Last July, our Colonel Commandant, MGen Daniel Benjamin, unveiled a monument to the efforts of the Royal Canadian Engineers during Operation HUSKY. To refresh your memory, recall that during the night of 21 / 22 July 1943, the 3rd Field Company, in support of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade's attack on the hilltop town of Leonforte, built the first Bailey Bridge of the war under fire and ensured a Canadian victory.
A Bailey Bridge panel, memorial plaque,…
Article by Capt Kyle Ho, Real Property Operations Unit (West)
The significance of supporting hand-to-hand combat training cannot be overstated in the dynamic landscape of military operations, where adaptability is critical. This specialized skillset enhances soldiers’ capabilities, ensuring they are well-prepared for diverse and unpredictable situations. Realizing the need for unarmed combat training within 1 Canadian Mechanized Battle Group (1 CMBG), Real Property…
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…
2024 marks the 121st birthday of the Canadian Military Engineers. The CMEA National Executive welcomes all our Chapters to share with us their plans to celebrate so that we can advertise them on our website and News Brief. Sharing your plans qualifies you for a subsidy of $100 to help celebrate our birthday. Let us know the details and we will help get the news out to the CME family. To receive your grant, send your plans to Chapter Liaison.
To date, we…
At the end of Chronicle 4, I stated that there were a lot of topics, beyond fishing, that might interest members of the Corps that had served or trained at the Home Station in Vedder Crossing. So, again, this chronicle may seem more of a tourist travel log than a historical meandering of things RCE, but I hope that I hit a couple of memory buttons. That is, herein there may be items of interest to those planning to visit the Greater Chilliwack Area (GCA) or mayhaps move “…
Article by: Capt Kyle Ho, Real Property Operations Unit (West)
Exercise STRONG CONTENDER (Ex SC) is an annual exercise led by 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1CMBG) in Edmonton. It brings all units together with the purpose of building team cohesion through sports competition. Besides traditional sports, such as hockey, soccer, and powerlifting, Canadian Armed Forces (CAFs) have embraced a new Combat Sport which is not readily known to many. Ex SC has expanded to…
Cyprus 2024 is the 60th anniversary of Operation SNOWGOOSE, plus the 50th anniversary of a forgotten war. Led by ‘those who were there’, this pilgrimage will reunite Veterans of Cyprus and their families. The program includes: speakers, exhibits, site visits, cultural excursions, interaction with Cypriots who lived through the conflict, and camaraderie. You will meet soldiers serving today and share your experiences with British, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Austrian…
On March 1st, at the Legion in Lancaster, Ontario, Dan Larouche presented Sergeant (ret’d) Gaëtan Lefebvre, with his Quilt of Valour. Gaëtan served for 22 years, in the Canadian Army, as a Combat Engineer. A marking event in his career, was to be deployed from CFB Val Cartier, in response to the 1970 October crisis in Québec, (FLQ). His wife of 54 years, Murielle was on hand to wrap the quilt around his shoulders.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/QoV.…
Article by: Capt Kyle Ho, Real Property Operations Unit (West)
The Celebrating Excellence Awards (CEAs) represent one of the highest expressions of recognition within the Defence Team. This year, eighty[LW1] -seven military and civilian award recipients across DND received such honour for their outstanding performance. The ceremony was conducted in a hybrid format, with award recipients both attending virtually and in person. The Deputy Minister and Chief of the…
On 17 December 2023, Canadian Army Commander LGenl Jocelyn Paul announced the Canadian Army Reserve Commanding Officer and Regimental Sergeant Major appointments for the 2024 active posting season (APS).
As listed in CANFORGEN 194/23 “the following CME reserve members will be appointed under the authority of their respective Canadian Army Division Commanders:
• 36 CER, CO, LCOL J.E. Hayward
• 32 CER, CO, Maj I.K. Chen (on…
