A rainy Y-jetty homecoming

Eager families await for the arrival of loved ones aboard HMCS Edmonton and HMCS Yellowknife as they returned to home port on Sept. 24. Photos: Paul Dagonese, Lookout writer

Paul Dagonese, 
Lookout Staff Writer 

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Y-jetty is packed for another homecoming of HMC Ships Edmonton and Yellowknife as they return from their Operation (Op) Caribbe deployment.

Despite just being docked and seeing family members donned in rain gear eagerly awaiting them ashore, Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Tyson Babcock, Commanding Officer (CO) of HMCS Yellowknife, and LCdr Stuart MacDonald, CO of HMCS Edmonton remained on board to complete a few final tasks.

Op Caribbe is an ongoing operation in support of the Joint Interagency Taskforce South that began in 2006. The Canadian Armed Forces and United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment are tasked to counter narcotics smuggling in the eastern Pacific.

LCdr Babcock described the joint interdiction as a success.

They were out at sea a little over six weeks, but when the action started, things accelerated quickly.

They weren’t in the target area long before receiving signs of activity. Then, Yellowknife’s bridge wing called to intercept a potential target, which was only 20 yards away.

“We caught it sooner than expected which was outstanding,” says LCdr Babcock. “From there, we sprang into action”.

Yellowknife made first contact. It was the middle of the night, and visibility was limited.

The mission wasn’t as straight-forward as planned, though. “We had to think outside the box on this one”, says LCdr Babcock.

LCdr MacDonald and Edmonton acted as the backstop, supporting Yellowknife in the seize, explains Babcock.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN’s) strength in these operations is its covertness. But at times, overtness is needed. It turns out the Targets of Interest (TOI) on these missions are challenging to locate. They’re slippery. So, Edmonton was tasked, if needed, to push back on the TOI, leading it back to Yellowknife.

After spending six hours with the TOI, Edmonton and Yellowknife helped disembark the approximately 1,400 kg of “presumptive cocaine”, and apprehended the vessel, which was no longer seaworthy. Both contraband and ship were handed over by RCN to the United States Coast Guard jurisdiction and brought back to San Diego.

The operation was a success. Two RCN ships worked well in tandem and were able to work seamlessly with a foreign ally.

But how do the two COs feel about being back home?

“It’s always amazing to come back,” says LCdr MacDonald. “I think anytime you have a successful mission it feels even better coming back. But anytime you go out, whether it’s for training or operations, it’s always exciting to come home, to see your family, see your friends, to get back into that home life routine.”

When asked, LCdr Babcock wasn’t sure if anyone was more excited than a certain member of his family. “One of my sons tried to cross the brow I think before anyone else. He’s very excited”.

Babcock says he’ll spend time with his wife and kids and eat some good food that evening.