January 12, 2011 VOLUME 60, ISSUE 01 FREE The Tradition Continues 17 Wing Jr Ranks Christmas Party Honourary Colonel Barry Rempel advises Acting Wing Commander Jeff Clarke on carving a turkey at the 17 Wing Junior Ranks Christmas dinner. The dinner was held at Building 21 on 15 December 2010, and included the Air Force traditions of exchanging jackets, carving the tur- key and adding the rum to the pudding sauce. Photo: Sgt Bill McLeod Local Historic 2011 Air Force Wing Community Military agreement signed Run Preparations Commander’s Recreation Winter Members Receive with the U of M are underway Honours and Programs RCMP Awards Commendations In this issue: In this Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Pages 8 + 9 Page 12 2 VOXAIR, 17 Wing Winnipeg, 12 January 2011 Their training kicked in and saved lives Sergeant Joseph Penman, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles re- Warrant Officer Shaun Spence, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles Master Warrant Officer Hamish Seggie, Joint Personnel ceives the Commissioner’s Commendation for Bravery from receives the Commissioner’s Commendation for Bravery Support Unit Prairie Region and a member of The Royal the Commissioner of the RCMP, William J.S. Elliott. Photo: from the Commissioner of the RCMP, William J.S. Elliott. Winnipeg Rifles receives the Commissioner’s Commenda- Cpl Bill Gomm Photo: Cpl Bill Gomm tion for Bravery from the Commissioner of the RCMP, Wil- liam J.S. Elliott. Photo: Cpl Bill Gomm Lt Donna Riguidel accident where Constable Alfred Lavallee of the RCMP event. 17 Wing Public Affairs was trying to free the people trapped inside the burning All three members credit their training for their ability vehicles. to jump into action. “It was so bright. I don’t really remember the heat or “We didn’t even have to think, you just act. With these It was a nightmare scene that tragically took the lives the smoke but it was the brightest thing I’ve ever seen,” men from my unit, I knew I could trust them to be doing of three people but thanks to the actions of an RCMP con- said Sgt. Penman. what they needed to do,” said MWO Seggie. stable, a few civilians and the quick response of several The three members, without any concern for their own The three members remain torn about what happened members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles (R Wpg R), two lives safety, began pulling at the engulfed vehicles with their that day, although they acted quickly, the fire was too in- were saved that day. bare hands. MWO Seggie pulled pieces of one vehicle’s tense and eventually drove them back. On 10 December 2010, these heroes were awarded the dashboard apart with his bare hands to free a man trapped “We didn’t want to give up,” said WO Spence. “Eventu- highest recognition that the RCMP can give them – The inside. Sgt Penman and WO Spence, using both a pry bar ally Constable Lavallee pulled us back because of the dan- Commissioner’s Commendation for Bravery. and their bare hands, tried desperately to pull the van’s ger.” “We don’t normally give this to members of the Cana- burning door open. And when it was all done, these three men - who had dian Forces and it’s a special honour to do it today,” said As a result of their quick actions, a young girl and a man just done an incredibly brave and selfless thing, simply con- RCMP Commissioner William Elliott. are alive today. tinued on to CFB Shilo for their training as scheduled. Sergeant Joseph Penman, Warrant Officer Shaun Spen- “They showed outstanding bravery and courage, in “We just focused on the weekend. We didn’t really talk ce and Master Warrant Officer Hamish (Jim) Seggie of the smoke so thick and black you could barely see,” said Corps about it at all,” said Sgt. Penman. R Wpg R were en route to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Sergeant-Major Gene Maeda, Master of Ceremonies for the Shilo, MB for routine training when they came upon the Komatiks built for Exercise Northern Bison Arctic Response Company Group and mem- Throughout the exercise, the Canadian Cpl Bill Gomm bers of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patri- Forces will be contributing to the govern- 38 CBG Photojournalist cia’s Canadian Light Infantry were building ment’s top priority of protecting the territo- komatiks (wooden sleighs) in Winnipeg, to rial integrity of the Arctic. For the exercise “We will be packing a komatik with the prepare for Exercise Northern Bison 2011. to be successful, soldiers must be able to Unit Medical Station (UMS) and another Exercise Northern Bison will take place move, shoot, communicate and sustain komatik will be like a snow ambulance,” from February 15 to 28, 2011. It will see sol- themselves in austere northern conditions. said Master Corporal Calin Ritchie, Medical diers conduct a 300 km trek from Churchill, The komatiks will play a crucial role in en- Technician with 17 Field Ambulance. MB to Arviat, NU. The exercise will see both suring this success. Throughout the first week of December, Regular and Reserve Force soldiers work The komatiks were constructed using 2 soldiers from 38 Canadian Brigade Group’s together with the 1 and 4 Canadian Ranger x10s and 2 x 6’s and lashed together along Patrol Groups (CRPG). with nylon/plastic strips for runners, galva- nized nails, screws, rope and glue. Koma- VOXAIR tiks will be pulled by snowmobiles through- out the exercise. OFFICE HOURS CONTACT “Well the first thing you do is you have Monday to Thursday Do your part... 0830 -1600 hrs Ad Sales/Main Office to build the runners,” said Sergeant Alex (204) 833-2500 ext 4120 Submissions/Reporter (204) 833-2500 ext 6976 Brown, of the Arctic Response Company Accounting [email protected] recycle (204) 833-2500 ext 4121 +VOXAIR@PersSvcs@Winnipeg Group. “You take 2 x 10s and laminate them VOXAIR STAFF or pass along together. Then cut them down to size, at- LCol JR Zuorro Michael Sherby Traci Wright tach the plastic runners, then drill holes in Editor-In-Chief Production Proofreading Coordinator/Layout (204) 833-2500 ext 5281 it to attach the cross members (2 x 6s) and Printed By this newspaper lash the cross members on top.” Rick Harris Misra Yakut The Winkler Times Managing Editor Accounting (204) 325-4771 (204) 833-2500 ext 4299 when Black polyester weave rope with the Maureen Walls core removed was used to lash the cross VOXAIR Manager you’re members to the runners. “The hammering hurts after awhile,” Master Corporal Calin Ritchie, 17 Field Visit Us Online: www.voxair.ca said MCpl Ritchie who was setting the nails Ambulance drills pilot holes into the plastic done. runner as Sergeant Tim Fletcher, Field Sup- VOXAIR is the unofficial Service newspaper of 17 Wing Winnipeg and is published every two weeks under deeper after they had been driven through port and Training for Combat Support Com- the authority of the Wing Commander, Col Y. Boilard, Opinions and views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the Wing Commander or the Department of National Defence. The Editor the plastic into the runner. “Especially when pany Second Battalion Princess Patricia's reserves the right to edit or reject any editorial or advertising material. We will not be responsible for any loss or damage to any advertiser or third party resulting from the failure of an advertisement to appear in you hit yourself a couple of times.” Canadian Light Infantry, holds the runner in any of our editions or from any error or omission in any advertisement which is published. place. Photo: Cpl Bill Gomm Promotion of Private Businesses in arti- “Everything has been going really well,” cles submitted for publication is not per- Correspondence should be addressed to: said Sgt Brown. “We’ve gotten a lot of work mitted except in cases of appreciation for The Voxair donations where only the company name done in the past couple of days and by the to carry supplies and other items such as 17 Wing Winnipeg, is included. (Companies or individuals PO Box 17000 Stn forces that are currently in arrears shall not be end of weekend we should have everything the UMS supplies. Both will be essential to Winnipeg, MB R3J 3Y5 published.) Individuals or groups shall not make any offer of promotion in The Voxair completed.” Exercise Northern Bison 2011. This newspaper is printed using Newspaper of products and/or services environmentally safe inks. for exchange in donations. The goal for the week was to complete Publications Mail Agreement No. 1482823 29 komatiks. In addition, boxes were built VOXAIR, 17 Wing Winnipeg, 12 January 2011 3 Historic Agreement signed with the U of M 17 Wing Public Affairs Course (ASC) at CFSAS now have the op- portunity to also graduate with a Masters of Public Administration (Defence Admin- istration) with their ASC certificate by tak- “The University of Manitoba, Faculty of ing additional courses from the U of M. The Graduate Studies is pleased to partner with additional courses will increase the ASC the Air Force to offer our Master’s of Pub- graduates knowledge of human resource lic Administration degree program to their management, strategic management and Aerospace Systems students,” said Dr. John administrative theory. Doering, Dean of Graduate Studies at the “Delivering strategic effect for the Air University of Manitoba (U of M) during a Force, the Canadian Forces and our nation ceremony held at 17 Wing on 08 December demands serious commitment and invest- 2010. “This is an historic agreement,” he ment in the training and education of our said.