The Commissioning Ceremony marks the achievement of a significant milestone in your careers as officers in His Majesty’s Canadian Armed Forces. The Class of 2002 wishes you all the best in your future endeavours as commissioned officers.
Our class is uniquely placed to state the following: RMC is perhaps one of the best places to prepare you for the “unpreparable”. Our class — the first to graduate following the tragic events of September 11th — joined our more senior alumni on missions we never imagined so soon after graduation. We’ve seen classmates lead combat operations on the ground, conduct air sovereignty operations, and sail in naval operations off the Horn of Africa, all in support of critical efforts in the War on Terror.
With only eight months from 9/11 to graduation, nothing formally prepared us for this while attending RMC. And yet, what carried us through were the challenges we faced as cadets, the lessons learned in overcoming them, and the esprit de corps and camaraderie we forged during our time at RMC. You are ready for whatever comes next.
Prenez par contre le temps de célébrer. Durant le bal des finissants, dansez au rythme de “Dancing Queen” jusqu’à l’aube du lendemain, en vous remémorant la chanson qui vous réveillait durant ces autres lendemains et qui limitait à 3 minutes 46 secondes le temps dont vous disposiez pour vous préparer à la routine du matin.
As you celebrate your successes, etch memories to remember as you enter active service. And perhaps most importantly — be proud. Proud of your accomplishments, proud to share them, and proud of one another.
Sincerely,
The Class of 2002