SAR Techs medevac crewmember from a ship off Canada's east coast

Canadian Soldiers along with their  US Army counterparts and the Polish Army, did a wings exchange jump from a CC-130J Hercules in Eastern Europe on August 21, 2014

Master Seaman Jose Clarke prepares HMCS Regina to conduct refuelling while at anchor in Male Harbour, Maldives on August 12, 2014.

Leading Seaman Matthew Kessler provides security with a .50 cal machine gun before HMCS Regina enters Male Harbour, Maldives on August 12, 2014.

Firefighter Adam Glazier maintaining positive pressure attack equipment while teams sweep the building.

A new batch of Ravens wrapped up their five-week program with a formal graduation ceremony last week.

HMCS Regina's CH-124 Sea King helicopter deploys flares during a routine flight operation in the Indian Ocean on August 14.

A peek at what it's like to be an EOD tech

[caption id="attachment_7412" align="alignnone" width="200"] Novelist Brenda Corey Dunne with her latest book, "Dependent".[/caption] For novelist and military spouse Brenda Corey Dunne, her work isn’t just a book on a shelf, it’s a piece of her. A few weeks ago she released her second novel, “Dependent”, which follows 45-year-old military spouse Ellen Michaels. When Michaels loses her husband in a training accident, she sets out on a journey of self-discovery and growth, reclaiming a sense of self she left behind following her marriage. “It’s a very raw story,” says Dunne. “It was difficult to write, because I had to get into the mind of someone experiencing these unbridled, painful emotions.I think what came out is a very honest story, and I’m very proud of it.” Dunne’s inspiration came partly from her own life, putting her own circumstances in the same framing as that of the fiction Michaels. She is a former Air Force Physiotherapy Officer and wife to Wing Commander of 19 Wing Comox Col Thomas Dunne. “I can’t imagine what I would do if I’d lost my husband. He’s been on deployment before but has always come home safe. It was hard to put myself through that thought process,” she says. “It’s important to put yourself into your writing, so what comes out is as real and as human as possible.” So intense are the book’s contents, Dunne says after submitting the manuscript to her publisher she received a concerned email. “I think she was considering calling social services,” she says, laughing. “It can get pretty grim, so it can be hard to separate the author from the fiction, but I assured her that I’m very happy with my life.” Already a published author, Dunne says the beginnings of what would become “Dependent” were first penned in 2004. So long has the process been, she’d already released her first novel, a historical fiction set in her native New Brunswick, before even finishing the manuscript for “Dependent”. “My first novel, ‘Treasure...

[caption id="attachment_7404" align="alignnone" width="199"] CFB Esquimalt Firefighters take part in a positive pressure attack exercise at an empty house near Work Point.[/caption] Base firefighters assembled in Work Point two weeks ago to keep their much-needed emergency skills perfect. Using a smoke machine to mimic a smoke-filled residence in an empty house near Work Point, the crew tackled a simulated emergency. The technique exercised was a Positive Pressure Attack (PPA). A PPA is a firefighting technique in which cool air is blasted into a burning building with a high powered fan. This ambient air pressurizes the inside atmosphere while also reducing the inside temperature, increasing the chances for anyone trapped inside to survive. Once the firefighters have created an adequate exhaust opening, the super-heated gases, smoke, and other combustible fire debris vent out of the building. “Techniques like this can bring the heat in a building down from 1,600 degrees to 300 degrees in 30 seconds,” says Randy Morton, Battalion Chief at the CFB Esquimalt Fire Department. “That makes it more survivable for occupants, and gives firefighters more time to get them out safely. It also clears smoke and super-heated fire gases, giving firefighters a clearer field of vision as they advance into the hazardous environment.” Breaching the entrance, firefighters moved into the building, and swept it for occupants and the source of the fire. Within five minutes they completed a search of the entire structure, extinguished the fire, and exited with a mannequin in their arms. “This is the kind of response I like to see,” said Morton during the team’s debrief. “This was efficient, effective work. This is why we train to ensure procedures are followed, and a quick attack is provided without delay.” This exercise and others like it are part of the department’s daily shift workday. Every 24 hour shift the department conducts an exercise. “We don’t get calls every day, but it’s important for us to stay on top of our game,” says Morton. “Working in...

[caption id="attachment_7396" align="alignnone" width="318"] RAVEN candidates stand ready during their graduation ceremony on Aug. 21.[/caption] Thirty candidates from the Canadian Forces RAVEN Aboriginal Youth Employment Program stood proud and hearkened to reviewing officer Capt(N) Tim Gijzen’s congratulatory words at their graduation ceremony held at the Work Point Parade Square last Thursday. The six-week course – five weeks of Primary Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification and a three-day Culture Camp on Aboriginal traditions — attracted First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students from across the nation to explore the Canadian Armed Forces. OS Katcheech was inspired to join the program through the Federation of B.C. Youth and Care Networks. “I told [one of the caregivers] that I wanted to live a bit before I became a teacher and she told me there’s a program for native youth. I applied a week before the course; it’s a miracle I’m here.” said OS Katcheech. “When I first got here I noticed how everybody was nervous. I thought people would be cocky, people would be ‘I’m the tough one’. I was surprised how even and equal we all were.” The RAVEN program provides Canadian Aboriginal youth an opportunity to experience life in the Canadian Armed  Forces. On successful completion of the program, it also offers RAVEN participants the option to pursue a career in the Reserve Force, Regular Force, or in a civilian occupation within the Department of National Defence. The Culture Camp was designed to ease the transition from civilian to military lifestyle, and focuses on common spiritual beliefs conducted by Elders of different First Nations and Aboriginal groups. Canadian Forces RAVEN Aboriginal Youth Employment Program, Serial 0085’s award sheet: • RAVEN Candidate OS Perry Assu was presented with the Top Student Award as well as the Commandant’s Trophy for Overall Highest Achievement. • RAVEN Candidate OS Brandi Lenglet was presented with the Comradeship Award. • RAVEN Candidate OS Elijah Charlie was presented with the Personal Achievement Award. • RAVEN Candidate OS Jolene Rockhill...

USCG MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter practices Search & Rescue exercises with Canadian Coast Gaurd (CCG) vessel Cape Naden in the waters off Pender Island.

USCG paces with a RCM Search & Rescue vessel during exercises in the waters off Pender Island.

The Albert Head Air Cadet Band preforms "Oh Canada" under the direction of Lt(N) Van Der Linden at the Admirals Garden Party August 9.

RAdm Bill Truelove, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, greets Amanda Blanchard and her daughters Kaydra and Arieanna at the Admirals Garden Party.

[caption id="attachment_7441" align="alignnone" width="300"] LCol Steve Jourdain, displays his book, “Mon Afghanistan”, a collection of lessons learned during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2009 as Commander Cobra Company.[/caption] In the hallowed halls of the legendary École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in Guer, France, military personnel and civilian enthusiasts gathered for two days of presentations, talks, and arm-chair chats at the 5th Annual Festival International du Livre Militaire (FILM) July 18-19. The festivities had Canadian representation in the form of LCol Steve Jourdain, Chief of Operations of the 2nd Canadian Division, and author of war memoir “Mon Afghanistan”, a record of his time serving as Commander of Cobra Company in Sperwan Ghar in 2009. “I was contacted by a coordinator who had my name passed to him by a reviewer,” says LCol Jourdain. “I was excited at the prospect of presenting alongside so many other military personnel, plus I already had plans to visit France, so there was no way I was going to pass it up.” With a release in 2013, “Mon Afghanistan” received solid reviews from both critics and the military community. It is a personal and honest reflection on his time in Sperwan Ghar. LCol Jourdain says he was happy to write down his thoughts on the role of Canadians in the Afghan conflict, the responsibilities of leading men and women in combat situations, and the repercussions when those combat situations resulted in lost lives. “It was a period of great growth for me. I learned a lot of things there that have given me a new perspective on my life and the lives of others,” says LCol Jourdain. “I hope that with my book I can pass on those perspectives and lessons to people who need them.” He says the idea for the book began long before...

[caption id="attachment_7348" align="alignnone" width="300"] Members of the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team train for the Asian Games being held inSouth Korea this September.[/caption] When Capt Ingrid Walker saw how limited women’s choices were during her 2012-13 tour in Afghanistan, she started looking for a way to make a difference. The search didn’t take long. In the course of her deployment, she stumbled across Mountain2Mountain, a charity dedicated to helping women and girls in conflicted regions around the world. “It’s an organization that I discovered completely by chance while I was on tour, working with the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A) in Kabul from November 2012 to May 2013,” says Capt Walker. She immediately began to support the charity and has now organized Victoria’s first Global Solidarity Ride to raise awareness and funds for the grassroots organization. On Aug. 30, she invites all women to hop on the saddle of their bicycles and ride from Mattick’s Farm to Ogden Point. The ride starts at 10 a.m. The one-way 25.7 km ride is open to anyone who wants to join and Capt Walker is encouraging those who have served in Afghanistan, in particular, to participate. There is no registration fee. Riders are instead encouraged to donate to the Mountain2Mountain website, www.mountain2mountain.org. “For me, it’s a way to continue my relationship with the Afghan people, albeit from a distance,” says Capt Walker of her involvement with the charity. “I worked with Afghan women quite a bit in my role as a Human Resources Gender Integration Mentor and was left with an enduring admiration for their courage, tenacity and resilience. It seemed short sighted to end my commitment to women in Afghanistan, simply because my tour was over.” Mountain2Mountain uses the bicycle, a symbol of freedom of movement, as its vehicle for changing...

Boaters in the Gulf Islands were treated to an exciting scene when the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), volunteers of the Royal Canadian Maritime Search and Rescue (RCMSAR), and United States Coast Guard (USCG) personnel gathered for a joint training evolution in the sun-soaked waters off Pender Island. The exercise involved coordination between the 47 foot CCG Motor Life Boat (MLB) Cape Naden, a CCG 753 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB), a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and four RCMSAR RHIBs. Participants were supported by 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, which provided space for briefings and the use of their helicopter pad for aircraft familiarization. Personnel practiced lowering and raising an Air Rescue Technician in a rescue basket between MLB Cape Naden and the aircraft, as well as station keeping with the RHIBs. “We share a lot of adjacent water with the U.S., we share a common goal of helping those in peril, so there are situations in which we will support each other on SAR incidents. It’s important to be ready for those situations,” says PO1 Mike Mitchell, Search and Rescue Program Officer for the CCG and the Coxswain for HMCS Malahat. “We only get the opportunity to train together a few times a year so it’s important to make the most of it.” He says the high level of coordination and skill necessary between air and sea assets is what makes any joint rescue a perilous undertaking. “If the sea conditions are rough or it’s windy, things become very challenging,” he says. “Not only are the vessels bouncing around, but the wind is buffeting the aircraft, and they have to be in almost perfect synchronization to make sure everything is as safe as possible when lowering or raising people in danger.” PO1 Mitchell says working with the USCG, while...

[caption id="attachment_7305" align="alignnone" width="300"] HMCS Regina is expected home in mid-September.[/caption]After almost nine months at sea, and participation in two Canadian naval operations, the crew of HMCS Regina is now coming home.The ship is expected home in mid-September.The Halifax-class frigate left CFB Esquimalt last January for Operation Artemis, Canada’s participation in counter-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea.However, when tension began to increase in the Ukraine this past April, the Government of Canada responded to NATO’s request for enhanced reassurance to promote security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe, and Regina was given a short-notice re-tasking to the region.“As a forward operating, high-readiness unit we have the flexibility and capability to go where we’re needed, when we’re needed,” says Cdr Daniel Charlebois, Commanding Officer of Regina. “We’d been tracking the situation in the Ukraine for quite some time, so when the call came to lend a hand we were more than ready to help.”Joining up with a NATO task force in the Eastern Mediterranean, Regina took part in patrols and presence - building operations, tracking the movements and operations of Russian Federation Naval vessels in response to Russian aggression.With a complex situation like that in the Ukraine, operations such as Reassurance are created to show the presence and strength of allied nations, dissuading the notions of open conflict. Cdr Charlebois says the crew was ready for a Cold War-esque scenario with Russian Federation vessels, but everyone kept their distance.“We’ve seen Russian Federation vessels operating, but it has all been non-escalatory, professional, and benign,” says Cdr Charlebois. “We expected more interaction, but with the presence of so many NATO allies the situation became more about security and safety for the Mediterranean region.”As a high-traffic maritime environment, the Mediterranean Sea is a complex region in which to operate. The professionalism of Canadian...

On Friday, Aug. 8, a new permanent submarine exhibit was unveiled at the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum during the Submarine Centenary Week of celebrations.

[caption id="attachment_7296" align="alignnone" width="300"] Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, Admiral Robin Dhowan (left) presents RAdm Truelove (right) with a replica of the Jantar Mantar observatory in New Delhi visit to CFB Esquimalt on August 5, 2014.[/caption]Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, Admiral Robin Dhowan (left) presents RAdm Truelove (right) with a replica of the Jantar Mantar observatory in New Delhi visit to CFB Esquimalt on August 5, 2014.

Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, Admiral Robin Dhowan salutes the color party during the Guard of Honor parade held in his honor at CFB Esquimalt on the 5th of August 2014.

Rim of the Pacific

[caption id="attachment_7283" align="alignnone" width="300"] For more information on the Digitization Project and the archives, or to submit your own materials visit www.esquimalt.ca/cultureHeritage/archives/ or call 250-412-8540.[/caption] In a three-room office underneath the Esquimalt Road McDonald’s restaurant the history of the township is being brought into the digital age. Municipal Archivist Greg Evans and his team are heading up the Archives Digitization Project, scanning over 6,000 images dating back 150 years and storing them online for the public eye. “The archives have always been available on site, but we wanted to make our collection more accessible,” says Evans. “This way you can be anywhere in the world and look at the images we have, and also gives us a way to preserve them should anything happen to the hard copies.” The project is one of several similar ones funded by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, receiving a $9,000 grant from the organization. The money has gone towards the re-inforcing of the archive’s web architecture, and the services of archive consultant and historian Patrick Craib. Digging through stacks and stacks of photos, Craib scans and annotates each one, adding relevant information such as the date of its production, the subjects, and any other details that are to be posted alongside it on the archives website. “Individually the photos are interesting, but once you start going through them all in succession it gives you a new appreciation for the culture that existed back then,” says Craib. “You see how people dressed, how they spent their free time, how they felt about certain events, and what was important to them. There are reasons people took photos of these events and finding those reasons is very intriguing.” For Evans’ part he hopes the new digital archives can give the people of Esquimalt a reason to...

What is happening?Power to the CFB Esquimalt areas of Dockyard, Signal Hill, and Naden will be disrupted for approximately eight hours due to a planned power outage. When is this happening?This is scheduled to take place Sunday August 24, 0830hrs until approximately 1630hrs. Why is this happening?This power interruption is required to perform repair work on the high voltage power distribution system within the base, as well as repairs to the high voltage system at the Esquimalt Graving Dock. The following will be affected: All buildings and structures within the Dockyard gates, and on Signal Hill. All buildings in Naden including the Arena, Base Gym and CANEX. All Dockyard and Naden Jetties including ships’ power supplies. Esquimalt Graving Dock. Critical buildings and systems will be dependent on permanently installed generators. Note: Not all buildings on base are backed up with generators. No portable generators will be provided. The following will not be affected: Naden Health Services Clinic. Work Point all areas. All outlying areas not located in Esquimalt.  (ie. Colwood, Albert Head, Armouries, etc) Emergency services will be available. Alarm systems will function on battery backed up power. Phone lines are not anticipated to be effected. Note: If using a cell phone to call 911, tell the dispatcher your location is CFB Esquimalt and request to be transferred to the Base Fire Hall. What accommodations and food services will be affected?All housing units and accommodation blocks within the gates of Naden and Dockyard, as well as all base messes located on Signal Hill will be affected. Housing units outside the gates, in Work Point, and in outlying areas will not be affected.This power outage is planned to take place as stated; however, timings are subject to change due to the nature of the work.Watch the MARPAC notice board for updates. If you require more information, please contact:Dean MarshallElectrical SupervisorBase Construction Engineering Dean.Marshall@forces.gc.ca 250-363-2225   Power outages from a BIS perspective What is happening?In order to replace UPS’s at Esquimalt Dockyard...

[caption id="attachment_7271" align="alignnone" width="300"] For more information on Fab Forts and the remaining summer programs such as Learn to Camp, English Car Affair in the Park, and the Lantern Tour hosted at Fort Rodd Hill, visit www.pc.gc.ca/fortroddhill or 250-478-5849.[/caption]Next weekend the normally serene grounds of Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site will turn to a scream fest as hordes of children engage in Victoria’s largest water gun fight.The bone-drenching competition is a part of Fab Forts, an annual Parks Canada initiative created to celebrate the many historic and military forts scattered across Canada.“We wanted to do something to get the adrenaline pumping. What gets the blood going more than a water gun fight?” says Lara Cohlmeyer, Interpretation Coordinator for Fort Rodd Hill. “The grounds of the fort are beautiful and expansive, so we thought we’d put them to use.”In years past Fort Rodd Hill has featured military re-enactments and presentations; this year they wanted to try something a little different.Beyond the team-based Storm the Fort there will be  Capture the Flag, target practice, face painting and music.“For many people this will be their first Fab Forts, and we wanted to show them a side of the fort they’ve never seen before,” she says. “It’s one thing to walk around and observe the history in this place, but it’s another to run around and soak your friends in it.”Whether you’re looking to duke it out in the water gun fights, or just relax with some sunshine and live music, Cohlmeyer says the event has something for everyone.“This fort is for the community,” she says. “We want people to come down and soak in some local history in any way they want.”Gracing Vancouver Island’s coastline since its construction in 1850, Fort Rodd Hill has long stood as a bastion of Canadian naval...