Members of the Victoria Chapter of the CMEA gathered in Victoria during a west coast visit by CME Colonel Commandant MGen (Ret’d) Daniel Benjamin, CMM, CD, and CME Branch Chief, CWO Darrel Jones, CD. The gathering took place at the Ukrainian-Canadian Cultural Center of Vancouver Island with a traditional Ukrainian dinner, marking the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and the tenth year since the annexation of Crimea.
Coming out of the pandemic, like many chapters, this one is in a rebuilding phase. This was the first organized event in some time. For the retired members, many of whom had been keeping up with the news, this gathering provided the first update on current events in the CAF in a while. The attendees included many spouses, a former Col Comdt, a past senior serving Engineer, the scribe of the official history of combat divers airborne Sappers, former career managers and trade advisors, a once-RMC professor, commanding officers and UCWO Alert.
The Colonel Commandant and CME Branch CWO provided an update on the current events of the CME and the state of the branch. The global security situation is fragile, with challenges not only from Russia in Ukraine, threats to maritime supply chains, the Israel/Gaza conflict, and a superpower flexing influence in the Pacific and beyond.
The group listened to The Colonel Commandant and Branch CWO give their overview of the training mission to Ukrainian engineers and the resurgent attention to conventional warfare v2.0, including obstacle breaching, booby traps, and bridging. The tactical challenges in the battlefield were emphasized, with each side innovating new ways to operate while denying the same to the adversary. It was impressive to hear of the rapid cycle of lessons learned benefiting the trainees and their reciprocal battlefield information to help refine Canadian doctrine and training.
Regarding the deterrence mission in Latvia, there was particular interest in the commitment to enduring infrastructure and the impressive work by 1 ESU rotations in collaboration with Defence Construction Canada. Those in attendance, particularly those with 1 ESU or UK STRE experience marveled at the ingenuity of current members in adopting technology to accelerate project delivery.
Of particular interest to all attendees was the unvarnished description of the challenging situation of operational tempo, especially at the tactical leadership levels, personnel shortages, and the impacts of the rapid increase in the cost of living on military families. Many listeners had gone through similar cycles dark chapters of the institution and commiserated with the unique aspects of this period. Despite these significant challenges, the gathering was left with a sense that the Branch maintains a spirit of dedication, innovation, and persistence is serving the Branch.
In summary, it was exactly the kind of event to resume a re-energized chapter activity program. Gratitude to the CME Colonel Commandant and CME Branch CWO for making themselves available during a visit program to spend time with the Engineers in this community.
Ubique!