CAF Announces Additional National Honour Award Recipients

The Department of National Defence (DND) announced additional national honours awarded to dozens of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.

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

“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 083/24, released on July 3, 2024.

The Meritorious Service Cross

Established by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984, the Meritorious Service Cross “recognizes a military deed or activity that has been performed in an outstandingly professional manner, according to a rare high standard that brings considerable benefit or great honour to the Canadian Forces,” according to DND.

The recipients are:

1. Cmdre. B.A. Peats- Received it for “extraordinary leadership, professionalism and remarkable abilities” while serving as Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group One from Jan to Dec. 2021.
2. Three unnamed members of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command received the award. For operational security, names and operation have been kept hidden.

Meritorious Service Medal

Established by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, the Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to an individual or group that has carried out an act in a manner that showcases excellent professionalism and brings honour or benefit to the CAF.

The year’s list of recipients includes:

1. BGen. S.M. Parsons received this award for “remarkable professionalism, transformational expertise, and guidance” during a deployment to Israel from June 2022 to July 2023, which was within the United States Security Co-ordinator Organization.
2. Col. K.J. Brown received this award for “unwavering determination and technical acumen” while serving as project director, leading the performance and competency evaluation system while in Ottawa, ON, from August 2020 to April 2023.
3. Col. R.F. Holman received the award for “leadership, dedication, and utmost professionalism” after stepping into the role of Acting Judge Advocate General from Nov. 2021 to May 2023.
4. Col. B.J.L. Irvine received the award for “exceptional leadership and remarkable innovation” while serving as Task Force Commander for Operation Crocodile and as Deputy Chief of Staff Operations and Plans for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo from Sept. 2022 to Aug. 2023.
5. Col. D.D. Saunders received the award for “strategic insight, diplomatic acumen and unfailing professionalism” while serving as the Canadian Defence Attache to Iraq and Kuwait from Aug. 2021 to Aug. 2023.
6. Col. J.C. Tetreaultn received the award for “exceptional leadership and diplomacy” during service as the Chief of Liaison for the Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai) from July 2022 to Aug. 2023.
7. LCol. Moores received the award for “influential leadership and strategic vision” during service as Senior Military Advisor to the organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from Aug. 2022 to Sept. 2023.
8. Maj. R.R.L.J. Carrier received the award for “brilliantly coordinating” the evacuation of 739 Canadians and other civilians from partner nations from Sudan while deployed as the Canadian Joint Operations Command Liaison Officer in Djibouti from April 19 to May 4, 2023.
9. Maj. K.G. Morin received the award for “outstanding service, mentoring, and ability” in summarizing complex military information in “plain language” during his deployment to Kuwait as a Senior Intelligence Officer with Joint Task Force Impact/Task Force Central from Nov. 2022 to April 2023.
10. Maj. J.A. Rice received the award for “superb leadership, remarkable tact and thorough work ethic” while serving as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Operational Support Hub- in Kuwait from June 2022 to June 2023.
11. Maj. C.D. Skelsey received the award for “exceptional work ethic and unparalleled professionalism” during deployment as the Canadian Artillery Battery Commander in Adazi, Latvia, from Dec.2022 to June 2023.
12. WO E.J. Johnston received the award for “outstanding proficiency and dedication to operational excellence and mission success” during a deployment to Ukraine from March to Sept. 2023 as Operation Union AS J35 Operations and Plans Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.
13. Sgt. M.S. Baronatis received the award for “expertly leading” the analytical cell as the Task Force- Latvia Senior Intelligence Analyst from July 2019 to July 2023 during what is described as a “period of extreme geopolitical and military change.”
14. Ms. C.L. McLachlan received the award for “impeccable dedication and determination” while undertaking a high-profile internal investigation and serving as a member of the Canadian Forces National Investigation. The investigation was launched in 2017 and lasted until 2023.
15. A member of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command was awarded the medal, but the name has been withheld for operational and security reasons.

Bar to the Meritorious Service Medal

The Bar to the Meritorious Service Medal takes the above medal one step further. According to DND, the bar is awarded “for further activities that would have warranted award of the Medal.”

The recipients are:

1. BGen. L.W. Rutland received a bar for “exceptional efforts” during deployment to Kuwait as Commander of Joint Task Force Impact/Task Force Central from May 2022 to May 2023. Rutland is described as having restructured the task force while “fostering harmonious relationships” with coalition, allies and host-nation partners.
2. A member from the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command received the bar. However, the name and operation have been withheld for security reasons.

Chief of the 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.

The following received the award:

1. Cmdre. J.P. Olivier for “careful planning and successful execution” of the Emancipation Day Commemoration for the Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada, August 1, 2023, Cmdre. Olivier received this award.
2. HCol. K.R.E. McCormick received this designation for several achievements, including promoting the military in Sudbury, ON, founding Project Honour and Preserve, and establishing the Canadian Veteran Homelessness Program as an honorary lieutenant colonel and then honorary colonel of the 2nd Battalion Irish Regiment of Canada in 2011 to 2023.
3. LCol. M.M.M. Archambault received the award for “outstanding dedication and visionary leadership” as Head of Public Affairs Plans, Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) in advancing public affairs and strategic communications in the government’s Indo-Pacific strategy from Aug. 4, 2022, to July 15, 2023.
4. LCol. B.L. Golbeck received the award for “providing exemplary advice” while serving as Senior Communications Specialist in the Privy Council Office from Sept. 2020 to June 2023.
5. LCol. D.J. McKillop received the award for “superb leadership, professionalism and dedication” while reestablishing the Canadian component of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force in Geilenskirchen, Germany, from 2019-2023.
6. Maj. A.R. Foster, Maj. E.A. Pessotto – during a ball hockey session at Canadian Forces Base Kingston on Jan. 25, 2023, the two officers performed life-saving measures on an individual, performing CPR.
7. Maj. P.J.R.L. Gosselin received the award for “unquestionable dedication, unifying leadership, and professional expertise” during his deployment to Kuwait as Head of Plans for the Directorate of Strategic Communications, Combined Joint Task Force Inherent Resolve from May 2022 to May 2023.
8. LCdr. B.W. MacMillan received the award for “technical acumen, unparalleled professionalism, and efforts” during a deployment to Bahrain as an Intelligence Officer for the United States Naval Forces Central Command as part of Operation Foundation from June 2022 to June 2023.
9. Capt. J.T.W. Miller received the award for “professionalism, technical acumen, and dedication” while serving as the mission coordination lead of the Combined Aerospace Operations Center Air Mobility Division as part of Operation SAVANNE from April to May 2023.
10. Lt. M. Sekine received the award for “professionalism, remarkable efforts, and dedication” as the officer in charge of 1 Canadian Air Division combined Aerospace Operations Center Air Mobility Division Overflights Section as part of Operation SAVANNE from April to May 2023.
11. CWO. W.L. King- Received the award for mentorship of senior members and “compassionate”  leadership during a repatriation mission of two fallen soldiers during deployment as Force Sergeant Major for Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai).
12. Sgt. B.R. Schetterer- Received the award for “professionalism and remarkable efforts” as the Search and Rescue Technical Team Leader on Rescue 341 while the crew was conducting a medical evacuation near Kapikik Lake, Ontario on May 10, 2019.
13. Mr. D.R. Hudson- Received the award for first aid efforts and administrating the first shock from the automated external defibrillator to an individual during a ball hockey session at Canadian Forces Base Kingston on Jan. 25, 2023.

Canadian Forces Unit Commendation

The Canadian Forces Unit Commendation is presented to a unit to recognize distinguished service by a military unit that has gone above its normal demand.

• The 284th Air Support Operations Squadron received this award for “supporting and supervising” the requalification training of CAF joint terminal attack controllers from April to July 2022 in Kansas United States of America.
• The 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron received this award for “exceptional professionalism and dedication” while airlifting 311 people and dozens of animals stranded during the landslides in British Columbia on Nov. 15, 2021.
• The Joint Meteorological Centre received this award for its responsibility to deliver forty per cent of Canada’s aviation forecasts from May 16 to June 2, 2020, and fulfilling the role of meteorological and oceanographic lead nation for the NATO Reaction Force from 2018 to 2021.
• The Russia and Arctic Integrated Mission Team received the award for the reports it provided, “all-source early warning” of Russia’s preparations to invade Ukraine in Feb. 2022, and critical intelligence analysis and briefings from Nov. 2021 to April 2022.

The CANFORGEN closed, noting, “The information above reflects the substantive rank held by the members at the date of the incident.”

The Directorate of Honours and Recognition will update members upon the release of the CANFORGEN.