Sailor Profile: LS Thomas LeBlanc, Marine Technician

Sailor Profile: LS Thomas LeBlanc, Marine Technician. Photo by Operation Caribbe Imagery Technician, HMCS Edmonton

SLt Samantha Crocker, Unit Public Affairs Representative Operation Carribe –

Leading Seaman Thomas LeBlanc’s decision to join the Regular Force felt like a family tradition, he says.

That’s because there have been members of his family in the Canadian Armed Forces since the First World War.

The marine technician from Arichat, NS, enrolled in the Royal Canadian Navy in 2010. He was first posted to HMCS Protecteur and to HMCS Brandon in 2014. During this time, Brandon supported Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue efforts off the west coast of Vancouver Island. LS LeBlanc was then posted ashore at the Damage Control School before joining HMCS Edmonton in June 2017.

“I really enjoyed being on a supply ship,” said LS LeBlanc. “But I love the small crew size on the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels.”

As a Marine Technician, he is an essential member of the crew.

“I love the hands-on aspect of my job and it’s great that I play such an important role in keeping the ship running.”

Since joining Edmonton, LS LeBlanc has sailed on Operation Limpid from August to October 2017 and completed two deployments on Operation Caribbe in 2018. During Operation Caribbe, Royal Canadian Navy vessels and Aurora aircraft conducted patrols in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of the multinational, U.S.-led effort to disrupt illicit trafficking operations in the region.

“I like knowing we’re doing our part to prevent the ingress of drugs into North America,” said LS LeBlanc. “I feel like we’re making a difference for Canadian society as a whole.”

LS LeBlanc currently lives in Victoria. Despite his busy sailing schedule, he enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and camping. He also volunteers with the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, as well as Ducks Unlimited – a multinational conservation group.