Volume 68, Issue 25, June 26, 2023

Japanese training vessels visit CFB Esquimalt

The spirit of goodwill and international cooperation between allies prevailed when two training vessels of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) visited Esquimalt last week.

Commodore (Cmdre) Patrick Montgomery, Commander of Canada’s Naval Reserve, said the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was grateful for the opportunity to host the training squadron while noting the importance of past port visits between the two nations.

“It is a true sign of partnership as we continue to work together to help create a peaceful maritime system that benefits all of us across the

world,” he said.

The JMSDF was making a four-day port visit to the base as part of an overseas training mission. Japanese Ships (JS) Kashima and JS Hatakaze with approximately 550 sailors pulled alongside in His Majesty’s Dockyard on the morning of June 15 and participated in a Welcome Ceremony by Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC). The JMSDF overseas training cruise involves 11 ports of call in eight different countries.

Rear-Admiral Yasushige Konno, Commander of the Japanese Training Squadron, says the purpose of their mission is to teach newly commissioned officers the basics of surface operation, seamanship and the importance of a free and open

Indo-Pacific Region.

His Excellency Kanji Yamanouchi, Ambassador of Japan, spoke of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, the ‘building of bridges’, exchanges between scholars and artists and economic partnerships in his remarks.

“But also very important is an official visit by our naval officers to Canada,” said Yamanouchi. “This says a lot and is a true testament of our friendship.”

The cultural exchange between the two nations continued throughout the visit. The first stop on the training squadron’s eight-nation international sail was in Dutch Harbor, Alaska on June 6. Their cruise wraps up in October 2023.

Base MP ready to roll for Tour de Rock

Lookout for HEROES

Although the journey will be arduous and emotional, Corporal (Cpl) Mary Larkin says she needed little convincing to take part in this year’s Tour de Rock.

“As soon as I heard how it changes lives and supports children with cancer and their families, I knew this was for me,” she says. “The treatments for pediatric cancer can be extremely hard on the children and have lasting effects, and I wanted to do something to help.”

A member of CFB Esquimalt’s Military Police Unit, Cpl Larkin is one of 19 law enforcement and first responders from across Vancouver Island recently named to this year’s Tour de Rock cycling team. Tour de Rock is a fundraiser for the national nonprofit Cops for Cancer and is in its 26th year.

The team now trains for their 14-day cycling journey from Port Alice to Victoria, Sept. 23 to Oct. 6.

“The trainers are amazing and getting us prepared for the physical aspects of the ride,” she says.

The team began training thrice weekly, focusing on speed, distance and hills, one day for each. The cyclists are planning longer-distance rides later this summer, including a ride up Mount Washington.

Cpl Larkin is a triathlete and recreational sports enthusiast who enjoys paddleboarding, hiking and practicing yoga in her spare time. Until her Tour de Rock training began, she admits the furthest distance she ever cycled was 40 km. The team will cover over 1,200 km in two weeks, amounting to an average distance of 85 km per day.

When Tour de Rock begins, Cpl Larkin will think about not only the children with cancer but also her father, Ken Larkin.

“I will shed a few tears when the ride begins but I have also realized that cancer impacts nearly every family out there, so we are all in this fight together,” she says.

Her 73-year-old father was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2017. Ken has since undergone surgery but is not cancerfree: while his form of cancer is manageable, it is also incurable, and he will battle it for the rest of his life.

The money raised by Tour de Rock riders is for life-saving pediatric cancer research and support programs such as Camp Goodtimes, a summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer.

Cops for Cancer is a partnership between first responders and the Canadian Cancer Society that began in 1997. Since then, Tour de Rock riders and support staff have raised $52 million.

The May 12 kick-off event at St. Margaret’s School in Saanich introduced Cpl Larkin and this year’s Tour de Rock Team to a packed auditorium of students and staff. There were speeches, the introduction of honorary members and the riders received their training jerseys.

The occasion also marked the moment Cpl Larkin and the rest of her team began their fundraising campaigns, with each rider setting a goal of $20,000.

“My fundraising is going well, and my family, coworkers and the military community all have been very supportive about the ride,” she said. “I couldn’t do any of this without them, and that is a huge inspiration to me.”

To support Cpl Larkin’s fundraising efforts, visit her Cops4Cancer webpage: bit.ly/3CwW3LZ

"Cancer impacts nearly every family out there, so we are all in this fight together.”

~Corporal Mary Larkin

The highs & lows of therapy

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through them.

Personal inflations and deflations are naturally occurring and are tethered to the ego, commonly referred to as the conscious mind. It encompasses our awareness of our thoughts, memories, and emotions. Furthermore, it is significantly tied to our identity and desire for continuity and permanence. It is part of our Self that gets us to go to work in the morning, to be cordial with others and uphold our duties as parents, caretakers, or other roles we fill. However, at times, we become over-identified with our ego, which causes us to latch on to the highs and lows we face.

ing, inflations and deflations are neutral. They are merely terms of reference for your current psychological well-being. What’s important here is having the capacity to be objective in self-reflection and not to become attached to either state of being. By doing so, you become mindful of your current nature and can prevent yourself from becoming overly grandiose or despairingly deflated.

• Asking yourself:

How do you feel after the session?

How does it differ from your overall mood that day?

Are you currently at a high or low point overall in your therapeutic journey?

They are most noticed on an individualistic level, but they also occur collectively through economic inflations and depressions, population increases and decreases, and matters related to culture.

Irrespective of your therapeutic journey, you will be embroiled in this natural ebb and flow. However, these inflations and deflations in therapy are often intensified and amplified. To best deal with the ups and downs of counselling, it may be pertinent to understand the underpinnings and how best to work

Generally, we go to counselling feeling relatively low about ourselves, and we’re wondering where our confidence has gone. Typically, after a few sessions, an individual has a shift. Some are fortunate to start feeling better sooner; others might find themselves even more deflated no matter their effort, as struggles can worsen before they get better. However, throughout the process, our self-esteem will continuously move through periods of inflation and deflation.

Psychologically speak-

These ups and downs can be taxing in therapy. This could be because it is a contained microcosm, where the spotlight is directly aimed at the issues one is facing. Moreover, one of the purposes of counselling is to improve one’s psychological welfare. In essence, one becomes in servitude to these highs and lows.

This is, of course, not a plea to ridicule the moments of achievements or missteps in therapy. They are vital for one to continue to pursue the work they have taken upon themselves. Being conscious of it allows us to truly appreciate the moments of profound insight and feel and process the suffering we may be facing.

Simple ways of noticing the highs and lows in therapy are:

• Journaling periodically is a cathartic release. It is a way to process certain situations emotionally and cognitively in a kinetic manner.

Noticing the ebbs and flows in therapy offers the potential to become more cognizant of the undulations one faces in everyday life. Entering into the peaks and troughs we surf in counselling prepares us to ride the more giant waves we must face.

Thomas Goenczi is an RCN Veteran and MA Clinical Counsellor with Private Practice: Well Then Therapy.

The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding your condition.

It is an inescapable law that we must endure the highs and lows in life.

A boot, an axe and an iPad

Yellowknife visit leads to a lake-bottom adventure

Kateryna Bandura

Lookout Editor

When Sub-Lieutenant (SLt) Marty Hagen visited Yellowknife, N.W.T., during a namesake city visit with HMCS Yellowknife’s ship’s company, he did not expect to embark on a side quest.

But, alas, on May 17, he found himself assisting Major (Maj) Jeremy MacDonald from the Joint Task Force (North) HQ in a post-mission dive search for a cell phone lost in Great Slave Lake.

“The dive was highly successful,” SLt Hagen said.

“Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Dive Masters gain respect worldwide and Jeremy is testament to the reason they do.”

Maj MacDonald is a PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor who works through word-of-mouth to recover lost items in the

Great Slave Lake and surrounding areas. He accompanied HMCS Yellowknife’s crew through their namesake visit to Yellowknife.

When LieutenantCommander (LCdr) James Brun, Yellowknife’s Commanding Officer, learned that Maj MacDonald was heading to a post-workday dive, he passed along SLt Hagen’s willingness to help with some post-work bottom searching. SLt Hagen graduated from Ship’s Team Diver course 0022 on Dec. 5, 2022, and has already participated in a few dives with HMCS Vancouver and multiple rescue swimmer exercises on HMCS Yellowknife

As SLt Hagen puts it, LCdr Brun did him a favour.

“So few people get to enjoy the aspects associated with underwater tourism, but to help a community and explore a lake bottom really made for a great day,” SLt Hagen said.

The search for the cell phone was challenging. SLt Hagen was a buddy diver in a bottom circle search, acting as the second pair of eyes as the team expanded in a circular pattern of a stick placed at the bottom of the lake to cover more ground. The reduced visibility was challenging – at its clear-

est, they could see only two meters ahead. Additionally, even in May, the Great Slave Lake temperature reaches only 8-10 degrees Celsius. A strong pre-dive brief and always having eyes on your diving buddy keeps everyone safe, SLt Hagen said.

“Be it civilian or military, the saying always remains true: ‘Plan your dive and dive your plan’,” he said. “In the event that we did lose visibility (which happened once), we knew exactly what to do: go up and follow the line back down to your buddy. A strong dive brief eliminates confusion and saves lives.”

Although the initial purpose of the dive was to search for a cell phone, it quickly escalated to retrieval of a pack with iPads and IDs after Maj MacDonald learned of a capsized canoe nearby.

“We maxed out our airtime after two hours of searching and could not retrieve the pack, but with our understanding of the currents, we found it shortly at a nearby shoreline,” he said.

Additionally, the team found a lone boot, which the distressed citizen happily claimed as theirs; they shortly found the second boot. Among other

unexpected finds were a trolley that one of Maj MacDonald’s coworkers lost to the lake and a brand-new axe claimed by a married couple living on the boats. But retrieving lost objects was just one half of SLt Hagen’s side quest, as Maj MacDonald invited him to

help train some of his clients, including an RCMP officer and a Military Police member, at Ruth Inch Memorial Pool. The clients were getting PADI Open Water Diver training, and another was training for his PADI Rescue Diver qualification.

“It was great to see that Jeremy had created a thriving dive community in Yellowknife and had amazing relations with the pool staff and his coworkers,” SLt Hagen said. “It’s always a fun day when you can train more divers.”

June 25: fateful date in our naval history

June is a month of special significance in our naval history.

On June 6, the 79th anniversary of D-Day and the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) involvement was marked. Another date in June – the 25th – carries the memory of two other historical events that illustrate the demands and sacrifice of naval service in times of conflict.

On June 25, 1940, HMCS Fraser I (H48) was lost in a collision with the British cruiser HMS Calcutta due to poor visibility at night. The vessel was returning to England after assisting in the evacuation of allied personnel from advancing German forces approaching St Jean de Luz, a French fishing town on the Bay of Biscay near the Spanish border.

Fraser was struck at the bridge, and the hull broke in two. In company with Fraser and Calcutta, HMCS Restigouche I (H00) rescued survivors from both sections of Fraser’s hull. The destroyer’s bridge was perched on the cruiser’s bow as it steamed into Plymouth port the following day. Fraser’s bridge members watched who stepped directly onto the cruiser’s forecastle after the collision. Although Restigouche saved many lives, 47 of the Fraser’s ship’s company, along with 19 Royal Navy ratings being evacuated and a member of Restigouche’s crew, lost

their lives in the incident. Fraser was the first RCN ship lost during the Second World War. A further tragic note was the loss of many of Fraser’s survivors transferred to HMCS Margaree when that ship was lost in collision with the freighter Port Fairy on Oct. 20, 1940, while on convoy escort duty.

The other historical event associated with the 25th of June took place in 1950 with the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North Korean forces.

Canada’s first recourse in 1950 was to dispatch the RCN destroyers HMCS Cayuga, Athabaskan II and Sioux to join the United Nations naval forces in Korean waters less than two weeks after the outbreak of hostilities.

Commander RCN (ret’d) Peter Chance recently visited the museum to speak to Cas Stevens and Jakob Svorkdal, two University of Victoria co-op students who have commenced their summer work experience at the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum. He spoke about his experiences in those conflicts as part of their orientation training. Chance served in HMCS St Laurent in company with Fraser during the early days of the Battle of the Atlantic and in HMCS Cayuga in Korea.

The museum, located at CFB Esquimalt (Naden), is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, see: navalandmilitarymuseum.org.

The Naval Museum of Québec unveils mural celebrating Naval Reserve centennial

Lookout staff

With files from National Defence

The Naval Museum of Quebec unveiled a mural to celebrate the centennial of the Naval Reserve on June 16.

Developed by the Naval Museum of Quebec, the mural is one of the largest in Canada, at more than 200 metres in length.

“This mural illustrates the history of our Navy, a history that helped shape the maritime story of the greater Quebec City area,” said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander Royal Canadian Navy. “It depicts our past, our present, and those who made the ultimate sacrifices. Their courageous spirits continue to live on in our sailors today.”

The mural illustrates over 100 years of the naval history of Quebec and Canada in 26 large canvases surrounding 170 Dalhousie Street on three facades. Each province is represented through their respective Naval Reserve Divisions or by historical figures. The idea was to integrate original drawings and archival photos from the collection of the Naval Museum of Quebec.

Created by Canadian artist Paul Abraham, who was chosen thanks to his unique style and representations of historical figures, in collaboration with the museum staff, the mural was long-term work, taking almost three years from research to realization.

Members of the Naval Museum of Quebec offered guided tours of the mural on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Visitors could learn about a RHIB on display and try out a trailer with a small arms simulator. This simulator worked with a giant screen and compressed air and was accessible only to individuals 16 years and older, with parental consent for minors.

“The creation of this huge fresco is the culmination of a dream for the team at the Naval Museum of Quebec to present the naval history of Quebec and Canada in a brilliant and daring way to a wide audience,” said Vincent O’Neill, Director of the Naval Museum of Quebec. “We invite the public to come and admire this artistic work to learn more about the naval presence in Quebec City.”

The mural surrounds 170 Dalhousie Street, which houses the Museum, HMCS Montcalm, and the Quebec Naval School, for the next few years.

2023 Navy Run champions crowned

A fleet-footed chef from Sidney found the recipe for success in this year’s Navy Run, crossing the finish line with an unbeatable time in the 5k race.

Peterson Perrin claimed the Navy Run 5k title on June 17, finishing the course in 17:17. He was 14 seconds faster than second-place finisher Graedon Church, a DND civilian, of Victoria.

“I just kept my pace and held on,” Perrin said. “The winds were so strong I felt like I was parachuting, but I gunned it from the get-go and only looked over my shoulder a few times.”

Perrin works as a Performance Coach at the Pacific Institute for Sport Education (PISE) and a chef with the Deep Cove Chalet. He has won two previous Navy Run 5k races but said this year’s blustery conditions affected his performance.

The top female in the 5k race was Corporal (Cpl) Sophia Nowicki of 15 Field Ambulance, Calgary detachment, who finished fourth overall with a time of 18:12. Cpl Nowicki is a part-time Reservist who also works as a nurse and has been a competitive runner for the past ten years. "I was glad to be able to take part in the race and had a blast competing," she said. "I was glad to have won my category."

Lieutenant (Lt) Anabelle St-Martin of Base Logistics (BLOG) was the top female

Top Finishers

military runner in the 5k race with a time of 19:08 and a 12th overall finish.

Master Sailor Bailey Toupin of Naval Reserve unit HMCS Malahat finished just one second behind Lt St-Martin.

WALKER TOO FAST

In the 10k competition, Nick Walker, Running Room Victoria Co-owner, jumped out to an early lead and then held on for the victory with a time of 33:48. Walker crossed the finish line 19 seconds quicker than his nearest challenger, Jonathan MacDonald of Comox.

“I always love competing in this event because it’s an amazing course to run and the team here always does an amazing job of staging this event,” said Walker after accepting his winner’s medal from Capt (N) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson, Base Commander. It was Walker’s third win at the Navy Run.

Lieutenant (Navy) (Lt(N)) Adrian Thow of Canadian Fleet Pacific (CANFLTPAC) was the top military runner in the 10k, finishing third overall with a time of 36:43. Randi Logan of Crofton, B.C., was the quickest female in the 10k race with a time of 43:46. Lt(N) Pamela Hogan, a Public Affairs Officer of Maritime Forces Pacific, finished second in the women’s category with a time of 46:49.

Ten visiting Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force members participated in this year’s race. Two of their members placed fifth and sixth overall in the 5k race, posting times of 18:21 and 18:29, respectively, while

one Japanese runner placed 4th overall in the 10K with a time of 36:44.

This year’s Navy Run had 660 participants in the in-person and virtual race options.

Chief Petty Officer First Class (CPO1) Stan Budden, Navy Run Ambassador, said he was impressed with the turnout and participation from the wider running community.

“The participation from runners outside the base and military circles was strong and seeing so many people from the community was great,” said CPO1 Budden, who works as a Unit Chief at Naval Fleet School (Pacific). “I am looking forward to next year’s run being even bigger and better.”

The Canadian Submarine Force led the way in top participation for a unit with 30 runners registered. BLOG was second with 21 participants, and Naval Personnel Training Unit (NPTG) was third with 13 members lacing up their runners to participate.

Through monies collected through donations, this year’s Navy Run raised $ 5004.49 for beneficiary Soldier On. HMCS Calgary led the way in overall team fundraising, raising over $840.

The title sponsors for this year’s Navy Run were BMO, Seaspan, Babcock and Bell Media.

For full race results, visit startlinetiming. com/en/races/2023/navyrun/event/10K/ page.

The top finishers for in-person participants at the CFB Esquimalt Navy Run, June 17. With finish, name, hometown and chip time, military members in bold: 10K

MEN

1 – Nick Walker, Victoria, 33:48;

2 – Jonathan MacDonald, Comox, B.C., 36:07;

3 – Adrian Thow, Victoria, 36:43.

WOMEN

1 – Randi Logan, Crofton B.C., 43:46;

2 – Pamela Hogan, Victoria, 46:49;

3 – Angela Puszka, Sooke, B.C., 47:19.

5K

MEN

1 – Perrin Peterson, Sidney, B.C., 17:17;

2 – Graedon Church, Victoria, 17:31;

3 – Travis Fehr, Victoria, 17:40.

WOMEN

1 – Sophia Nowicki, Bragg Creek, Alta., 18:12;

2 – Anabelle St-Martin, Victoria, 19:08;

3 – Bailey Toupin, Victoria B.C., 19:09.

Source: https://startlinetiming.com

Peewee • 2012, 2013 & 2014

Jr Bantam • 2010 & 2011

No Experience Necessary Funding Accepted Gear Provided Tuesday/Thursday Practices

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FOR SALE

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OPPORTUNITY

Night Custodian position available. Ideal for someone who is semi-retired. Light duty janitorial, security duties. All training will be provided. 2 nights per week (no weekends).

$22.50 per hour, health benefits. Please submit your resume/any questions you may have to: Tony Sousa, Dawson Heights Housing, tsousa@dawsonheights.ca

Base Clerk nominated to Sports Hall of Fame

A well-known customer service support clerk from CFB Esquimalt is being recognized for his significant impact on the wheelchair sports community.

Chris Daw from Supply Customer Account Services in HMC Dockyard has been selected for induction into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame, scheduled for Nov. 16. He says this is an excellent opportunity for his team to be recognized for their accomplishments.

“No individual can win a recognition such as this alone, much less be inducted, without an effort from all team members and their legacies that help to get recognized,” he said.

The Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame honours athletes, coaches, teams, builders and pioneers who have distinguished themselves on the local, national or international sports scene. Nominations are forwarded from the public and are scrutinized by a nomination committee, then a selection committee, with the final approval completed by the Sports Legacy committee.

Daw is a Paralympian and a pioneer of wheelchair sports. He was one of the people who invented wheelchair curling in 2000 and helped write the rules, and team won the first-ever gold medal in 2006. He retired as an athlete in 2008 and became an elite coach, working with teams worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., Turkey and Korea, in sports such as track and field, curling, basketball, rugby, volleyball and martial arts.

Chris Daw is the only athlete to represent Canada at multiple Paralympic Games for various sports. He competed in wheelchair racing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair curling over four Paralympic Games appearances. He was also on Canada’s sitting volleyball team at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio, and experienced just about every conceivable Para sport available at the time. He joined CFB Esquimalt in 2021.

“Never let your passion out-weight your patience,” he says. “If you want to be a Commanding Officer – put the time in to become one; if you want to be a team leader – put time in. It’ll happen.”

New Commander for Maritime Forces Atlantic & Joint Task Force Atlantic

National Defence

Canadian Armed Forces

Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and Joint Task Force Atlantic (JTFA) welcomed RearAdmiral (RAdm) Josée Kurtz as their new Commander on June 20.

“I am deeply honoured to take command over a group of dedicated sailors, aviators, soldiers, and Defence Team members that exemplify the hard work, dedication and professionalism that Canadians expect from their Canadian Armed Forces,” RA Kurtz said.

RAdm Kurtz assumed command from RAdm Brian Santarpia during a ceremony held at His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“I have been proud to represent the sailors, soldiers, aviators, and civilian members who form the foundation of Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic,” RAdm Santarpia said.

The Commander of MARLANT and JTFA is responsible for the

Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on the East Coast, as well as for conducting routine and domestic operations, and leading Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) continental operations across Atlantic Canada to defend Canadian interests and values at home and abroad.

RAdm Josée Kurtz joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1988 as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. After her initial training, she earned her Bridge Watchkeeping certificate and specialized in Navigation. Throughout her career, RAdm Josée Kurtz served in HMCS Vancouver, HMCS Ville de Québec and HMCS Halifax, and was appointed the Commandant of Canadian Forces Naval Operations School and Commander for the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) in Alliance Fleet, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region. Before taking command of MARLANT and JTFA, RAdm Josée Kurtz was posted as the Commandant and Vice-Chancellor of Royal Military College of Canada in 2021.

New DND grant expands support for sexual misconduct survivors, including family members

Garry Foster

Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative

New community support is now available to individuals in the Canadian Defence community. This program is funded by the Department of National Defence’s Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre’s Community Support for Sexual Misconduct Survivors Grant Program, with three years of funding: spring 2023-24, spring 2024-25, and spring 2025-26.

AS A FULLY-FUNDED NATIONAL PROGRAM, OUR SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO ARE:

• Currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF);

• CAF Veterans;

• current and former Department of National Defence (DND) public service employees;

• families and caregivers of the above aged 16 and older;

• members of the Defence Team who support those affected.

A recipient of this grant, the Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative (CWWI) is a Canadian charitable organization with branch offices across the country. CWWI offers an easy-to-learn evidence-based stress reduction program, the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique, which is a 15 to 20-minute silent meditation, a deeply relaxing and enjoyable practice. CWWI provides training to anyone whose life is impacted by traumatic stress.

Currently, CWWI TM training is available in most Canadian cities, including Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal and Fredericton.

The applicant requires no paperwork, as each branch handles administration. Participation is completely confidential.

FIELD-TESTED APPROACH TO STRESS REDUCTION

The outreach project is called the ‘Field-Tested Approach to Stress Reduction and Improved Well-Being for Survivors of Sexual Misconduct’. Previously, CWWI received two grants from Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC) to help veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) or Occupational Stress Injury (OSI) by providing instruction in the TM program.

It is an effortless, simple technique verified by research to reduce stress, anxiety, PTSD, OSI, and improve health, wellbeing, and sleep, among other benefits. The deep rest TM allows mental and physical healing to occur without having to relive past experiences or commit to a long period of clinical therapy.

To date, approximately 170 members of the CAF and their families have participated in the VAC-funded program. Researchers tracked participants’ results by measuring the degree to which participating veterans and their family members experienced changes in their levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and anger after being taught and practising the TM technique for three months.

The CWWI TM program, under this grant, is open to all genders of participants and their family members. If interested, contact Chris Collrin, Intake Coordinator, at cbcollrin@gmail.com or visit canadianwomenswellness.ca for more information on the TM program

The results of this technique have shown that, on average, veterans experienced a 22 per cent decrease in perceived stress in just 12 weeks.

In that same period, veterans also experienced a 38.24 per cent decrease in depression, a 45.24 per cent decrease in anxiety, and a 35.35 per cent decrease in anger.

Family members experienced a 23.08 per cent decrease in perceived stress, a 25.42 per cent decrease in depression, a 32.21 per cent decrease in anxiety, and a 35.69 per cent decrease in anger.

$11,831

Longtime HMCS Scotian member steps in as new CO

Trident Staff

HMCS Scotian, Halifax’s Naval Reserve Division, welcomed its new Commanding Officer (CO) on May 3.

Commander (Cdr) Kyle Penney assumed the role as Cdr Wayne Shaddock, outgoing CO, wrapped up his time in command.

Cdr Shaddock led HMCS Scotian through part of the COVID-19 pandemic, major anniversary celebrations, and a recruiting push, he said he was extremely proud of Scotian’s team for their work during that time.

“These people are the backbone of the Naval Reserve,” he added, shouting out junior members who filled in seamlessly for senior positions at times, and a leadership team that was always willing to go above and beyond to get the job done. “You guys and gals have knocked it out of the park and I truly want to thank you, and we

wouldn’t be where we are today without your dedication.”

Commodore (Cmdre) Patrick Montgomery, Commander of the Naval Reserve, travelled to Halifax for the change of command ceremony, which was pared down from the usual full unit parade due to the wildfire situation in the Halifax area.

“I appreciate that we could make this happen under such stressful circumstances,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the moment, and thanking Cdr Shaddock for helping facilitate Scotian’s successes over the last two years as CO.

In welcoming Cdr Penney to his new role, Cmdre Montgomery expressed his confidence the new CO is up to the task.

Cdr Penney joined the Naval Reserve in 1991 at HMCS Chippawa in Winnipeg and has been with HMCS Scotian since 2000 –he’s held a number of positions in Reserve

units and in the fleet, including a string of seagoing postings from 1995-2007. He also currently works as a public servant with the Department of National Defence, as a Safety and Environment Manager at Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Scott.

“The Navy takes a lot of care and intention to make sure their commanding officers are chosen at the right time and at the right place and that they’re prepared to do the job,” Cmdre Montgomery said. “We trust your experience, we trust your humility and we trust your empathy to keep the team motivated, that’s why you’re here.”

After more than 20 years as a member of the Scotian ‘family’, the new CO said he was honoured to be leading the unit. While thanking his predecessor, colleagues, family and others who helped him reach this point in his career, Cdr Penney also focused on the future and the reservists who will be under

his command. He added that Scotian will put an emphasis on providing advice, coaching and mentorship and professional development throughout the ship’s company.

“We are responsible for training the leaders of tomorrow and ensuring we all have fun while putting in the hard work,” he said. “My father, someone I look up to as a leader, taught me that one of the important aspects of leadership is to value people. We will lead by personal example and create a safe, respectful, inclusive and professional work environment that recognizes and respects the important contributions made by every member of Scotian.”

Leadership firsts

On June 13, Chief Petty Officer Second Class (CPO2) Michael (Rob) Tibbetts was presented with the Royal Canadian Navy Benevolent Fund (RCNBF) Vice-Admiral Mark Norman Leadership Award. It was the fourth time the award was presented, and the first time to a senior Non-Commissioned Officer and the first time to a submariner.

The award is selected on the following criteria:

• Selfless dedication to the betterment of the quality of life and service in the Navy;

• Outstanding contribution to the overall well-being of the broader naval community;

• Advocacy for physical fitness and mental health.

The RCNBF provides a cash award of $5,000 to the successful nominee. The recipient, in turn, contributes the prize to an organization of their choice that supports activities related to the well-being of naval veterans, serving members, and/or military families. CPO2 Tibbets has chosen to donate to the following deserving charities supporting the well being of naval veterans, serving members, and/or military families:

1. Broadmead Care;

2. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 161 Gaetz Brook, N.S.;

3. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 13 Corner Brook, Nfld.

Naval Security Training

Lieutenant (Navy) Robert Newton presents Naval Security Team (NST) Qualification Badges to members upon completion of the Response Boat Tactical Operator course on June 19.