amount and also donate $1,000 to charity.

Created in April 1993, JTF2 is the Tier 1 Special Operations unit of the Canadian Armed Forces. The unit specializes in Counterterrorism (CT), Direct Action (DA), and Hostage Rescue (HR) missions, among other skillsets. JTF2 is the Canadian equivalent of the Delta Force or the Special Air Service (SAS). JTF2 works closely with America’s Tier 1 Direct Action Special Missions Units (SMU), Delta Force and SEAL Team Six.

Major Amber Bineau, a Canadian military spokesperson said that:

“as a result of Corporal Pedro Collier’s conviction, the Canadian Armed Forces conducted an administrative review of the member’s file to determine the most appropriate administrative action to be taken. In this circumstance, the Review Authority’s decision is to release the member from the CAF [Canadian Armed Forces]. The member is in the process of releasing. To respect the member’s privacy, we will not disclose details of the release.”

What is more alarming, however, is that taking gear and other materiel for personal use from the workspace seems to be the norm in the unit. The court’s proceedings reveal that Cpl. Collier was encouraged to take the gear by senior members of his unit.

Interestingly, the Canadian military acknowledges the existence of JTF2. And there is even a section about the unit on its official website.

“Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2) is an extremely high-readiness and precise special operations forces unit,” states the unit’s official description. “JTF 2 exists to protect the Canadian national interests and combat terrorism and threats to Canadians at home and abroad.”

About Stavros Atlamazoglou View All Posts

Managing Editor. Greek Army veteran (National service with 575th Marines Battalion and Army HQ). Johns Hopkins University. You will usually find him on the top of a mountain admiring the view and wondering how he got there. You can reach him at Stavros@sofrep.com.

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