Sailor profile: PO1 Trevor Linfoot | Coxswain, HMCS Nanaimo

PO1 Trevor Linfoot

Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Trevor Linfoot enrolled in the Regular Force in 1999 as a Cook, briefly, until realizing that the hospitality aspect of the Steward trade was more suited to him.

He has served onboard HMC Ships Protecteur, Algonquin, Calgary and Winnipeg, as well as completing a tour as a Flight Steward with 437 Squadron based out of Trenton, ON. He also worked as a Senior Instructor at Naval Fleet School Pacific and is currently the Coxswain of HMCS Nanaimo.

PO1 Linfoot is the first Steward to be appointed Coxswain of a Kingston-Class Vessel on the west coast. He hopes that other Stewards will be granted the same opportunity, as it has great potential for professional development and preparation for senior appointments.

“Onboard a Kingston-Class ship, the coxswain is responsible for personnel management, sleeping quarter allocation, morale, and discipline. Further to this, I am the Ship’s Office; dealing with leave passes, pay and posting issues, and managing correspondences,” explains PO1 Linfoot.

Kingston-Class crewing can be challenging as personnel frequently move from one ship to the other within a short period of time. The Coxswain often acts as a sounding board for the Commanding Officer when trying to keep the 33-personnel crew as constant as possible.

HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Edmonton from Esquimalt, HMCS Moncton from Halifax and two CP-140 Aurora aircrafts are currently taking part in Operation Caribbe, the Canadian contribution to the U.S.-led Operation Martillo. The goal of the mission is to intercept and disrupt the shipment of drugs from Central America to Canada and the United States of America.

“Caribbe is an important operation to which the Royal Canadian Navy contributes. The ability to integrate with our American partners (in the form of a Law Enforcement Detachment from the U.S. Coast Guard) to fight the war on narcotics trafficking directly impacts the flow of drugs to Canada,” said PO1 Linfoot.

When asked how he feels about his appointment, he says, “I feel the greatest reward for a Coxswain is seeing the success of the ship, whether it is successful mission-specific readiness training or an operation. If the crew is happy, smiling and enjoying their day, that’s the best reward as it means they are in a good place.”

In his spare time, PO1 Linfoot enjoys camping on Vancouver Island and watching his two sons play lacrosse and rugby. He also dabbles in wood working and, more than anything else, loves to spend time with his family.

“Without the support of my family, I couldn’t do what I do,” adds PO1 Linfoot.