News
Bravery Park officially opened in Orangeville, Ontario on Friday, 3 September 2021. The life, service, and sacrifice of Orangeville native Corporal Matthew McCully – a Signal Operator and soldier of 2 CMBG HQ & Sig Sqn – served as the driving inspiration for the park. As reported by Angelica Babiera of the The Orangeville Banner: ‘Bravery Park promotes awareness and understanding of the sacrifices and struggles the Canadian [Armed] Forces experience in their effort to promote peace at home and around the world. It features statues depicting a Canadian soldier and two Afghan children, as well as a memorial stone honouring Canadian [Armed] Forces personnel, and a traditional medicine garden and wheel. There is also tempered glass art, a children’s playground, benches, and a wheelchair-accessible picnic table.’ Shannon McGrady, Chair of the Bravery Park Committee and sister of Corporal McCully has this to say … To all members of our Canadian Armed Forces, past or present: As a country, we do an incredible job of honouring our fallen soldiers. My family has been treated with the utmost respect. However, much of Canada remains unaware of the daily sacrifices you make to serve Canada and the world at large. You sacrifice […]
1. COLONEL ERIC CHARRON IS TRANSITIONING FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH AFTER 33+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE ON 1 OCTOBER 2021. HE WILL BE REJOINING HIS BEST FRIEND, AND INDEFATIGABLE SUPPORTER – WIFE ANDREA AND THEIR TWO YOUNG ADULTS WHERE HIS CAREER BEGAN IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – AN UNDERVALUED GEM OF A CITY. 2. COL CHARRON’S CAF ADVENTURE BEGAN IN 1988 ALTHOUGH THE IMPETUS TO SERVE CAN BE TRACED TO HIS FATHER AND LIVING LIFE AS A MILITARY FAMILY. IN TOTAL, COL CHARRON HAS MOVED 24 TIMES. THIS INCLUDED FOUR TIMES AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY, ONE BEING A DEPLOYMENT TO KABUL AFGHANISTAN AS DEPUTY COMBINED J6 AND CDN CONTINGENT COMMANDING OFFICER (WHICH ARE DIFFICULT MEMORIES IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS). THE FAMILY DID ENJOY TWO GREAT OUTCAN POSTINGS (NETHERLANDS AND GERMANY). JOBS RANGED FROM TECHNICAL TO TRAINING, FROM OPS & PLANS TO THE HR FIELD, MANY IN PROGRESSIVELY MORE CHALLENGING KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. THEY SPANNED NO FEWER THAN SEVEN DIFFERENT L1S, OFFERING A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCE AND CONSTANT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THEY PROVIDED A WIDE ARRAY OF SUPERVISORS AND LEADERSHIP STYLES, REPRESENTED BY EIGHT DIFFERENT CAF/DND BACKGROUNDS (6 […]
In April-May 2022, the C&E Branch with the support of the C&E Association and the C&E Museum Foundation is leading a Battlefield Tour of the Netherlands. Following a two-year postponement due to COVID-19, this event will commemorate the 77th (75+2) Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, which has endured as a unique bond between our two nations. A group of 40+ deserving serving members, sponsored by individual, unit, and corporate donations, will follow in the footsteps of Canadian soldiers who fought there in the Second World War. These C&E Branch members will participate in tours of important battle locations, grave site commemorations, and National holidays including the Dutch Remembrance Day and Victory Day with local communities. The sponsored members will bring back this important history to our unit and share the experience with colleagues. If you would like to help support the trip, the link in this post takes you to the donation page. Please select Option 8 “C&E Battlefield Study – Netherlands 2022” when you fill out the form and mention the Unit that you want it donated to in the “Send a message to this charity (optional)” space. Donations over $20 are tax-deductible and you will receive […]
In this edition: Mental Health support for Afghanistan Veterans New employment tool for Veterans Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund accepting new applications for funding Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund supports new initiatives More options for education and training support Veteran success story: Drew Semper The return of the Faces of Freedom podcast Programs and services Mental Health support for Afghanistan Veterans If you or a loved one are having difficulty coping with the news of the fall of Panjwaii in Afghanistan, mental health supports are available to you. You are not alone. You can call the VAC Assistance Service at 1-800-268-7709 to speak to a mental health professional. It is free and available 24/7. You can learn about additional mental health resources on the VAC website. You can also hear from the Acting Chief of Defense Staff on the situation in the Maple Leaf. Veterans served—and sacrificed—in the war in Afghanistan. Long after Canada’s combat role in the country ended, the mission continues to touch those who served in the region and their families. We will continue to honour and remember their sacrifices. New employment tool for Veterans A new online tool can connect you directly with employers looking for the skills […]
Written by Sgt B.H.T. Bickerstaffe 8 July 2021 As this tour comes to an end, we remember that ROTO 21-01 enhanced Forward Presence Signal Squadron (eFP Sig Sqn) made leaps and bounds from 13 January 2021 – 17 July 2021 in Latvia. ROTO 21-01 pushed interoperability with NATO Allies to a new level, led several projects at a Task Force Latvia level and significantly improved local CIS infrastructure, all the while working through the challenges that come with a pandemic. Many great milestones for eFP Latvia would not have been achieved without the hard work of this unit’s members. Canadian Signallers on this rotation deployed from far and wide throughout Canada, all coming overseas with different experiences and backgrounds. Members from the Sig Sqn deployed from 1 RCR, 2 RCR, 2 CER, 2 CMBG HQ & Sig Sqn, 4 CDSG Sig Sqn, 32 Sig Regt, CFJSR and 77 Line Regt. This diverse culture greatly contributed to the success of this ROTO. At the beginning of the tour in January 2021, all of Latvia was under lockdown due to COVID-19. Upon arrival, eFP Sig Sqn soldiers immediately got to work to extend DWAN connectivity to key staff in isolation throughout Camp […]
MCpl Baker – 2 CER, Sig Platoon Presented for outstanding effort and dedication to his role as Alternate Crypto custodian early into this ROTO. Cpl Baker operated the crypto vault for the Sqn independently while the Primary and remaining Alternate custodians were in isolation due to COVID-19 close contacts. This is Cpl Baker’s first tour and he had minimal knowledge of CARDS and operating a Crypto Vault before deploying. His ability to multitask enabled him to provide unwavering Crypto sp to both TFL HQ and the MNHQ project. He independently engaged appropriate resources and support networks in Ottawa to achieve continued mission success and asset accountability.