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[caption id="attachment_20929" align="alignnone" width="593"] Members of Esquimalt’s Environmental Services team with their individual awards. Photo courtesy DCC[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~CFB Esquimalt’s Environmental Services Team has been recognized by Defence Construction Canada (DCC) for its ongoing contributions to environmental improvement and protection at the base. On April 30 at the National War Museum in Ottawa, Heather Rock, Team Leader of the Environmental Services Team, accepted the Robert Graham Memorial Award at DCC’s annual awards ceremony. The award recognizes outstanding work in the field of environmental, health and safety services, and is named in honour of a former DCC employee who was a notable environmental practitioner.Defence Construction Canada is a crown corporation that provides contracting, construction contract management, infrastructure and environmental services, and other support for Canada’s defence requirements. DCC employs roughly 1,000 people who mostly work at 35+ sites and offices across the country, and for international deployments. The magnitude and importance of the award is notable says Jordan Semeschuk, CFB Esquimalt DCC site manager. His office employs approximately 60 people, 10 of whom work for the Environmental Services Team. “I am incredibly proud of our Environmental Service Team and glad to see they are getting recognition for all of the hard work. It’s a morale boost for sure and also good to know that people at the base and across Canada are recognizing them for the excellent work they do.”Also recognized during the awards ceremony was Brad Trann, Esquimalt DCC Team Leader, who was recognized with the President’s Award for outstanding service in his more than 29-year career. Semeschuk says it was the Environmental Services Team’s work on the Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project (EHRP) that garnered much of the recognition. The EHRP involves the removal of contaminated silt from the seabed that has been left behind by over 150 years...

[caption id="attachment_20926" align="alignnone" width="593"] HMCS Regina and NRU Asterix conduct a Replenishment at Sea during Operation Projection in the Indian Ocean. Photo by Cpl Stuart Evans, BORDEN Imaging Services[/caption]DND ~This month, the Canadian Armed Forces are deploying ships and a maritime patrol aircraft, under Operation Neon, to ensure sanctions are imposed against North Korea. Operation Neon is Canada’s contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of those United Nations Security Council sanctions. These UN sanctions, imposed between 2006 and 2017, aim to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and respond to North Korean nuclear weapon tests and ballistic missile launches.The renewed CAF contribution to the multinational effort to counter UN sanctions evasion will be a CP-140 Aurora, crew and supporting personnel operating from Japan, and up to three CAF members embedded permanently into the Enforcement Coordination Cell within the multinational staff Headquarters. HMCS Regina and Naval Replenishment Unit Asterix will join the international maritime monitoring mission later this month.During 2019 and 2020, and into 2021, Canada will periodically deploy military ships, aircraft and personnel to conduct surveillance operations to identify suspected maritime sanctions evasion activities, in particular ship-to-ship ­transfers of fuel and other commodities banned by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCR). This contribution will bolster the integrity of the global sanction regime against North Korea.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The first group of Naval Security Team (NST) personnel have received their Force Protection Qualification certification.Commodore Angus Topshee, Commanding Officer Canadian Fleet Pacific, presented 41 members of the NST with their qualification certificates along with the unit’s new specialty badges and pins in a ceremony at the Chief’s and Petty Officer’s Mess on May 30. The NST was launched in 2016 and is a deployable team of naval reservists for enhanced force protection of Royal Canadian Navy ships when they are alongside international ports. The team takes over the responsibility of security, which frees up ship personnel to support other tasks, such as maintenance. The NST provides an extra layer of enhanced land- and sea-based force protection capability and expertise. In recent months, the NST has been deployed to Dubai, Italy, and Greece. During his address, Cmdre Topshee said the occasion represented the culmination of months of training and success in operations while recognizing the sailors for their hard work and skill. “This new qualification also allows NST to better support operations in the future while allowing us to leverage a crew of qualified and experienced sailors. This supports Canada’s Strong Secure and Engaged Defence Policy which recognizes that the naval security team provides full-time capability using a part-time work force.”The unit’s Coxswain, Chief Petty Officer Second Class Sean MacÚisdin also received the second clasp to his Canadian Forces’ Decoration from Cmdre Topshee.

[caption id="attachment_20923" align="alignnone" width="593"] Photo by Leading Seaman David Gariepy, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]SLt M.X. Déry, MARPAC Public Affairs ~Next week, staff for the upcoming Raven BMQ (Basic Military Qualification) program will begin preparing for the arrival of 40 Indigenous youth from across Canada. The course will run July 4 to Aug. 14.The outreach program is designed to build bridges into Indigenous communities throughout Canada and show young Indigenous people the potential for part-time employment or a full-time career with the Canadian Armed Forces.“We give these recruits new skills, new attitudes, confidence and above all, opportunity,” said MS Michelle Howell, lead instructor and full-time Raven coordinator.Every year presents challenges for staff since each group of recruits is diverse. “One year we had more females on course than males, which was a welcomed surprise; however, we had to change some of our tactics,” explained MS Howell. “Another year we had a greater number of younger students, 16 to 17 year olds versus 18 to 21, which presented another twist.”The 24 military staff will prepare for the recruits arrival by learning their lesson plans and brushing up on skills such as inspections, drill, topography (map and compass), physical training, weapons handling and field craft. “All staff undergo a three-day Aboriginal awareness course,” said MS Howell. “This course ensures everyone is aware of the Indigenous history of Canada. It also teaches staff a little bit about where our recruits are coming from.”The Raven BMQ course includes a three-and-a-half day Culture Camp in Nanoose Bay. The camp is run by an Indigenous coordinator and includes Métis, Inuit and First Nation teachings. After the camp, two civilian Indigenous staff remain on course as counsellors to provide support to the recruits throughout the BMQ. This helps the recruits adapt to being far from home, surrounded by people they...

[caption id="attachment_20915" align="alignnone" width="592"] PO1 Steve Pring poses with a copy of his self-published novel Of Forgiving Hearts. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailor has been recognized for his first novel, a psychological-thriller set in Southwestern Ontario. Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Steve Pring was one of 80 writers from Southern Vancouver Island featured in the Greater Victoria Public Libraries Emerging Local Authors Collection. The 54-year-old published his first book, Of Forgiving Hearts in December 2017. “It’s a great honour to be on this list and a great way to the get word out there about my book,” said PO1 Pring. “An emerging and independent author does not normally get as much exposure as a best-selling author like Dan Brown [The Da Vinci Code] or Dean Koontz [Odd Thomas], its gets me some facetime and hopefully my book into people’s hands.” Three strong women are at the centre of the book, characters based on two former wives and his older sister. The characters are tied, in one way or another, to a haunted farmhouse in the tiny community of Wyoming, Ontario, where PO1 Pring once lived during his childhood. All three of the women lived together in the house until a murder and a fire gutted it. As the story unfolds, both the real-life murderer and the evil entity that presides over the house relentlessly taunt them.Tales of ghosts and spirits were always associated with the real-life property says PO1 Pring. His grandmother was rescued from the house by a cable installer after she became trapped during a fierce snowstorm in 1977. It was during the incident he learned from the rescuer that local legend had it the old farm house and the property were haunted.“The ghost stories she told me about the...

[caption id="attachment_20906" align="alignnone" width="592"] From left: Kindness Ambassador Greg Hind is joined by A Kinder Cup owners Chief Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Marc Dufort and Kim Dufort as they raise a toast to their new coffee shop at Admirals Walk Plaza. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The owners of a new coffee shop in Admirals Walk Plaza have opened up with the purpose of hiring adults with developmental disabilities.A Kinder Cup, aptly named, is run by Chief Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Marc Dufort and his wife Kim. It opened last December and among their staff of 12, five employees have a developmental disability. “Normally a business employs people to do a job, but at A Kinder Cup we create jobs to employ people with disabilities, and this is a great venue to do it,” explains CPO1 (Ret’d) Dufort.He has first-hand knowledge of the obstacles facing people with disabilities in Canada as his brother has an intellectual disability and has suffered from epileptic seizures from a young age.“I have seen the other side of our great country, the low level of support my brother had for leading a normal life and I really felt that frustration. When Kim approached me with this idea, I eagerly supported her.” His wife is a former community support worker who supported adults with a developmental disability for over 30 years in the Greater Victoria area. The idea for A Kinder Cup brewed to fruition after Kim read a Facebook post about a coffee shop in Wilmington, N.C., called Bitty and Beau’s who hires adults with a developmental disability. “That story from North Carolina planted a seed for us,” said Kim.When CPO1 (Ret’d) Dufort left the military in 2018 and enrolled in Royal Roads University’s Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management, the coffee...

[caption id="attachment_20900" align="alignnone" width="593"] Photo by Corporal Stuart Evans, Borden Imaging Services[/caption]Lt(N) Linda Coleman, Public Affairs Officer ~The seas are unbelievably calm at this time of year in the Arabian Sea along the “Hash Highway,” a historical shipping route through the Indian Ocean that’s been known for smuggling for centuries.This is where HMCS Regina and Naval Replenishment Unit (NRU) Asterix have been operating for the past two months as part of Operation Artemis, the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing contribution to counter-terrorism and maritime security operations in the Middle East and East African waters. The aim of the operation was to work with Combined Task Force 150, a Task Force under Combined Maritime Forces that works to deter and deny terrorist organizations any benefits from employing the high seas for smuggling illicit cargo including narcotics, UN embargoed weapons, and Somalian charcoal. Profits from drug trafficking in the region are a known source of funding for terrorists and criminal networks. This represents a common threat to the security and prosperity of the region, further de-stabilizing regional countries. The mission also ensures the legitimate global trade that Canada and the world depend on for their respective economies can proceed without threat of terrorism and illegal activities.Regina, along with its embarked Cyclone helicopter, Naval Tactical Operations Group, NRU Asterix, and a CP-140 Aurora aircraft joined Combined Task Force 150 at the end of March. At the time, it was the Canadian Armed Forces’ third largest operation, next to Operation Impact and Operation Reassurance, significantly increasing the CAF footprint in the Middle East and East Africa region.For the first two weeks of Op Artemis, CAF assets were operating under the command of a Canada-led CTF 150 Task Force, supported by the Royal Australian Navy. The mission started off with a drug bust early on April 7,...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~CFB Esquimalt’s Naval Training Development Centre was quick off the mark in implementing Balance, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) new physical performance strategy. Only days after the CAF’s new fitness strategy was announced, Commander Alain Sauvé introduced measures to support its goals. He’s encouraging supervisors to have military personnel attend PSP-led physical training (PT) events or other physical activities of their choosing; is making the monthly Formation Run mandatory; and is promoting the daily hour of fitness for both physical and mental health. Full compliance is crucial to making the new measures effective, he says.He believes the establishment of designated time blocks for fitness are equally important as the assignments, meetings and regular duties they perform. His measures are an effort to “create a culture change.” “Everyone wants to be fit but making an effort to do so isn’t always easy, so now they have the support of their chain of command to follow their goals,” said Cdr Sauvé. “The unit’s supervisors have been instructed to give that time back to their employees, and the command team must now lead by example by also staying active.”Cdr Sauvé participates in the unit’s weekly PT sessions. His Coxswain, Chief Petty Officer First Class Paul Fenton goes running, and the unit’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Angus Fedoruk works out in the gym. Cdr Sauvé has implemented a point system that allows individuals who attain a certain threshold of points to get a day of leave and to be entered in a raffle for healthy prizes. Points are also earned by refraining from alcohol, tobacco and non-medical cannabis, or consuming sugary or high fat foods and drinks. This initiative is in line with the strategic document Balance released on April 23. The 82-page guidebook provides local command teams with the tools...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A British whistle manufacturer is on the hunt to find a tiny and rare piece of survival equipment used by U.S. paratroopers ahead of the D-Day landings. As the 75th anniversary of the historic military operation by the Allies approaches, Birmingham-based Acme Whistles launched its Lost Clickers of the D-Day Landings campaign. ACME is putting the call out to Second World War veterans and their families in hopes they can locate one of its 7,000 clickers issued to the American Airborne Division and used as a vital piece of signalling equipment. Simon Topman, Managing Director at Acme Whistles, says the campaign is mostly focusing its search efforts in the U.S. but says ­clickers might also exist in Canada, Great Britain, or elsewhere. “Perhaps your great Grandad was a D-Day veteran, maybe he has a box of war medals where it could lie unknown,” said Topman. “Maybe an elderly neighbour is a widow of a D-Day veteran who doesn’t realize the significance of the unassuming clicker? We ask that people start seeking them out, to see if they can unearth a lost piece of sound history.”Demonstrating its use, Topman shows how the tiny boxed-shaped clickers fit in the palm of the hand. He says the clickers were nickel plated, while some towards the end of the production run were made in plain brass in the rush to get them ready in time for the landings. Paratroopers used the device after they were dropped behind enemy lines the night before D-Day on June 5, 1945, as an effort to get scattered paratroopers back in a composed fighting group. The clickers were designed to give an audible signal, making a distinct clicking noise when pushing down on the lever. If a paratrooper was not alone when they landed or if they were...

[caption id="attachment_20878" align="alignnone" width="592"] From the left: Chief Petty Officer First Class Steve Wist, Commander Jonathan Kouwenberg, and Lieutenant-Commander Collin Forsberg wear their United Nations blue beret in recognition of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers and their own service in Operation Safari. Photo by Leading Seaman Sisi Xu, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The three members of HMCS Vancouver’s command team share a unique commonality. They all served on Operation Safari, the Canadian Armed Forces’ contribution to the former United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) during the mid 2000s.Commander Jonathan Kouwenberg was there in 2005; his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Collin Forsberg served from 2009 to 2010, and Coxswain, Chief Petty Officer First Class Steve Wist was in Sudan in 2008. “This isn’t by design, this is completely accidental,” said Cdr Kouwenberg. “I think we are probably a unique command team within the navy – all three of us having served on this mission in the middle of Africa.” All three joined Vancouver in 2018, and their connection was discovered when Cdr Kouwenberg perused their biographies. He and LCdr Forsberg worked as military observers while CPO1 Wist was stationed at the UN’s supply depot and logistical centre in El-Obeid. Their respective experience in Sudan differed based on the year and the location of their mission. For Cdr Kouwenberg, it was at the start of Operation Safari and UN observers were unarmed. He worked and lived in a remote village along with eight other UN military observers. He and three other members of the team - a Russian, an Ecuadorian and a Mexican officer - would regularly conduct long-range patrols in remote regions where armed clashes between rival tribes and gangs would often occur. “We patrolled arid areas of the countryside that was essentially in the middle of nowhere, with...

[caption id="attachment_20875" align="alignnone" width="592"] AB Nick Reicker, from HMCS Malahat, observes the busy waters of the Swiftsure start line from the unit’s RHIB.[/caption]A/SLt Donald Den, HMCS Malahat ~For hundreds of boaters and spectators, the end of May marked the Swiftsure International Yacht Race. In its 76th year, Swiftsure is the largest sailing race on the west coast of North America and draws hundreds of participants and boats to the city. Due to the race’s size, location, and international significance, the Royal Canadian Navy lends its support, as well as personnel and ship resources to the running of Swiftsure. On location for the start of this event was both a Kingston-class vessel, HMCS Edmonton and a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) from HMCS Malahat - Victoria’s Naval Reserve Unit. Edmonton physically served as one end of the anchored start line; it also transported several event officials, and marked the commencement of the different races with either a horn or a blast from the ceremonial on-deck cannon. Malahat sailors crewed a RHIB that was the official “Jury Boat” of the race, transporting Swiftsure jury officials and a photographer amidst the 165 different boats that converged around Clover Point for the start of the race. “Events like Swiftsure provide Malahat with an opportunity to contribute and interact with the local and international communities with on-water support to the event, staff, and the race participants,” said Cdr Greg Walker, Commanding Officer of Malahat. Amongst the pool of entrants this year were boats from the Royal Canadian Navy - Sailing Training Vessels Goldcrest and Tuna, crewed by current and former naval personnel, and sailed under the flag of the Canadian Forces Sailing Association (CFSA). While the start of the race on Saturday was faced with low winds and heavy rains, leading many to refer to the event...

[caption id="attachment_20872" align="alignnone" width="592"] PO1 Wiggins presents Bruce Alfred an engraving of the Namgis First Nation’s logo; George Alfred and the students of T’lisalagi’lakw school pose with him in the Fleet Maintenance Facility engraving shop. Photo by SLt M.X. Déry, MARPAC PA Office[/caption]SLt M.X. Déry, MARPAC Public Affairs ~Seven students from T’lisalagi’lakw School in Alert Bay visited CFB Esquimalt during a school trip to Greater Victoria. Commodore Angus Topshee invited members of the Namgis community during Exercise Northern Reach in Port McNeill March 30, when he met with Namgis member George Alfred.First stop on the tour was Fleet Maintenance Facility, which employs roughly a thousand civilian and military personnel, more than half the entire population of Alert Bay. Students learned what it takes to maintain the fleet of warships as they followed the yellow lines through the massive shop floor with highly specialized equipment around every corner. School principal Shane Douglas reminded them to think about the wide range of trade occupations available in B.C.When the group arrived at the engraving shop, Bruce Alfred received a specially created plaque with the Namgis First Nations logo on it from PO1 Wiggins. Of special note, Alfred also designed the logo. Once finished with the shore tours, the group moved to a naval platform, HMCS Nanaimo, where PO2 Gavin Flannigan showed the group around the ship. “Why are the lights red?” asked one curious student pointing to the red colour florescent lighting.“At night we turn all the lights off except the red ones and that helps keep our night vision for when we go on the upper decks or the bridge,” replied PO2 Flannigan.On the bridge, the students were surprised to find the controls for the ship’s propulsion system so small considering their power.Commander Jason Bergen spoke to the group in his cabin, and...

[caption id="attachment_20869" align="alignnone" width="593"] Captain Chris Dare, who works as a dentist at the Dockyard Dental Clinic, was part of the UK-based 360 Expeditions climbing team that scaled the world’s tallest mountain last week from its Tibetan side.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A Canadian Armed Forces member says his military training was crucial to surviving a harrowing ascent to the summit of Mount Everest that turned deadly for one of his teammates.Captain Chris Dare, who works as a dentist at the Dockyard Dental Clinic, was part of the UK-based 360 Expeditions climbing team that scaled the world’s tallest mountain last week from its Tibetan side. During a May 29 telephone interview from his hotel room in Tibet, Capt Dare said his experiences in the military made all the difference in getting him to the top of Everest and back to base camp alive. “In the past, the military has put me in stressful situations, no sleep, exhaustion and getting fired upon in combat zones. I learned to calm down, to think and try to make the best decision possible instead of just going with my gut reaction.”In his now viral Facebook post from Mount Everest Base Camp after the summit, Capt Dare didn’t celebrate conquering the 8,500-metre summit, which brought to fruition his goal to hike the world’s Seven Summits. Instead, the 35-year-old lamented on the death of Kevin Hynes, his beloved teammate. Hynes died in his sleep, in his tent during his descent down the mountain on May 24. “Kevin was an amazing hard-working Irishman that I feel privileged to have met and spent so much time with,” wrote Capt Dare. “He always kept his mountaineering achievements under the radar and treated everyone with such kindness, it burns your heart. I miss him dearly.” The death of the 56-year-old father and 10...

Commander Bradley White, Program Manager of Naval Training System Transformation ~The Royal Canadian Navy is transforming almost every aspect of Canada’s naval training system, and people should know about it. It is no secret to anyone that the navy has embarked on one of the most ambitious, recapitalized programs ever undertaken starting with HMCS Harry Dewolf, but there is more than steel that makes a navy. In fact, as the adage goes, it is the sailors who make the navy and not the ships. In order to operate these new ships and maintain the high standard of sailors and officers that we already have, we must do everything we can to enable good training. Sure, the new ships will come with new training packages in order to conduct initial cadre training (ICT – the kind of training already qualified sailors take to learn new systems), but we also aim to modernize all aspects of training, from Basic Military Training for naval reservists, to trades training, to combat training, and all the way to command and leadership training programs. If the goal is to ensure that our people can do their jobs to the best of their ability, in new ships, then the right question to ask is how?How?Since 2013, the Naval Training System has been researching and planning this change. What’s more, several modernization changes have already taken place in accordance with our initial plans. All of this is encompassed in the Naval Training System Transformation Program led by the Commander of Naval Personnel and Training Group, Capt(N) Martin Drews. Employing an approach that uses ever maturing spirals of activity, we first defined the problem (spiral one), then restructured the Naval Training System in order to accept modernized training methods and new training systems.  The bulk of the effort will take...

[caption id="attachment_20843" align="alignnone" width="592"] Deborah Cotton and Commodore (Retired) Doug Mclean cut the HMCS Beacon Hill exhibit ribbon. Photo by LS Gibson, MARPAC Imaging[/caption]Peter Mallett Staff Writer ~A new exhibit celebrating the legacy of HMCS Beacon Hill and its legendary commander Ted Simmons has launched at the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. The grand opening ceremony for Hero Warship: HMCS Beacon Hill and Her Daring Commander took place at the base museum on the morning of May 17. Its unveiling came one day after the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the former River Class Frigate that became the namesake ship for the City of Victoria and served the Royal Canadian Navy until September 1967. Simmons’ 75-year-old daughter Deborah Cotton was joined by the ship’s final navigation officer, Commodore (Retired) Doug McClean, for a ribbon cutting ceremony that officially opened the exhibit.McLean, with Cotton at his side, cut the ribbon with an authentic Second World War naval sword loaned by museum volunteer Paul Seguna. “I am absolutely overwhelmed by how beautiful the exhibit is and the magnificent job the museum staff have done,” said Cotton. “I think if my father saw this, he would be very impressed.”McLean also feels a strong personal connection to the new exhibit and the ship itself.“Ships are living things, and sailors say if you serve in a ship you own a plank of the ship. Well I certainly own one of Beacon Hill’s planks; she is a great old ship.”McLean shared several anecdotes of being a young sailor in Beacon Hill. One was the frightful moment just prior to the ship’s payoff ceremony in Esquimalt. The old ship was on a final sail-past of Beacon Hill Park when it tendered so severely McLean and the rest of the crew thought it was going to tip.Created...

[caption id="attachment_20840" align="alignnone" width="590"] Left: A concept illustration of the new building. Right: Present day St. Peter and St. Paul parish hall.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Parishioners at the historic St. Peter and St. Paul Anglican Church are making final preparations for this weekend’s “moving on sale” of hall furnishings. The historic 152-year-old church located at 1379 Esquimalt Road isn’t moving, rather it is the parish hall contents that are being sold off. The hall will be ­deconstructed to make way for a five story building to house the new church hall and ministry centre and a 24 unit seniors affordable rental housing complex. Sharon Wickware, moving on sale organizer, says emptying out the parish hall before demolition is emotional for church parishioners. “This change is not something that happened overnight and has been in the planning process for the last 10 years; the process of saying goodbye remains very disconcerting for many of our members,” said Wickware. “Nonetheless, many parishioners are also looking forward to the renewal and moving this project forward.” In 2018, St. Peter and St. Paul received zoning approval from the Township of Esquimalt to replace its parish hall and community centre with a new building. The construction ­project is being overseen by The Anglican Diocese of British Columbia and B.C. Housing. Demolition work on the parish building is slated to begin soon and a ground-breaking event is planned for later this year. The moving sale will commence at 9 a.m. on June 1. Items for sale include tables and chairs, office style dividers, a large movie projection screen, two deep freezers and two household kitchen stoves, bulletin boards, dishes, pottery, numerous items from the church’s arts and craft club, a wooden fireplace facade, Sunday School toys, and a Nintendo Wii. Proceeds from the sale will be collected...

General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff ~The best of intentions have led to unintended harm. When it comes to the opening last week of the Afghanistan Memorial Hall at the new National Defence Headquarters, we unintentionally went down that path. We owe the family and friends of our Fallen, all who served in Afghanistan, and Canadians an apology for not properly including you and not properly communicating with you. I am truly sorry for our insensitivity and the pain, anger and frustration that this decision caused you. I accept full responsibility for it all.You also deserve an explanation, and a changed approach.When the monument, once known as the Kandahar Airfield (KAF) Cenotaph, needed a permanent home, we considered several options, but ultimately decided to have it reside within the Headquarters lines on our new campus at Carling.  Our concern was to keep the monument accessible, but also safe from the elements and vandalism, so we decided to protect it within our base in a space custom-designed to house it in a dignified and peaceful setting, where people could pay their respects. We wanted to honour the Fallen – Canadian, U.S., military and civilian – by protecting this legacy of theirs carved in stone. In our Headquarters, it will serve as a daily reminder to us of the true, and ongoing, cost of war: much like it did on the airfield in Kandahar.We also made this decision to install it within the secured zone of the Headquarters in light of plans to create a publicly accessible National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan in Ottawa. This new monument will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of Canadian men and women who served in Afghanistan, as well as the support provided to them by Canadians at home. Our colleagues at Veterans...

[caption id="attachment_20834" align="alignnone" width="592"] Local educators and employees from CFB Esquimalt were honoured recently with a Provincial Industry Partner of the Year Award (2018) by the Co-Operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon. From the left: Heather Workman, President of ACE WIL; Heather McDonald, Co-op Employment Facilitator, Camosun College; Emjay Bailey, Corporate Services Officer and Team Lead for Project Outreach at CFB Esquimalt; and Base Chief of Staff Danielle Smith. Photo credit Camosun College[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~CFB Esquimalt has earned two awards for its outstanding support of post secondary co-operative education programs and students. The first award – the 2018 Provincial Industry Partner of the Year award – was presented May 14 by the Association of Co-Operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon (ACE-WIL).A second honour, the 2018 Co-Operative Employer of the Year award, will be handed out June 17 by the Camosun College School of Business.“The base employs about 80 students per term through the co-op program, which not only provides students with the hands-on experience they need to succeed after graduation, but also helps enrich our workplace by bringing new ideas and new energy to our organization,” said Capt(N) Jason Boyd, Base Commander. “We are proud to play a role in supporting the future workforce within our community.”Heather McDonald, Employment Facilitator for Camosun College Business Programs, nominated the base for both awards. In 2018, 21 Camosun College students had job placements in Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton, Base Logistics, Maritime Forces Pacific headquarters and Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch. McDonald says the relationship between her program and the Department of National Defence is a valued one. The base goes beyond just hiring short term placements. They showcase job opportunities available after graduation and hold mock interviews to help students improve that skill.“They have taken a proactive approach with several...

Lt(N) Pamela Hogan, Base Public Affairs Office ~CFB Esquimalt is reaching out to the public to help eliminate the unauthorized recreational use of the Nanaimo Rifle Range property in order to safeguard the public. To achieve this, information is being circulated that highlights the danger of encroaching on a live firing range area, with the goal of stopping the trespassing. The base is also enhancing infrastructure around the range boundaries.A recent physical security survey of the range showed a significant amount of trespassing and the illegal installation of recreational infrastructure. Additionally, there is evidence of vandalism and non-military use of firearms within the property. “While we regret and acknowledge past historic use, albeit unauthorized, of the area inside the Nanaimo Rifle Range, recent incidents and ongoing safety concerns require us to take action,” said Captain (Navy) Jason Boyd, Commander of CFB Esquimalt. “I have concern for the individuals and families that continue to trespass within this active, live-fire facility and urge everyone to respect the boundaries we have put in place. To date, we have had many positive interactions with the public who continue to be essential in helping to spread this message. We want to thank everyone for their cooperation and understanding as we take the necessary action to ensure public safety.” While CFB Esquimalt acknowledges and is sympathetic to those individuals who have expressed concern about the enforcement of these boundaries, trespassing in this controlled access area is both against the law and dangerous. Range use encompasses live-fire training during the day, night, and throughout the weekend, and the severity of potential trespasser injury may be intensified by the remoteness of the area.Members of the public may not be aware that the range footprint includes more than the physical range infrastructure of the firing lines and back stops. The...

[caption id="attachment_20814" align="alignnone" width="593"] Bombardier Marie-Herene Maillet became the first female Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member to achieve a perfect score of 400 on her annual FORCE Test.[/caption]Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs ~Just say “it is time for your mandatory annual FORCE evaluation” and even seasoned Canadian Armed Forces members get nervous – but not Bombardier Marie-Herene Maillet, who scored an unheard of 100 per cent.Bdr Maillet is an Air Defence Technician with 4th Artillery Regiment (General Support), Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Oromocto, New Brunswick.In order to demonstrate they have the high level of physical fitness required for service, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are subject to annual FORCE Evaluations. They must complete a series of four tasks: the sandbag lift, the sandbag drag, 20-metre rushes, and the intermittent loaded shuttle (five 40-metre shuttles with a weight and five without).Only 0.2 per cent of CAF personnel manage to get a “platinum” score of between 394 and 400 points on their annual fitness test. Not only did a Canadian Army member join that small but distinguished group on Feb. 19, but she is also the first female CAF member to have reached platinum – and with a perfect score of 400.Describing herself as a “super-hyperactive human,” Bdr Maillet explained that her personal fitness regime – a daily morning run of up to five kilometres, daily weight training and three afternoon swims each week – proved to be more than adequate preparation. Career ambitions were also a major motivator.

[caption id="attachment_20818" align="alignnone" width="593"] The bow mega block section of the future HMCS Margaret Brooke is moved outside at Irving’s Halifax shipyard. Photo courtesy Irving Shipbuilding[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~The Government of Canada and Irving Shipbuilding marked the latest milestone of the National Shipbuilding Strategy on May 3 with the start of construction on the future HMCS William Hall. It is the fourth of the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS).A ceremony was held inside the Assembly Hall at Irving’s Halifax Shipyard, with the Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and RAdm Art McDonald, Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and other government, Canadian Armed Forces, and industry representatives.With hundreds of his colleagues looking on, shipyard apprentice Connor Warren made the first welds as part of the construction of the future ship.Minister Sajjan described the progress of AOPS construction as evidence the National Shipbuilding Strategy has revitalized the marine industry in Canada and led to new Canadian innovations. This will all lead to a strong and modern fleet of new RCN warships.Like the other ships in its class, the fourth AOPS is named after a Canadian naval hero. Petty Officer William Hall was a sailor aboard HMS Shannon in 1857 when crew from the ship provided support to the British Army during the relief of Lucknow. Hall received the Victoria Cross in 1859 for his role in that battle, breaching an important wall as part of a 24-pounder howitzer crew despite sustaining serious injuries. Hall was the first Nova Scotian and the first person of African descent to receive the Victoria Cross.Several shipbuilders working at the shipyard through Irving and Nova Scotia Community College’s Pathways to Shipbuilding – African Nova Scotian Program were front and centre at the ceremony to see work begin on the...

Lt(N) Linda Coleman, HMCS Regina PAO ~Meet HMCS Regina’s Navigating Officer and Senior Bridge Watchkeeper, Lt(N) Taylor Workman. The London, Ontario, native is on Operation Artemis, the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing contribution to counter-terrorism and maritime security operations in the Middle Eastern and East African waters.So far on this mission, Regina has seized over 9,000 kg of narcotics in the Northern Arabian Sea in an area known as the “hash highway” – a historical shipping route through the Indian Ocean that’s been known for smuggling hashish for centuries. The profits made from selling these illegally smuggled narcotics is a known source of funding for terrorist and criminal organizations in the region.For Lt(N) Workman, this is an exciting part of his job. “When a suspicious vessel we tracked down is being searched by the boarding team and you get the call that they found drugs being illegally smuggled, it’s an awesome feeling,” said Lt(N) Workman. “Once it sinks in that you’re making an impact, and you get to share the news with friends and family highlighting what you’re doing out here and why you’re deployed for so long, it makes me feel proud of our ship and our navy for having an impact on the global stage.” So how did someone from Ontario find himself hunting drug smugglers in the Arabian Sea with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)? “My grandfather was a pilot who trained other pilots during the Second World War; so, the idea of serving the country was always in the back of my mind.” In 2010, Lt(N) Workman joined the navy through HMCS Prevost, the Naval Reserve Division in London, ON. Once he completed Basic Training, Lt(N) Workman said he was “hooked” and within six months requested a transfer to the Regular Force. “I got accepted to the Regular Officer...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Victoria Minor Hockey Association (VMHA) has undergone a naval-themed rebranding and will now be known as the Victoria Admirals.The name switch from the Victoria Ice Hawks to Admirals was announced April 30 and came after club officials approved the amalgamation of Victoria and Saanich Minor Hockey Associations for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. The realignment grows the size of the club to approximately 900 players on 55 house league teams and elite level representative teams.“CFB Esquimalt has been a part of the community for over 150 years and we’re so pleased that the Victoria Admirals have chosen to recognize that naval connection,” said Captain (Navy) Jason Boyd, Base Commander for CFB Esquimalt.VMHA’s new logos and uniform were designed by local artist and illustrator Jeremie White. White previously designed uniforms for the Vancouver Canucks during the 1990s and has children who play hockey for VMHA teams. The logo features a large red letter ‘V’ backed by an anchor and a horizontal fronting crest featuring the nickname “Admirals.” An alternate logo designed by White features a Canadian warship and its main gun on a black, red and grey background accented by waves and a white maple leaf. The new jerseys won’t be revealed until a ceremony later this year.Nicki Reich, VMHA Vice President and Communications Director, led the VMHA re-branding process and says the name change reflects the importance of the Pacific naval fleet in the community. “It has been a pleasure to work with the team at the base to create a brand that acknowledges our naval heritage in Victoria,” said Reich.

[caption id="attachment_20801" align="alignnone" width="593"] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) controller assembles the UAV onboard HMCS Whitehorse during Operation Caribbe. Photo by Operation Caribbe Imagery Technician[/caption]Captain Annie Morin, Op Caribbe Public Affairs Officer ~The new PUMA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) – commonly known as a drone – was employed throughout the recent Operation Caribbe mission, greatly enhancing the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability of HMCS Whitehorse, a Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel.The employment of PUMA onboard Whitehorse was a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) first; the culmination of many months of effort by military and DND civilian teams.The system provided enhanced visibility during boarding operations conducted by the embarked United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement detachment, allowing personnel aboard Whitehorse to monitor boarding operations from above. In one situation, the drone was used to locate a suspect vessel prior to a boarding, and feed real-time video back to the ship while teams conducted a search.Operation Caribbe is Canada’s contribution to United States-led efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking at sea.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Two sail training vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy with their team of sailors are set to compete in next month’s prestigious Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race.This year’s biennial 580-nautical mile race is a 15-day sailing competition around Vancouver Island beginning June 1 in Nanaimo. This year’s 15th edition will involve what organizers say are 38 of the fastest yachts in the region and approximately 400 competitors.Lieutenant Commander Chris Maier, a Division Commander at Naval Fleet School (Pacific), heads Esquimalt’s team who will race aboard Fleet School’s 36-foot, sloop-rigged (single mast), Sail Training Vessels (STV) Goldcrest and Tuna. LCdr Maier says the race will provide an “invaluable experience” for those selected to compete.“It’s a very exciting race that will showcase what the RCN sail training program is able to do,” he said. “Sailors will be tested in all sorts of conditions, whether sailing upwind in very challenging conditions to transiting difficult stretches of waterway such as the notoriously difficult Seymour Narrows near Campbell River.”Crews for the two boats are sailors from Naval Fleet School (Pacific) and Regular Officer Training Program (ROTP) students, most of whom are new to the navy and sailboat racing. Teams will be led by a few experienced sailors handpicked from the fleet to be watch captains.LCdr Maier is also Commodore of the Canadian Forces Sailing Association (CFSA) recreational sailing club. He has seven years sailing experience and spends many weekends out on the water with the CFSA, but says the race is also going to put his abilities to the test.“This will be the most challenging thing I have ever done aboard a sailboat,” he said. “It will be a long and intense series of nine sailing legs between nine ports in many places I have never sailed before, and I will...

[caption id="attachment_20794" align="alignnone" width="592"] Cmdre Angus Topshee presents Cdr (Retired) Al Kennedy with athe Wound Stripe on May 14. Kennedy was severely injured in the HMCS Kootenay explosion on Oct. 23, 1969. Photo by SLt Michael Déry[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~As the 50th anniversary of the HMCS Kootenay explosion approaches this fall, one of its survivors has finally been honoured with a Wound Stripe, a distinction worn on the sleeve of military members wounded in action prior to 2001. Commander (Retired) Al Kennedy, 77, received the honour from Commodore Angus Topshee, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, last Tuesday at a ceremony in D100.The Victoria resident was the Engineering Officer in Kootenay on the morning of Oct. 23, 1969. Just after 8 a.m. there was an explosion in the ship’s engine room that killed nine people, including seven of the 10 men in Kennedy’s engine room team. The tragedy is considered the Royal Canadian Navy’s worst peace-time accident, so it was with a heavy heart and tears that Kennedy addressed those at the ceremony. “I cannot forget the nine men who lost their lives that day, and of course their families, wives, children, parents and friends who were bereft,” said Kennedy. “It was a terrible experience for everyone, and I survived, but not a day goes by when I don’t think about it.”The Wound Stripe Kennedy received is the forerunner of the present-day Sacrifice Medal, created in 2001 to recognize members of the CAF, a member of an allied force, or a Canadian civilian under the authority of the Canadian Forces who died or was wounded under honorable circumstances as a direct result of hostile action.Before presenting him with this honour and a ceremonial plaque, Cmdre Topshee congratulated Kennedy for his strength and character in the incident. He then apologized that it had...

[caption id="attachment_20786" align="alignnone" width="592"] Members of Royal Canadian Navy participate in the Battle of the Atlantic Service. Photo by LS Brendan Gibson, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]SLt Richard Bowker, HMCS Calgary ~T he first HMCS Calgary (K231) was a Flower-class Corvette, one of many that were built to meet the demand for escorting merchant vessels across the Atlantic during the Second World War.Corvette crews earned a reputation of possessing a hardy and courageous spirit, which would serve them well against the submarines that stalked allied ships. The Corvettes proved effective in anti-submarine warfare, with Calgary being no exception. On Nov. 20, 1943, Calgary in consort with HMCS Snowberry and HMS Nene, sank the German submarine U-536. Calgary would continue to serve in an anti-submarine and escort role through the Battle of the Atlantic and in the North Sea, as well as at the Battle of Normandy. Calgary was paid off on June 19, 1945, but her spirit lives on in her successor.The current HMCS Calgary (FFH335) is the flagship of Canada’s Pacific Fleet and proudly carries the Battle Honours of her predecessor. Her strike to maintain mission focus and courageous spirit has brought the ship and crew success at home and abroad, most recently during Operation Projection in 2018. From Newfoundland to British Columbia, and all parts in-between, the crew of Calgary hails from all walks of life and proudly represents Canada. Not all her sailors are from the navy; many of the crew come from the air force and army. MWO Louise Martel is one such sailor. Though her element is army, she has sailed with the navy for three years in Calgary as the senior supply technician and racked up over 365 days at sea. No matter their background, the crew of Calgary came together the first Sunday in May to honour...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~To invigorate the physical fitness and wellness of its members, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have launched a new physical performance strategy called Balance. Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance announced the rollout of the new strategic document on April 23. It’s focused on realizing the “people first and mission always” goals spelled out in Canada’s Defence Policy Strong, Secure and Engaged. Gen Vance says the aim of Balance is to promote a culture of fitness and improved physical performance for Canada’s approximately 68,000 regular force and 22,000 reserve members. “We have a collective responsibility within the Canadian Armed Forces to develop and sustain a strong, healthy and fit military,” said Gen Vance. “This begins with leaders who are fully committed to a culture of physical fitness and wellness, and where sailors, soldiers, and airmen and airwomen take their wellbeing seriously.”Balance falls in line with Canada’s Defence Policy that was announced in June 2017 and builds on the former Canadian Armed Forces Health and Fitness Strategy policy that was introduced in 2008. Balance is intended to “reinvigorate” the essential components of operational readiness and lifelong wellness by focusing on four key areas: physical activity, performance nutrition, adequate sleep and prevention of injury. “The strategy’s ultimate goal is to ensure every military member has the support, resources and opportunities to maintain a balanced, healthy, active lifestyle that makes them ready for Canadian Armed Forces operational requirements,” said Gen Vance. Balance was developed by the CAF with support from Personnel Support Programs (PSP), creating an 82-page guidebook available in PDF version on the national CAF Connection website (www.cafconnection.com/balance ). It provides local command teams the necessary tools to assist and encourage military members in becoming fitter, healthier and more operationally ready than before.The document spells out...

[caption id="attachment_20779" align="alignnone" width="593"] Military members remove a table from the former detention centre. Photo by John Penner/ John’s Photography[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Armed with sledgehammers, drills, saws and tool belts, 35 volunteers from the Royal Canadian Navy helped local charity HeroWork with a difficult demolition project in View Royal. Made up of staff from the Damage Control Division of Naval Fleet School (Pacific), volunteers spent most of April 30 gutting the inside of a former youth detention centre on Talcott Road. The demo work is to make way for a full-scale renovation of the building on behalf of Our Place Therapeutic Recovery Centre that will take place in June. HeroWork is a local non-profit that helps other local charities improve their buildings through self-described Radical Renovations. HeroWork Chief Executive Officer, Paul Latour says the demolition work was a vitally important first step in their latest renovation and the work completed included the removal of fibre glass beds and seating from the holding cells, lighting and electrical boxes, cabinetry and cupboards, along with the demolition of concrete walls. He commended the volunteers for their efforts while also noting their work was more difficult than most demolition projects since the site is a former jail and everything there was built not to be broken.“The team of volunteers arrived on a bus from CFB Esquimalt, got to work right away and in an organized fashion,” said Latour. “Historically, volunteers from the base have made enormous contributions to our projects and we can always count on them. We are also expecting a big turnout from them when our Radical Renovation project for Our Place starts in June.”Our Place Therapeutic Recovery is a local non-profit with a mandate of tackling the problems of homelessness, addiction, and incarceration through the development of a therapeutic recovery community as...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Author Misao Dean, University of Victoria Canadian literature professor and author of Inheriting a Canoe Paddle, will speak about Reconciliation from a Settler Point of View on May 22 at 11 a.m. at Naden’s Learning and Career Centre. Her appearance is facilitated by the Defence Aboriginal Awareness Group as part of CFB Esquimalt’s Aboriginal Awareness Week events. “The theme for my address is to make the point that we are all treaty people,” said Dean. “Indigenous people carry a treaty card and are very aware they are governed by the provisions of treaties, but sadly the rest of Canadian society is mostly oblivious to the fact. Treaties confer obligations as well as benefits. I want people to think about the obligations imposed on us by treaties and better understand the historical injustice that has occurred in our country.”Her presentation of blunt, often unpleasant historical facts and a rejection of more traditional interpretations of Canadian history has created a buzz in literary circles, but has also caused her some unwanted attention. In March 2016, Dean appeared on CBC 180 to discuss her book. She used the phrase “white canoeists” and that brought on a barrage of cyber bullying comments. “It was quite frightening,” said Dean. “My intention was never to suggest that all colonialists were personally evil people, but more factually that they didn’t pay close enough attention to the consequences of their actions. Consequences we all have to live with today.” Dean moved to Victoria in 1989 after receiving her PHD in English at Queen’s University. Over the years she has taught several former and current serving military personnel in her classes and says she has little doubt the military community will embrace her message. “I perceive military people as hard working and very focussed on trying...