Retired army colonel fined, reprimanded for insulting British senior officer

Murray Brewster · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 6:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago

A retired, highly decorated Canadian worker pleaded guilty, was fined and fixed a terrible reprimand connected Thursday implicit an insulting remark helium made astir a British elder serviceman portion connected a NATO exercise.

Former colonel Rob Kearney, who fought successful Afghanistan, made the remark astir British Brig.-Gen. Irena Dzisiewska successful his structure successful the beingness of 2 different officers.

The incidental took spot during what's known arsenic a bid station workout successful Romania successful October 2023.

Kearney faced a subject tribunal martial and pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of behaviour which is prejudice to bully bid and discipline.

The subject justice fined Kearney $3,000 and ordered a terrible reprimand to the 60-year-old reservist who had primitively faced a full of 5 charges.

Kearney referred to the pistillate brigadier wide arsenic a "f---ing c---t."

Dzisiewska was not successful the structure astatine the time, but different British serviceman was and filed a ailment with the Canadian military. 

The subject tribunal was told connected Thursday that Dzisiewska criticized Kearney and his team, which had the work of briefing 2 different allied generals. During a separate, 2nd briefing, Dzisiewska renewed her complaints.

It was afterward, successful his tent, that Kearney made the remark.

After the incident, Kearney apologized and took work for his remark. He besides co-operated with Canadian subject constabulary who investigated the incident.

Kearney had served successful the regular unit of the Canadian Army for implicit 30 years.

Over the span of his career, helium received 15 subject decorations, including some a Canadian and a U.S. Meritorious Service Medal for his clip successful Afghanistan.

He retired successful 2012 but returned to the reserves a fewer years aboriginal wherever helium held a fig of elder advisory positions astatine National Defence Headquarters earlier becoming adjunct main of unit astatine the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps successful Innsworth, United Kingdom.

He was returned to Canada and has since retired from the military.