[caption id="attachment_16175" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by LS Ogle Henry[/caption]Sonar Operator LS Tom Hale observes for mines onboard HMCS St John’s as they exit Cagliari, Italy on May 8, during Exercise Mare Aperto, with the Spanish Frigate Blas De Lezo and the Italian naval vessel Crotone sailing ahead.

[caption id="attachment_16149" align="alignnone" width="450"] A preview of a 3D virtual reality program was unveiled during a Canada 150 celebration at St. Peter and Paul’s Anglican Parish May 5. Photo by Scott Johnson[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The authors of a 3D virtual reality program are working to transport viewers back in time to Esquimalt in the 19th Century.Local optometrist Victor Flett is part of a community group developing a three dimensional snapshot of what Esquimalt’s Songhees Nation and Britain’s Royal Navy base looked like in the 1860s.A sneak peak of their project was offered to those attending the St. Peter and St. Paul’s Anglican Parish Canada 150 event on May 5. Strapping on a pair of Google Cardboard viewing glasses, people could see what both the church and some of the structures in Dockyard looked like during that period.Flett says the project is an excellent method to document and celebrate the shared histories of both First Nations people and Esquimalt’s military community.“The histories of both these communities are permanently connected in an amazing way, from the first contact and the establishment of the Royal Navy base and colonization, through the Esquimalt Village and Fort Victoria, which led to the Confederation of Canada 150 years ago.”Technical assistance is being provided by The Fireflight Group, a consulting organization for indigenous and local communities, and Gord Holden, Director of the Immersive Technology Department at the Kelowna-based Heritage Christian Online School.Holden and Flett began work on the software in December 2016. In the past, Holden has developed graphic software to show students famous historical sites such as Rome’s Coliseum and Egypt’s pyramids using Active Worlds Software.He says this latest project is a change for him as an educator because First Nations students will become a crucial part of the project, helping them to write their...

[caption id="attachment_16172" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by Leading Seaman David Gariepy[/caption]CPO1 Robert Spinelli, CFB Esquimalt Base Chief Petty Officer and Capt(N) Steve Waddell, Base Commander CFB Esquimalt arrive at the dais in a vintage jeep for the start of the Esquimalt Buccaneer Days Parade, May 13.

[caption id="attachment_16146" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo by A/SLt Robyn Hawco, HMCS Ottawa[/caption]A/SLt Robyn Hawco, HMCS Ottawa ~The officers and crew onboard HMCS Ottawa kept the stationary bike wheels spinning for a full 12 hours May 20 during their shadow Navy Bike Ride.This is the inaugural year for the Navy Bike Ride and the officers and crew didn’t want to miss out, even though the ship is currently deployed on Poseidon Cutlass 17.With a total of 90 participants, Ottawa kept going all day, despite the heat and the humidity. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. riders cycled on stationary bikes in the flight hangar for 30 minute blocks at a time – with up to four riders participating at a time.Some riders chose to do multiple blocks throughout the day, scheduling their rides around watch times and operational requirements. Participants were encouraged by shipmates and there was a steady stream of spectators throughout the day.Chief Petty Officer Second Class Kevin Jones, Logistics Chief, spent time on and off the bike – encouraging riders and keeping spirits high. Chief Jones believes that engaging and participating in ship-wide activities at sea is a driving force for a ship’s morale.“The Navy Bike Ride was a great way to promote fitness, raise funds for those who are less fortunate and to get that valuable face time with as many other sailors as possible. Fun activities and events at sea bring a ship’s company together and ensures that morale can thrive,” he says.The Navy Bike Ride was an opportunity to raise funds for the ship’s official charity, the Perley Rideau Veterans Health Centre located in Ottawa’s namesake city. Money was raised by assigning drills, either sprints or hill climbs, to the Command Team, Heads of Department and Chief Heads of Department. Drills could be assigned for a...

[caption id="attachment_16169" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by Cpl Andre Maillet, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Bill Stewart drums for the Aboriginal Sunrise Drumming Ceremony held at Duntz Head in CFB Esquimalt during Aboriginal Awareness Week 2017.

[caption id="attachment_16143" align="alignnone" width="450"] Simon Fraser University NATO Field School students are welcomed on board HMCS Brandon.[/caption]Will Chaster, MARPAC PA ~Students from Simon Fraser University (SFU) got an inside look at one of the largest Canadian Forces Bases in Canada with an aim to better understand the military’s role in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).Thirty-one students, all part of the university’s NATO Field School, toured CFB Esquimalt and HMCS Brandon May 16.The NATO Field School introduces students to Canada’s role within NATO and the Canadian Armed Force’s responsibilities, both domestically and internationally.After a walking tour of dockyard, the group headed to the Wardroom for a special briefing on Operation Reassurance and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) efforts to support NATO activities. The presentation was given by Lieutenant-Commander James Brun and Chief Petty Officer First Class Michel Vincelette.Last year the base sent three military members to the university for their Global Model NATO Summit, and then hosted a group of 70 international students on a tour of the base.“This was an amazing opportunity for students to get real exposure to the navy and understand the vital functions they perform,” said Jazlyn Melnychuk, Student Leader of the SFU NATO Field School and Vice President and Founder of the SFU Model NATO Club.Students also visited 19 Wing Comox and CAF training facilities in Chilliwack before departing to Europe to visit NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, and the NATO Defense College in Rome.

[caption id="attachment_16166" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by Ed Dixon, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]The Navy League contingent marches during the 119th Annual Victoria Day Parade.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is making baby boxes available to new and expecting military parents, free-of-charge, beginning May 29.Designed for infants under the age of six months, the baby boxes contain a custom-made mattress that can be used with the box as a bassinet, a onesie, diapers, wipes, nursing pads, baby lotion, plus an assortment of discount coupons.“This latest program we are offering is another great way the MFRC is connecting and supporting military families with new children,” said Scott Branch, MFRC Children’s Service Coordinator. “The boxes are essentially a starter kit for new parents.”MFRC staff have also added reading materials on breastfeeding, raising a military child, and information on family care support programs available in the community.The baby boxes are inspired by an initiative that began over 75 years ago by the government of Finland and their efforts to address alarming infant mortality rates. The self-contained boxes distributed to mothers served as a care package and also as a bassinet, and in the end helped greatly contribute to a downward trend in the infant mortality rate.The boxes meet Health Canada Standards and are manufactured by the Baby Box Co. They normally retail for approximately $150. Branch said there are currently 60 baby boxes in stock and the company will supply more as needed.To obtain a baby box, military families must first register for the program through a link on the MFRC website at www.esquimaltmfrc.com/welcoming-baby-box/. It is recommended that families pick up their box in advance of their due date or in the first three months after the birth of the child.

[caption id="attachment_16163" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by Ed Dixon, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy marches up Douglas Street in downtown Victoria for the start of the 119th Annual Victoria Day Parade.

In this episode, we cover Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE, highlight new tax benefits for deployed CAF members, and present a special Bravo Zulu to Leading Seaman William Hull for his 474th blood donation.

SLt Sully Heraud, HMCS Ottawa ~Two months into Poseidon Cutlass 17, Her Majesty's Canadian Ships Winnipeg and Ottawa left Port Klang, Malaysia, to go their separate ways.Winnipeg sailed west for India, while Ottawa went south towards international waters for a multinational exercise led by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSS) in celebration of their service’s 50th anniversary.As the sun began to rise, Ottawa, accompanied by French Marine Nationale ship Prairial, met eight more warships from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines and the United States of America. This made for an impressive sight as the Canadian frigate joined one of the area’s largest naval gatherings in recent years.The 6th Western Pacific Naval Symposium Multilateral Sea Exercise (WSMX) was a multi-ship, multi-nation exercise led by the Formidable-class Singapore ship RSS Stalwart.The ships were divided into two groups, with Ottawa commanding South Korean, Filipino, French and American ships. The second group was commanded by RSS Stalwart.Lt(N) Ryan Stanley, weapons officer, was pleased to see how Ottawa’s participation fulfilled Poseidon Cutlass' main objectives.“This exercise was an outstanding opportunity for HMCS Ottawa to act as Surface Action Group (SAG) Commander for a multinational exercise, thereby increasing the Royal Canadian Navy’s reputation for professionalism on the international stage, as well as displaying Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region,” he said.The main focus of the exercise was communication and procedural interoperability between countries that speak different languages and rarely operate together. Serials included manoeuvres, screen exercises, flag hoisting competitions, flashing light competitions, and other activities designed to promote cooperation at sea over the two day program, culminating in a large group photo with ships in close formation.Leading Seaman Madeline Kuiper, naval communicator, tells of the difficulties of coordinating with so many different navies at one time.“Establishing communications with another nation is a different challenge every time, let...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A sculptural monument paying tribute to the 179 Allied airmen who lost their lives while working at Patricia Bay Air Station during the Second World War will be unveiled this week in Sidney.The Lost Airmen of the Empire was created by Victoria sculptor and landscape architect Illarion Gallant, and commissioned by a Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) working group that included local citizens, politicians and VAA staff.Gallant says the intent of his sculpture and memorial site is to remember the pilots, navigators, armourers and mechanics from around the world who began working at the air base in 1939.“These people came from all walks of life, surviving the depression with an optimistic outlook as to the challenges before them,” said Gallant of Rusnak Gallant Ltd. “Upon completion of their training, these service personnel went on to serve in various theatres of war where they were confronted with the harsh realities of survival.”Gallant, 60, is the son of Second World War British Army Private (Retired) Harry Gallant. He was made aware from a very young age about the horrors of war through stories told by his father and other members of his hometown of Scarborough, ON, who had lived through the war in Europe.He was commissioned for the $160,000 project in April 2016.The main feature is 25 Cooper’s Hawk feathers measuring 14 feet high, chronologically inscribed with the names of the deceased pilots and airport workers. It also features approximately 1,000 bricks salvaged from an original military administration, which forms a seating area. Gallant says he is still seeking additional submissions to a yet-to-be-sealed time capsule or “memory capsule” he is placing at the site.The ceremony gets underway June 1 at 10 a.m. at the memorial site located at the north end of Victoria International Airport. Keynote speakers include...

[caption id="attachment_16118" align="alignnone" width="450"] Lieutenant (Navy) Tom Eagle[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Reporter ~Lieutenant (Navy) Tom Eagle is one of 20 crew members posted to HMCS Oriole, the 31-metre ambassadorial sailing ketch heading to Charlottetown, P.E.I., for this summer’s Canada 150 celebrations.He is Oriole’s Watch Captain, Navigating Officer and the Executive Officer.With the stormy harrowing seas of the Pacific Northwest well behind them, the calm seas of the Oaxaca coastline provided Lt(N) Eagle an opportunity to respond to questions about the voyage.Q: What were the conditions like during the first part of your voyage through the Pacific Northwest and how rough were the seas?A: The Oregon coast was rather rough, but not record setting and certainly not the “perfect storm” as some may call it. We had high winds and large waves on our first attempt at rounding Cape Flattery [off Washington’s Olympic Peninsula], which ended in an anchorage in Port Renfrew overnight. For all involved – save myself, the commanding officer, buffer and a Leading Seaman with some civilian open ocean sailing experience - this was a first chance to see what life on a sailboat feels like offshore.Q: What have been the biggest challenges and adjustments to life at sea?A: Oriole doesn’t have a lot of the creature comforts the rest of the navy is accustomed to. Not getting a hot shower for a few days on Algonquin was par for the course, but not having onboard showers in Oriole is a little daunting because the deck starts to heat up and the ambient temperature listed on the thermometer above my rack is above 35c, [which starts the sweat rolling]. It’s just another thing you need to get used to rather quickly.Q: What are your living quarters like? Closer confines than in a frigate or a submarine? A: I live...

Every day the men and women onboard HMCS Ottawa are served delicious and nutritious meals. The logistical preparation that is involved in feeding over 200 people per day, every day, is staggering.Each day a new menu is prepared that takes into consideration different dietary needs, the operational tempo for the day, and the ingredients the ship was able to procure at its last port of call.The menu includes breakfast, dinner, supper, and of course soup!Despite the difficulty of the task, everyday cooks, with the support of stewards, supply technicians and logistical officers, manage to provide the sailors onboard Ottawa with the next best thing to a home cooked meal—a meal shared with shipmates. The following recipe is an example of one such meal—a delicious Chilled Asian Shrimp Salad courtesy of the Petty Officer First Class John Cross, Chief Cook HMCS Ottawa.Poseidon Cutlass 17 RecipeChilled Asian Shrimp SaladIngredients20 each     Medium Shrimp – Peeled, Deveined & Cooked 5 cups       Mixed GreensMarinade for Shrimp2 each      Fresh Mango – Small Diced½ each     Red Onion – Small Diced½ each     Green Pepper – Small Diced1 cup       Fresh Cilantro1 tbsp      Chili FlakesTo Taste   Salt & PepperDressing1 each    Pineapple – Pureed1 can      Mandarin Oranges – Pureed1 ½  cups  Peanut Oil (May use salad oil if nut allergy)1 cup   Shrimp Marinade             DirectionsCombine marinade ingredients in a medium size bowl. Add cooked shrimp, cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight.Next day, remove shrimp and set aside. Strain marinade through a colander, separating the liquid and salsa mixture for later use.Make dressing by emulsifying dressing ingredients in a food processor.To serve the salad, place a generous amount of mixed greens in the center of the plate. Place several shrimp on top of the greens. Sprinkle the salsa mix liberally over the shrimp and drizzle with the dressing.

[caption id="attachment_16105" align="alignnone" width="450"] Trevor Ashwell competes in the Mobility Cup, a regatta hosting competitors from all across Canada and the United States. This regatta was hosted in Victoria in 2015, and Montreal, QC, in 2016.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Disabled Sailing Association of Victoria [DSABC, Victoria Branch] is looking to military personnel to help supplement volunteers for its upcoming summertime program.DSA Victoria is one of 14 Disabled Sailing Associations across Canada and has a mandate to provide sailing opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the Greater Victoria area through the non-profit organization Recreation Integration Victoria. It operates out of the Canadian Forces Sailing Association location.Last year, four military volunteers from CFB Esquimalt donated their time to assist with boat operations, lift assistance, rigging, and general maintenance duties. However, three of them were posted this year, leaving a big hole in their volunteer staffing. “We are really sorry to see it when our military members move on to other bases, so there is real need to replace them because they are invaluable to our operation,” says Amie Renaud, from Recreation Integration Victoria, Coordinator of Services.Military members can use their “Special Leave for Community Affairs” allowance to help out.“What it means for Canadian Armed Forces members is they can contribute a small amount of their time and make a big difference in their community,” says Renaud. “In the past, many of our military members have been extremely dedicated to this program because they can see the impact our program is having on people’s lives.”She is hoping to increase those volunteer positions from four to seven this year.The specialty sailing program is offered in June, July and August.  Last year it had 197 registered sailors in its inclusive program, which gets people with a wide range of disabilities out on the water.Renaud, who...

[caption id="attachment_16101" align="alignnone" width="230"] Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro. Photo courtesy Wikipedia[/caption]Bart Armstrong | www.canadianmedalofhonor.com ~The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) have commissioned a second ship in honour of Vancouver-born, Second World War hero Douglas Munro.The USCG Cutter Munro (WMDL 755) was commissioned March 31.As a member of the American Medal of Honor Society I was privileged and honoured to travel to Seattle to meet with the new captain and crew. At the ceremony I give a short presentation and then attended the actual commissioning ceremony the following day.The USCG also posthumously dedicated their headquarters building in Washington, D.C. to Munro in November 2013.Why all the fuss for Munro?Munro was born Oct. 11, 1919, in Vancouver. The family moved to Kittitas County, Washington in 1922, where his father, a U.S.-born citizen, worked as an electrician for the Warren Company. After attending Central Washington College, Munro enlisted in the USCG in 1939 and rose rapidly through the ranks.  In 1942 Signalman First Class Douglas Munro volunteered to lead a small crew and flotilla of Higgins landing craft to Gaudalcanal to land 500 U.S. Marines. However, the enemy were able to drive the marines into the ocean.Munro and his crew returned to save them. But in placing his craft between heavy machine gun fire and the last vessel, Munro was killed. Eight months later, on Sept. 27, 1942, President Roosevelt presented the posthumous Medal of Honor to his parents.To recognize Monroe’s heroism, the U.S. Navy commissioned a Destroyer Escort and named it the USS Douglas A Munro. It served throughout the Second World War and earned three Battle Stars for heroism in Korea, and was decommissioned in 1966.Five years later to the day Douglas lost his life, the USCG commissioned a Cutter and named it in honour of the hero of Guadalcanal. It...

[caption id="attachment_16125" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by PO1 Patrick Montreuil[/caption]HMCS Ottawa: Part Ship’s Hands is formed up, ready to come alongside Manila, Philippines.

[caption id="attachment_16095" align="alignnone" width="450"] A Royal Canadian Navy cutter, the Defender, from Canadian Forces Base Halifax is used to provide 1 Canadian Rangers Patrol Group with critical search and rescue and small craft training on Great Slave Lake near Yellowknife during Operation Nunakput 2016. Photo by PO2 Belinda Groves, Task Force Imagery Technician[/caption]RAdm John F. Newton,Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic ~As sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy, we take pride in our inheritance of skill in patrol of the North Atlantic and vast Pacific Ocean. Recent experiences in operations that ranged from the Black Sea, to the Gulf of Guinea, and deep into Indo-Asia-Pacific have reasserted our global “deployability”.In a new undertaking, 20 hand-picked sailors will gain experiential learning in a bold and completely new task. They will set sail on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage of Canada’s longest waterway, the Mackenzie River.In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, four force protection cutters will join Operation Nunakput 17. The flotilla will follow the waters that drain into a great watershed of northwestern Canada, from Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea. On a voyage extending 4,000 kilometres to the sea and back, sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy will witness their land and peoples in a manner that very few have experienced.How to applyOver the next few weeks, the MARLANT Formation Chief, CPO1 Pierre Auger, will lead a selection process for the Nunakput boat crews. Personnel interested in obtaining more information should contact Chief Auger directly at Pierre.Auger@forces.gc.ca. Those wishing to participate are to make their interest known through their unit chain of command.Operation NunakputOperation Nunakput is a sovereignty operation conducted annually under the command of Joint Task Force North. The mission is undertaken jointly with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, and Provincial Government partners in order...

In this episode, we see how the Defence Team supports inclusion and innovation at the Five Eyes Gender Conference, cover this year’s gathering of the Arctic Security Working Group, and commemorate Defence Research and Development Canada’s 70th anniversary!

[caption id="attachment_16092" align="alignnone" width="450"] Construction equipment is in place at Veterans Cemetery in preparation for the expansion of the military cemetery operated by Veterans Affairs Canada. The project is expected to be completed in late summer and make room for 1,500 new graves through granite columbariums. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A construction project at Veterans Cemetery, also known as God’s Acre Cemetery, will provide approximately 1,500 additional burial spaces at the National Historic.The cemetery, shaded by tall trees and nestled between the 12th and 17th holes of Esquimalt’s Gorge Vale Golf Club, was established in 1868 by the Royal Navy and is one of two cemeteries operated by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). The other is Fort Massey Cemetery in Halifax.The site occupies 2.7 acres and houses 2,500 military graves, but is close to capacity.Emile Gallant, VAC’s Manager of Funeral, Burial and Cemetery Maintenance, says the recent expansion of the site and related construction project will lead to the construction of 21 columbariums, where cinerary urns will be stored.“VAC has been working very closely with community groups and the local community to make this project happen,” says Gallant. “People will be very happy to learn that the cemetery will continue to be a resting spot for those who served in the military.”To address the cemetery’s ­current space shortfall, VAC purchased a .62 acre parcel of land from Gorge Vale Golf Club in March 2016 to allow room for the columbariums. Public Services and Procurement Canada then awarded a construction contract to Western Watershed to design the cemetery, and Lees and Associates to manage the worksite.The columbariums are elevated granite structures used to store urns containing ashes of the dead.  They will measure approximately 1.8 metres in height and 90 cm in width and are made of...

[caption id="attachment_16079" align="alignnone" width="560"] LS Noye, rider for 2016 Tour de Rock; Cpl Best, MPU Esquimalt; Maj Clark, Commanding Officer MPU Esquimalt, MWO Card, Sergeant-Major MPU Esquimalt, and Cpl Yeon, 12 MP Flight CFB Comox.[/caption]Presentation of the 2017 Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team, May 5.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~This year’s candlelight vigil at Veterans Cemetery in Esquimalt will honour Canadian soldiers who served at Vimy Ridge 100 years ago.Also known to locals as God’s Acre, the cemetery will host the event May 25 at 6:45 p.m.The vigil is traditionally highlighted by the symbolic gesture of current and past-serving military members passing candles to the younger generation, including cadets, girl guides and scouts who then place the candles on gravestones in the cemetery.This year’s event, which will also recognize Canada’s 150th anniversary, will see musical performances by the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and a bag piper from The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s).Candlelight Vigil Chairperson, PO (Retired) Bob Haldane says the event is one of the most popular on Esquimalt resident’s social calendar, and typically attracts 1,000 or more people. Haldane, a former stoker and marine engineer who retired from the Royal Canadian Navy in 1979, says assistance from CFB Esquimalt, along with other community partners, has been key to the success and popularity of the event.“Rear-Admirals and Base Commanders with the RCN have been marvelous to us over the years, and have done wonders to help boost the spectre of the event,” says Haldane, who has chaired the event for the past 11 years and been a vigil volunteer for over 20.He said the RCN provides tents, chairs, a public address system, the services of the Naden Band and work parties to assist in event setup and teardown. The support of community partner Thrifty Foods grocery stores provides cake, hot dogs and refreshments.The vigil receives financial support from Veterans Affairs Canada and is managed by the Township of Esquimalt.

[caption id="attachment_16076" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by Lt(N) Jackie Buss[/caption]HMCS Ottawa’s Combat System Engineers department performs maintenance on the Closed-In Weapon System.

[caption id="attachment_16051" align="alignnone" width="450"] Ho Mai Linh’s “Uncle 15” (Sky Raider pilot) kneels in the front row, second from the right.[/caption]Ho Mai Linh, BIS ~On April 13, 2015, an Act titled the Journey to Freedom Day was passed in the House of Commons and given Royal Assent on April 30, 2015. It recognizes the plight of the Vietnamese people and their efforts to be settled in Canada following the Vietnam conflict of 1959-1975. Upwards of six million people were displaced with the creation of a Communist state, the merging of North and South Vietnam, and the implementation of Vietnamese Communist policies and international economic sanctions.This act identifies every April 30 as the Journey to Freedom Day of the 60,000 people who sought refuge from war and oppression, and were accepted by Canada and Canadians. It is the start of Asian Heritage Month of May.My family and I are some of those “Boat People” and this is my story.This is an expression of my appreciation to the Act that recognized our struggles, and the compassion Canada showed to thousands of migrants seeking freedom and hope for a better life, escaping war and prosecution.Prior to April 30, 1975 - the official end of the Vietnam WarOur family lived a comfortable life despite the ongoing conflict with the likes of the Tet offensive in 1968, occasional grenade attacks at the market square, the mortar showers, and light AK gunfire at the check points emanating from the Viet Cong (Communist Forces) who wanted to create one Vietnam.Thinking back to Saigon, my paternal grandparents had a successful business that provided us all the comforts of life, which included living in a four-story 3,000 square meter building in district one, in downtown Saigon, where we lived with my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. It had a huge second floor open-air terrace that we all enjoyed. It was here that I heard the sound of the squadrons of Hughes helicopters flying overhead, the repeated thud-thud song...

[caption id="attachment_16073" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by A/SLt Robyn Hawco[/caption]A helo from the Prairial prepares to take off from HMCS Ottawa’s flight deck.

DND ~On May 10, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) charged a member of the Canadian Armed Forces with sexual assault, voyeurism and related offences under the Criminal Code of Canada.The charges stem from the discovery in January 2017 of a recording device at the private residence of a Canadian Armed Forces member near Washington, D.C.The accused, at that time, was a resource management support clerk with Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (Washington).CFNIS investigators, with the assistance of local police, searched the home of the accused and seized several electronic devices. Recordings found on these devices included a video of a sexual assault against a Canadian Armed Forces member at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in 2011.  Corporal Colin McGregor, now based at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, faces multiple charges under the Criminal Code of Canada, punishable under section 130 of the National Defence Act.Charges include sexual assault, voyeurism, interception, and breaking and entering, as well as possession of property obtained by crime, theft, transmission of intimate image, possession of a device for surreptitious interception, and possession of child pornography.The matter is now proceeding in accordance with the military justice system for possible court martial at a date and location still to be determined.Anyone who has knowledge related to this investigation is asked to contact the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service at: 1-888-812-3647.

[caption id="attachment_16069" align="alignnone" width="560"] Photo by A/SLt Robyn Hawco[/caption]A member of la Marine National uses the big eyes to view her ship from HMCS Ottawa.

[caption id="attachment_16042" align="alignnone" width="450"] Caribbean divers cut ropes while executing a bottom cleanup during Exercise Tradewinds 16 in Discovery Bay, Jamaica.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Two diving personnel from Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) are heading to the Caribbean later this month to take part in international military diving exercises off the waters of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.Divers will deploy May 27 for this year’s edition of Exercise Tradewinds. They will rendezvous with 10 personnel from Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) and administration staff for the exercise that runs June 6 to 11 in Barbados, and then moves to the island of Trinidad and Tobago June 12 to 17.Divers and instructors will offer dive skills related to search and rescue, counter terrorism and ways to disrupt drug smugglers, to military divers from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago defence forces.Lt(N) Greg Richards, Training Officer at FDU(A), who has been planning and coordinating the exercise for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), says Exercise Tradewinds is designed to promote regional security and cooperation in the Caribbean.“Participation in this training mission provides an excellent opportunity to foster interoperability amongst international dive teams while enhancing their capability,” he adds.The team of RCN divers, dive instructors and medical support staff will be joined by personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Southern Command.Military divers from the host countries will be trained in sunken vessel assessment, evidence and human remains recovery, search patterns, jetty and hull searches, and identifying foreign objects such as mines and explosives.Exercise Tradewinds is an annual event and has been held yearly following the creation of the Canadian-U.S. Caribbean Defence Cooperation framework in June 2013, and an engagement strategy in July 2012.