HMCS Fredericton conducts a replenishment at sea with German supply ship FGS Spessart during Op Reassurance on Jan. 27.

The ISS Team and US counterparts discuss relief efforts for an earthquake scenario in Kingston, Jamaica during Exercise Ready Renaissance 15, Feb. 19.

Cpl Pierre-Luc Auger climbs out of the water following an ice dive in Deschambault-Grondines, QC, Feb. 19 during Exercise Roguish Buoy.

A crew member of HMCS Fredricton hones their skills during an emergency exercise while in the Mediterranean Sea for Op Reassurance, Feb. 10.

HMCS Algonquin is all dressed for 50th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, Sunday, Feb. 15.

Night mission over Iraq from Lookout on Vimeo.

 CPO2 Nathalie Scalabrini knows should her 10-year-old daughter Alexandra ever encounter an emergency medical situation, the she has the skills to appropriately address the situation.Her confidence is derived from training received through St. John Ambulance.Alexandra has reached the level of Cadet in the free first-aid based St. John Youth Program, after two years of committed volunteering.Both mother and daughter are involved in the program; Chief Scalabrini is the Administrative Officer for the St. John Ambulance 61C Colonel Michael Allen Division.“My daughter was coming to an age where it was very important for me to have her to join the community as an active member, but I wasn’t sure how to make that happen,” says CPO2 Scalabrini. “So I brought her to one session, and she fell in love with it.”Their division first formed in May 1977, and provides leadership opportunities to youth ages six to 18. For two hours every Monday night, over 25 participants – Juniors, Cadets, Crusaders, and Officers – gather to practice first aid skills in a team-like, supportive setting.Parents often line the sides of the room, watching their children learn how to clean wounds, care for broken bones, practice CPR, check vital signs, and act out emergency scene management –  to name just a few of the skills practiced. Those viewing the session are often invited to play the victims – a necessary role for a room full of budding first aid practitioners.CPO2 Scalabrini’s initial participation took the form of observing, but soon, she says, she began taking on higher levels of responsibility, which didn’t surprise her. At least half of the organization’s key officers and instructors are military members.Every week, a new chapter from the St. John Ambulance First Aid manual is taught by an instructor possessing Standard First Aid, CPR-C certificate, and often, the...

[caption id="attachment_9317" align="alignnone" width="200"] Sergeant Mark Salesse[/caption]Sergeant Mark Salesse had a physical presence that made people notice him, but it was his natural tendency to reach out and help others that made him a person others could call a brother or a friend.Last seen alive by three of his search and rescue brethren from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sergeant Salesse, 44, was in his element on Thursday, Feb. 5, before an avalanche swept him away, leaving him buried in the snows covering Polar Circus in Banff National Park, Alberta.Initial search efforts by his climbing partner immediately after the avalanche, and subsequent searches by Parks Canada Visitor Safety Specialists, were made more difficult by poor weather conditions that increased the risk of more avalanches.Finally, on Wednesday, Feb. 11 Sgt Salesse’s remains were recovered from the treacherous terrain.“Our consolation is that Mark has died doing what he loved most, in the majestic mountains that so beckoned him. He chose his final resting place. He is at peace,” said his mother, Liz Quinn.Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick, where his father Maurice still resides, Sgt Salesse joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the fall of 1989 at the age of 18 as a member of the Governor General Foot Guards (GGFG), a Primary Reserve infantry unit in Ottawa, Ontario.  After serving with the Foot Guards for a year, he moved to British Columbia and joined the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own), an armoured reconnaissance reserve unit in Vancouver, British Columbia.His love of outdoor sports and physical challenge lent themselves well to life in British Columbia. With the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean at his doorstep, Sergeant Salesse pursued his interests in mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, and SCUBA diving. Encouraged by his training in the Canadian Army,...

In light of two recent targeted, malicious acts against CFB Esquimalt’s recreational facilities I feel that I must bring this issue to the attention of the local community.Since 2012 unknown persons have been vandalizing the Base sports fields, specifically the ball diamonds and soccer pitch located near Naden on Colville Road.  I use the word vandalism but that really does not adequately describe the extent of it. Hundreds of metal spikes and pieces of barbed wire have been buried in the surface of these fields.  Clearly this is more than just a prank meant to inconvenience users.Military members utilize these fields to keep fit through sporting activity. The fields are also made available to local sports leagues and teams from the Greater Victoria community; it is not uncommon to see children and families engage in a soccer match or ball game on DND fields.I have no idea why someone would repeatedly carry out such a despicable act. If that someone is reading this letter, then I ask you to stop and consider your actions, and the potential harm that might come from it. If you are not happy with how the soccer pitch and ball diamonds are being used, or if you have other grievances, then put pen to paper and send me a letter.Our Military Police are actively investigating these unlawful acts; however, I also need the community’s help in finding the perpetrator(s) and ensure that they are held accountable.  If you see any suspicious activity or have any information that you think would aid us in our investigation please contact the 24/7 Military Police dispatch phone line at 250-363-4032.  To submit a tip anonymously contact either the Military Police tip line at 250-363-TIPS (8477) or Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).These images show the size and nature of...

The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism speaks with members of the sniper team from 1RCR during a visit to 1CMBC on February 13, 2015.

LCdr Fluet, Lt (N) Bartek, PO1 Creer, LS Moore and AS Jalbert race towards the finish line during the Ice Canoe Race at the Carnaval de Québec on February 8, 2015.

During Black History Month, we honour the legacies that "Army" Howard and Harry Jerome left to our country on track and off.

Defence Research Development Canada (DRDC) and Colt Canada have developed an integrated weapon/rifle prototype for the Canadian Armed Forces. 

Cpl Brenden Eberle new world record Prairie Power Open meet Calgary, AB Jan. 31.

To kick off this year’s anti-bullying campaign, the Maritime Forces Pacific Health and Wellness Team (MHWT) will be hosting “Cyber-bullying: Perceptions and Responses,” a talk by Dr. Brett Holfeld, a cyber-bullying researcher at the University of Victoria.This free event will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 10:30-11:45 a.m. at the Upstairs Lounge of the Pacific Fleet Club and is open to the Defence Community and their families.Bullying is not a new phenomenon, but cyber-bullying – the use of the internet to harass, embarrass and/or threaten others – is. In contrast to other methods of bullying, it can occur 24 hours a day and is often permanently available once on the internet.Public Safety Canada reports that this relentless form of bullying can compound feelings of fear, humiliation, social isolation and other negative emotions.“Because the material can be posted online at any time of the day or night, and can reach an unlimited audience, it can be more distressing than traditional forms of bullying,” explains Dr. Holfeld.Not only has cyber-bullying altered the experience of victims, but it has also changed the profile of bullies.Hiding behind technology, bullies do not witness their victim’s reaction, which makes it easier for them to become more aggressive. A 2008 cyber-bullying survey by the University of Toronto found that 74 per cent of participants who admitted to cyber-bullying others had not bullied others in person, suggesting that this passive form of bullying has increased the number of people willing to target others. For more information on this study, visit http://www.governmentevents.ca/ypo2008/presentations/634.pdf .Although young people are the most common targets of cyber-bullying, adults are also affected. The Canadian Institute of Health Research reports that 40 per cent of Canadian workers experience bullying on a weekly basis. This workplace bullying can lead to an increase in absenteeism, turnover and...

[caption id="attachment_9273" align="alignnone" width="300"] Harry Jerome crosses the finish line at a dual meet with the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, circa 1961.[/caption]As Canada celebrates Black History Month and the Year of Sport, the time has never been better to honour the legacies that “Army” Howard and Harry Jerome left to our country, on the track and off.These outstanding black athletes challenged the discrimination of their times and serve as role models to Canadian youth on the power of believing in yourself. Canada’s first black Olympian, John “Army” Howard, and his grandchildren, Olympians Harry and Valerie Jerome, leave a legacy of courage to all Canadians.While the name John Armstrong “Army” Howard may not be familiar to most Canadians, perhaps it should be.The Winnipeg-raised First World War veteran dominated Canadian sprinting from 1912 to1915. Not only does Howard appear to be Canada’s first black Olympian, he passed on his passion for running to his grandchildren, Olympians Harry and Valerie Jerome. Howard was born on Oct. 6, 1888. Trained as a mechanic, the tall handsome athlete eventually made his mark on the Canadian scene as a sprinter. Howard easily qualified for the 1912 Olympics held in Sweden, but the path to Stockholm was not smooth. The playing field that was Canadian society in the 1910s was far from level for black Canadians.“My grandfather headed off to Stockholm enveloped in controversy,” said Ms. Jerome, noting for example the Olympic sprinting team’s coach, Walter Knox, described Howard to the press as outspoken and disobedient. She added that when the Canadian Olympic team mustered in Montreal before setting sail for Stockholm, Howard was barred from staying at the same hotel as the white athletes. In addition, when traveling by boat to Sweden, he was not allowed to eat in the dining room with...

[caption id="attachment_9280" align="alignnone" width="300"] The ships will be known as the Harry DeWolf Class, named after Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf, a Canadian naval hero of the Second World War.[/caption]The build contract for the construction of six Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) has been announced.Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has the contract, valued at $2.3 billion, which marks the start of the construction phase under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS). The contract has been designed to ensure that risks are properly managed and shared throughout the build process. It provides strong incentives for Irving Shipbuilding to take full advantage of its state-of-the-art facilities and to pass any efficiency savings on to Canada.This will ensure best value for taxpayers, and sets out the plan for the delivery of six ships within a ceiling price. AOPS has been designed to provide the RCN with a platform to conduct year-round patrols out to the limits of Canada’s economic exclusive zone in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and most importantly in the Arctic during the navigable season.The ships will provide active surveillance, perform constabulary duties, and respond to any urgent situation as required. One of the most important capabilities AOPS will possess is its ability to navigate in ice, critical for ships that operate in the Arctic. The ships will be known as the Harry DeWolf Class, named after Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf, a Canadian naval hero of the Second World War.Construction of an initial block is scheduled for the summer, while full production will commence in September 2015. Delivery of the first AOPS is expected in 2018.  DND

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Guests’ hats sit on a table during the closing ceremonies of Exercise CUTLASS EXPRESS in Grand Port, Mauritius on February 3, 2015. 

Recovery of NOMAD 3521 from Lake Muskoka from Canadian Forces Video on Youtube.

Hundreds of people converged on the Naden Athletic Centre last Thursday to check out more than 120 local vendors offering education, recreation and wellness products and services. Organized by the Lookout newspaper, with support from the Base Personnel Selection Office, the event was in direct support of the base's growing health and wellness movement. Big thanks to sponsors Hotel Grand Pacific and Laser Centers for Health, whose financial contribution made it possible to offer 500 free meals for Deadbeetz and Street Car Named New Orleans Food Trucks and free coffee from Serious Coffee.100 plus Vendorsfrom education to recreation to health services to local businesses!!SchoolsCamosun College CDI College BCIT Legion Military Skills Conversion Program Royal Roads University Royal Military College of Canada University of Manitoba UVic, Division of Continuing Studies University of Athabasca Westshore Learning Centre West Coast College of Massage Eaton Education Group (NEW!) Pacific Design Academy Sprott Shaw Community College Third Quarter / Skills Connect West Mont Montessori Richard Mar Hair School Q CollegeHealth and Wellness Admirals Walk Optometry Clinic (NEW!) Base Chaplains BC Schizophrenia Society of Victoria BC Responsible and Problem Gambling Program Big Brothers and Big Sisters Canadian Diabetes Association Capital Regional District (CRD) Capital Mental Health Do Terra Essential Oils EAP Health Promotion Heart and Stroke Health Partners Island Hand Therapy Clinic Island Health Tobacco Prevention K. McLellan Acupuncture Laser Centres for Health (Sponsor) MARPAC Health and Wellness Strategy MFRC Monarch House Muscle Mlk (NEW!) Norwex Chemical Free Products (NEW!) Prostrate Centre Progressive Chiropractic PSP Sports and Fitness Quit Now (NEW!) Saanich Volunteer Society Sunshine Coast Health Centre (NEW!) Synergy Health Centre (NEW!) Victoria Massage Clinic (NEW!) Recreation Accent Inns Delta Hotels (NEW!) Crown Isle Golf and Resort (NEW!) Esquimalt Parks and Recreation(NEW!) Expedia Cruise Ship Centers Victoria(NEW!) Hallmark Hotels (NEW!) Holiday Inn Comox Hotel Grand Pacific (Sponsor) IMAX KGeez Cycle – electric bikes NEW! Mount Washington Alpine Resort Sandman Hotels Strathcona Hotel & Sticky Wicket Silver Birch Hotels (NEW!) Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa and Resort (NEW!) Olympic...

Her Majesty's Canadian Ship FREDERICTON conducts a replenishment at sea with German supply ship FGS SPESSART during Operation REASSURANCE on January 27, 2015.

A Canadian Armed Forces medical team member takes a blood sample under the supervision of the UK staff as part of Operation SIRONA pre-deployment training with their British counterparts.

A Combat Camera Imagery Technician films the refueling of a CF-18 Hornet from a CC-150 Polaris during Operation IMPACT in Kuwait on February 4, 2015.

[caption id="attachment_9146" align="alignnone" width="300"] From right: Maril Hanna, Alana Toffey, LCdr Judith Harlock, Lisa Berting, and Brian Hayward - all members of a lunch time walking club about to embark on a stroll around the base.[/caption]Lisa Berting will spend the next 12 weeks changing an unhealthy regime she’s been living for over four years.Berting, the Safety and Environment Officer for CFB Esquimalt’s Base Administration section was selected as one of seven participants for the Victoria Times Colonist’s 2015 Health Challenge.After filling out an application and writing an essay about her life, she was picked from a barrage of entries.Now she is on her way to a complete health transformation with the support of experts in the fields of nutrition, fitness, and mental well-being.“I’m diabetic, and have high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” says Berting.“It’s been out of control for a long time. I’ve ended up taking insulin, and am on several different prescription medications right now.”Berting says her motivation to apply for the challenge stemmed from living with the increasingly compromised immune system of an obese person.After having to take close to three months off of work last year, she decided that something had to change.“I had a friend say to me: if you don’t get your health together, you aren’t going to be around. That was a big motivating factor for me.”The challenge is a short-term program that influences participants to make long-term lifestyle changes.Although weight loss is emphasized, the challenge addresses all the basic cornerstones of good health.Berting is exercising with personal trainer Jonathan Carpenter at the Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre.Following Carpenter’s baseline fitness assessment, Berting now works out six times a week, from an hour to two hours a day.“When I first started, I had never been to the centre. It was intimidating. I had no...

[caption id="attachment_9142" align="alignnone" width="282"] NCdt Sylvain Dostie and Renata. He married the “most beautiful woman he had ever seen.”[/caption]In an age of viral video marriage proposals, there’s no shortage of proof that some people go above and beyond to show their love for that special someone.These elaborate productions bring sentimental folks to tears and make the simple “down on one knee” proposal look downright inadequate.But some of the most powerful love stories can’t be captured in a three minute video full of singing and dancing and nostalgic photo montages.One of those stories belongs to a Naval Cadet here at CFB Esquimalt, whose tale of love at first sight stretches from Afghanistan to Spain to Brazil and finally to Canada.In October of 2008, NCdt Sylvain Dostie was a Leading Seaman on his way home to Canada from a deployment in Afghanistan.On the last day of five in the Spanish town of Torremolinos, he was walking by a beachside restaurant when he caught sight of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.“I saw Renata working at a restaurant on the beach and so I walked into the restaurant. I wasn’t hungry, but I was stunned,” he says.Building up the courage to talk to her, he ordered and ate lunch in the nearly empty restaurant, then walked to the bar to strike up a conversation with her.“I started speaking in English, but she didn’t understand,” he says.Despite both of them being bilingual – he French and English, she Spanish and Portuguese – the pair didn’t have a common language between them, so they resorted to scribbling pictures on napkins. 
From a doodle of the world and some arrows, NCdt Dostie learned that Renata was Brazilian.Following relatively successful efforts to learn about each other, NCdt Dostie decided to ask Renata out on a date that night.It would be his only chance because his flight back to Canada was scheduled to leave the next day.Changing their communication method from Pictionary to Charades, he mimicked the...

[caption id="attachment_9128" align="alignnone" width="300"] Members of a taste-testing panel at Garrison Petawawa discuss a sample of a new combat ration.[/caption]Marching ammo.Soldier fuel.Combat rations.Whichever term is used, developing new combat rations that will be well accepted by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members is serious business.Ann Delaney and Megan Buchanan, Combat Rations Specialists with the National Combat Rations Program, put their food science degrees to good use by helping create new and healthier portable meals for the CAF.They work with registered dietitian Hilda-Anne Troupe and other team members at the Directorate of Food Services in Gatineau, Quebec, to formulate rations that will provide optimal nutrition for optimal performance in any operational situation.Each three-year research and development cycle aims to create three to four new recipes.The process begins with an analysis of food trends, soldiers’ feedback, NATO standards, and current nutritional research, and then continues with field trials of the newly created sample meals at the brigade level before they are approved for production and delivery.Also called Individual Meal Packs or IMPs, they contain between 1,200 and 1,400 calories per meal and come in a variety of carefully-developed menu options. Traditionally, a paper questionnaire was inserted in each ration pack, numbering about one million a year.Unfortunately, only a relatively small number were being returned annually, since filling out a questionnaire on the battlefield or during training was inconvenient, to say the least.To remedy this, the combat rations team is now taking advantage of social media.The program’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Combat-Rations-Rations-de-Combat-Canadiennes/213893152120758 has an online version of the questionnaire.Eventually users will be able to access the page for nutritional information, product development and to post questions.As of spring 2015, the outer packaging of new IMPs will display a Quick Reference Code, or QRC that can be scanned by smartphones to access the combat rations Facebook...