Whether the measures announced Thursday will satisfy human rights groups — which have been urging the Liberal government to crack down hard on hateful conduct and prejudice in the ranks — remains to be seen.
The department's new approach stands in contrast to the way DND handled another major social issue five years ago — the large number of sexual misconduct and sexual assault cases within the military.
Former supreme court justice Marie Deschamps conducted a high-profile investigation and issued a scathing report that condemned the "highly sexualized culture" and abuse within the ranks. That led to an equally high-profile campaign, known as Operation Honour, which created a set of expectations and a series of bad headlines as the effort to root out misconduct proved more difficult than expected.