Archived News Headlines
 Reserve
RMS clerk collects packages from Cold Lake Community for less fortunate
Corporal Julie Beauchemin, a Resource Management Clerk at 4 Wing, has
been collecting Christmas packages from the Cold Lake community. She will
send gifts to children living in some of the poorest regions of Mexico
as part of " Operation Christmas Child", which collects toys, school supplies
and hygiene items for children suffering from the effects of war, famine,
extreme poverty and natural disasters in the world's trouble spots.
Tribute
to RCAF Women's Division
Ruth Gray wears a medal she has some trouble explaining. It's the one
she received for helping to defend Great Britain during the Second World
War.
The confusing part is, Mrs. Gray was never in Great Britain during the war.
She was stationed in Newfoundland-part of Great Britain until 1949. Try
explaining that story at reunions when everyone wants to know just where she
was stationed in Great Britain.
Mrs. Gray shared that story and more when she and fellow members of the
RCAF Women's Division (WD) were honoured October 11 at the Calgary Aero
Space Museum, formerly the site of a British Air Commonwealth Training Plan
Centre.
More than 500 spectators and veterans attended the unveiling of the plaque
in their honour by Senator Joyce Fairbairn, on behalf of Heritage Minister
Sheila Copps.
The plaque reads, in part: "Women's service in the military during
the Second World War challenged the tradition of all-male armed forces.
Between 1941 and 1946, close to 17 000 volunteers enlisted in the Women's
Division of the RCAF and served in 65 noncombatant trades at air force
stations here in Calgary, across Canada, and abroad..." Master Warrant
Officer Yvonne Boisclair was in the RCAF in the 1960s as a supply technician.
Later, in
1981, she joined the Air Reserves, where she's worked ever since. Today she's
with the Reserves at 1 Cdn Air Div HQ in Winnipeg.
She says she joined the RCAF at 18 for the sense of adventure and-she
adds with a laugh-"to get away from home." She was thrilled to
attend the ceremony in Calgary, but had a little trouble keeping up with
the spry WDs, many of whom are in their late 70s and early 80s. "Most
of them are very involved with the Legion," she said. "So they
have pretty hectic social lives."
Mrs. Gray, who travelled to Calgary from Mississauga, Ont., estimates about
300 WDs attended the unveiling-many in declining health, but still proudly
wearing old uniforms.
With files from Don Pearsons, Office of Air Force Heritage and History.
Prince
Charles visits 15 Wing Moose Jaw
By 2Lt Sue Haywood
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Colonel-in-Chief of Canada's
Air Reserve, was at 15 Wing Moose Jaw during his recent visit to Canada.
Prince
Charles' first visit to Saskatchewan included a photo op with members of
the Air Reserve in Moose Jaw and speaking with students of NATO Flying
Training in Canada.
Reservist
proud to be in uniform
It’s a day when reservists wear their uniforms with pride, and Captain
Stan French is no exception.
May 3 has been designated Reserve Force Uniform Day. For the past three
years, reservists have been encouraged to wear their CF uniforms that day
to their civilian jobs.
Capt French, a flight nurse at 22 Wing North Bay, has been wearing air
force blue for 11 years while juggling a full-time career as a nurse in
the forensic
unit at the North Bay Psychiatric Hospital. On the Wing, he co-ordinates the
Critical Incident Stress Management Team and augments the 8 Wing Trenton
Airevac team.
Capt French always wanted to fly. He got his pilot’s license as
a teenager through the air cadet program and applied to the regular force
as a pilot. He wasn’t accepted into direct pilot training, so he went
to university, to
study kinesiology.
Junior
NCM Reservists of the Year
By Kristina Davis
He's had three overseas tours in five years. She personally assembled and delivered
more than 230 shoeboxes to Trenton in December 1998 for kids in Bosnia. Together,
Corporals Peter Connors and Shirley Camacho were recognized this summer as
Junior NCM Reservists of the Year.
Gone are the days when Reservists were "weekend soldiers." Cpl
Connors, who has his own business in Lunenberg County, is with 143 Airfield
Engineering Flight (AEF). He's a plumber by trade, self-employed, and restores
period homes.
Back in 1995, there was a recruiting blitz in his area. He says the air
force sounded exciting, so he joined up. "I got accepted, went to
boot camp, quit my civilian job and haven't looked back since," he
said. Since then, he's been working almost full-time.
While his specialty is plumbing, he says they cross-train at his flight,
giving him the know-how to do everything from construction to-of course-air
field engineering.
He's been to the Golan Heights, Haiti and Macedonia during his five-year
career. His experience in the Golan Heights so moved him, he was asked
to write a "UN Soldier's Letter Home," describing daily life
as a peacekeeper. The letter, which turned into 12 pages, was so well received
it was published as a series in Roundel and used as a recruiting tool.
"The Golan Heights was my first experience like this away from home," he
said. "It was so overwhelming. That was the best time of my life,
ever."
He said he liked the camaraderie and the feeling they were all there for
the same mission. He says someone who's been in the CF a long time might
take these sentiments for granted, but this was his first tour. "It
was all new to me, that feeling of belonging."
Cpl Camacho, who's with the Air Reserve Flight in Ottawa, is a Resource
Management Support (RMS) Clerk. The mother of three has been an air reservist
since 1990 and has been working full-time since November 1997.
After reading an article in 1998 in the London Free Press about shoeboxes
being delivered to children in Bosnia, Cpl Camacho organized her own local
campaign. She canvassed co-workers, local businesses, and even involved
her daughter's Girl Guide troop and her son's school.
"I thought it would be nice, at Christmas time especially, if they
[Bosnian children] could receive some small token," she said. She
contacted a Corporal in Bosnia and they began e-mailing one another to
organize the project.
In all, she ended up with more than 230 shoeboxes in her home, which she
eventually delivered to Trenton herself. During Operation SHOEBOX in the
NDHQ region, more than 6000 boxes were delivered to children in Bosnia
with the help of Canadian peacekeepers and the Chief of the Defence Staff.
"Other people got on the bandwagon and helped out; it wasn't just
me. There was a lot of interest between CF people and civilian employees.
They were very generous," she said.
Training,
Texas Style
This summer, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the first Canadian
Air Reservist to attend the USAF Reserve NCO Leadership Development Program.
The course was held in sunny and hot (over 100 degrees F every day!) Fort
Worth, Texas, at the NAS Joint Reserve Base.
The base is unique in the American military family because, although it's
owned by the navy, there is also representation from the army, air force,
Marines, and the Texas Air National Guard.
Talk about interservice rivalry! The course was held at the 301st Fighter
Wing from August 14 to 22. The Wing is equipped with F-16C Fighting Falcons
and has a complement of 1189 personnel who are ALL reservists! The course
itself was broken down into two phases, and is mandatory for promotion
to Technical Sergeant (Sgt) for the members of the 301st.
The first phase dealt with leadership and management and was taught in
part by a civilian instructor from Central Texas College (CTC). Air force
facilitators helped put what was learned into practice by using role-playing
to simulate different circumstances taught the previous two days. The affiliation
with CTC came with a bonus.
All members who successfully completed the course were granted two semester
hours from the College of the Air Force toward a degree. There was a wide
representation from different rank levels, with the lowest being Staff
Sergeant (MCpl) to the highest being one Master Sergeant (WO). Another
bonus was the chance to interact with our American reserve counterparts.
I learned that while we shared many of the same problems, they had one
that caught me off guard. One of their major problems is getting enough
time off from their civilian employers to get proper training even though
the law dictates a yearly two-week period! It was great being the first
Canadian on their course because they treated me like royalty.
I was given a staff car (gas was free from the Motor Pool), and so many
mementos I almost had to buy another suitcase. The opportunity afforded
me was a chance of a lifetime I would highly recommend to anyone who is
given the opportunity and has the desire to learn. If you get down to the
301st, don't forget to say "Hi y'all" for me. WO Dave Fisher is the Deputy
Senior Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent with 400 Tactical Helicopter
Squadron at CFB Borden.
Don't
shoot the sheep
At the NATO Reserve Officer’s Shooting Competition in Edinburgh,
Scotland,
the shooting stops for the sheep.
Major Melody Purdy, a member of Canada’s women’s team, watched
in
wonder as the shooting stopped and young Scottish officers ran to the end of
the range to shoo away the sheep. “This happens two or three times a relay,” she
said. “It was so bizarre.” The competition, held in late May, featured
reserve officers from all three services and a variety of NATO countries.
Other countries, such as South Africa, were invited to participate. The
two Canadian teams were comprised of three men and three women, all from
the air force, who competed in rifle and pistol shooting, an obstacle course,
dummy grenade tossing and, for some local flavour, caber tossing.
The Canadian women’s team won the overall competition, with Captain
Maureen Sutton from Cold Lake winning the female individual shooting portion.
This was her second year on the team.
The women also won the award for best team spirit on criteria devised
by
last year’s winners. According to Maj Purdy, those criteria must remain
confidential to “protect the integrity of those involved,” she said
laughingly.
While the men’s team put up an admirable fight, they did not come
away with any awards. But the competition was stiff as they competed against
marksmen from 28 teams.
Capt Sutton said the men’s team showed a lot of camaraderie, despite
not winning any awards. “It’s designed,” she said, “to
be a good, fun shoot.”
Reserve
Force Employment Project
Armed Forces Council
recently approved an ADM(HR-Mil) initiative to create a Reserve Force
Employment Project. The project will undertake a broad review of all
Reserve policies, structures and processes to identify any areas that
might have a negative impact on the ability of the Reserves to meet operational
and support requirements and make recommendations for change where required.
Col Rob Clark, D Air Res, represents the air force on the main WG. Volunteers
from each of the Reserve elements will participate on project teams focused
on four main themes - Reserve Liability, Reserve Employment, Education & Training,
and Cadet Instructor Cadre.
(updated 8 Aug 00)
 New
Air Reserve CWO
Effective 15 Aug 00,
CWO G.R. Foster will replace CWO R.D. Murphy as the Air Reserve Chief
Warrant Officer. The role of the AR CWO is to act as an ombudsman for
Air Res NCMs and to provide representation on AR NCM issues at both the
Reserve and Regular Force levels. CWO Foster, a traffic tech currently
employed as the Training Officer at AR Flt Trenton, brings to his new
position 35 years of regular and reserve force expertise. CWO Murphy
will remain as A1 AR Coord (AA) 2-2.
(entered 28 Jul 00)
408
Tactical Helicopter Squadron 60th Anniversary Celebrations
In 2001,
408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron will be celebrating 60 years in the
Air Force and 30 years in the Edmonton area and the Air Reserves. 408
Squadron is the largest squadron in the CF and has a significant number
of Air Reservists who work in Total Force harmony. A brief history of
408 Squadron can be viewed here.
The 408 "Goose" Squadron
Association is proud to be the sponsor and organizer of the Anniversary
activities. The role of the Association is to perpetuate the memory of
408 Squadron members and their exploits, to assist the CO in the execution
of his/her duties and to promote camaraderie and goodwill amongst the
association members.
The main
celebrations will take place during the 18-21 May 2001 long-weekend in
Edmonton, Alberta. Over the next few months there will be a number of
events designed to increase public awareness of the Air Reserves and
408's role as a tactical helicopter squadron and to raise funds. The
Association hopes to sponsor the CWH Lancaster from Hamilton, ON to attend
the anniversary celebrations and would also like to raise money to have
all attending veterans' expenses paid. On 22 Aug 2000, a "Mixer" will
be held after-hours at the Squadron to bring together personnel from
Aviation and Aviation supporting businesses in the Edmonton area. Other
fundraising events will include an Oktoberfest sometime in October (dates
have yet to be determined) and a Curling Bonspiel 2-4 Feb 2001. More
information can be found at the Internet address www.forfreedom.ab.ca.
(entered 12 Jul 00)
Air
Reseve Strategic Planning Working Group
The Air Reserve Strategic
Planning Working Group was formed in 1999 to bring together senior Regular
and Reserve Force personnel from the Air Staff and 1 Cdn Air Div to examine the
roles, mission, and vision of the Air Reserve. In Apr 00, Asst CAS tasked
DG Air FD, in coordination with DG Air Pers and 1 Cdn Air Div/A1 and A7, to examine
how the Air Reserve should best fit into the CC3 force structure. The
deliverable is an organization chart by MOC, rank and location that meets
operational, Vanguard, and MCF requirements. The process must be driven
by design principles, identify the target mix of Reserve members and
skill sets, take geographical factors into consideration, and produce
a solution that is practical, cost-effective and achievable.
(entered 16 Jun 00)
NATO
Reserve Officers' Shooting Competition
 In
May 2000, the Air Reserve sent two teams to Scotland to participate in
rifle and pistol shooting, first aid, caber tossing, and the obstacle
course.
The women's team took
first place for women's combined shooting.
Reservists
Strut Their Stuff On Uniform Day
 |
| Capt
Doug Godden, a Reserve Air Traffic Controller at 19 Wing, is
also the manager of Brazen Sportswear in Courtenay, BC. |
CFB COMOX (May 3)-
When things were getting a little out of hand at Comox's Signature Wine
Cellars and Brewing company, owner Sigrid Lees knew what she had to do.
She called in the air force. Reserve Master Warrant Officer Dan Gray,
to be exact.
"He made a lot
of sense out of a lot of chaos, that's for sure," says Lees, who
hired Gray in March 1998 to manage her Guthrie-road winemaking business. "Dan's
really improved our systems around here. His organizational skills are
top-notch."
Gray, like many of
19 Wing's 115 reservists, will be celebrating Reserve Force Uniform Day
by wearing his military uniform to his civilian workplace. In its third
year, the event is designed to educate the public about the Canadian
Forces reserves and encourage civilian employers to accommodate their
sometimes unusual schedules.
"The need for
employers to be flexible is paramount when it comes to reservists," says
Gray, a 25-year veteran of the Forces who now hires other reservists
at 19 Wing. "We know it's difficult to lose an employee to a military
course for a couple of weeks, but they'll come back trained at no extra
cost. It's a win-win situation."
Gray himself faced
such a problem when 19 Wing required his services in preparation for
the rollover to the year 2000. He says Lees went out of her way to rearrange
his hours to let him continue his employment and help 19 Wing. As a result,
he was able to keep his job as well as contribute to emergency preparedness
for the Comox Valley.
Gray says there are
other advantages to hiring reservists, and cites his own experience at
Signature Wine Cellars. "I was raised for 25 years a certain way
by the military. When I started with Sigrid, I just did the same thing.
I took my skills for granted, but she was amazed at the end product."
After implementing
a common military stocktaking practice and re-engineering her winemaking
system, Gray says Lees' production doubled. Aside from management and
organizational skills, Gray says employers can take advantage of a reservist's
self-discipline, motivation and reliability. Reservists, he adds, also
benefit from their special "dual" perspective.
"We've got a foot
in both communities, civilian and military," he says. "I think
reservists can be the bridge between the two."
Reserve
Air Nav leads peers in missions flown
 At
two-thirds the cost of his Regular Force counterparts, Capt. Brad White
is a proving quite a bargain for the Canadian Forces.
When 442 Squadron
recently compiled its 1999 flying stats, Capt. White, a reserve Air Navigator,
came out on top with 24 SAR missions, the most of his 7-person section.
He also garnered the second-highest number of flying hours amongst his
colleagues.
"I was surprised when
we added it up," says Capt. White, who logged thousands of hours during
previous Regular Force tours at 442 and 436 Squadrons. "I've always thought
of reserve work as 'part-time', but these days it can mean a lot more."
Capt. White spends
six months each year on full-time "Class B" service, thanks to a shortfall
in the squadron's roster that occurs each summer when a crew deploys
with the Canadian Forces parachute team the Skyhawks. The remainder of
the year he's on "Class A" status, which works out to around 12 days
per month.
When he's not flying,
Capt. White can be found at the Nordic Lodge atop Mount Washington, where
he tunes skis two days per week. His double life came courtesy of FRP
'96, followed by a move into the Air Reserve in 1998.
Major Paul Weed, head
of 19 Air Reserve and Augmentation Flight, is responsible for slotting
reservists into manning gaps around the Wing. Capt. White's achievements
he says, are just one example of ARAF personnel providing "bang for the
buck."
"Reservists can fill
a need in a hurry, and at a significant saving, " he says. "At the same
time, the reserve commitment doesn't preclude having another job. It's
a win-win situation for all concerned."
Capt. White is quick
to agree. "The advantages of being a reservist more than compensate," he
says with a smile. "I really only work six to eight days a month less
than everyone else, and I can't be posted."
But it was saving
lives, not changing his lifestyle, that really brought him back into
the military. "The job's most interesting when you're on a SAR launch," he
says. "The best part is having no idea what's going to happen until you
pick up the phone from RCC."
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