The Canadian military is examining "unprecedented" steps that would strip Col. Russell Williams of his rank and service decorations, following the shamed commander's guilty pleas in two murders, two sex assaults and scores of sex-related break-ins.
However, military officials said that Williams is entitled to keep his pension, which is about $60,000 per year, because he contributed to it for years as a member of the Canadian Forces.
When asked if the military planned to take away the pension, Brig.-Gen. Neville Russell said "that's not something the Canadian Forces would do or get involved in."
Russell added that only the federal government could take away the pension, and he stressed that the military was hoping to deal with the issue of Williams' rank and decorations as quickly as possible.
"We expect that this will all take place within the next 30 days," Russell said on a conference call to the media on Monday afternoon.
In the wake of the shocking charges against Williams -- who had commanded CFB Trenton prior to his arrest last February -- there has been much concern about how best to deal with his status as a top commander.
Should his rank be stripped? Could his pension be taken away? Would he be allowed to keep the title of colonel while sitting in a jail cell for committing a series of heinous crimes?
By Monday afternoon, Williams had entered guilty pleas for two murders, two sex assaults and 82 break-ins in front of a judge in Belleville, Ont.
The court has also heard disturbing details about the crimes. Sentencing will follow.
In all likelihood, the 47-year-old Williams will be handed life in prison, with no chance of parole for 25 years.
After an official conviction, there had been much speculation that the military would then court martial Williams as a way to strip his credentials away.
However, Russell said that any such court martial is completely out of the question, and he added that such a view is "misinformed."
"There cannot be a court martial for charges on these particular offences … because they have already been dealt with," he said.
Russell said a court martial would mean that Williams would have to be tried twice for the same crimes -- a notion out of step with western systems of justice.
Still, when asked if Williams would be labeled as a "retired colonel," a military spokesman said that "Col. Williams would have to receive an honourable release in order to do that."
It's likely that Williams will serve out his sentence as a civilian, but the military will have to find most effective way to ensure that happens.
Military officials have also expressed sadness and anger over the crimes, which they say are a betrayal of the trust which the country places in the military.
But the question remains: how could a man with criminal and psychopathic tendencies manage to rise through the ranks to become commander of the nation's largest military airfield?
Could such a bizarre and shocking tragedy be avoided in the future?
"We have a number of tests in place and screening," said Russell on Monday. "But to say that they are geared specifically toward psychopathic behavior is a stretch."
Considering that Williams piloted VIP flights for the Governor General and other dignitaries throughout his career, his crimes have greatly undermined trust in the military, said retired colonel Michel Drapeau.
"You have to wonder yourself, who can you trust? It's nightmarish," Drapeau told CTV's Power Play Monday.
While it would have been difficult to weed out Williams as he rose through the ranks, the military should consider changes to its system of promotion, said Drapeau, who added that the Canadian Forces rely too heavily on written performance reports when promoting officers.
Drapeau said that medical health reviews and an in-person interview should become mandatory for such promotions in the future.
"Had there been an actual interview … maybe … we might have detected him earlier."
