WADS celebrates Canada's National Day of Honour

Photo By Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro | Canadian Army Brig. Gen. Carl Turenne addresses a room full of U.S. and Canadian members of the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS), Washington Air National Guard during the first annual National Day of Honour ceremony on May 9, 2014, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The National Day of Honour is a Canadian holiday set aside to commemorate the sacrifices and heroism made by the many thousands of Canadians who served in Afghanistan. Since its formation in the 1950s, Canadians have been serving side by side with the U.S. Air Force within WADS. (Photo by Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro)  

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, UNITED STATES

05.13.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Jason Kriess 

Joint Force Headquarters - Washington National Guard

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. - Dozens of Washington Air National Guardsmen, Royal Canadian Air Force personnel, and their families gathered together in a conference room within the walls of the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) on May 9, 2014 to commemorate and honor the many thousands of Canadians who’ve served in Operation Enduring Freedom.

“This was a national day of honor to commemorate the end of a 12-year mission in Afghanistan for the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mark Roberts, commander, Royal Canadian Air Force detachment . “We’ve been there since 2002 and our troops returned home a little over a month ago.”

The holiday, which coincides with the recent withdrawal of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, became a national holiday last month when Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that May 9th would be declared a “National Day of Honour in Canada”. Celebrations and parades were held across all of Canada to mark this 1st Annual National Day of Honour.

Over 40,000 Canadian service members served in Afghanistan since 2002, with 158 Canadian forces personnel paying the ultimate price for freedom.

The ceremony, held at WADS because of a long-standing bi-national partnership, brought active duty Air Force and Army, Air Force Reserve and Washington National Guard personnel together. Canadian Brigadier General Carl Turenne, the I Corps Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment and two-time Afghanistan war veteran was the keynote speaker.

“I make it a point every year to go through these lists and make sure to remember their names,” an emotional General Turenne said. “And, you know, it can be hard.”

Also on hand for the event was Colonel Peter Stavros, Commander of the Western Air Defense Sector, Washington Air National Guard.
“What we have here is very unique in that since the early days, and we’ve undergone several transformations of the organization,” said Stavros, “we’ve had Canadian forces serving right alongside, embedded within our forces.”

The Sector's primary mission is to guard America's skies 24 hours a day by using state-of-the-art radar and communications equipment to monitor air traffic west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

This enduring partnership with Canada helps to build and foster a long term working relationship with the common goal of national defense.

• Date Taken: 05.13.2014
• Date Posted: 05.13.2014 15:50
• Story ID: 129657
• Location: MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, US