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Greetings, Canada’s impressive service in the First and Second World Wars shaped our country in many ways. However, the conclusion of these conflicts was definitely not the end of Canadian service members’ achievements and sacrifices at home and around the world. These military efforts in more recent decades have been different than those that defined the first half of the 20th century. But how should this wide array of often lesser-known duties best be recognized and commemorated? Join us for an approximately one-hour exploration of this subject at 1:00 pm ET on 19 March 2021. Our virtual panel will feature three Canadian Armed Forces Veterans sharing their personal reflections: Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Lloyd Campbell, Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Hutt and Sergeant (Ret’d) Geneviève Gauthier. Don’t miss out – sign up by March 15 to take part. Simply reply to this message (email address [email protected]) to register. Please indicate in your response whether you wish to watch in English or French. As well, please include any questions you’d like the panelists to answer and we will do our best to incorporate them into the session. If you are not able to watch this event live, it will also be available for subsequent viewing […]
Every year the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) sponsors The Ottawa Conference on Defence and Security. As the premier gathering of experts, this forum is pertinent for anyone interested in ‘beyond the headlines’ exploration of such issues affecting Canada and the world.
Veterans Affairs Canada’s magazine, Salute! is now an e-newsletter. Please share this e-mail with your friends and networks, and encourage them to register by visiting letstalkveterans.ca to keep up on issues that matter to Veterans and their families. Let us know what you think about the new Salute! by emailing [email protected]. Celebrating Black History Month—The Niagara Military Museum’s Black Military History Travelling Exhibit February is Black History Month. Often having to overcome great challenges just to enlist in the military, the sacrifices and achievements of Black Canadians over the years have shone through. The Niagara Military Museum recently unveiled the Black Military History of Niagara Traveling Exhibit to share the stories of Black Canadians who served. The exhibit is tailored to youth and features personal stories of service from the First and Second World Wars, Korean War, Afghanistan, and other conflicts. Read more about this interesting project: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/art-hub/niagara-military-museum Interested in learning more about the Black Canadians who have served our country? Be sure to visit the Peoples and Stories section on our website. 30th Anniversary of the end of the Gulf War We are fast approaching the 30th anniversary of the end of the Gulf War on 28 February. Veterans Affairs Canada has created an online […]
On 28 January 2021, four Branch members participated in the 2nd Annual AFCEA TECHNET International Capture the Flag (CTF) cyber challenge. The entirely virtual event hosted 54 teams from 14 different countries, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan and The Netherlands. There were also a few US-based college teams participating this year as well. The CTF was a 4-hr online event that consisted of various cyber challenges that pertained to digital forensics, reverse engineering, network traffic analysis, Active Directory, cryptography, and web exploitation. CTFs are common industry practice, gamification events used to exercise one’s cyber skills. The D Cyber Ops FD / CFSCE team consisted of Lt Sebastien Genereux (CELE), 2Lt Jesse Noordegraaf (CELE), MCpl Curtis Croft (CYBER OP), and Capt Mark Potvin (SIGS). They placed 15th out of 54 international teams and ranked the highest amongst all Canadian teams.
Ontario has expanded the Soldiers’ Aid Commission so Ontario Veterans of all ages and their families can access financial assistance if they are in need. Overview The Soldiers’ Aid Commission provides financial assistance to Ontario’s eligible Veterans and their families in financial need. The commission supplements support offered by the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada. The commission reports to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and is governed by the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020 and regulations made under the act . The Lieutenant Governor in Council appoints the members of the commission. The Public Appointments Secretariat lists the appointed and vacant positions. Eligibility To be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, you must: be a Veteran or their eligible family member be in financial need live in Ontario Eligible Veterans A Veteran is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who has completed basic training and was released from service. The following people are also Veterans: Any person who served in any armed force of Canada or any Allied Force during World War I or World War II. Any person who served in any armed force of Canada during World War II and who was stationed in Canada or […]
Signallers of the Battle Group (BG) Latvia participated in the exercises BEAST RAIDER and HORNED VIPER during December 2020. From 30 November to 3 December, members of the BG Signals Platoon participated with our Italian allies in the Ex BEAST RAIDER patrol concentration. During this exercise, the Signallers had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and patrol spirit during several scenarios including raids and ambushes. By establishing standard operating procedures with members of the 5th Lancieri of Novara, our soldiers conducted combat patrols at the training grounds in Strautini, Latvia. By successfully completing the tasks, the Signallers demonstrated that they can conduct patrol operations while performing their signalling duties across the spectrum of operations. On 12 December, other Signallers were able to test their combat First Aid skills during Ex HORNED VIPER. This multinational competition aimed to standardize First Aid procedures across the BG. Participants had to test their limits in multiple scenarios under realistic conditions. After giving First Aid to fictitious victims, participants were tasked with transporting a victim on a stretcher to a casualty collection point. Despite the winter period, the BG continues to train and the BG Sigs Pl has demonstrated that it can conduct and sustain […]