Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/103039
Navy Appreciation N Ready, aye, ready T he Royal Canadian Navy may ply its trade across the world's oceans, but once a year it makes a splash in Ottawa. Navy Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Navy League of Canada's Maritime Affairs Alliance, was held on October 30 on Parliament Hill, attracting over 400 parliamentarians, navy officers, and marine and defence industry supporters to recognize the RCN's diplomatic and foreign policy capacity and its ability to deploy at full combat readiness across a domain growing in significance. In his address to a closing reception, RCN commander Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison noted the Prime Minister's recent observation that Canada's economy floats on salt water. "Our most important strategic task in today's rules-based international system is to keep the world's oceans safe for trade, but always 'ready, aye, ready' to go into harm's way when the nation calls upon us to do so," Maddison said. As part of the day's events, six sailors were recognized for acts of heroism and exceptional performance. Lieutenant Commander Stéphane Julien for exceptional leadership while serving in Kandahar as the officer in command of the Counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Training Company; Lieutenant Commander Mike Mangin for service in orchestrating numerous naval operations, most recently as lead planner for Canadian Task Force 176 Expeditionary Strike Group participating in RIMPAC; Leading Seaman Sara-Ève Parent, a Naval Reservist, for exceptional service in Operation Lustre, the CF response to the Manitoba floods; Leading Seaman Douglas Young for service during Operation Attention as a member of the Close Protection program; Master Seaman Richard Hussey for continuous professionalism, pride in performance, exceptional leadership and unmatched work ethic; and Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Curley of Agassiz for outstanding service within the Navy and his community. www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 33