Navy admiral moves to new job with Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown
Sara Fraser | CBC News | Posted: August 29, 2017 10:17 PM | Last Updated: August 29, 2017
'Listening skills' key to new role, Newton says
After 34 years in the navy and four years at the helm of Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic, Rear Admiral John Newton is taking the position of Veterans Affairs Canada liaison officer in Charlottetown.
In his four years heading up the East Coast navy, Newton has been a very visible leader — tweeting and speaking bluntly on tough topics.
"One thing I do now is try to listen to people. It's a hard skill, it took me a long time to develop," he said when asked what he'll be able to do to help veterans making the often tough transition from active service.
"If I could just take my leadership of active troops and listening skills I have and listen to the difficulty veterans go through," he said.
People write or email him now to highlight problems they've experienced with the military bureaucracy, he said.
'See which ones are systemic'
"I've got to try to listen better, understand those unique cases, see which ones are systemic, and then go between the two departments, the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, and try to create a better bridging," he said.
It's been important for him to be active on social media, he said, so Canadians can understand that military personnel are multi-dimensional human beings.
"I feel the community misunderstands us as officers ... they think we're different from the other neighbours you might have in your neighbourhood, that we're some kind of classist society," he said.
"We're just your neighbour, trying to do the best we can for Canada."
He said he leaves his military post with reluctance, but looks forward to "more challenges" in his new job with Veterans Affairs.
Newton will say goodbye to his troops on Friday, when the navy will hold a changing-of-the-guard ceremony.
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