[caption id="attachment_9497" align="alignnone" width="300"] Members of Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) stand around the entry and exit hole on an ice diving expedition at Lac Des Roches, north of Kamloops.[/caption]After suiting up in a drysuit, Clearance Diver LS Hector Ladron De Guevara slipped feet first into the icy waters of Lac Des Roches, just North of Kamloops, B.C.For almost an hour he explored the underwater terrain, going as far as his 45-metre umbilical cable would allow. Above him, a frosty pane of ice served as a lid on the lake. His only way out, a hole carved through the ice.The sailor, a member of Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific), took part in this ice diving excursion with 18 other divers. They set up a temporary camp on the ice Feb. 15; their goals: skill development and proficiency training.Lac Des Roches was picked due to its notoriously solid ice build this time of year.A four hour set up preceded the dives, during which three members, all wearing life jackets, went out to the middle of the lake to test for ice thickness.The front individual, wearing a harness, dug a hole and measured the thickness. When the minimum six inches of ice was found, the trio cut a triangular hole through the ice using a chainsaw.Once the hole was cut, the remainder of the team ventured from the shore to set up a military tent around the triangle to protect divers and gear from the wind and weather.LS Ladron De Guevara said the newer divers enjoyed their first forays into ice diving while the more experienced divers honed skills and refined equipment requirements for the labour intensive activity, one necessary for rescue or retrieval missions.Divers entered the water in teams of two, wearing a full-face mask supplied with breathing gas by a 45-metre hose...

[caption id="attachment_9493" align="alignnone" width="199"] Goalie LS Josee Cholette holds her newly awarded Sportsmanship Award, received at the National Women’s Hockey Championships at CFB Borden in February.[/caption]“I’m a fighter – so I always want to win,” says LS Josee Cholette, 43, goalie for CFB Esquimalt’s women’s hockey team.“I always want to give 100 per cent.”LS Cholette, who began playing hockey when she was eight years old, is this year’s recipient of the Sportsmanship Award, presented to her at the National Women’s Championships in Borden, Ontario, on Feb. 26.The team played against the other four regions – Quebec, the Prairies, Ontario, and the Atlantic.LS Cholette was posted to Esquimalt in 2011, but missed nationals from that year until 2012, when she was deployed.She says she had no idea she would win the award, but guesses it may have something to do with the 40 to 50 shots she blocked on average at every game.“I think I won the award because I never give up,” she says. “Even when the other team scores, I’m ready for the next shot, and then the next.”Though CFB Esquimalt placed fifth at nationals this year, LS Cholette isn’t disappointed.“Yes, we lost, but we’re still happy,” she says. “When we play together, we have the best team spirit – we know that everyone gave it their best.”The Sportsmanship Award is given to the best team player out of the five regional teams, and is traditionally awarded to “skaters”.Rachel Lallouz Staff Writer

[caption id="attachment_9489" align="alignnone" width="265"] 10 Year Old Liam Elder[/caption]It has always been10-year-old Liam Elder’s dream to see the ocean, board a navy ship and see the shipyard, as his mother, Christine Harkin, used to serve with the navy.During their visit to Victoria on March 6, Liam’s dream was fulfilled.From the moment he set foot on HMCS Calgary, he made quite an impression to those onboard.Liam visited the ship along with his parents and his nine-year-old brother Benjamin.He came in Naval Combat Dress with the rank of Ordinary Seaman; however, his naval knowledge was soimpressive that he was immediately promoted to Leading Seaman and presented with his Bosun’s Call.He toured the ship and watched a demonstration of the 57mm gun, followed by a naval boarding party display.The tour ended with him becoming an honorary member of the ship’s dive team.He displayed great skills as a sailor and was quickly promoted through the ranks throughout the day.By the end of the visit, he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and then appointed Honorary Captain (Navy) of HMCS Calgary.Liam was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia in March 2011 at the age of six.He underwent harsh chemotherapies every three to four weeks, and in-between he was admitted to hospital many times for bacterial, viral and fungal infections, pneumonia and anaphylaxis, due to his compromised immune system.He completed his protocol in late October 2013 and was completely medication free for nine months.However, Liam relapsed in July 2014 with the same type of cancer, and chemotherapy began immediately.The plan was to bring him to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for a bone marrow transplant once the cancer was in remission.However, a rare, life-threatening fungal infection was discovered in his nose and palate, which led to having two-thirds of his palate removed, as well...

A quick look at a career in the Canadian Forces as a Weapons Engineering Technician.

 A Repatriation Ceremony is held at 8 Wing Canadian Forces Base Trenton for the return of fallen soldier Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron on March 10, 2015. 

Sailors from Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Fredericton salute the Italian Ship Aliso as they pass by during Operation REASSURANCE on March 10, 2015. 

HMCS  FREDERICTON sails past USS VICKSBURG during exercises with Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) ships in the Black Sea during Operation REASSURANCE on March 10, 2015. 

Landing Safety Officer on board USS VICKSBURG watches as a CH-124 Sea King helicopter from HMCS FREDERICTON lands on the flight deck during exercises with Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) ships in the Black Sea.

Wreaths are laid during the Afghanistan Memorial Vigil commemorative ceremony at the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. 

HMCS VICTORIA returns home through the Straits of Juan De Fuca, from operations with the United States Navy (USN) on February 26, 2015.

HMCS FREDERICTON's Air Detachment deck director signals the deck crew during the start-up of the embarked CH-124 Sea King helicopter on Operation REASSURANCE on March 3, 2015.

Members of Italian frigate ALISEO's boarding party conduct a boarding exercise on board Her Majesty's Canadian Ship FREDERICTON during Operation REASSURANCE on March 3, 2015. 

Members of Parks Canada secure the umbilical line for Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) and Parks Canada divers at the Quebec City, Quebec Old Port during an Ice Dive Exercise on March 3, 2015.

Cpl Garrett Mcsheffery from 4 ESR conducts a visual inspection of a snowmobile as part of the end of exercise routine in Goose Bay, Labrador on February 17, 2015 during Exercise NORTHERN SAPPER.

A quick look at a career in the Canadian Forces as a Social Worker.

[caption id="attachment_9422" align="alignnone" width="270"] MS Philippe Burton (far right) joins his fellow Soldier On members in Whistler at the Allied Winter Camp, with Whistler Adaptive Sports Staff (green jackets) in attendance.[/caption]After injuring his leg and shoulder on duty, Master Seaman Philippe Burton was nominated to join a group of 11 serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces members and 16 Allied personnel to spend 10 days in Whistler, from Feb 15 to the 26, to enjoy a range of winter sports as part of Solider On’s Allied Winter Camp program.Despite coming from across Canada, with allies from Australia and Britain, participants had one thing in common – to attempt a return to an active lifestyle.Soldier On is an integral program of the Canadian Armed Forces that supports former and currently serving members with a visible or non-visible illness or injury to adopt an active lifestyle through sport and physically challenging activities.  Since 2007, Soldier On has supported over 1,000 ill and injured serving and retired members through participation in Soldier On Sport Camps, such as the Allied Winter Sports Camp and individual equipment and activity grants.  MS Burton says he stumbled across the program while surfing Facebook one day, and sent a request form in as soon as he could – he decided that if he got it, his main mission on the trip would be to ski.“I used to ski, race, and teach 10 years ago,” he says. “But I ended up being fitted with a leg brace. When I found I was actually able to ski again that was big for me.”Apart from skiing, participants were given opportunities to snowboard, play sledge hockey, cross country ski, zipline and bobsleigh, all with the facilitation of the Whistler Adapted Sports Program staff, and led by Ottawa-based Soldier On staff Maj Jay...

[caption id="attachment_9419" align="alignnone" width="270"] A military funeral was held on Feb. 28 at 19 Wing Comox for Sgt Mark Salesse, a Search and Rescue Technician from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron.[/caption]Best described as awe-inspiring, the military funeral of Sergeant Mark Salesse drew hundreds of people to 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 19 Wing Comox on Saturday, Feb. 28.On a clear, sunny afternoon, the squadron hangar was filled with family, friends and colleagues, both military and civilian, from near and far, who gathered together to pay their respects to a fallen aviator.Sgt Salesse, 44, was killed during a military training exercise at Polar Circus near Banff, Alberta. He and three other search and rescue (SAR) technicians from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, Winnipeg, Manitoba, had completed their ascent and were on the way down when an avalanche swept Sgt Salesse off the side of a narrow cliff on Feb. 5.His teammates were not affected by the avalanche.Banff Parks Canada led a six-day search that was hindered by continuous poor weather.The mission was reduced from a rescue to a recovery as Parks Canada came to realize neither the conditions, nor the probable fall could be favourable for survival.A motorcade of approximately 20 vehicles was met by the pallbearer party consisting of eight SAR technicians, proudly wearing the SAR orange beret, who gently received the casket and marched smartly to the center of the hangar floor.The men were Sgt Salesse’s SAR technician course mates (Course #38), and came from across Canada to be with their brethren.Described by many as a gentle giant, Sgt Salesse was genuine, honest and giving to all, as evidenced by the emotional comments from his mother, Liz Quinn, his best friend, and Canadian Army colleague, Denise Byrne, and members of the SAR community.“Sgt Salesse had a physical presence...

[caption id="attachment_9416" align="alignnone" width="290"] Defence Minister Jason Kenney speaks with a member of the Guard of Honour at Duntze Head.[/caption]Defence Minister Jason Kenney had his first official visit with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and first look at the modernized Pacific Fleet, at Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) on Friday, Feb. 27.This first-hand look at the RCN allowed the Minister to see the extensive modernization happening throughout the fleet.A tweet put out by the Minister showed HMCS Vancouver, the newest Halifax-class frigate to have completed the modernization/frigate life extension (HMC/FELEX) program, returning from a week-long sail just as the Minister was arriving on base.On his arrival to the base, Minister Kenney was met by a 50-person Guard of Honour and members of the Naden Band. He was then escorted to a lunch at the Submarine Support Facility where he met with senior leadership, including Commodore David Craig, Commander of the Naval Reserve.Following the lunch, Minister Kenney toured HMCS Chicoutimi, one of the three Victoria-class submarines now in a steady state, which is set to return to the water this month.From there he was taken on a tour of HMCS Calgary, a Halifax-class frigate which, like HMCS Vancouver, has recently been updated through the HCM/FELEX program. Calgary was the workhorse of the Pacific Fleet last year, spending more than 250 days at sea.“It was truly remarkable to see first-hand the hard work and progress made by the RCN in this period of modernization and fleet renewal,” remarked Minister Kenney.The RCN’s fleet upgrades weren’t the only thing that impressed the Minister during his visit. In a news release he stated, “While having the best equipment available is important, even more important are the men and women of the RCN who, through their dedication and professionalism, exemplify the best qualities of our Canadian Armed...

A quick look at a career in the Canadian Forces as an Ammunition Technician.

[caption id="attachment_9401" align="alignnone" width="300"] Outgoing Commanding Officer, Cdr Julian Elborne, Cmdre Bob Auchterlonie, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, and incoming Commanding Officer, LCdr Blair Brown sign the Change of Command certificates.[/caption]HMCS Protecteur celebrated the customary turnover Feb. 20 between incoming and outgoing Commanding Officers, as the Auxiliary Oil Replenishment vessel remains alongside in Esquimalt eager for the next chapter in its long and proud history as the supply ship for Canada’s Pacific Naval Fleet.Cdr Julian Elbourne relinquished command of Protecteur to LCdr Blair Brown in a stoic change of command ceremony; the ship’s rich history and tradition, coupled with the myriad stories of sailors past and present, made this event a special one, if not a chance for reminiscence and a reminder to all present of the ship’s contributions to our country.The ceremony got underway just before 11 a.m. on the NOTC Venture Drill Deck, with Cmdre Bob Auchterlonie, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, presiding, and the Naden Band performing the customary musical accompaniment with aplomb.A reception followed in the Venture Gunroom, with outgoing Cdr Elbourne receiving tributes from his Junior Ranks, Chiefs and Petty Officers, and Officers in honour of the leadership and character he demonstrated while in Protecteur.LCdr  Brown, incoming Commanding Officer, will now take the helm in Protecteur, having served as the ship’s Executive Officer since 2014; no stranger to his current position, he assumed command of HMCS Edmonton in 2013 and brings a wealth of experience into this new role.  Commissioned Aug. 30, 1969, Protecteur served the fleet on both coasts, participating in numerous operations based out of Halifax from the 1970s until 1993, including Standing Naval Force Atlantic (SNFL) in 1973 with HMCS Margaree, and Operation Friction, the multi-national contribution to United Nations’ response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990-91.The ship’s mandate shifted to west...

[caption id="attachment_9398" align="alignnone" width="300"] The United States Navy awards Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) TORONTO the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their efforts resulting in seizures of significant caches of illicit narcotics.[/caption]Crewmembers from HMCS Toronto stood on parade Feb. 20 at HMCS Scotian to receive a rare commendation from the U.S. Navy - the Meritorious Unit Commendation.U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert presented the commendation and praised the personnel of Toronto for meritorious service and continued support of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) from February 2013 to 2014.“In the history of the commendation, we’ve given it to five units, which includes only two ships, this is the second. This event is very special in that it marks the fifth occurrence of such a decoration in the last 45 years,” said Admiral Greenert.While deployed, The Halifax-class frigate significantly disrupted the flow of drugs, criminal and terrorist activities in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.Toronto’s responsibilities included tracking, boarding and searching maritime contacts of interest to CTF-150 resulting in an impressive string of narcotics seizures, including more than 1,300 kilograms of heroin and over 6,000 kilograms of hashish.By disrupting the flow of narcotics to such a significant extent, Toronto severely impacted the funding of terrorist and criminal activities.“An honour such as this continues to demonstrate the world-class capabilities of the Royal Canadian Navy’s ships and their crews,” said Vice Admiral Mark Norman, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.“I would like to thank Admiral Greenert for bestowing this honour on HMCS Toronto and her crew, and I congratulate the officers and sailors receiving this commendation today for modelling what duty and dedication entails, and for upholding the Royal Canadian Navy’s tremendous reputation for excellence at sea.”Among the attended at HMCS Scotian were the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, and several...

[caption id="attachment_9395" align="alignnone" width="300"] In a moment of excitement at completing her 3,000 kilometre journey, SLt Marianne Knai, powerlifts her bike.[/caption]While many people were lounging around their living rooms on Boxing Day, helping themselves to Christmas dinner leftovers, or heading out to the malls to shop, SLt Marianne Knai was cycling solo down a rainy highway in Seattle.Cold and wet, she would not be deterred on the first day of her month-long cycling journey down the Pacific Coast to the Mexican border to raise funds for mental health.“On my first day, I was cycling down the highway, I had turkey in my belly, and I was vibrating with excitement,” she says.Her mission originated as a response to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association’s (ALS) ice bucket challenge, in which the public was invited by the ALS to film themselves being dumped over the head with buckets of ice water.The association encouraged participants to post their videos on social media afterwards.While SLt Knai saw the heart of the challenge as important, she wanted to find an alternative way to raise funds for a social justice cause, without further wasting a precious resource.She chose to focus her fundraising on mental health, an issue key to her role as Psychosocial Team Lead at the Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Pacific). Included among the charities she chose was the Canadian Association for Mental Health, the Kids Help Line, and local mental health organizations.“I wanted to do the ride so that I could contribute to my community in way that got people together – both civilians and military members – with the common ground being a conversation about mental health,” says SLt Knai.After a minor setback – a flat tire 80 kilometres in, SLt Knai cut across Washington State to the Oregon coast, where she experienced...

Air and ground crew members from Air Task Force - Iraq pause to observe two minutes of silence to honour of Sergeant Mark Salesse, a Search and Rescue Technician who was killed in a mountain training exercise in Banff, Alberta.

Members of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR) share urban operational tactics during a simulated house clearing mission with the Polish Army from 7th Battalion 25 Air Calvary at Wedrzyn's training base in Poland.

Crewmembers of Her Majesty's Canadian Ship FREDERICTON launch the Unmanned Surface Vehicle-Target for a surface fire exercise during Operation REASSURANCE on February 23, 2015. 

A boatswain on board Her Majesty's Canadian Ship FREDERICTON fires a gun-line to Spanish supply ship ESPS PATINO during a liquid replenishment at sea during Operation REASSURANCE.

A CC-150 Polaris Airbus refuels a the Royal British Air Force Tornado GR4 during Operation IMPACT on February 2, 2015