Support to Bereaved Military Families

March 2017

The Office of the Ombudsman has been tracking and reporting on issues related to the Canadian Armed Forces’ engagement of families during a Board of Inquiry process for the past 12 years. In short, engagement of families varied wildly from case to case, often unnecessarily resulting in heartache and confusion for those simply trying to understand next steps in the investigation and if, at all, they have a role to play in it.

Progress report on the status of recommendations

October 2025

•  3 Recommendations Made
•  3 Recommendations Accepted
•  3 Recommendations Partially Implemented

Progress report definitions

Recommendation 1

It is recommended that the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces take concrete steps to better meet the information needs of families by:

• Producing plain language information for families on the specifics and impacts of key administrative documents that Canadian Armed Forces military members are required to complete in case of serious illness, injury or death; as well as make this information available to Canadian Armed Forces members as part of the Annual Personnel Readiness Verification
• Providing readily-accessible information based on bereaved families’ frequently asked questions. This needs to be consolidated into a single access point where families can find information explaining what to expect after a Canadian Armed Forces member dies; whether in the context of Canadian Armed Forces operations or not
• In addition to the information being provided as part of the board of inquiry process, developing clear guidelines and timelines for Commanding Officers to meet with families who express the desire for information about the circumstances of the death of a loved one, in a setting outside the board of inquiry process
• Providing families with information regarding bereavement and grief support programs, and services available for families
• Committing the resources required for the development and implementation of a communications plan. This would include activities, products, timelines, and metrics to better reach and inform family members on all the above documents, processes, benefits and support for families

Recommendation 1 status:   Partially Implemented

The CAF has made some efforts towards meeting our recommendation.    

This includes making some information available online for CAF members and families, such as: Benefits for the ill and injured, Military death benefits, Understanding the Next of Kin Travel Benefit and Additional mental health resources for CAF members and their families. The president of the Board of Inquiry provides survivors with a pamphlet explaining the process of a BOI. CAF Transition Centres can also provide resources for families and survivors.  

In addition, our office provides information on Military life events - important documents and Boards of Inquiry - What happens after a Canadian Armed Forces member dies? 

The Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAOD) 5009-0, Personnel Readiness and 5009-1 Personnel Readiness Verification (PRV) screening  are updated and available on the Defence Network and the MyCAF App. The Next of Kin (NOK) Identification form (DND 2587) has also been updated so members can include up to 30 names in the identification of NOK and is in the process of being digitized as an online form.  

The updated DAOD 5009-1 Personnel Readiness Verification (PRV) screening includes the following information:  

• in addition to the PRV screening checklist, items such as a photograph, power of attorney verification and information. 
• a list of documentation that CAF members are required to complete including those in case of serious illness, injury or death. 

The Canadian Forces General Message 102/18 – Completion of CF 742 Emergency Contact(s) Notification (ECN) and DND 2587 Next of Kin (NOK) Identification Forms highlights the annual requirement for members to complete the ECN and NOK forms and their impacts. This is available on the Defence Network and the MyCAF App. 

Other initiatives the CAF has taken include: 

• Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) lists services, resources and information on their website related to Bereavement & Grief.  
• The Support for Bereaved Military Families permanent working group was established in 2022. They are responsible for reviewing policy and other instruments to ensure they are relevant and up to date, reviewing programs, services, and training courses, as well as consulting with subject matter experts and families on their experiences.  
• On 1 January 2025, the CAF published the updated DAOD 5018-1, Military Casualty Reporting replacing Canadian Forces Administrative Orders 24-1, Casualties – Reporting and Administration. It provides direction to commanding officers and units on the reporting process and includes references and related links to policies and documents. 
• Director Casualty Support Management is updating and merging the Designated Assistant and Commanding Officers’ guide and course and the anticipated rollout was for summer 2025, however it is not yet available.  

Once the updated guide is available, we will evaluate it to determine if it meets the intent of our recommendation.

Recommendation 2

It is recommended that the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces take concrete steps to provide the necessary tools to personnel responsible for Casualty Administration, inquiries and bereavement services by:

• Reviewing and updating simultaneously all Casualty Administration guides, investigations directives, the related references and training material to: accurately reflect the roles of the stakeholders, investigations, authorities, expected timelines, benefits entitlements for bereaved families, key service providers
• Providing adequate support to Designated Assistants, including: training, trained Casualty Support Administration Officers and earlier collaboration with Family Liaison Officers (before Designated Assistant disengagement)
• Building transferable expertise with regards to providing Casualty Support within Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces
• Reviewing employment competency requirements, workload, and training of Integrated Personnel Support Centre Services Manager positions to ensure they are provided with the necessary tools to assist individuals dealing with crisis

Recommendation 2 status:   Partially Implemented

On 1 January 2025, the CAF published the updated Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAOD) 5018-1, Military Casualty Reporting replacing Canadian Forces Administrative Orders 24-1, Casualties – Reporting and Administration. 

The DAOD 5009-0, Personnel Readiness and 5009-1 Personnel Readiness Verification (PRV) screening  are updated and available on the Defence Network and the MyCAF App. The Next of Kin (NOK) Identification form (DND 2587) has also been updated so members can include up to 30 names in the identification of NOK and is in the process of being digitized.  

Director Casualty Support Management’s mandatory course for Service Managers is undergoing an update and they anticipated it being completed by summer 2025, but we have not received further details on the update. They are also developing a guide for Designated Assistants and Commanding Officers to support teams with casualty notification and administration. In addition to the guide, a course is being developed. The existing Designated Assistants and Commanding Officer courses have been merged and re-written based on their role. The anticipated rollout was for summer 2025, however it is not yet available. 

Assistant Deputy Minister, Review Services (ADM (RS)) is still reviewing the DAOD 7002 series, Boards of Inquiry and Summary Investigations. They are also looking to update the Queen’s Regulations and Orders (QR&O) Volume I - Chapter 21 Summary Investigations and Boards of Inquiry (BOI). Currently, if the deceased CAF member was a Reservist, and on duty at the time of the incident, a BOI will take place. If the Reservist was not on duty, the Commanding Officer of the Reserve Force member will determine if a BOI is required. 

Although the CAF TG announced that full operational capability was reached on 1 April 2024, the renewal of the Reserve Force Release Process is not expected to be implemented before 2026. The Transition Centre staff's workload is being electronically tracked to monitor and reassign tasks at the local, regional, or national levels.  The review of employment competency requirements, workload, and training of Transition Centre Staff is completed. The CAF Transition Group also have a training plan which list all mandatory training. 

To build transferrable expertise, the Director Casualty Support Management provides briefings on Key Reference Material and forms to all J1s (positions supporting personnel-related matters) across the CAF and to any Unit or formation on request.  

We will continue monitoring this recommendation until all Casualty Administration guides, related references and training material have been reviewed and updated, and that transferable of expertise of providing Casualty Support within Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces is built.

Recommendation 3

It is recommended that the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces take concrete steps to enhance collaboration among stakeholders with a family-centric focus by:

• Ensuring all Command Teams are trained for casualty notification and administration upon assuming a command role
• Establishing a permanent Families in Focus working group, extend participants to operational commands, to meet a minimum of once per year to ensure policies, guides and training are consistent and remain responsive to needs
• Formally recognizing and including bereaved families, along with families of medically released ill and injured members, as families who are transitioning from military to civilian life

Recommendation 3 status:   Partially Implemented

The Director Casualty Support Management is developing a guide for Designated Assistants and Commanding Officers to ensure all Command Teams are trained for casualty notification and administration upon assuming a command role. They are also updating and merging the existing Designated Assistants and Commanding Officers courses based on a needs analysis of the tasks associated with the role. This modified course will also reflect Reserve Force Compensation updates. 

The anticipated rollout for the Designated Assistants and Commanding Officers course and guide was for summer 2025, however it is not yet available. 

Once available, we will evaluate the course and guide to determine whether it is detailed enough for a Command Team to be able to carry out their responsibilities in Casualty Support and provide support to Designated Assistants. We will also assess if there is information on how to deliver news about a lost loved one to families, how to communicate with bereaved families, and what information to provide to families about Board of Inquiries.