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[caption id="attachment_3673" align="alignnone" width="300"] Girls from the 2012 Sisters Under Sail program relax on the deck of Unicorn during some downtime.[/caption] On the worn wooden deck of a tall ship named Unicorn, 12 young women will learn about sisterhood this summer in a program called Sisters Under Sail.The program empowers young women ages 13 to 18 with confidence, independence, and identity through nautical adventures.A dozen young women are chosen to take part in the two-week voyage across the Great Lakes.This year’s program focuses on girls from military families from both the U.S. and Canada. Dawn Santamaria, owner of the 110-foot Schooner Unicorn with husband Jay, says military children are rarely acknowledged for the lives they lead on behalf of their parents.“So often they’re uprooted and moved to other parts of the world, or have their parents deployed to dangerous places. That can be very difficult,” she says. “I wanted to honour these girls and everything they go through, and give them the tools they need to make it through what can be a very challenging life.”Applications from children of fallen or active status/active duty members in any branch of the military, including National Guard, Reservists, or Coast Guard will be accepted until April 15. Applicants must fill out an application downloaded from the Sisters Under Sail website at www.sistersundersail.org, write a 300 to 600 word essay on overcoming obstacles, and submit a letter of reference from a non-family member that speaks to the girl’s strength of character. Applications are reviewed by the Sisters Under Sail Board of Trustees, who then choose the 12 sailors - six girls from Canada and six from the United States.The program began eight years ago when the Santamarias saw the effects a life of sailing had on their four daughters.“They became so confident, and strong...

[caption id="attachment_3643" align="alignnone" width="300"] The recruits for CFB Esquimalt’s 2013 Nijmegen March take an early morning stroll in preparation for the annual march through the Dutch countryside.[/caption] Early risers in Esquimalt can expect to see a sea of green trudging down Lampson Street. The morning military marchers are in training for the annual Nijmegen March in the Netherlands.“It’s a physically demanding training process,” says CPO1 Chris Koblun, team leader for the CFB Esquimalt Nijmegen team. “By the time we head to the march in July we’ll have walked the distance of 30 marathons. It may be tough, but the results are worth it.”Nijmegen March is gruelling four day trek through 160 kilometres of Dutch countryside, which participants cover in full combat uniform carrying a 10kg rucksack.“It’s an absolutely career changing experience,” says CPO1 Koblun. “It’s very physically and emotionally demanding, but it gives you a new perception on what it means to be in the military.”CPO1 Koblun says the experience of the Nijmegen March is one all Canadian Forces members should experience.“Canadians are really the guests of honour there,” he says. “Civilians are excited to see the teams from other countries but when they see the Canadian flag they really go crazy.”The Dutch adoration of the Canadian Forces stems from the final days of the Second World War when the Canadian military liberated Holland and provided citizens with food and protection.“During the march you hear stories from the older civilians saying they wouldn’t be alive if the Canadians hadn’t saved their parents,” says CPO1 Koblun. “It can be very emotional, and very humbling. Even after all this time they’re still grateful.”Training for the march, which began Feb. 25, is as gruelling as the event itself, and it’s not a certainty all marchers will go.  Out of the 24 people that...

[caption id="attachment_3639" align="alignnone" width="300"] Construction on sections of Hospital Road at CFB Esquimalt have caused many closures and re-routes along Dockyard’s central road.[/caption] CFB Esquimalt has gone through enormous changes during the past few years and there are several more years to come.  Over the next year, employees will see several major construction projects take place, many continuing through 2014 and beyond.  Although the focus tends to be in Dockyard, there are also major construction projects underway at several other sites. The objective is sustainable infrastructure to support a modern navy. As evident by the time line, there are many projects either underway or about to start. The Royal Canadian Navy has the lion’s share of the Department’s construction allocation over the next 10 years.There are even more projects in the budding stages.  Below are the projects that are underway or coming soon. Base Fire Hall and Command PostThis brand new facility is in final stages with occupancy slated for May 2013.  Its street appeal is achieved by radical use of color and innovative architectural style. Inside it’s fitted with the most current fire-fighting equipment and comfortable accommodation facilities including theatre classroom and kitchen.Utility CorridorThis project started in June 2012 and will continue until October 2013.  This three meter by three metre tunnel will form the backbone for municipal infrastructure within Dockyard (water, sanitary sewer, steam, power and communications) ready for future development. The contractor is working both ends towards the middle to reduce construction time. There will be, however, ongoing traffic detours as the contractor excavates and builds the tunnel. In the end, there will be a wide corridor with bicycle lanes and sidewalks all the way from the Gate House to B-Jetty.Fleet Maintenance Facility (Cape Breton)  This multi-phased project will enhance FMF (CB)’s ability to deliver ship repair...

[caption id="attachment_3636" align="alignnone" width="300"] Your internet activity could impact workplace security.[/caption] Ever consider that by “liking” an ad, picture, or video on Facebook you may have invited a computer worm to sift through your personal information?  According to Infosecurity magazine, cyber security, cyber espionage and cyber terrorism top the 2013 list of information security threats. Individuals, industry and governments are clamouring to proactively manage the inherent security demands. Your personal computing habits - the way you browse the internet, use social media, and save and transfer files - can also be a hazard to work place security. Sharing the details of your daily activity is common place in social media. Minute-by-minute updates of your personal life are not harmful unless sensitive information is included in your posts. For example, Tweeting, “Glad the ship broke down and we get to stop in Crete for parts…who know how long the repairs will take,” discloses Essential Elements of Friendly Information (EEFI) that are useful to anyone who wants to cause harm. In general, EEFIs include information about personnel, equipment, capabilities, position, and operations. This Tweet has just told the “bad guys” where the ship is headed (position), that she is broken (capabilities), her operational capability is limited and that the ship’s company will likely be exploring the sights and sounds of downtown Crete. This is valuable information for anyone with the will and means to derail the ship’s mission. Private computing behaviours seldom adhere to principles of acceptable workplace computing and are rarely conducive to operational security (OpSec). The recently promulgated VCDS OpSec directive (CANFORGEN 032/13) serves as a reminder and a warning to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel that sensitive information must be handled with care, exercising due consideration for public safety and national security. With access to privileged information comes the...

Search and Rescue Technicians MCpl Nick Nissen (left),  Sgt Chris Lamothe (centre) and MWO Gavin Lee (right) wait to be hoisted into a Cormorant helicopter during a search and rescue exercise held in Kelowna, B.C. from March 18-22, 2013.

MWO Gavin Lee, a Search and Rescue Technician with 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, spots for a simulated downed aircraft  from a Cormorant helicopter during a search and rescue exercise held in Kelowna, B.C. from March 18-22, 2013.

Cody Bauml of Edward Milne Secondary practices the proper procedure for flipping a capsized life raft during HMCS Malahat’s Sailor for a Week exercises last week at Naden Athletic Centre.

Students participating in HMCS Malahat's Sailor for a Week practice sea survival techniques by forming a ring to conserve body heat at the Naden Athletic Centre Pool.

Cadets from across B.C. kicked off their March Break at CFB Esquimalt with a colours ceremony held at Work Point. Seen here PO1 Susannah Weber, A/Slt Kent MacLeod, PO2 Drew Meyer and CPO2 Christopher Amundson.

Cadets kick off March Break with a colours ceremony: PO1 Deryn Hotel, PO2 Kevin Daniel, PO2 Lyndsay Bodgener, PO2 Nancy Andrews, PO1 Susannah Weber, A/Slt Kent MacLeod, PO2 Drew Meyer and CPO2 Christopher Amundson.

[caption id="attachment_3598" align="alignnone" width="300"] Paul Servos, co-owner of the Flag Shop, practices a technique called applique-sewing, in which an image is sewn onto both sides of a flag to give the impression of a flat image.[/caption] The flag-lined store front on Fort Street is suggestive of what is offered beyond its doors. Inside the newly re-opened Flag Shop is a vast inventory of international flags, ensigns and anything flag related. Owners Paul and Maggie Servos opened the Flag Shop, with the help of Mayor Dean Fortin, Feb. 15, National Flag Day. It’s one of 13 Flag Shops across Canada, a franchise owned by Vancouver-based Textile Image Inc. “I’d been looking for a small business and a friend of mine suggested I look into the Flag Shop,” says Servos. “I’ve always had a strong connection to nautical life, so it seemed like a perfect fit.” Servos has come out of early retirement to run the shop. In 2010 he stepped down as CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and spent more than a year travelling the world. While he says the break was nice, it wasn’t long before he got restless. “When you spend most of your life working it’s hard to just give it up,” he says. The shop was owned by Jamie and Chantal Webb for 14 years. They sold it in 2009, but it closed shortly afterwards. Under the encouragement of Webb, Servos seized the opportunity to bring a full service flag shop back to Victoria.  “Especially in a navy town like Victoria there is a huge market for flags,” says Servos. “We hope that if the military needs flags made they’ll come here.” Most businesses that sell flags are what Servos calls “catalogue shops”; the inventory is ordered in only when the customer needs it, which...

[caption id="attachment_3595" align="alignnone" width="300"] MS Shianne Auger of 158 Grizzly Cadet Corps is instructed in striking techniques by James Tosoff.[/caption] Lined up on the hardwood floor of the Naden Athletic Centre gym last week, the row of cadets more closely resembled the ranks of disciplined Royal Canadian Navy sailors. The group of 30 youth, under the tutelage of James Tosoff, were being given an overview on the basic rules of taekwondo, kickboxing, and jujitsu. “I’ve trained a few military personnel in my time, so I wanted to work with the kids who could be the future of our military,” says Tosoff, owner and Chief Instructor at Westcoast Taekwon-Do. “This is a prime time in their lives, where the discipline and physical fitness learned through martial arts can impact their future.” Tosoff and his instructors gave the cadets demonstrations and theory lessons on the basic strikes, kicks, blocks, fighting stances and warm up exercise. They were also shown basic juijitsu grapples and kickboxing strikes. “These techniques are building blocks for fitness and discipline,” says Tosoff. “It’s the lessons at the core of the techniques that are really important: patience, confidence, and leadership.” The cadets were part of the 2013 Regional Inter-Divisional Seamanship Competition. The week-long event took place over spring break and tested the naval skills of select sea cadets from across British Columbia. Part of the event included teambuilding exercises, such as the martial arts lesson, to strengthen leadership and cooperation. “It was a lot of fun, and it was very enlightening,” says PO1 Emily Roberts of Sea Cadet Corps 137 Kamloops. “We get to do a lot of things in cadets but this was a new experience for me.” She has been training in karate for 10 years, but says the opportunity to try a new style of martial arts was exciting.“Even if it’s just the basics it’s still a new experience,” she says. PO1 Roberts says her time in martial arts has greatly benefited her time as a cadet,...

[caption id="attachment_3593" align="alignnone" width="300"] LS Kotelko, an RMS clerk from HMCS Unicorn stands duty as a lookout on HMCS Yellowknife.[/caption] What better way to spend spring break than leaving the shovel behind and bidding “adieu” to Saskatoon’s knee-deep snow for plus temperatures and liquid water?  This was the experience for members of the naval reserve division HMCS Unicorn who were in Victoria sailing in HMCS Yellowknife and conducting tours from Feb. 16-24.  This is the second year Unicorn took out a contingent of its ship’s company to sail as part of a combined ship’s crew on a Kingston class vessel.     Unicorn sailed in Yellowknife just days after LCdr Corey Gleason assumed command of the ship. The two crews from Yellowknife and Unicorn  went right into the week’s program with a man overboard drill shortly after slipping. They continued the day with manning checks and drills, followed by .50 caliber machine gun shoot for the Deck Department, and message processing and modem configuration for naval communicators. This sail supported Unicorn sailors in several ways: for working on on-the-job performance record, maintaining skills, giving sailors in support trades the opportunity to sail on a MCDV and to see what could be achieved in a week on board ship. “What wasn’t a success?” said LCdr Karen Wallace, Commanding Officer of Unicorn. “From the non-qualified naval environmental training program, ordinary seaman to the bridge watch keeper qualified, maritime surface and sub-surface officer, each learned or honed skill sets.” Exercises continued through the week with boatswains conducting a timed deliberate firing on the .50 caliber machine gun - which had everyone in good spirits as their final times were announced; a pyrotechnics lecture and demonstration; light line approaches and transfer with HMCS Saskatoon; and preparing for a Cormorant helicopter with flying stations.  It turned out the Cormorant was not able to participate, but after the evolution was cancelled Yellowknife was tasked with a “no duff” search and rescue (SAR), with Yellowknife and Unicorn working...

Colin Spivey of Intercon Marine works to lower HMCS Oriole's newly refurbished engine into the ship's engine room.

Family and friends welcome HMCS Regina home alongside "A" Jetty on March 14. During its eight-months in the Arabian Sea, the ship was primarily employed in maritime surveillance, a task that involved monitoring, hailing and investigating vessels.

Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Tom Lawson chats with students and staff at Venture, The Naval Officer Training Centre Gun Room.

Lt(N) Matthew Clark, Director of Music, accompanies Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Tom Lawson, as he inspects the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy on his arrival at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron.

Al Hall, work centre manager electrical gives 24 Camosun College students a tour of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton's electrical shop so they can see where their electrical work relates to the ships.

Luisa Tsang of Team British Columbia gets a good start during the Youth 7.5 km Pursuit at the National Cadet Biathlon Championships in Valcartier, QC.

[caption id="attachment_3535" align="alignnone" width="300"] The new hangar for 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron is progressing on schedule and should be ready to house squadron personnel and equipment next year.[/caption] Beyond the window of Maj Donald Leblanc’s office chaos has developed. The 443 Maritime Squadron Air Reserve Flight Commander has a clear view of the new facility as it slowly grows from an empty clearing to a completed building. He can hear it to. “It’s very busy all the time, and quite loud,” he says. “It used to be you’d hear aircraft take off once in a while, but now it’s constant work and noise.” Despite the cacophony of construction, Maj Leblanc says squadron members are excited to move into a modern facility next year. “We can see the hangar get closer to completion every day. It’s a big project and big step for 443 Squadron,” he says. Within the one building – 20,000 square metres and three stories high – will be offices, workshops and three hangars bays to house nine Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopters, the eventual replacement of their six Sea Kings. It’s also being constructed to “Post-Disaster Standards” to withstand a major disaster such as an earthquake. “We’ve got the walls of the building anchored right into the bedrock under the site,” says John Knappett, President of Knappett Construction. “If anything happens this building isn’t going anywhere. It’s completely solid.” At any time there are about 200 people involved in the hangar’s construction. Knappett Construction, the general contracting firm, is responsible for much of the concrete work and civil engineering, while dozens of speciality contractors such as electricians, plumbers, roofers, and steel workers are subcontracted for the trades work. Knappett and his company have done work for the Canadian Forces before and feel it’s important to keep a healthy...

[caption id="attachment_3531" align="alignnone" width="300"] Superintendant Colin Spivey (left) from Intercon Marine, and Ray Goyette from Finning Canada, work to lower HMCS Oriole’s newly refurbished engine into the ship’s engine room.[/caption] At the end of a crane in HMC Dockyard, HMCS Oriole’s newly refurbished diesel engine hung like a 1.5 tonne piñata as it waited to be lowered into the berthed sailboat.It was a delicate job with only half an inch of clearance on either side of the hatch as it made its way into engine room.“The ship is moving in the water and the crane is static on the jetty, so it can be finicky work,” said Colin Spivey, a superintendent at Inercon Marine, who headed up the job. “If anything moves too much while we’re lowering the engine it could go very poorly.”Thanks to the cool heads and steady hands of his crew everything went as expected.The engine was removed a month ago and sent to Finning Canada in Saanich for an overhaul.“The engineers at Finning are comfortable working on our engine,” says LCdr Jeff Kibble, Oriole’s commanding officer. “They come down every once in a while to do maintenance work, so they’re the best people for the job.”This time last year Oriole experienced an extensive and complete refit. The engine was removed for general maintenance but LCdr Kibble says a refurbishment wasn’t on the books until now.“We kept running the engine for the next year and it was fine,” he says. “We started noticing a few issues here and there so we decided it was time.”The engine, a Detroit Diesel 671, received new cylinder linings, bearing, valves, vale springs, and a new crank.“They’re very reliable engines as long as you take good care of them,” says LCdr Kibble. “With the work that’s been done to it, we’ll be...

[caption id="attachment_3528" align="alignnone" width="300"] Twenty-four electrical students from Camosun College visited dockyard to see how an industrial workplace relates to their trade. Al Hall, work centre manager electrical, took the students on a tour of Fleet Maintenance Facility’s electrical shop.[/caption] Electrical students from Camosun College got an industry eye-opener March 8 when they visited Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) two weeks ago.  A group of 24 second and third year electrical apprentices observed maintenance work at one of the largest industrial centres in Victoria – HMC Dockyard. The group was accompanied by their instructors Dan Daigle and John Bain, both former DND employees; Daigle with Base Construction Engineering (BCE) and Bain with FMF.  “Victoria is not a very industrial town, so a lot of the things they see here at the base are unique,” said Daigle. “They see equipment we don’t have in other parts of Victoria, such as pumps built in the 1800s and the submarine batteries. They get an idea there is a lot more to the trade than just wiring a house.”The most impressive on the list of places visited were building D250, the corrosive fluid facility, weapons facility, the main electrical distribution control centre for Dockyard, the pump house and the first aid cell. “We teach them a lot of theory in class, but to see the equipment on the base and understand how it all fits together is extremely valuable,” said Bain. The glue that binds the myriad of work is management, and this did not go unnoticed by third year student Jocelyn Burton.“I was most impressed by the management on the base, and how everyone has a type of speciality and how it all comes together to achieve the overall goal,” she said.Student James McLaughlin, who works as an electrician in Port Hardy, found the...

[caption id="attachment_3517" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cpl Rick Ayer, Formation Imaging Services HalifaxMembers of the Naval Boarding Party from HMCS Regina, deployed in their Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, approach a fishing dhow in the Arabian Sea during Operation Artemis.[/caption] After travelling 50,000 nautical miles for Operation Artemis, the ship, and air and naval crew of HMCS Regina are only four days away from being home and enjoying the hugs of loved ones. Hundreds of family and friends will line A jetty the morning of March 14 in anticipation of the warship’s return. The thrill of seeing the shoreline of Victoria, and the smiling faces of nearest and dearest is growing equally on board the ship.“We can’t wait to reunite with our families,” said Cdr Jason Boyd, Commanding Officer. “The atmosphere on the ship is one of absolute excitement.” It’s been eight months since the warship sailed from Esquimalt harbour on a mission to keep the Arabian Sea secure. The Canadian ship was part of a multi-national naval force  - Combined Task Force 150 – tasked to monitor the area for troublesome activity. “Our economy floats on salt water and our mission was to promote security, sovereignty, and prosperity across the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Gulf of Oman,” explained Cdr Boyd in a phone interview. “These are some of the most important shipping lanes in the world. This involves keeping the sea lanes safe and preventing the shipping of illicit cargo.”While at sea in the operational area, Regina boarded and examined 19 vessels. Its embarked Sea King helicopter quickly became a familiar sight on the horizon, clocking 388 hours of air time. And the ship’s newsiest capability, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was manned by four gunners and a small team of civilians was in the air for 545 hours to...

[caption id="attachment_3510" align="alignnone" width="300"] A/SLt Malcolm Gardiner, officer of the watch, is in charge of the safe movement of the ship. He fixes on a point to get a bearing on the pelorus.[/caption] Two weeks ago, officer of the watch A/SLt Matthew Noiles stood on the bridge of Patrol Training Craft Caribou 57, his eye level with the pelorus. “Recommend come left 20 degrees new course one zero zero at stationing speed,” he said to the Captain, LCdr Sam Patchell. LCdr Patchell assessed the speed and course recommended and responded, “Yes please.” The Orca class vessel then veered left in sync with the other five Orcas in the formation sailing off Esquimalt Harbour. This manoeuvre was part of a training exercise on Feb. 28 for junior officers, which involved the entire fleet of Patrol Craft Training vessels. For the junior officers it was a stressful time, as it tested the navigation and seamanship in the final stages of their Maritime Surface and Subsurface (MARS) training. If they misunderstood a signal and turned the wrong way they could easily have a collision between two ships. “Manoeuvring is about being a team within the ship,” says the course training officer, Lt(N) Travis Bain. “They need to use time-management skills, multitasking and have good direction to support the team. There is a lot happening at once.” Students have learned ship handling in the classroom and in the simulator, so during the exercise they had to receive signals and get the ship in formation safely while giving direction to the team and briefing the Captain. On board PTC Caribou, five MARS IV students were in the final stages of this intense sea phase training. Each rotated to different positions on the bridge and throughout the day took bearings to advise the captain on navigation....

[caption id="attachment_3507" align="alignnone" width="300"] Personnel Support Programs (PSP) fitness researchers observe a Canadian Forces volunteer perform the sandbag lift during the extensive development phase of the FORCE evaluation.[/caption] On April 1, 2013, the Canadian Armed Forces will implement the updated approach to military fitness: the FORCE Program. The new program has two components: the new fitness test, called the FORCE Evaluation; and the FORCE Exercise Prescription, the operational fitness training system available at www.DFit.ca. Replacing the 30-year-old Canadian Forces EXPRES Test, the FORCE Evaluation has been scientifically validated and developed specifically for the CAF by the Personnel Support Programs (PSP) Directorate of Fitness. Rather than testing fitness with the traditional push-ups, sit-ups, grip tests and endurance runs, the FORCE Program evaluates members’ ability to execute tasks that are directly linked to true-to-life physical challenges faced on operations. In a comprehensive analysis of military operational fitness, PSP human performance scientists and fitness experts have looked at more than 400 physical tasks performed by Canadian military personnel in all environments over the past 20 years.“I am extremely pleased with both the overhaul of the Canadian Armed Forces’ fitness evaluation system and the establishment of a common fitness standard,” said General Tom Lawson, the Chief of the Defence Staff. “The FORCE Program is not about training to pass a fitness test; it’s about training for the variety of military operations we are involved in. As members of the Canadian military, we never know where we may be called upon to serve, or what form that service will take. The FORCE Program will better help us prepare to meet our fitness readiness challenges head-on.”Four FORCE Evaluation components have been designed to accurately test CAF members’ ability to complete six common military tasks encountered on routine, domestic and expeditionary operations: escape to cover; picket and...

Captain Jeff Brownridge (left) and Bombardier Benjamin Marier (right), from Second Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, track a fire mission during Joint Operational Access Exercise in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Private Tyson Morton from 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, surveils the surrounding area from an observation post during Joint Operational Access Exercise in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Members of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, along with hundreds of paratroopers from 82nd Airborne Division make their way to the waiting Canadian and American planes for the Joint Operational Access Exercise held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Members from the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment have their parachutes inspected by members from the 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team prior to loading an aircraft at Pope Air Force Base during Joint Operational Access Exercise.

Members of C Company of 1 Royal 22e Régiment travel on snowmobiles in the streets of Schefferville, QC, during Exercise Guerrier Nordique. The exercise was designed to prepare soldiers for future operations in Northern Quebec.