News

MCpl Kyle Ladouceur – CJOC Commendation

Dec 9, 2020 | 0 comments

4 Dec 2020 , CJOC COMD virtually presented MCpl Kyle Ladouceur with Commendation: MCpl Kyle Ladouceur (Information Systems Technician) CJOC COMMENDATION  Since his arrival in July 2020, Master Corporal Ladouceur has demonstrated remarkable technical skill as the Operations Sergeant and Information Management Officer for Task Force – Latvia. Particularly noteworthy were his efforts in resolving digital gun line communication systems faults. He first identified defects with the Enhanced Position Location Reporting System as well as the COMSEC Keys, and then provided new procedures and innovative solutions at the local level, and implemented third and fourth line repair suggestions from programme management engineers, all of which enabled the resumption of digital fire missions. Master Corporal Ladouceur’s technical innovation and highly effective solutions to complex problems has brought great credit to himself and the Canadian Joint Operations Command. Photo caption: TASK FORCE LATVIA -CIS SQN (SSM MWO LAPRADE. MCPL LADOUCEUR. CO MAJ CLARKE) Views: 4

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William J. Henderson Philanthropy Award – Colonel John Catto, CD

Dec 9, 2020 | 1 comment

The Military Communications & Electronics (C&E) Museum Foundation’s donor recognition program acknowledges various levels of financial support to our Museum. In 2015 the Board of Directors added a special award to recognize outstanding support by individuals or organizations, not only financially, but also through their volunteer activities. Given the patronage and generosity of William J. Henderson and his Foundation over the years, it was an honour to name the award after him. Permission was granted to name the award, The William J. Henderson Philanthropy Award. I am pleased to announce that on 30 October 2020 the Board of Directors unanimously confirmed that Colonel John Catto, CD was worthy of distinction by being posthumously named a recipient of the William J. Henderson Philanthropy Award.   Views: 1

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MCpl Bilodeau on Exercise NOBLE SKYWAVE

Dec 7, 2020 | 0 comments

Since 2013, Communications and Electronics Branch has brought hundreds of teams from dozens of Nations together to test, strengthen expertise and compete in a friendly atmosphere to what is now known as the most prestigious military led HF competition in the world: Noble Skywave (Ex NS). The competition verifies our tertiary means of intercontinental communications using HF sky-wave propagation. The scoring matrix for this competition will reward teams that are able to achieve contact with more distant participants. Over the years, the exercise continued to increase in scale and prominence with more domestic and international teams registering to compete.  This year, a new record of 190 teams from across the globe participated, and attempted to establish comms with the greatest amount of HF stations under various conditions in a competitive format. Ex NS 20 welcomed participants from multiple Canadian units spanning the Regular and Reserve Force as well as representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Romania, and Germany. In recent edition of the Defence Team News, there is an interview with MCpl Bilodeau, 35 Sig Regt Det Sherbrooke who speaks what Exercise NOBLE SKYWAVE is all about and how is Regt got […]

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A Korean War Soldier: Sergeant Edward Allan Buckner

Dec 7, 2020 | 0 comments

To everyone who’s gone through the Canadian Forces School of Communication and Electronics (CFSCE), you would’ve gone to the Communication and Electronics (C&E) Museum at least once. Within, there is a name mentioned several times – Sgt (Ret’d) Edward Allan Buckner, a veteran mentioned in dispatches (MiD) for his service and meritorious actions in the Korean War. Though he is honoured through the museum displays, Tim Cook reminded us in The Secret History of Soldiers that we must remember them as more than “black-and-white figures of photographs and films, but as vibrant young men full of life, colour, jokes, and pranks.” [1] Thanks to Major Justin Yoo at CFSCE, and his inclusion of junior officers in the initiative to do more for our Korean War veterans, I had the privilege in virtually interviewing Sgt Buckner on 24 May 2020. Born on 23 March 1932 in Toronto, Ontario, Edward Allan Buckner grew up in a large family of both Scottish and Irish ethnicity. He was the son of a World War I veteran who served with the 44th Lincoln and Welland Regiment. When he was looking for a job, the fact that he was a cadet gave him all the reasons he […]

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eFP BG Latvia Signals Update

Nov 27, 2020 | 0 comments

The month of October for eFP Latvia saw the Battle Group (BG) deploy on our rotation’s biggest exercises of the tour. The NATO Combat Readiness Evaluation (CREVAL) exercise, Ex SILVER ARROW, was conducted in two phases, first in South-Eastern Latvia and then in the Camp Adazi Training Area. For the first phase of Ex SILVER ARROW we established our mirrored command posts (CP) in both airfield and austere locations this enabled C2 of the BG while exercising our staff and the passage of control. This phase was also our opportunity to test BLOS systems over long distances to confirm our ability to C2 the defense of Latvia, and prepare for future trg. The second phase of the ex gave the BG the opportunity to prove their ability to effectively defend Latvian sovereignty in the event of a land attack. The Latvian Mechanized Infantry Brigade acted as both flanking units and OPFOR, while the BG conducted a complex mobile and area defense. Our signalers demonstrated their expertise on the many comms systems deployed here in a robust PACE plan. TacSat, HF and VHF, orders over HPW and sent via Signals Dispatch Service and approximately 35km of line for field phones were […]

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EX READY POSTURE: Testing Out the New Headquarters Shelter System

Nov 24, 2020 | 0 comments

Ex READY POSTURE (RP) is the annual exercise conducted by Canadian Forces Joint Operational Support Group (CFJOSG). Its objective is to validate the formation’s readiness level so it can accomplish its domestic and expeditionary mandate by deploying a Joint Task Force Support Component (JTFSC). This year, Ex RP took place in Mountain View, Ontario from 13th to 30th October. The exercise’s main training objectives were theater opening and closing. This year’s pandemic context made this iteration of Ex RP uniquely challenging. A primary component of any JTFSC is the Theatre Signal Unit (TSU) composed of personnel from Canadian Forces Joint Signals Regiment (CFJSR). The TSU this year was composed of 40 signallers led by Lt Allan Turtle. “EX READY POSTURE 20 has been the first real chance for my team to deploy and function as a true signals unit and I couldn’t be more proud of the work they have achieved” – Lt Allan Turtle The TSU’s primary Theatre Opening task is to build the command headquarters, this year employing the new Headquarters Shelter System (HQSS), and install and establish the link for all communication information system (CIS) equipment for overall command and control of the JTFSC. A main objective […]

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