crowsnest issue 4-2 - royal canadian navy · crowsnest vol. 4, no. 2 summer 2010 chief of the...

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Vol. 4, No. 2 Summer 2010 Chief of the Maritime Staff

www.navy.forces.gc.ca

HMCS Frederictonhome fromoverseas mission

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Reservists makedive history inthe North

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INSIDETHIS

ISSUE

Special Navy Centennial Issue

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Photo: Cpl Rick Ayer

Sailors march through the streetsof Halifax during a Freedom of theCity parade May 4.

2 www.navy.forces.gc.ca

Senior AdvisorCommander Denise LaVioletteDirector, Navy Public Affairs

Senior Editor and WriterDarlene BlakeleyDirectorate of Navy Public Affairs

Crowsnest is published quarterly on the authority of theChief of the Maritime Staff, Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden.Comments are welcome and can be sent to:Directorate of Navy Public AffairsNational Defence Headquarters10ST, 101 Colonel By Dr., K1A 0K2or [email protected]

For the PDF version of this publication and for more information about the Canadian Navy, visit www.navy.forces.gc.ca.

Banner photo, page 1: Leading Seaman Andre Proulx-Yergeau, bos’n aboard HMCS Edmonton, fires the ship’s 40mm gun during a live fire exercise. Photo: MCpl Chris WardAll articles written by Darlene Blakeley, except where otherwise noted.

More photos on page 4

Committing to the next 100 years

The navy is now 100 years old. Under theauthority of the Naval Services Act, theCanadian Naval Service was created May 4,

1910. In August 1911 it was designated the RoyalCanadian Navy by King George V until 1968 when itbecame Maritime Command within the CanadianArmed Forces. During the navy’s first century ofservice, Canada sent 850 warships to sea under anaval ensign.

To mark the navy’s 100th anniversary, CanadianNaval Centennial (CNC) teams in Halifax, Ottawa,Esquimalt, 24 Naval Reserve Divisions across thecountry, and friends of the navy created an excitingprogram of national, regional and local events withthe goal of bringing the navy to Canadians. Many ofthese events culminated May 4, 100 years to the daythat Canada’s navy was born.

The centennial slogan, “Commemorate, Celebrate,Commit”, reflects on a century of proud history, therole of the navy in a maritime nation, and its commit-ment to the next 100 years.

For more information on the CNC and associatedevents, visit: www.navy.forces.gc.ca/centennial.

The Honourable John Baird, left, Minister ofTransport, Infrastructure and Communities; ChiefPetty Officer 2nd Class Cheryl Bush, NavalCentennial Staff Officer; and Vice-Admiral DeanMcFadden, Chief of the Maritime Staff; unveil a setof two commemorative stamps celebrating theCanadian Navy’s 100th anniversary at the CanadianWar Museum in Ottawa May 3. The stamps depictthe past and present of Canada’s naval service,featuring one of Canada’s first warships, HMCSNiobe, and a modern frigate, HMCS Halifax. Topurchase the Canadian Naval Centennial stamps,visit Canada Post’s on-line store or a postal outlet.

Chief of the Maritime Staff Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden,left; Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the NationalCapital Commission (NCC); and Russell Mills, Chair ofthe NCC’s Board of Directors, participate in a sod-turningceremony May 4 for the Canadian Navy Monument to bebuilt at Richmond Landing behind Library and ArchivesCanada on the Ottawa River. The monument will payhomage to the hundreds of thousands of Canadian menand women who have served Canada in peace and warin our naval forces during the navy’s first century of exis-tence. It is expected to be built by May 2011.

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As the navy begins its second century ofservice, Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden,Chief of the Maritime Staff, is well aware of

the unique responsibility he carries on his shoulders.Acutely tuned in to both the rich tapestry of the

navy’s past and its potential for an exciting future,VAdm McFadden considers himself a link in thechain of naval commanders that began with AdmiralCharles Edmund Kingsmill, who first took commandof Canada’s fledgling naval service in 1910.

“There’s no doubt that I know that I am connectedto Admiral Kingsmill, whom I know only by picture, byprofessional reading and by reputation,” VAdmMcFadden says. “There’s a responsibility that comesas soon as you note that to yourself. Somewhere outthere is a lieutenant-commander who I am account-able to, the same way Admiral Kingsmill wasaccountable to me, even though he didn’t know whoI’d be. That is what comes from being commander ofthe navy.”

The events surrounding the navy’s centennial havebeen emotional for many in the service, allowingthem to reflect on the long journey from the navy’smodest start to its well-recognized place in the worldtoday.

“I think it is entirely appropriate for both the menand women who serve, and the families who supportthem, to be able to take anopportunity to recognizejust how far we’ve comeand the work that we aredoing today,” says VAdmMcFadden. “This is a 100thbirthday – you should getyourself a cake and youshould take at least a fewminutes to pat yourself onthe back for the superbwork the navy is doing. It’sabout commemorating, andit’s about recognizing howwe got to where we are and what that means to us.”

VAdm McFadden draws a correlation between thebirth of the naval service and the form it would take,and the type of country Canada would be as it wentforward in the 20th century. “It began as a force

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doing little more than coastal defence, but by the endof the Second World War it was the third largest navyin the world,” he explains. “The development of thenavy reflects the development and the growth of thiscountry, as we became more mature as a nation, aswe exerted our independence, and as we decidedwhat role Canada would play in the world. The navywas an immediate reflection of how the country waschanging.”

Today, as it performs an “extraordinarily diverserange of assignments”, the navy is seen by Canada’sallies as one of the most professionally competentand capable navies deployable in the world. “That’spretty much where you get to 100 years later fromextraordinarily humble beginnings. It’s about com-memorating how we got here and not just the cele-bration of it, but the fact that we learned an awful lotof very tough lessons and lost an awful lot of capableyoung men and women as we figured out our craft.”

And, unfortunately, the losses continue today assailors make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.“One of the most poignant moments of my life is thaton the day we commemorated the 100th anniversaryof the navy, we made the public announcement ofthe first death of a sailor conducting operations inAfghanistan – an awfully long way from the sea,”says VAdm McFadden.

He is quick to point out however, that the navydoesn’t work in isolation, and that being part of the

Keeping the chain of leadership strong

Continued on page 7

Admiral Charles Kingsmill

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Vice-Admiral DeanMcFadden stand together in the Senate of Canada.

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Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill, the first Director of the Canadian Naval Service, who served in that position from 1910-1920, was recognized by the Ontario Heritage Trust for his distinguished accomplishments with the Canadian Navy andas a significant Ontarian at a ceremony in Portland, Ont., May 15. Friends, family, historians and naval personnel led byChief of the Maritime Staff Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden gathered at Admiral Kingsmill’s resting place in the EmmanuelAnglican Cemetery to unveil a plaque that outlines the Admiral’s contributions to the Canadian Navy.

The Homecoming Statue in Victoria, designedto honour the navy’s centennial, was unveiledduring a dedication ceremony May 4. The cere-mony on Wharf Street followed Navy Day’sFreedom of the City parade, which featurednearly 2,700 sailors, soldiers and air men andwomen who serve with Maritime Forces Pacific.Created by local sculptor Nathan Scott, thebronze statue is located on a spectacular siteprovided by the Provincial Capital Commission.The Homecoming Statue is inspired by publicgratitude for the service of Canada’s sailors andis a gift from their fellow citizens. It representsthe special moment in the life of any sailor whenthey return from the sea to once again meettheir family.

As part of the Canadian Naval Centennial, a specialcommemorative stained glass window was dedicatedat St. Paul’s Naval and Garrison Church in Esquimalt,B.C., May 22. Consecrated on December 12, 1866,St. Paul’s has a long association with the CanadianNavy. Constructed by the glass works firm of Mercerand Schaefer Glasstudios in Victoria, the four-panelwindow depicts the history of Canada’s navy. Over400 donors from around the world contributed to theNaval Memorial Window Fund, as well as eight citieswhich donated in honour of ships named after them:Calgary, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Ottawa,Summerside, Toronto, Whitehorse and Yellowknife.

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In the hallowed hall of the Senate of Canada,100 years to the day it was created there May4, 1910, the navy presented a ship’s bell to the

people of Canada, rededicating itself to another cen-tury of service.

“[The Centennial Bell] stands as a symbol that hon-ours the past, celebrates the Royal Canadian Navy’sachievements and recognizes the navy’s safeguard-ing of Canadian values of freedom, democracy,respect for human rights and the rule of law,” saidMinister of National Defence Peter MacKay.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister StephenHarper announced that the Government of Canada isdesignating May 4, 2010, as Canadian NavyCentennial Day to mark the navy’s 100th anniversaryof service.

“In one relatively brief century, our sailors haveestablished a mighty tradition of service and heroism,one that is second to none in the world amongnavies that are often far older, and in some cases,far larger,” said Prime Minister Harper. “AndCanadians have come to understand that our way oflife, our trade, our security, our capacity to influenceevents elsewhere depends in significant part uponthe men and women of the Canadian Navy and theships in which they sail. It has for 100 years, and inthe future that is mine to see, I expect it will continueto be so.”

The Centennial Bell, presented by Chief of theMaritime Staff Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, waschristened with the waters of Canada’s three oceans– Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic – as well as the Gulf ofSt. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, and the IndianOcean, representing the navy’s international theatreof operations. These waters were collected through-out 2009 by naval ships and submarines. The bell,with its original rope made by Chief Petty Officer 2ndClass David Lowther, and a book highlighting the his-tory of the bell and displaying the variety of artefactsfrom which it was made, are to be kept as apermanent reminder that Canada is a maritimenation dependent upon the oceans for its nationalprosperity.

“For many mariners, the ship’s bell came to sym-bolize life at sea itself,” said VAdm McFadden. “Thatis why even to this day, the bell is a warship’s most

important artefact, and why it continues to play animportant role in naval routine and ceremony, even ina technically sophisticated force where operationsare coordinated to the second.”

In a tragic turn of events, attendees at theceremony also mourned the loss of Petty Officer 2ndClass Craig Blake, the first Canadian sailor to die inAfghanistan. A member of Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic,PO2 Blake was killed May 3 after an improvisedexplosive device detonated during a dismountedoperation, about 25 km southwest of Kandahar Cityin the Panjwayi District.

“The presentation of this bell to the people ofCanada allows us – the men of women of today’snavy who are but custodians of this great nationalinstitution – to do more than commemorate andreflect on the past,” VAdm McFadden said. “It allowsus to acknowledge our covenant with the nation anddedicate ourselves anew to the watch, that cease-less vigil that keeps Canada safe from the perils ofthe world. It is a vigil that still demands effort to thelast measure, and sacrifice, even far from the sea –in the dusty plains of Afghanistan where we lost oneof our own yesterday, PO2 Craig Blake.”

Navy presents CentennialBell to Canada

Command ChiefPetty OfficerRobert Clerouxrings theCentennial Bellfor the first timein the Senateof Canada.

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The Canadian Navy on both coasts exercisedFreedom of the City May 4, marking 100years of dedicated service to Canada.

In Halifax and Victoria thousands of sailors andother members of the Canadian Forces marchedthrough their respective cities with drums beating,flags flying and bayonets fixed. The celebratoryparades replicated a 400-year-old ceremony demon-strating good relations between the cities and theirmilitary establishments. Freedom of the City was lastexercised in 1985 when the navy celebrated its 75thanniversary.

What is Freedom of the City?The tradition of granting Freedom of the City to a

military unit goes back more than three centuries.Throughout history there has been a strong aversionagainst the war-like appearance of large bodies oftroops in city streets disturbing the peace andappearing to be a threat to the ancient civic rights ofthe city fathers. The custom first took hold after therestoration of King Charles II of England in 1660.

During the winter months, military troops would

Sailors exercise

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Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile leads nearly 2,700 members of the Canadian Forcespast the B.C. Legislature buildings in Victoria while exercising Freedom of the City.

camp outside the walls of the city. While the soldiersmight visit the city’s taverns during the day, theywould return to their camp at sunset. Over the winter,the soldiers would gain the trust of their city neigh-bours as the citizens became more familiar withthem. They might then be conferred with Freedom ofthe City, particularly if they had defended the cityfrom an attacking enemy or performed some otherworthy deed.

The Freedom of the City means, in the physicalsense, the granting of the privilege for all time for aspecific military unit to march through the city with“drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.”This is a most prized honour, as it recognizes thehonourable record of the military unit, and demon-strates the affection and esteem with which it is heldby the community and the trust the citizenry has inthe military to protect its democratic institution.

The granting of The Freedom of the City is there-fore a private matter between civic officials and thespecific unit. The decision to grant this symbolic free-dom rests with the municipal authorities. While it isnot unprecedented, it is rare for a city to grant the

honour to a foreign military unit.The ceremony starts as the unit to be granted the

Freedom of the City marches towards city hall, colourcased and rifles carried without bayonets fixed.When the unit nears city hall, they are stopped by

the chief constablestanding in front of abarrier in the centre ofthe road. The unit haltsat the barrier. The chiefconstable challengesthe unit on its identityand the commandingofficer responds with theunit’s title. The chiefconstable then calls forthe unit to “advance oneand be recognized.”

Only the commanding officer moves closer to thebarrier.

The commanding officer, accompanied by the chiefconstable, then marches to the door to city hallwhere the commanding officer knocks on the doorthree times with the pommel of his or her sword. Thedoor is opened by the mayor, and the commandingofficer declares his or her name and that of the unit.The mayor and councillors line up at the entrance tocity hall and the mayor reads a proclamation pro-claiming that Freedom of the City is bestowed on thespecific unit. The commanding officer accepts thefreedom and returns to the unit and chief constableorders that the barrier be removed. The unit fixesbayonets, and the colour is unfurled. The unitmarches past, with the mayor taking the salute.

Once a unit has been granted Freedom of the Cityit may exercise its freedom on occasions arrangedwith the civic authority. The ceremony to exercise


Canadian Forces team, working under the purview ofthe Canada First Defence Strategy, is a crucial steptoward ensuring the continued success of the navyas a national institution.

But even as he pushes for recruits and new ships,VAdm McFadden does not want previous sacrificesto be forgotten as the navy moves into the 21st cen-tury. As he reflects on the past and what the historyof the navy has meant to him, he also knows thathe must keep the chain of leadership strong andunbroken. “I know that I carry the responsibility of anational institution, and I need to make sure that thatinstitution is viable and effective 10 and 20 yearsfrom now, not just today.”

Continued from page 3

The chain of leadership

Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic Rear-Admiral PaulMaddison knocks on the door at Halifax City Hall duringthe Freedom of the City ceremony.

Freedom of the City is similar, except the unit maymarch directly to city hall with drums beating, coloursflying and bayonets fixed. After the unit is challengedand identified by the chief constable, the mayor pro-claims the unit welcome, inspects the troops andinvites the unit to exercise its freedom.

A young boy tries on anaval cap during MaritimeForces Pacific’s Freedom ofthe City Parade in Victoria.

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Maritime Forces Atlantic sailors stand on parade at HalifaxCity Hall to request Freedom of the City.

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In Remembrance

Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Blake

By Virginia Beaton

Flags flew at half-mast in Halifax and acrossCanada in a somber acknowledgement of thefirst Canadian Navy sailor to fall in

Afghanistan. Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Blake, 37, a clearance

diver with Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic (FDUA), died afteran improvised explosive device (IED) detonatedduring a dismounted operation May 3, about 25 kilo-metres southwest of Kandahar City in the PanjwayiDistrict. The incident occurred at approximately4:40 p.m. Kandahar time as PO2 Blake and his teamwere walking back to camp after dismantling an IEDnear the village of Pay-e-Moluk.

PO2 Blake had been in Afghanistan for just a fewweeks. According to Petty Officer 1st Class Paul(Knobby) Walsh, PO2 Blake’s comrades and friends inthe diving unit will remember him as a dedicated sailorwhose skills as a diver and leader were beyond doubt.

“His strong sense of duty was what took him toAfghanistan,” said PO1 Walsh, who also has deployedto Afghanistan to dismantle IEDs. “His country askedhim to go. He was leader of a team and he had asense of duty to that team.”

A native of Simcoe, Ont., PO2 Blake joined the navyin his late teens and had been at FDUA since 2000.He and his wife Priscilla had two sons, seven-year-oldTy and 14-year-old Cain.

“Craig worked in all aspects of the diving branch,”said PO1 Walsh, adding that PO2 Blake started out inunderwater engineering and battle damage repairbefore moving into training. “That is where I first got toknow Craig well. He was a great guy. He was quiet,but his actions spoke louder than his words.”

The two men worked together training navy divers,combat army divers and Special Forces divers. “Craigwas directly responsible for the physical training andhe took great pride in that,” said PO1 Walsh.

Within the diving unit, “Craig was a total profes-sional. When we were on the side, Craig was the guywho would sit in the boat for hours and hours, dressedin all the heavy equipment as the leading seaman

standby diver.For that instantreaction to anemergency whensomething couldgo terriblywrong, you couldsimply tap Craig on the shoulder and he wouldrespond. His job was priority one and it was to makesure other people were safe.”

PO2 Blake was well known for his dedication tophysical fitness. He was an enthusiastic cyclist whowould bike to work in any weather. He greatlyadmired Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of theTour de France and PO1 Walsh observed, “When theTour de France was happening, Craig was alwayschecking the results whenever he had a break. Heloved watching that race.”

In September 2008, then MS Blake participated inthe Navy Fitness Challenge as the cyclist member ofa triathlon team competing in the open category. Histeam, named Waterwings, won the category. PO1Walsh speculated that PO2 Blake had certain char-acteristics in common with Armstrong, noting, “Hewas really committed to what he thought was rightand he never quit…he was tough and he was deter-mined to see things through.”

As FDUA rallied to support the Blake family, PO1Walsh stated, “Craig was a kind man and a goodman. We in this unit will never forget him and I hopewe do justice to his memory and to his family.”

The repatriation ceremony for PO2 Blake tookplace May 6 at 8 Wing Trenton, Ont. More than 30members of FDUA were present, as well as digni-taries including Governor General Michaëlle Jean,Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay andChief of the Maritime Staff Vice-Admiral DeanMcFadden. The repatriation was preceded by a rampceremony at Kandahar Airfield on Wednesday,attended by more than 1,500 personnel.

PO2 Blake was the 143rd member of the CanadianForces to fall in Afghanistan since the mission startedin 2002.

Navy diver’s “strong sense of duty”took him to land-locked Afghanistan

Canadians attended ceremonies across the country May 2,to mark the sacrifices made by the many who fought ontheir behalf in the epic Battle of the Atlantic during the

Second World War.The Battle of the Atlantic, the fight for supremacy of the North

Atlantic, was waged from 1939 until 1945 and pitted Allied naval andair forces against German U-boats, whose primary targets were theconvoys of merchant ships carrying vital life-sustaining cargo fromNorth America to Europe.

Much of the burden of fighting the Battle of the Atlantic fell to theRoyal Canadian Navy (RCN). At the outbreak of war, the RCN wascomprised of only six destroyers and a handful of smaller vessels.By the end of the war, theRCN was one of the largestnavies in the world. TheBattle of the Atlantic endedwith V-E Day on May 8, 1945.

As the Canadian Navy com-memorated the sacrifices andhistoric accomplishments ofCanada and her allies duringBattle of the Atlantic servicesthis year, it also recognizedthe 100th anniversary of thefounding of the CanadianNavy, celebrated May 4.

CCaannaaddiiaannss hhoonnoouurr ssaaii lloorrss wwhhoo ffoouugghhtt iinn tthhee BBaatt tt llee ooff tthhee AAtt llaanntt iicc

Wreaths line the steps of the NationalWar Memorial in Ottawa to markBattle of the Atlantic Sunday.

Veterans salute after placing a wreath atthe cenotaph in front of the B.C.Legislative buildings in Victoria.

With Second World War MemorialHMCS Sackville anchored offshore, asentry stands at the Sailors Memorial inPoint Pleasant Park, Halifax, for theBattle of the Atlantic ceremony.


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After more than six months at sea, HMCSFredericton is now home. The ship arrived inHalifax May 4, coinciding with the 100th

anniversary of the navy.As part of her deployment on Operation Saiph, a

counter-piracy and counter-terrorism mission,Fredericton patrolled the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea,the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the waters offthe coast of Somalia in an effort to improve regionalsecurity and promote a safe maritime environmentfor the tens of thousands of merchant vessels thatpass through that strategic area every year.

“The last six months have been an incredibleopportunity to showcase Canadian commitment tointernational security through our navy’s flexibility, theship’s and embarked helicopter’s capabilities, andmost importantly, the skill-set and resourcefulness ofa talented ship’s company,” says Commander SteveWaddell, Fredericton’s commanding officer. “Weaccomplished two very distinct and important mis-sions: one integrated with a NATO task group on acounter-piracy tasking, the other allied with coalitionpartners on a counter-terror mission. Both assign-ments were interesting and professionally rewarding.”

Cdr Waddell admits the highlight of the mission forhim was leading an “outstanding group of men andwomen” under the Canadian flag in the navy’s cen-tennial year. “I think I’m most proud of the crew’scommitment to service and the excellent morale theymaintained while separated from their family andfriends for six months,” he says. “I reflect on the factthat two-thirds of Fredericton’sship’s company

HMCS Fredericton home from overseas mission

had never deployed on a six-month mission before.This is a success story because it shows that ourrecruiting efforts are working. With the experience[crew members] have gained on this varied and chal-lenging deployment,the future navy, andmaritime air, are ingood hands.”

During her deploy-ment, Fredericton’sactivities includedassisting the contain-er vessel MV KotaWajar immediatelyfollowing its releasefrom pirate captivity,intercepting suspect-ed pirate skiffs andresponding to terror-ist threats.

People in Eastern Canada will have the opportunitysee Fredericton this fall, as the ship is expected todeploy to the Great Lakes to promote the navy andsupport recruiting efforts in Ontario and Quebec.

Total distancetravelled: 37,000 nauticalmiles (67,000 km)Water consumed: 3,675,000litresMail received: 442 bags(6,570 kg)Bacon eaten: 2,540 kgEggs eaten: 7,600 dozenMilk consumed: 17,000 litresBread: 10,900 loaves

Fun Facts

HMCS Fredericton, with a Sea King helicopter hovering offthe stern, arrives in Halifax to be greeted by a large crowdof family and friends.

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A Petty Officer 2nd Class from HMCS Fredericton holdshis daughter after arriving home from an overseascounter-piracy and counter-terrorism mission.


By Virginia Beaton

As long as sailors have been going to seathere have been homecomings. When HMCSFredericton crew members returned from

their six-month overseas deployment, they joined thenavy’s biggest party of the year and possibly, of thecentury.

On May 4, the navy’s 100th anniversary, a piperstood on Fredericton’s deck playing “Heart of Oak” asthe ship came alongside. On the jetty was theStadacona Band of Maritime Forces Atlantic anddozens of family members and friends of the ship’scompany, carrying Canadian flags, balloons, flowersand posters to greet their loved ones.

One sailor dropped to one knee and proposed to hisgirlfriend, encouraged by a roar of approval andapplause from the crowd, while another sailor met hisbaby son for the first time.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also a white stretchlimousine waiting on the jetty to take Petty Officer 1stClass Will Mandeville, his wife Honeylynn and threechildren home. PO1 Mandeville was the lucky winnerof a local radio station’s contest called “While youwere out…at sea”, entitling him to $10,000 worth oflandscaping, as well as the family’s choice of newhardwood floors or a renovated kitchen or bathroom.

Annette Thompson-Reed, accompanied by herBernese mountain dog Ripley, was looking forward toreuniting with her husband Corporal Peter Reed, an

Sailors receive warm welcome in Halifax

image technician in Fredericton. “I’ve heard a lotabout the places he’s visited. It sounds like an excit-ing deployment,” she said. Ripley, wearing a redSupport our Troops T-shirt, was only six months oldand weighed about 70 pounds when Cpl Reeddeployed. “Now Ripley is over 100 pounds and he’sa year old,” she noted.

As sailors greeted their friends and family, planswere being made for some time off beforeFredericton rejoins the Atlantic fleet for theInternational Fleet Review in late June.

Sailors currently stationed inAfghanistan proudly display thenavy centennial flag in Kabul. Navypersonnel make up approximatelyone-third of the CF’s contingent inKabul. Back row, from left: PO1Roger Payne, MS Kevin Leenders,MS Spencer Dill, Cdr Rob Watt,Cdr Mark White, Cdr Luc Morin andLCdr Pete Van Ek. Front row: PO2Claude Normandeau, LCdr MikeMangin, LS Helen Goldie, Lt(N)Laurel O’Neil and LCdr GaryGuymer. Absent: LCdr ShainaLeonard, CPO2 Mike Fairfex andLS Rod Carper.

Sailors serve in Kabul

Crowds of friends and family greet sailors returning fromoverseas aboard HMCS Fredericton with homemadeposters, flags and flowers.

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By Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Allingham

History was made earlier this year when portinspection divers from Canada’s NavalReserve conducted the longest sustained

ice diving operation in Canadian Forces history. Theoperation took place at the northern most extreme ofCanada, Canadian Forces Station Alert, duringOperation Nunalivut 10 from April 6-29.

Op Nunalivut was a combined sovereignty exer-cise with a mission to demonstrate the CF’s ability togo anywhere, anytime, in Canada’s high Arctic. Inaddition to the dive team, participants included theArctic Response Company Group from 38 and 41Canadian Brigade Groups, 1 Canadian RangerPatrol Group, 440 Transport Squadron and theDanish Navy Sirius Sled Dog Patrol.

A 10-person port inspection dive team made up ofdivers from six Naval Reserve Divisions (NRDs) con-ducted underwater repairs to CFS Alert’s freshwaterintake at Dumbell Lake, replacing one of the sub-

Reservists make dive history in the Northmersible pumps. The team also conducted divingoperations through the sea ice around Alert. In all, 86dives were conducted for a combined bottom time ofover 60 hours. The longest dive was 118 minutes –the temperature at the time was -27C and the watertemperature was 0C.

To penetrate the two-metre-thick ice, the team wasassisted by Jim Milne of Defence Research andDevelopment Canada in Halifax, who used a hotwater drilling system to melt through the sea ice.

Once through the ice, the first ocean dive wasconducted by Petty Officer 2nd Class Igor Sevic fromVictoria’s NRD HMCS Malahat. Shortly after enteringthe water he reported on the hardwire communica-tions system: “You guys aren’t going to believe it –under here it’s absolutely amazing”. As all 10 diverssoon discovered, the under-ice sea was a labyrinthof ice caves and deep formations that reflectedthe brilliant blues and aquamarine greens of the con-tinuous Arctic sun.

Continued on page 15

An inukshuk locatedon Oopik Island nearCanadian ForcesStation Alert.

Master Seaman Marie-Josée Martel, a member of theport inspection dive team, ascends from frigid watersafter a dive under the sea ice of Dumbell Bay.

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Three Kingston-class maritime coastaldefence vessels (MCDVs), HMC ShipsWhitehorse, Brandon and Edmonton, were

at sea this spring for Exercise Pacific Guardian, anintegrated coastal defence exercise off the westcoast of Vancouver Island and in the Strait of Juande Fuca.

During the exercise, crews were put to the test,exposed to a variety of scenarios relating to the pro-tection of Canadian domestic interests. These sce-narios could include drug or immigrant smuggling,pollution detection, marine mammal sightings, shell-fish poaching, illegal logging or criminal activities.

“Keeping watch over the ocean approaches toCanada and its harbours is what the navy does forCanada every day, and this exercise will furtherenhance our surveillance of Canada’s maritimeapproaches,” said Commodore Ron Lloyd,Commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific. “The highlymanoeuvrable Kingston-class is well suited for mar-itime security patrols in coastal areas.”

Also participating in Exercise Pacific Guardian wereaircrews in CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraftand CH-124 Sea King surveillance helicopters, navydivers from Fleet Diving Unit Pacific and soldiersfrom Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s),as well as RCMP officers and Department ofFisheries and Oceans officials.

MCDVs put to the test

On the bridge of HMCS Edmonton, Sub-Lieutenant Christopher Shook, left, navigating officer; SLt Gregg Morris, deckofficer; and Lieutenant-Commander Patrick Montgomery, commanding officer; prepare for a simulated at-sea force pro-tection exercise.

A Sea King helicopter hovers over the fo’c’sle of HMCSWhitehorse during Exercise Pacific Guardian.

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An increasingly educated non-commissionedmember (NCM) corps is leading to changingroles and responsibilities within the navy,

according to Chief Petty Officer 1st Class RobertCleroux, Maritime Command’s chief petty officer.

“Thirty years ago an officer could join with a grade12 education and technically could be promoted toadmiral without any further education, and our sailorscould join with minimum of grade nine and easilymake it to chief,” CPO1 Cleroux says. “Today almostall of our recruits in the NCM corps are high schoolgraduates, and many have college or university edu-cations. We are also seeing more and more withmaster’s degrees.”

CPO1 Cleroux explains that over the past fewyears, the navy has introduced many changes toNCM professional development, including easyaccess to Officer Professional Military Educationcourses and knowledge acquisition programs. Aswell, the base personnel selection officer is still

Navy non-commissionedmembers take educationto new levels

Interested in pursuing an education with the Canadian Navy? Visit www.forces.ca

available for any NCM to seek out further educationopportunities. He says that many young sailors arechoosing to pursue advanced educational opportuni-ties in an effort to improve themselves.

“In my opinion 30 years from now this will be thenorm for most of our sailors,” CPO1 Cleroux says.“Already we see that the senior NCO [non-commis-sioned officer] corps is being given more and moreresponsibility and with continued education and pro-fessional development, we will continue to seechanging roles for the NCO corps.”

Some of this is driven by quickly advancing tech-nologies aboard ship, leading sailors to pursue tech-nical certificates at colleges. “Thirty years ago wehad a navy of grease pencils and vacuum tubes, ourpower plant was steam and most of our weaponssystems were mechanical,” says CPO1 Cleroux.“Today our ships are technologically advanced andour sailors are working with computers and complexdiagnostic tools. Our engines are gas turbines andthe sophistication of our weapons systems couldallow the ship to fight all in automatic.”

CPO1 Ken Fisher, who currently works as the pro-fessional development chief for navy NCMs at theDirectorate of Maritime Training and Education, has40 years of service with the navy and has also seena lot of changes over the years. “It was a differentenvironment when I first joined,” he says. “It used to

Dr. Michael Young, left, Assistant Program Head, JusticeStudies, Leading Seaman Eleanor Creighton, andDr. Erich Schellhammer, Program Head, Justice Studies,celebrate the completion of LS Creighton's degree atRoyal Roads University.

Naval weapons technicians like Leading Seaman DavidJohnson are part of an NCM corps that pursues technicalcertificates at college to keep up with quickly advancingtechnologies aboard ship.

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The divers also encountered some Arctic wildlifeduring their excursions. A ring seal that made thedive access hole his new home often visited theteam. He paid several visits to the divers both under-water and on the surface. A large wolf also venturedout onto the sea ice and visited the divers on severaloccasions.

Port inspection divers, a primary role of NavalReserve sailors, will also participant in OperationNanook this August, diving at Nanasivik, Pond Inletand Resolute Bay. Op Nanook is a joint operationthat takes place every year in the eastern Arctic,reinforcing Canada’s sovereignty over its northernterritory.

Continued from page 12


be an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality – the NCMs andthe officers in the wardroom – and education had alot to do with that because officers had to have ahigher education. Now that more education is beingdemanded by NCMs, the gap between the two hasnarrowed.”

In the past, there was reluctance by NCMs to fur-ther their careers through advanced educationalopportunities, according to CPO1 Fisher. Now thenavy sends young sailors to college and brings themout as highly skilled technicians. “This was unheardof before,” he says. “We have always had very dedi-cated and well-trained sailors, but now, with thesenew educational levels, you are seeing a CanadianNCM on par with any of our allies, and capable offilling billets that used to be filled by officers.”

CPO1 Fisher says all of this makes for a betternavy. “We still have a ways to go, but the hugeadvances I’ve seen over my career make me proudof the foresight of my predecessors. And the increas-ing support shown by officers for NCMs’ professionaldevelopment will also help make us stronger.”

Leading Seaman Eleanor Creighton, a supply tech-nician at CF Health Services Centre Pacific inEsquimalt, is one example of an NCM who is highlymotivated to achieve a higher education. She hasjust completed her Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studiesfrom Royal Roads University, and is planning toapply for law school in the near future. She says thather education has enabled her to apply skills such asconflict resolution, critical thinking, policy analysis,research and the knowledge of legal terminology toher job on a regular basis.

“I think that education is important at any level inthe Canadian Forces,” says LS Creighton. “I do notthink it should make any difference whether one is anNCM or a commissioned officer. Many of the NCMoccupations require a formal college education to dothe job.”

Increasing education for NCMs is a tremendousasset for the navy says CPO1 Fisher. “The NCMs ofthe future will be highly educated and will think out-side the box. By the time they make it to CPO1, theywill have gone through myriad training and special-ized courses. Education will allow them to absorbmore and contribute more.”

Reservists make dive history in the North

NCMs, including marineengineer technicians likeLeading Seaman TroyMcDonald, haveincreasing access toeducation and profes-sional development andare taking advantage ofnew opportunities.

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HMCS Toronto arrives in the Port of Old Québec June 3 during the second Rendez-vous naval de Québec. Toronto,along with ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One, brought more than 900 sailors into the city.

Keep your eyes peeled across Canada thissummer, as the navy’s interactive displaybuses hit the highway. Designed to enhance

the navy’s attraction and recruitment efforts, fivenaval display buses (NDBs) will be on the road visit-ing communities from coast to coast.

The NDBs represent a joint effort between theDepartment of National Defence and Public Worksand Government Services Canada, along with inter-national and local industries including DaimlerMercedes-Benz of Germany, Dymech EngineeringInc. of Greely, Ont., and Southwood Graphics of

Rolling navy billboards hit the highwayMississauga, Ont.

“This is an entirely collaborative way for us toaddress a problem,” said Vice-Admiral DeanMcFadden, Chief of the Maritime Staff, just before hetoured the new bus. “We’ve seen the size of the navyget smaller in the last few years. That’s an under-standable consequence of our focus being onCanada’s most important mission in Afghanistan. Wedug a hole in the size of the navy. We did it oneshovelful at a time; we’re going to fill that in oneshovelful at a time.”

The NDBs have been designed to bring the navy toCanadian communities in order to inform citizensabout the employment and educational opportunitiesoffered by the Canadian Forces and the navy. Whilelooking to attract and recruit another 1,100 sailorsthis fiscal year, the navy is especially focussed onrecruiting personnel into naval technical trades suchas naval engineering officers, marine engineers andnaval electronics technicians.

The new 13.7-metre highway coaches are rollingbillboards with the interior housing a series of inter-active, technologically advanced computer systems.Ph

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crowsnest issue 4-2 - royal canadian navy · crowsnest vol. 4, no. 2 summer 2010 chief of the...

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