Edmonton Air Reservist Teaches Democracy Through Literacy in Transylvania

Edmonton’s Captain Lorne Parker, an Air Force Reservist with 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron

OTTAWA – NATO’s Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) selected several Reserve Force officers from NATO member countries and sent them last month to the Romanian Mountain Training Division, high in the Transylvanian peaks, with a mission to provide English and French language instruction to military officers from countries that have recently joined NATO. One of these instructors was Edmonton’s Captain Lorne Parker, an Air Force Reservist with 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron.

Captain Parker’s job in this mission was to be the Assistant Academic Director of the Language Academy.  In his civilian job back home, he is also a supervisor with the Edmonton Public School Board and an experienced educator.  Captain Parker was selected along with officers from the United Kingdom, the United States and France. 

“This is my third assignment with the CIOR Language Academy; the other two were in Estonia and Poland,” said Captain Parker.  “The education-related skills and knowledge that I employ daily in my civilian career are greatly enhanced through military assignments in NATO countries.  Both organizations benefit from my participation in activities like these,” he added.

The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers has been providing language instruction in NATO’s official languages, English and French, since the year 2000.  The students are reserve and active duty officers of NATO’s new Member and Partnership for Peace nations of Eastern and Central Europe.  Through the Language Academy, they are provided an essential and indispensable tool to carry out international NATO business – the ability to communicate in one of NATO’s two official languages.  More than 350 officers, coming from every nation of Eastern and Central Europe, have graduated from this program. 

This year, the language academy was convened from 5 - 19 August in the picturesque mountain town of Predeal, nestled in the Carpathian mountains, in the Romanian province of Transylvania. 

For more information or to interview Capt Parker, please call Maj Lynne Chaloux at     613-996-2183 or cell 613-220-8984.  Further information about CIOR and its language programs can be found on the web at www.cior.net.