Congratulations to you all! All your hard work and studying has paid off. You are now graduates of the Canadian Military Colleges. A fine distinction. You have made it through some of the best training there is for modern life – whether military or civilian.
Our Class of ’79 entered the colleges 50 years ago during the Cold War. In some ways, the world situation was like today – authoritarianism and a world beset with conflicts. Today of course, you will be launching into a similar, troubled geopolitical landscape – with threats of climate change and pandemic added on top.
What we found is that our military colleges education and training prepared us well for success in these difficult and complex landscapes. Now it is your turn!
You can use the lessons from the colleges and summer training, as well as the wisdom from the Resilience Plus Letters that you received from our Class and others, to attack the challenges and make strong decisions with the help of your teams.
Because of the increased threat levels that Canada is experiencing, we are finding that our citizens are banding together and re-creating our country to be more independent. This includes finally investing more in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). You will be on the forefront of the renewal of the officer corps – you will be joining the CAF, heading off to important postings, and dealing with the complex problems of our time. And you are ready!
We need you, now more than ever. Thank you for your service and the wonderful years to come in the Canadian military – and civilian life that you choose. Lead your troops well and do Canada proud.
RMC Class of ‘79