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National Honours Announced

Mishall Rehman July 6, 2024

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Scores of deserving individuals of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who demonstrated acts of valour or went above and beyond their line of work were awarded various national honours earlier this year.

On behalf of the King and approved by the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, the national honours were announced in a CANFORGEN.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, conducted the annual Inspection of the Ceremonial Guard, on the grounds of Rideau Hall on Friday, June 23, 2023. Photo by: MCpl Matthieu Racette, Rideau Hall Reference Number: GG11-2023-0130-016. Image courtesy of Rideau Hall.

Military medals and honours are presented to individuals who “distinguish themselves in a specific sphere of activity, accomplish acts of military valour or bravery, or perform meritorious service,” according to the Department of National Defence.

The national honour system as we know it today was created in 1967 with the creation of the Order of Canada.

“On behalf of the Chief of the Defence Staff, I extend my sincerest congratulations to all recipients. The leadership, professionalism, and dedication you have displayed reflect well on our defence team,” stated CANFORGEN 061/24, which announced the recipients of military honours in April.

Photo by: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau Copyright: © 2016 OSGG-BSGG. Image courtesy of the Govenor General Canada.

Medal of Bravery

The Medal of Bravery, created in 1972, is awarded to individuals who commit acts of great bravery in hazardous circumstances.

This year’s recipients include Sgt. J.C.P. Carson for rescuing an unconscious woman from a house fire on Feb. 28, 2022.

Sg.t M.J. Lee also received the honour for rescuing a trapped family during a mudslide after braving an unsafe slope to reach them. The rescue took place on Nov. 17, 2021, between Hope and Agassiz, British Columbia.

Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation

The Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation is awarded to any unit, sub-unit or, composite formation or any other military group of the CAF that has “performed an extraordinary deed or activity of a rare high standard in extremely hazardous circumstances,” according to DND.

This year’s recipients include Special Operations Task Force-Operation AEGIS. According to the CANFORGEN, they received this year’s award for “professionalism, conduct and empathy in executing the complex non-combatant evacuation of 3,700 personnel during a time of crisis and in the face of a hostile force out of Hamid International Airport.”

The rescue took place in Kabul, Afghanistan, from Aug. 19-27, 2021.

The Bravery Pin. Photo by MCpl Anis Assari, Rideau Hall. Image courtesy of Rideau Hall.

Governor General Commendation for Bravery

Capt. R.J.N.V. Rioux is this year’s recipient of the Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery. In 2019, he tackled an assailant who had entered a bar, fired a shot and was reloading his shotgun. He also assisted in subbing the gunman. This incident took place in Bathurst, New Brunswick.

The Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery is an award that the Governor General of Canada specifically grants. It is awarded to those individuals who committed a great act of altruism at personal risk.

Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation and the Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre.

Chief of Defence Staff Commendation

There are a number of recipients of this year’s Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation. This honour is granted to those individuals who go above and beyond the demands of regular duty.

Some of this year’s recipients include WO D.J. Deslippe, who, during his service in Kabul, Afghanistan, maintained the security of the Canadian Embassy in the face of great adversity and threat. His service took place from July 2019 to September 2020.

Sgt. J.A. Boles is also a recipient this year for protecting “sensitive Canadian Assets” after Operation ADDENDA. Sgt. Boles served with the Military Police Security Service in the Embassy of Canada in Afghanistan from July 2019 to Sept. 2020.

Sgt. R.D.J. Harpell is a recipient this year for performing CPR on an unconscious person he came across in January 2022.

For providing treatment to a casualty and stabilizing him for hours while the patient was being transferred, Sgt. C.D. Payne also received a Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation. The incident occurred in Resolute, Nunavut, on March 14, 2022.

S1 S.M. Cormier, S3 F. Brydon, and S3 O. Goguen jointly received the medal for working in extreme cold and darkness to identify the source of a flood and responding to a fire alarm while sailing on the high seas aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Margaret Brooke on January 14, 2024.

Cpl. C.M. Walls received the honour after taking control of an accident scene and taking care of a severely injured motorcycle driver. The accident involved several vehicles on May 4, 2021, in Victoria, British Columbia.

The following people received the Chief of Defence Staff Commendation: