PICK YOUR PRIZE SWEEPSTAKES Save $$$ with exclusive rates for the Canadian Forces Community! 3 GRAND PRIZES Find out how much you could save on car or home insurance, and you could win $2,000 towards your choice of a dream 3 WINNERS! vacation, a shopping spree or a spa experience. GET A QUOTE TODAY! 1-844-999-7687 mygroup.ca/caf 154588 Monday, August 6, 2018 Volume 52, Issue 16 www.tridentnewspaper.com Welcome home, HMCS St. John’s Friends and family, including four-footed friends, welcome home HMCS St. John’s as the ship returns to its homeport on July 23, 2018 after completing a six-month deployment on Op REASSURANCE in the Baltic Sea, Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA Defence Minister RCN leaves a legacy Sea Kings go out in Invictus Games visits Halifax Pg. 5 in St. John's Pg. 8 style Pg. 12 training camp Pg. 20 CAF Veterans who completed Basic Training and are Honorably Discharged are eligible for the CANEX No Interest Credit Plan. (OAC) CANADA’S MILITARY STORE LE MAGASIN MILITAIRE DU CANADA Canex Windsor Park | 902-465-5414 154589 2 TRIDENT NEWS AUGUST 6, 2018 HMCS Ville de Québec departs with embarked Cyclone for Op REASSURANCE By Ryan Melanson, he added. Trident Staff “I’d ask all the family members here today to continue sending positive A new milestone for Canadian mari- support to their loved ones on board time aviation was reached on July 18, Ville de Québec, because their love will as HMCS Ville de Québec set sail for contribute to the success of our mis- Op REASSURANCE along with an sion and allow us to focus on the job at embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter hand.” and Helicopter Air Detachment. The That mission will mainly involve departure marks the first operational supporting NATO assurance and deployment for the new helicopter, deterrence measures in the Baltic and the result of more than three and Mediterranean. The ship is set years of testing, evaluation, and train- to join Standing NATO Maritime ing. Group 1, a naval force composed of Col Sid Connor, Wing Commander ships from various allied countries, at 12 Wing Shearwater, was on hand to in the coming weeks, continuing speak with the air crew and support in the role most recently filled by staff at the jetty before they left for HMCS St. John’s. Ville de Québec the roughly six-month deployment, and its embarked Cyclone will con- which will focus on supporting NATO duct surface patrols and subsurface assurance measures in Central and surveillance, while also participat- Eastern Europe. ing in training exercises meant to “This is an amazing change for our keep crews at high readiness and air crews, and this is the start of the ensure the task group is combat next chapter in maritime helicopter capable. operations, working with the Navy HMCS Ville de Québec’s embarked Helicopter Air Detachment is the first crew to de- “We want to maintain our pro- wherever Canada chooses to send us. ploy with the RCAF’s new maritime helicopter, the CH-148 Cyclone. ficiency as much as we can, at It’s a very exciting time,” Col Connor MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA the very highest level, in case the said. government of Canada calls on us to The Cyclone, manufactured by out of the equipment,” Col Connor five-year-old son and three-year-old do something or react to some sort Sikorsky, comes with numerous tech- added. daughter, and said being separated of real-world event,” Cdr Robinson nological improvements compared to While there was plenty of excite- from family is always tough, adding said. the CH-124 Sea King fleet, including ment around the departure, with a that missing milestones, like his son’s He also thanked those who helped flight speed, distance, sensors and highly-capable crew deploying with first day of school this coming Sep- his team reach their current readi- communications. The Cyclone flies a new piece of military kit for the tember, adds to the difficulty. ness level, including personnel from from a frigate with the same four-per- first time, it was also an emotional “This is hard on our families, and Sea Training (Atlantic) and FMF Cape son air crew as the Sea King, but with day at the dockyard. Hundreds of without their support, we wouldn’t Scott, as well as the crew themselves, many tasks now being automated, families and friends were on hand have been able to achieve what we’ve for putting in long hours and over- personnel are free to do more to sup- to see the crew off, and there were achieved so far, or what we will ulti- coming obstacles as they prepared to port the ship. lots of hugs and tears prior to Ville mately accomplish over the next six deploy. “What’s changed is the types of de Québec making its way out of the months.” “The ship and crew have come tasks they’ll do, the range of tasks harbour. While overseas, the ship’s com- a long way since I took command they’re able to do, and the amount Cdr Scott Robinson, the ship’s pany will continue to count on their almost a year ago. We’re ready to help, of effectiveness the crews will get Commanding Officer, is father to a family back home for extra support, ready to lead, and ready to fight.” Cdr Scott Robinson, Commanding Officer of HMCS Ville de Québec, speaks to fami- Families watch from the jetty as HMCS Ville de Québec fades into the fog while de- lies and colleagues before departing Halifax on the morning of July 18. parting Halifax on July 18. MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA RYAN MELANSON, TRIDENT STAFF AUGUST 6, 2018 TRIDENT NEWS 3 HMCS St. John’s wraps up busy year with return to Halifax By Ryan Melanson, bringing essential supplies to shore. Trident Staff After returning to Halifax in October of last year, the crew jumped right into When HMCS St. John’s arrived in high-readiness workups and training Halifax on July 23, the ship and crew to prepare for their next mission, and were rightfully celebrated for com- on January 16 of this year, sailed once pleting a six-month deployment to again to join Op REASSURANCE. Op REASSURANCE, working with “To think back to last summer, NATO allies to support assurance and when we all came together from deterrence measures in Central and various units and shore offices and Eastern Europe. whatnot, to then be able to provide oc- This recent deployment, however, cupational effectiveness on the other wasn’t the only accomplishment for side of the world, it’s been special for the ship since Cdr Gord Noseworthy me to have a front-row seat for that,” took command in July of last year. Cdr Noseworthy said, reflecting on St. John’s has spent most of the last the last 12 months with his crew. Sailors disembark HMCS St. John’s to reunite with family and friends on the jetty on 12 months operating at a very high “I couldn’t be more proud of their July 23. tempo, beginning with a deployment work, and I’m extremely pleased and MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA to Op RENAISSANCE in fall 2017, honoured to have sailed with each and responding to the Caribbean Islands every one of them.” with hundreds of friends, families, loved ones as they walked off the ship. after hurricanes Irma and Maria rav- The ship joined the NATO task force colleagues and even pets lining the “The deployment was good, lots of aged the region. They spent a month in the Baltic in late January, led by jetty as the ship came alongside. As is good work, but it’s a long time to be sailing in the area near South Cai- Danish ship HDMS Niels Juel, and com- tradition, one sailor from the ship’s away from home. We’ve been waiting for cos and then Dominica, conducting menced with early integration training company won the chance to be the this day for a very long time,” said LS rescues of stranded individuals and around the Baltic states, before eventu- first down the gangway, with LS Dan- Cara Vassallo, a MAR TECH on board ally heading to the eastern Mediterra- iel Laplante happily disembarking St. John’s, as she prepared to head home nean for the bulk of the mission. They and being greeted by his wife Melissa, with her wife, LS Ashley Vassallo. were supported by an embarked CH-124 with a big kiss for the crowd and TV Canada’s maritime contribution to Op Sea King helicopter affectionately cameras. The rest of the crew fol- REASSURANCE continues with HMCS known as Black Horse. While the RCN lowed for their own happy reunions, Ville de Québec. The ship left Halifax on and RCAF have been celebrating the with many carrying flowers for their July 18 and will return in early 2019. transition to the Cyclone for maritime helicopter operations, the crew of St. John’s experienced the other end of that milestone, as the last ship to deploy operationally with the Sea King. As always, the aircraft was reliable and performed well through the deploy- ment. The air crew, from 443 Squadron in Patricia Bay, British Columbia, will now return to the west coast. “It was a bit of an historic moment to disembark her at the end of the trip, marking the end of 50 years of Navy operations with that helicopter.