[caption id="attachment_22636" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo by LS Michael Goluboff, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]The Naden band performs a ceremonial drum song for HMCS Whitehorse as she departs for Operation Caribbe, at Duntze Head, CFB Esquimalt Feb. 10.
[caption id="attachment_22632" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photos by Canadian Armed Forces[/caption]Operation Caribbe is the Canadian Armed Forces contribution to the elimination of illegal trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean by organized crime. HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Whitehorse departed on the operation Feb. 10.
[caption id="attachment_22629" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo by John W. Penner, John’s Photography[/caption]Mark Blachuras, Steve Deschamps, and Alan Kobayashi participate in Wounded Warrior Run BC training run on Jacklin Road in Langford on Feb. 9.
[caption id="attachment_22624" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photos provided by Marine Nationale[/caption]French Ship (FS) Courbet’s boarding team, including their drug detection dog, pose on the flight deck with the 1.5 metric tonnes of hashish seized from a dhow in the Gulf of Oman on Jan. 5.
[caption id="attachment_22620" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo provided by Marine Nationale[/caption]French Ship (FS) Courbet’s boarding team searches a dhow in the Gulf of Oman while the ship stays close. Courbet’s boarding team found and seized 1.5 metric tonnes of hashish from this vessel.
Courtesy Maple Leaf ~Did you know the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is getting a new operational dress uniform?The current uniform, known as the Naval Combat Dress (NCD), was developed in the early 2000s. It is a three-piece uniform made up of a heavyweight jacket with liner, trousers, and a lightweight shirt. After almost two decades of use, the navy is working to see how it can make improvements.The Department of National Defence and the RCN are trialing a two-piece uniform consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and pants. This new uniform, known as the Naval Enhanced Combat Uniform (NECU), will replace the current operational dress. It will increase comfort and function in all operational environments. The current shirt and jacket will be replaced with the heavier NECU shirt, which will fit better, has minimized bulk in the pockets, and improved functionality with current and future layers such as the Naval Wind and Rain ensemble. The trousers will have a modern cut and fit.Approximately 400 naval members are wearing the new dress as part of the trial. Their views and opinions will be factored into the final decision.Surveys were conducted on the current uniform to identify issues and deficiencies, including a gender-based analysis, which were factored into the new clothing design.Sailors can expect to receive a new uniform starting winter 2021 as a replacement for worn items of the current NCD. Everyone should be completely outfitted over three years.
[caption id="attachment_22562" align="alignnone" width="591"] The winning team of this month’s Seamanship Olympics, the Temporary Holding Platoon. They are pictured here with the Seamanship Olympics Trophy presented by LCdr Chris Maier.[/caption]A/SLt Joshua Miszczak , Seamanship Olympics Coordinator ~Those who come to Naval Fleet School (Pacific) are always eager to begin their careers with the Royal Canadian Navy and to experience the marine environment. Many come out west directly from Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, and some come with prior military experience in the Primary Reserve, or in another element. That experience is always valuable but often doesn’t cover the core skills needed to operate on the water. Chart work, boat handling, knots, rope work, and basic rigging for sail are among the skills needed by the aspiring mariner. To address this, Naval Fleet School (Pacific) has developed monthly Seamanship Olympics: a chance for novice sailors to learn and compete.On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the school held the inaugural Olympics in building N50 by the small boat jetties. Four teams of sailors made up from Personnel Awaiting Training (PAT) Platoons and the Temporary Holding Platoon (THP) attended basic chart work lectures, were given a tour of Sail Training Vessel Tuna to get familiar with its lines, and practiced their knots and rope work.The atmosphere was jovial as the teams moved through their competition stands. By 3 p.m. LCdr Chris Maier was ready to announce the winners.Orca platoon took third place; they represented well but were unable to keep up with the Grizzly Platoon who came in second. However, neither team could catch THP. Their superior cohesion and morale led them to earn the Seamanship Trophy: a remounted pelorus, a worthy prize to inspire those sailors hoping to compete again in February.Special thanks to A/SLt Ladouceur, A/SLt Zanko, A/SLt Gjos, A/SLt Young, and Lt...
[caption id="attachment_22558" align="alignnone" width="591"] Comedian and entertainer Jessica Holmes filled the room in Tribute Tower as she mixed in plenty of comedy while sharing her story of struggling with depression. Photo by Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~Jessica Holmes says she’s always wanted to perform her brand of high-energy comedy in front of a Canadian Armed Forces audience.When she finally got that chance on Jan. 29, she was able to bring not just her comedic talents, but also a story of mental health struggles.Holmes, known best for her five-year run on the CBC sketch show Royal Canadian Air Farce, visited CFB Halifax on Bell Let’s Talk Day, as one of the celebrity ambassadors tied to the annual day. It focuses on raising money for mental health initiatives and reducing societal stigmas that surround mental health problems and diagnoses.She spoke to a packed room of Defence Team members at Mr. Mac’s in Tribute Tower, where she opened with musical numbers and a medley of her well-known characters and impersonations from TV, before diving into her years-long battle with depression.“I felt like I was buried in cement, like a cartoon elephant was standing on my chest and wouldn’t get off. That’s how debilitating it was for a time, when I wasn’t able to get out of bed,” Holmes said.Her struggles began with postpartum depression after the birth of her two children, and though she recovered with help from her doctor, she described a dark cloud that came back over her years later.Her second bout with depression lasted more than two years, impacted her ability to work, and put a strain on her marriage, she said.It took help from medical professionals, trying multiple different strategies, and getting support from her family to eventually break through. Now that she is in remission, she’s...
[caption id="attachment_22554" align="alignnone" width="591"] Battle Buddy coin along with Dog Tags created by Leading Seaman (Retired) Debbi Ferguson, owner of Delta Fox Trot Designs.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff WriterA military veteran has created a collectable coin for the ill and injured to let them know they are not alone.The Battle Buddy Challenge Coin, says creator Leading Seaman (Retired) Debbi Ferguson, is a symbol of hope and support. Those who purchase them for themselves become part of the Battle Buddy family. Those who buy them as a gift become a Battle Buddy, demonstrating that no one gets left behind. That idea is echoed in the design, with a soldier carrying an injured comrade to safety. On the flip side, two hands interlock in a firm grip, symbolic of reaching out for help, with a maple leaf in the background. The coin has a silver antique finish and comes with a registered number and certificate with the name of the recipient. Ferguson has also turned the design into a Battle Buddy dog tag, as some people prefer to wear the art rather than carry a coin.“The purchaser of the coin is saying to the recipient, I have your back and I am there for you in the darkest hour, and will be there to pick you up in your time of need. I will always have your six.”Ferguson created the coin and dog tag as part of her company Delta Fox Trot Designs, which she opened after leaving the military in 2008. She served for 14 years before a medical release. She says the concept for the coin and terminology was drawn from Second World War infantry, with each soldier on the battlefield assigned a battle buddy or foxhole buddy. This life-or-death pact required one soldier to keep an eye out for threats while their...
[caption id="attachment_22547" align="alignnone" width="591"] Author Helen Edwards poses with a copy of her book Dutchy’s Diaries. The book focuses on the life and times of her father-in-law Commodore John Crispo Inglis Edwards of the Royal Canadian Navy and his travels from 1916 to 1929. Edwards will hold her book launch at the Wardroom on Feb. 18.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff WriterHelen Edwards has transformed the contents of a family member’s long-forgotten storage box of navy mementos into a newly released book.Extensive journals and hundreds of photographs were amassed by the Victoria resident’s father in-law, Royal Canadian Navy Commodore John Crispo Inglis Edwards between 1916 and 1929. The treasure trove of historical items remained inside the plain wooden box for decades. She knew the box resided in the family’s basement but had no idea what was inside.Seven years ago, she cracked it open.“My jaw dropped when I realized the contents inside,” said Edwards. Below the jumbled clutter of paper clips, magazines and stationery, she found a large photo album containing over 100 carefully labelled photos mounted on black paper. Most important to the find were four diaries with extensive hand-written entries from his travels around the world. The diaries were all different in size and colour, which leads Edwards to believe they were not navy issued stationery. “The ink on the written passages was very well preserved and while some of the photos and the handwriting on them was a little faded, overall they are in good shape considering they are a century old,” said Edwards. Born in Londonderry, N.S., Edwards was the sixth child of Major Joseph Plimsoll Edwards, a noted Canadian historian, and Emily Susan Crispo. After attending the Royal Naval College of Canada in 1911, he graduated as part of the school’s second class before embarking on a 39-year career in...
[caption id="attachment_22543" align="alignnone" width="591"] Players from CFB Edmonton Warriors celebrate the taste of victory and bite down on their gold medals after their 4-2 win over CFB Esquimalt Tritons in the championship game of the CAF Canada West Women’s Regional Hockey Championship at Wurtele Arena on Feb. 7. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~CFB Edmonton Warriors captured the CAF Canada West Women’s Regional Hockey title with a late comeback win over the Esquimalt Tritons on Feb. 7 at Wurtele Arena.Tournament host Tritons had built a 2-0 lead early in the third period of the gold medal game, backed by the solid goaltending of Cpl Katie Sawatzky who thwarted two Edmonton breakaways in the second period to preserve the lead for the hosts. But the visitors roared back with four unanswered goals in the final 13 minutes of the third period for a 4-2 victory over their familiar rivals.This year’s victory erases bad memories of defeats to the Tritons in previous tournaments, said Sgt Isabelle Langevin, CFB Edmonton Warrior’s centre. She earned the Valuable Player Award after helping lead the comeback charge scoring the Warriors opening goal and then an empty netter in the final seconds of play. “They are our rivals; the past two years we played Esquimalt in the [Canada West] final and they beat us both times in overtime, so this win was true redemption for us,” she added. “This win was even sweeter because we came back from a two-goal deficit to do it.”Major Anne Gray, a guest player from CFB Comox, opened the scoring for Esquimalt when she banged in a rebound from her own centering pass with 4:50 remaining in the first period. Capt Amanda Lauder gave Esquimalt a two-goal lead just 42 seconds into the third period after tipping a hard slap...
[caption id="attachment_22538" align="alignnone" width="591"] HMCS Fredericton sails away from the Jetty in Halifax along with its embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter. Photo by Mona Ghiz, MARLANT PA[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~The next chapter in the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) ongoing commitment to Operation Reassurance got started Jan. 20 with HMCS Fredericton departing Halifax for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean.Fredericton’s deployment marks the 13th time a Canadian vessel has sailed to the region since the RCN began supporting the mission in 2014. The ship and its crew will join Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), which is in place to reinforce NATO’s collective defence and assure Central and Eastern European allies of their security and stability in the face of Russian aggression and other regional threats.Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at Jetty NB in the morning to say goodbye to crew and see the ship off, with dignitaries including local MPs and The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Her Honour Patsy LeBlanc.Cmdre Richard Feltham, Commander of Canadian Fleet Atlantic, expressed pride in both the ship’s crew, who have had a long road of training and readiness work-ups to prepare for the deployment, as well as military and civilian shore staff who supported them along the way.“Fleet Maintenance Facility, as always, has performed miracles in getting the ship set and ready on time, and the Sea Training Group has done their part getting the best out of this crew, who have all performed admirably through the process,” he said.The large departure and homecoming ceremonies held for these extended deployments tend to focus on family, who often provide crucial support to deployed sailors, taking on extra burdens to allow them to focus on the tasks at sea rather than worrying about day-to-day troubles back home.“The love and support of...
[caption id="attachment_22588" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo by Genevieve Premeay[/caption]The Battle Buddy Challenge Coin, a symbol of hope and support, is available from Delta Fox Trot Designs with partial proceeds going to veteran charities.
Esquimalt and Shilo play in the finals during the Canada West Regional basketball tournament in Shilo, MB.
A team of participants receive safety instructions before beginning the dinghy rowing challenge in the Seamanship Olympics.
[caption id="attachment_22577" align="alignnone" width="630"] Photos by MCpl Justin Ancelin, 17 OSS Imaging, Winnipeg[/caption]2020 Canada West Men’s Basketball champions, CFB Esquimalt Men’s Tritons following the championship game Jan. 31 at 17 Wing in Winnipeg, MB.
[caption id="attachment_22572" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: Leading Seaman Brendan Gibson, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]HMCS Saskatoon is slowly lowered into the water after being in refit at Point Hope shipyard. Saskatoon will cold move back to Y-Jetty in Esquimalt Harbour this week.
The winning team of this month’s Seamanship Olympics, the Temporary Holding Platoon, are pictured here with the Seamanship Olympics Trophy presented by LCdr Chris Maier.
[caption id="attachment_22533" align="alignnone" width="591"] 2020 Canada West Men’s Basketball champions, CFB Esquimalt Men’s Tritons following the championship game Jan. 31 at 17 Wing in Winnipeg, MB. Photo by MCpl Justin Ancelin, 17 OSS Imaging, Winnipeg[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A five-game unbeaten run propelled the CFB Esquimalt Mens Tritons to a gold medal victory at the Canada West Regional basketball tournament in Shilo, MB. After a 68-56 tournament-opening round robin win against tournament host Shilo Stags on Jan. 27, the Tritons then scored a 28-point victory in their rematch five days later in the tournament championship game. Esquimalt was paced by 18 points from centre Master Seaman Simon Dakin in their game win. MS Dakin earned overall tournament Most Valuable Player honours for his stellar play while also drawing praise from his teammates. Those include Tritons guard and team manager Lieutenant (Navy) Kevin Chung who noted that MS Dakin, a student with Naval Fleet School (Pacific), recorded multiple 20-point games along with at least two double-doubles (when a player records more than 10 in two of five statistical categories: points, assists, rebounds, assists, steals or blocked shots). “Simon is a talented and hard-working force on the court and excels in both basketball and volleyball at the national level in the CAF,” said Lt(N) Chung. “He also brings veteran expertise and energy to the team whenever he suits up for us.”The Tritons were also propelled by some long-distance sharpshooting, including seven three-pointers in the gold medal game. Forward Lt(N) James Byun from HMCS Winnipeg recorded six three-pointers and 20 points in the semi-final victory. Lt(N) Chung noted that Esquimalt was also buoyed by the backcourt presence of veteran guard Brigadier General David Awalt of 3rd Canadian Division HQ. “This year we were fortunate to have a well-rounded team with a great bench that allowed...
Outgoing Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa, Commander Alex Barlow is joined by Commodore Angus Topshee, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, and incoming Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa, Cdr Sam Patchell during the command handover ceremony Jan. 24.
[caption id="attachment_22492" align="alignnone" width="591"] Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Vice President, MCpl (Retired) John Scott[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Royal Canadian Legion is encouraging eligible current-serving Canadian Armed Forces members to take advantage of a free membership for 2020.The free membership dues are part of the Legion’s Veteran’s Welcome Program and all Canadian Armed Forces personnel are eligible, provided they are becoming first-time members. The Welcome Program waives the annual $50 membership dues. The new promotion is also open to employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Vice President, Master Corporal (Retired) John Scott says the best time for potential new members to join is “right now” so they can reap the biggest rewards from the promotion: a full year of comradery, community leadership and volunteer opportunities, access to member benefits, and a one-year subscription to Legion Magazine.Scott, who served 18 years in the Canadian Army, is the BC/Yukon Legion’s Membership Committee Chair. He says the free membership promotion is part of the Legion’s efforts to reverse declining membership and the closures of Legion branches across the country. In recent years, Canada’s non-profit, ex-service organization has seen its membership drop considerably. A 2018 story by The Globe and Mail reported that membership numbers had fallen from 604,000 members in 1984 to 275,000 members. To combat the decline, the Legion has taken a new approach to its membership criteria. Until recently, membership was restricted to those who served and their immediate families, and graduated cadets. Today, members of the general public are also eligible to become members, advocate for veterans, and find meaningful community leadership and volunteer opportunities Scott says stronger membership numbers gives the organization a stronger voice in Ottawa when advocating for veteran’s issues with organizations such as Veteran’s Affairs Canada. “We advocate for improvement for veterans and...
[caption id="attachment_22486" align="alignnone" width="591"] PO2 Kanwar Nijjer is greeted by his wife Gurdeep Nijjer and his daughter Sadbd Nijjer after returning from Operation Impact in Baghdad. Photo courtesy PO2 Kanwar Nijjer.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A human resources supervisor from Naval Fleet School Pacific has returned home after a six-and-half-month deployment in Baghdad.Petty Officer Second Class Kanwar Nijjer was greeted at Victoria Airport Jan. 27 with cheers, tears of joy, and a warm embrace from his wife Gurdeep and their 12-year-old daughter Sadbd. Three members from his former unit, 11 Field Ambulance (Victoria), were also there to greet him. “It was the first lengthy deployment during my 25-year marriage, so it was a great feeling after being away from home for so long to finally be with my wife and daughter again, and to see members from my old unit greeting me,” said PO2 Nijjer. He was deployed with the Canadian Army as part of Operation Impact. He and other Canadian Armed Forces were stationed at the United States military’s Union III Base in Baghdad. He says the base was close to the U.S. Embassy which was the target of an Iranian rocket strike, a retaliatory response from Iran following the death of Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was killed by a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3. PO2 Nijjer adds many Canadian military members missed the strike as they were moved to Kuwait earlier that day.Late night rocket and mortar attacks have now become commonplace in Baghdad’s green zone with the embassy being struck by three mortar shells on Jan. 27. The 53-year-old father of three worked as a human resources supervisor during his deployment. He previously sailed aboard HMCS Restigouche, HMCS Kootenay, HMCS Mackenzie and HMCS Vancouver during his 25-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy....
[caption id="attachment_22482" align="alignnone" width="591"] The restored slabs are now in front of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A piece of HMC Dockyard’s rich ship repair past has been preserved on a feature wall within Dockyard’s Ship Repair Zone.Large historic concrete slabs engraved with the word “ORDNANCE”, once part of the façade of long-demolished building D192, have been incorporated into the landscape design delivered by the Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton shop consolidation project. They are now displayed as a centre piece of a south-facing parkette located on Hospital Road. D192, built in 1940, was the administrative headquarters for FMF’s predecessor, the Ship Repair Unit (Pacific). The large concrete slabs were part of that building’s front entrance motif.Project Director for the ongoing consolidation project Clive Orford, of NDHQ’s Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment) organization, says incorporating the slabs as part of the revamped ship repair complex celebrates CFB Esquimalt’s rich ship building and repair past. “There always is a lot of history and commemoration about ships and sailors who wore the uniform, but very little in the way of a nod to the thousands of workers who have worn overalls and carried tool boxes, and performed the fundamental task of making sure our ships were seaworthy and ready for deployment,” said Orford.At the start of demolition for D192 in 2001, he asked that the slabs be retained and ultimately repatriated to the site. “The intention was to create a little enclave or intersection to provide a spot within Dockyard adjacent to the huge FMF complex, to commemorate this historical legacy,” said Orford.The Shop Consolidation Project began in 1988 and is nearing completion with the fifth and final phase expected to be completed later this year.
Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Information technology executive Patrick Shaw says he has a solution for his industry’s workforce shortfall: teach and then hire more Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans.The Toronto-based tech industry consultant is turning his attention to the education sector to create this army of highly skilled IT and cyber security experts from veterans and transitioning members of the military. “We envision developing their software skills through training in IT [Information Technology] and cyber security; it will have tremendous value for our industry and for Canada as a country,” says Shaw. With that in mind, he and his business partner Jeff Musson founder of tech networking group Northof41, launched a fast-track distance education learning program called Coding for Veterans. The program runs in partnership with Ontario’s Durham College and the University of Ottawa. Students can attend similar classes in person elsewhere, but the course is entirely geared towards attending classes from locations across Canada through the computer application Moodle.It’s all about supply and demand. The information communication and technology sector needs approximately 182,000 staff by the end of the year to fill new cyber security analyst, software programmer, and data analyst jobs. “We decided we could do something about this,” says Shaw, noting the untapped market of the retiring military members. In the last 15 years, approximately 140,000 military personnel have been discharged and transitioned to civilian life with another 25,000 more expected over the next five years. The seed for the Coding For Veterans educational program was planted two years ago following a conversation Shaw and Musson had with a representative from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). The CSIS employee commented that transitioning forces members and veterans were “very well positioned” to support the IT field in the private sector. Fast-forward to late 2019 and the program was ready to...
A combined team from the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Navies have united to fundraise for the Red Cross Disaster Appeal in Australia.
Ceremonial puck drop transforms into an unexpected centre ice promotion for Chief Petty Officer Second Class Joel Tilson, HMCS Chicoutimi submariner.
[caption id="attachment_22514" align="alignnone" width="630"] Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Engraved slabs from above the main entrance of Dockyard’s former Ship Repair Unit (Pacific) are restored and now displayed as a centre piece in front of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton.
Sam Tilson was surprised with a centre-ice promotion to Chief Petty Officer Second Class by his father, and Commanding Officer of HMCS Victoria, LCdr Eric Isabelle, at the Grizzlies Military Appreciation Game.
