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Calgary Highlanders on
NATO Missions
Note from the
webmaster - these listings are very incomplete. Over 200 Calgary
Highlanders have served on UN and NATO missions since 1992. The
Regiment takes great pride in the personal sacrifices made by each and
every soldier to have volunteered for these missions in the service of
Peace. If you are a Calgary Highlander and have served overseas, or
know of anyone who is not listed here and should be, please contact
the webmaster so that this list can be made as complete as
possible. Please contact the webmaster at the address listed on the
first page of this site and please include first name, last name, rank
(at time of tour), name of mission, unit served with, name of OP/Roto
# and approximate dates of service. Corrections to the existing
listing below are also gratefully accepted.
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North Atlantic
Treaty Organziation (NATO) Medal for Former Yugoslavia |
| ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA
Operation PALLADIUM
Canadian troops first went to the Balkans in February 1992 as part of UNPROFOR, to protect
non-combatants during the conflicts in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Negotiations
conducted at Dayton, Ohio resulted in signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace
at Paris, on 14 Dec 1995 and NATO entered Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 60,000-strong
Implementation Force (IFOR) to ensure compliance by all parties. This was the
largest military operation ever undertaken by NATO. When IFOR's one year
mandate ended, the Mission subsequently became SFOR, totalling 12,000 troops and including
1220 Canadian Forces soldiers and over 170 Canadian civilians.
SFOR's mission was to maintain a safe and secure environment
for the citizens of the former Yugoslavia and to promote peace in the region. The
overall Canadian contribution to SFOR was named Operation PALLADIUM. CF units
deploying for PALLADIUM served six-month tours, known as rotations or "Rotos."
The first Roto deployed to the region in 1996. The Canadian area of
responsibility in the northwest corner of Bosnia-Herzegovina was a rugged, mountainous
area of about 6,000 square kilometres, or larger than Prince Edward Island.
The main activity of Canadian soldiers has been patrolling
towns, villages and countryside, in order to:
- enforce compliance with the Dayton Accords;
- locate and seize illegal weapons;
- monitor weapon-storage sites;
- monitor displaced persons and refugees;
- support the activities of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and the European Union Police Monitors (EUPM); and
- promote civil-military co-operation.
Canadian troops in theatre also participated in Canadian and
multinational exercises to both demonstrate SFOR capabilities and develop interoperability
with allies.
Since 1992, more than 40,000 Canadians have served in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and twenty-four
Canadians have been killed while serving in the region.
This medal was awarded for thirty days continuous or
accumulated service on the land, at sea or in the air spaces of the Former Yugoslavia,
Albania, the Former Republic of Macedonia, and the Adriatic Sea (the theatre of
operations); or ninety days continuous or accumulated service, in the territories of
Italy, Greece, Hungary and Austria, in direct support of the NATO operations in the Former
Yugoslavia (the adjacent area).
Tour numerals are worn on the ribbon for each additional 180 days service in the theatre
of operations (or 540 days service in the adjacent area defined above)
Eligibility for this medal started on 15 Dec 1995 and ended 31 Dec 2002. The medal was
replaced by the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Operations in the Balkans on 1 Jan 2003.
The tour numerals are Arabic script and made of bronze.
Recipients from the Calgary Highlanders have included:
Corporal Rob Jackson
Served with 3 PPCLI 1996-1997
Roto 11
- 1 PPCLI Battle Group, Sep 2002 - Mar 2003
The
Calgary Highlanders were able to send a formed unit over as part of this Roto, known
within the Calgary Highlanders as the "CRIC Platoon" and belonging to the CRIC
(Composite Reserve Infantry Company) made up of reservists. The CRIC Platoon was
able to train together as a sub-unit even before pre-deployment training with the PPCLI,
and were the first soldiers in the Calgary Highlanders to receive issue of the new CADPAT
uniform in anticipation of their operational deployment. The CRIC Platoon were also
among the large number of forces tasked with security at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis. |
| In the Balkans, the Battle Group as a whole had
a very successful tour, marked by over 3300 vehicle and foot patrols in varied terrain,
and the confiscation of hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Focused security operations countered threats to peace and stability and built public
confidence, while the Battle Group also supported refugee returns through the completion
of fifteen community improvement projects. These projects provided schools, water
treatment, electricity, and sanitary services to some of the most disadvantaged areas of
Bosnia. Canadian soldiers completed a census providing critical information on over
8000 inhabitants to local government and aid agencies. Local government and public
institutions became active and effective bodies during the mission and for the first time
the Battle Group aided in developing the local economy by stimulating job creation. Captain Simon Cox
Warrant Officer Terry Afflick
Sergeant Chris Tucker
Master Corporal Sergio Aburto
Master Corporal Malenfant
Corporal Bird
Corporal Kristopher Dodd
Corporal Kendall
Corporal Jamie Moreau
Corporal Peters
Corporal Poonwah
Corporal Morton-Popiel
Corporal Prins
Corporal Joel Rhodes
Corporal Squirrel
Private Costin
Private Emslie
Private Knight
Private Lukie
Private Patton
Also with Roto 11 was
Chief Warrant Officer Byron Fletcher, CD |
Photos by Corporal
Joel Rhodes
Click to Enlarge |
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Corporal
Joel Rhodes and Sergeant Chris Tucker |
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| Corporal Rhodes beside
an SFOR marked Iltis. |
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| Unidentified soldier,
Corporal Kristopher Dodd and Corporal Joel Rhodes. |
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Non-Article 5
NATO Medal for Operations in the Balkans |
| Awarded for thirty days continuous or
accumulated service on the land or in the air spaces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the
Former Yugoslavia (including Kosovo), Albania, and the Former Republic of Macedonia,
starting the 1 Jan 2003. This medal replaced NATO medals for the Former-Yugoslavia,
Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. With the creation of this medal, NATO abolished the practice of issuing tour
numerals to recognize more than one tour with NATO forces. The “NON ARTICLE
FIVE” medal is now issued once to recognize all service in the Balkans, regardless of
the number of tours a member serves.
The medal also no longer recognizes service in support areas such as Italy, Greece,
Hungary and Austria and a member must serve thirty days in the theatre of operations to
qualify for this medal. |
Sergeant Dave Melcher
(In the summer of 2000, Sergeant Melcher served as a helicopter
gunner with 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron)
Roto 12 - 2 PPCLI Battle Group (April 2003 - September
2003)
Major Warren Spaan, CD -
National Command Element
Warrant Officer James R. MacDonald, CD - "D" Company, 2 PPCLI
Warrant Officer Martin Woods, CD - Multi
National Brigade, Northwest
Corporal Pat Laramee - "D"
Company, 2 PPCLI
Corporal Rob Jackson - "D"
Company, 2 PPCLI
Corporal Daniel Decorby - "D"
Company, 2 PPCLI
Private Yuan Tao - - "D"
Company, 2 PPCLI
Operation Bronze and Operation Boreas
Canadians participating as part of the NATO force in the
Balkans (and serving in Sarajevo) became known as Operation Bronze; other Canadians in
theatre were changed to EUFOR after the end of SFOR's mandate, and referred to as
Operation Boreas.
Roto 0
- 2004
Captain Louis Marselje, CD - Multi National Brigade, Northwest
Captain Fiona G. McLean, CD, ADC - Multi
National Brigade, Northwest
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Special Service
Medal |
The Special Service Medal was created to recognize CF members
who performed a service determined to be under exceptional circumstances, in a clearly
defined locality for a specified duration, from 11 June 1984 to present (including service
begun before that date still ongoin on 11 June 1984). The Medal is always issued
with a Bar that specifies the special service being recognized, each bar having its own
criteria. No device is worn on the ribbon in undress for a single bar; two or more
bars are indicated as shown below. The bars (listed by the bilingual names which
physically appear on the bar itself) include:
NATO + OTAN
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service within the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization's (NATO) area of responsibility since its beginning on 1 Jan 1951 and still
continuing. Qualifying service is service while posted to a NATO unit, or to a Canadian
Forces or allied formation or unit outside territorial limits of Canada under the
operational control of a NATO headquarters, or in Canada on an operational staff directly
participating in the operational control of such formations and units. In the latter case,
only those staff personnel serving in an operations room directly participating in the
control of ships and aircraft in NATO operations and exercises qualify for this service.
Not all time served in Europe nor at sea can be counted towards this bar.
This bar is of most relevance to the Calgary Highlanders,
as several members may in fact be qualified for it. The Regiment provided augmentees
to 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, which was stationed in the Federal Republic of
Germany during the Cold War. This brigade, the best equipped and most combat capable
brigade in the Canadian Army, trained with the full intent of facing massive Warsaw Pact
assaults into Western Europe. During the 1980s, many Highlanders would do "fly
overs" to what was then known as West Germany to participate in NATO exercises as
part of the brigade group. Calculation of time served has been administratively
challenging.
PAKISTAN 1989 - 90
A minimum of 90 days service with the Mine Awareness and Clearance Training Program in
Pakistan, during the period beginning on 15 Mar 1989 and ending on 29 Jul 1990, under the
auspices of the United Nations. This award was subsequently replaced by the United
Nations Special Service Medal and recipients of this bar may exchange it for his medal
instead.
ALERT
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service on the posted strength of Canadian Forces
Station (CFS) Alert, or of honourable service with a military force operationally deployed
to or at CFS Alert, since it began its operation on 1 Sep 1958 and still continuing. Units
deployed at CFS Alert include such detachments as aircrew flying into the station for
re-supply missions.
PEACE - PAIX
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service in peacekeeping operations, from Nov 1947
(the beginning of international peacekeeping operations) to 21 Jun 2001. It was issued for
service which had not been recognized by any other award in, or accepted into, the
Canadian Honours system at the time. On 21 Jun 2001, this award was replaced by the
CPSM (Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal).
HUMANITAS
An aggregate of 30 days of honourable service performed outside Canada since 11 Jun 1984
in support of any humanitarian operation, conducted in response to a disaster or human
conflict, set out in the schedule, including rescue, relief and reconstruction operations,
provided the service has not been acknowledged by the award of any other honour that is
part of or is recognized by the Canadian Honours System.
RANGER
An aggregate of four years of honourable service as a Canadian Ranger, performing the
duties of providing a military presence in support of Canadian sovereignty including
reporting unusual activities, collecting local data of significance to support military
operations, providing local expertise, assistance and advice, as guide and advisor, in
search and rescue activities, and completion of a minimum of three Ranger Patrol
Exercises, within Canada or its territorial and contiguous waters since 1947.
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Where the undress ribbon is worn, a silver maple
leaf is worn to denote a second bar. |
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Where the undress ribbon is worn, a gold maple
leaf is worn to denote a third bar. |
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Where the undress ribbon is worn, a red maple
leaf is worn to denote a fourth bar and any subsequent bars. |
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