Leaders All: Women in the Canadian Armed Forces 1946 – Present
Helga Rausch CD, MA, MFA, Class of 1986 is pleased to announce that she is writing a book tentatively titled “Leaders All: Women in the Canadian Armed Forces 1946 – Present.” Publication by Dundurn Press is anticipated for winter 2027.
Please reach out to her if you are interested – https://www.linkedin.com/in/helga-rausch-cd-ma-mfa-7894b9204/ She is especially interested in interviews and stories from women who served in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, since that’s where her gaps are.
We love seeing our former fencers (varsity women’s Fencing team captain) accomplishing “firsts” in their CAF careers
Nous aimons voir nos anciens escrimeurs (capitaine de l’équipe féminine universitaire d’escrime) accomplir des “premières” dans leur carrière au sein de la FAC
Jill Carleton RMC 1987 elected as the new Dominion Treasurer for the Royal Canadian Legion.
Major Dion Marson RMC Class of 2010, is pictured in front of a CF-18 Hornet with his parents Dionisia and Paul; he piloted the impressive aircraft for a memorable hometown show along the waterfront for thousands of spectators on Saturday. – https://www.sootoday.com/pursuit/sault-born-cf-18-pilot-parents-grateful-for-hometown-flyover-9556880
Voici la colonelle honoraire Sandra Perron, C.D.
La GGSimon lui a remis la médailleducouronnement pour avoir créé un sanctuaire permettant aux vétéranes de se réunir, de tisser des liens et de trouver du soutien au cours de leur transition vers la vie civile.
Meet Honourary Colonel Sandra Perron, C.D.
Sandra received a coronationmedal from GGSimon for creating a sanctuary enabling female veterans to meet, bond and find support during their transition to civilian life. We’re very proud to work with such an incredible leader and Canadian.
//
Welcome to the Team! We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Joanne Bilodeau and Amber Comisso to the Pepper Pod team! Both women served in the Canadian Armed Forces, completing exceptional careers and retiring in August 2024.
Jo will join us in September to lead a new Pepper Pod initiative in support of women veterans experiencing houselessness. We’ll share more about this exciting project in the coming months. In the fall, Amber will begin part-time training to become a lead member of the Pepper Pod’s facilitation team, specializing in Lifeshops. We are so pleased to welcome these incredible women to continue their service to others through the Pepper Pod.
-
- Joanne Bilodeau
-
- Amber Comisso RMC Class of 2001
Nous annonçons très fièrement l’arrivée de Joanne Bilodeau et d’Amber Comisso au sein de l’équipe du Pepper Pod. Ces femmes fortes ont chacune mené une carrière distinguée dans les Forces armées canadiennes, prenant toutes deux leur retraite en août 2024.
À compter de septembre, Joanne dirigera un nouveau programme mené par le Pepper Pod en appui aux vétéranes sans abri. Nous vous fournirons plus de détails sur ce projet important au cours des prochains mois. De son côté, Amber entreprendra cet automne une formation qui lui permettra de devenir membre principale de l’équipe d’animation du Pepper Pod, plus particulièrement lors de la présentation des LifeshopsMD.
C’est avec joie et trépidation que nous accueillons ces femmes inspirantes, impatientes de continuer à appuyer leurs consœurs dans leur nouveau rôle. Bienvenue au Pepper Pod!
Today we welcome (Ret’d) Brigadier-General G. Michael Adamson (CFC National Security Program 2020, RMC Masters in Defence Studies) to the Telesat team as our new Senior Director of Defence Strategy and Business Development. Read the full announcement to learn more about his mission to advance space domain operations and capabilities for government customers. https://lnkd.in/eT8iSQXH
On September 26th, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, and General Jennie Carignan (RMC 1990), Chief of the Defence Staff, officially announced the establishment of the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM). This new command will consolidate the CAF’s cyber capabilities into a single unified and dedicated entity, which will enhance the military’s readiness to tackle threats in the cyber domain.
This new command will be led by Major General Dave Yarker, (RMC 1993) who will be responsible for cyber operations, and cyber force sustainment, management, and development.
General (ret’d) Walter Natynczyk, CMM, MSC, CD (RRMC CMR 1979) named as 32nd Vimy Award Laureate
Vimy Award was established in 1991, the Vimy Award recognizes a Canadian who has made significant, outstanding and enduring contribution to the defence and security of our nation and the preservation of our democratic values. The award honours the bravery and sacrifice of the Canadian soldiers – comprising the four divisions of the Canadian Corps – who were victorious in the battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.
The Conference of Defence Associations Institute is happy to announce the 2024 Laureate of the Vimy Award, General (ret’d) Walt Natynczyk for his significant and outstanding contributions to Canadian security and defence and to the promotion and preservation of Canadian democratic values.
General Walter Natynczyk’s career and service to the nation have been exemplary, culminating with the roles of Chief of the Defence Staff, President of the Canadian Space Agency, and Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs.
Learn more about the Vimy Laureate here: https://cdainstitute.ca/awards/wnatynczyk-2024-vimy-award-laureate/
Dr. Sean M. Maloney is a Professor of History at Royal Military College of Canada and served as the Historical Advisor to the Chief of the Land Staff during the war in Afghanistan. He previously served as the historian for 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, the Canadian Army’s primary Cold War NATO commitment after the re-unification of Germany and at the start of Canada’s long involvement in the Balkans. He completed his PhD in 1998. From 2003 Dr. Maloney focused nearly exclusively on the war against Al Qaeda and its allies. He traveled regularly to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2014 to observe and record coalition operations in that country and was the first Canadian military historian to go into combat since the Second World War. He has authored 19 books. After returning to Royal Military College, Dr. Maloney has re-focused back on the Cold War, releasing Deconstructing Dr. Strangelove: The Secret History of Nuclear War Films in 2020 and, in 2021, Emergency War Plan: The American Doomsday Machine, 1945-1960, a reconstruction and analysis of nuclear war plans in the 1950s.
Sean Maloney, Emergency War Plan: The American Doomsday Machine, 1945-1960. Lincoln, Neb: Potomac, 2021.
Emergency War Plan examines the theory and practice of American nuclear deterrence and its evolution during the Cold War. Previous examinations of nuclear strategy during this time have, for the most part, categorized American efforts as “massive retaliation” and “mutually assured destruction,” blunt instruments to be casually dismissed in favor of more flexible approaches or summed up in inflammatory and judgmental terms like “MAD.” These descriptors evolved into slogans, and any nuanced discussion of the efficacy of the actual strategies withered due to a variety of political and social factors.
Drawing on newly released weapons effects information along with new information about Soviet capabilities as well as risky and covert espionage missions, Emergency War Plan provides a completely new examination of American nuclear deterrence strategy during the first fifteen years of the Cold War, the first such study since the 1980s. Ultimately what emerges is a picture of a gargantuan and potentially devastating enterprise that was understood at the time by the public in only the vaguest terms but that was not as out of control as has been alleged and was more nuanced than previously understood.
Sean Maloney has written an extremely detailed, prodigiously researched with primary sources, and highly readable account of the US nuclear war plans of the 1950s. He emphasizes the crucial nature of targeting schemes, first-rate and prolific intelligence gathering systems and analysis, and global command and control of nuclear forces. These forces were not inflexible as previously described, but infinitely pliable and nuanced. Indeed, he rejects the notion of massive retaliation; instead, he offers the term “massive deterrence” to describe the effect of these forces, their demonstrated ability to deliver their weapons on target, and the iron will of American leaders to respond to a Soviet or Chinese attack if necessary. Deterrence worked. This is a definitive work on a complicated subject.
DEFSEC 2024 interview with Eva Martinez (RMC 1993) and Tyler Forkes (RMC Alumni Association Alumni Engagement Manager)