# Remembering Mike Rafferty................



## a78jumper (22 Aug 2006)

I shed a few tears about this weeks ago, but this article appearing in yesterday's Globe and Mail started them all again. Blue skies, fair winds and soft landings/Ex coelis.

This obit appeared in yesterdays Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper.This man was the most influential person on me in my Army career. I felt privilaged to reciprocate a long owed favour when he was being screwed about by his CO in 2000. He really cared about all those that worked and served alongside him.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...=mike+rafferty


OTTAWA -- There was nothing Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Rafferty wouldn't do for his soldiers. That had nothing to do with rank, either. He cared as much about his enlisted men as he did his fellow officers, an attitude that may have cost him promotions, but he really didn't care; soldiering was all he wanted to do.

To Mr. Rafferty, a larger-than-life character who was one of Canada's best-known army logistics officers in the past four decades, soldiering meant one thing: taking care of the troops.

Twice a year, at Thanksgiving and Christmas, he made his soldiers an unusual offer. If anyone was stuck and had nowhere to go, they were "welcome to come to my house and have dinner with me and my family."

When Warrant Officer Phil Paquette of 28 (Ottawa) Service Battalion heard that, he couldn't believe it. 

Print Edition - Section Front
Enlarge Image 

"I'd never seen that in my life. He was the best CO we ever had. He was like a father to everybody in the unit. He worried about everybody, from the regimental sergeant-major to the youngest private."

Mr. Rafferty commanded 28 Service Battalion from 2000 to 2005 but was seldom in his office. He only went there to hang up his coat and preferred to spend his time with his soldiers.

"He always made it a point to [visit] every section, ask how things are going, see if we needed anything," said W.O. Paquette, a supply technician. "It didn't matter if you were a private, he asked your opinion," 

Mr. Rafferty, who arrived at the militia battalion in 1998 as a major after 30 years in the regular army, took pride in attending every weekend field exercise. "He never missed one. He got 'cammed' up like we did and he was there with us, carrying his rucksack and C-7 rifle. If the boys were doing it, he was there too."

Captain James DeBruin of CFB Petawawa remembers one particular exercise, held in January of 2003, where the troops spent two days practising their winter warfare skills. It was cold and snowed a lot, but that didn't faze Mr. Rafferty.

"The snow and ice had frosted his handlebar mustache and eyebrows, and he looked like Old Man Winter," he said. "He'd go up and down the column, laughing and joking, making everyone laugh. But at the same time, carrying the load he was carrying, he led by example. No one fell out, despite the really bad weather, because of his sense of humour and leadership. At the end, he turned to me and said, 'I really love this stuff. And to think, we get paid for this!' "In December of 2004, Mr. Rafferty put his money where his mouth was when he heard that one of his militia soldiers had lost his job just before Christmas. He went to a bank machine and withdrew a sizable sum. "Take this and buy toys for your kids and groceries for your Christmas dinner."

Mike Rafferty was 13 when he joined the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets in Winnipeg. Generations of his family had served in the military and he loved the order and discipline, eventually rising to "chief of the corps." He also played both ways -- offence and defence -- for his high school football team.

In 1968, Mr. Rafferty joined the air force as a pilot trainee. That didn't work out, so he re-mustered as an army logistics officer and served across Canada and in the Middle East. In 1978, he was appointed transport officer of the CFB Petawawa-based Canadian Airborne Regiment. Already sporting his parachutist wings, Mr. Rafferty took to the airborne like a duck to water and made a total of 106 jumps. 

Nine years later, in 1987, Mr. Rafferty took command of the Canadian Forces Parachute Maintenance Depot, at CFB Edmonton. This meant he was ultimately responsible for the repair and packing of the hundreds of army parachutes used across Canada.

Retired chief warrant officer Vern Seyffert was serving at CFB Calgary when Mr. Rafferty gave him a call a year later. They first worked together in 1980 -- Mr. Seyffert found him "rough and tough" back then -- and had become close friends. "[He said], 'Come to Edmonton, I need a sergeant-major who can jump out of airplanes.' I went home, discussed it with my wife and I decided, okay, if he needs me, I'll go. We had fun."Mr. Rafferty made a major contribution to humanitarian relief when he was senior Canadian movements officer at the headquarters of United States European Command, from 1992-95, in Stuttgart, Germany. For his efforts he was awarded the U.S. Army's Meritorious Service Medal.

Using his logistics expertise, he helped organize and delver $500-million worth of humanitarian aid to southern Turkey, Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina. "[His] superb staff planning skills coupled with his operation logistics expertise contributed to the ultimate success of numerous major humanitarian operations within the European theatre," the citation said.

Michael Albert Rafferty was born on March 27, 1948, in Winnipeg. He died of a heart attack on May 6, 2006, in Ottawa. He was 58. He is survived by his wife Leslie, whom he married in 1983. He also leaves his daughter Maggie, father Bert and brothers Timothy and Patrick.


----------



## Devlin (22 Aug 2006)

I had the pleasure of meeting and working for LCol. Rafferty during a weekend Ex leading up to Stalwart Guardian a couple years ago now. Even though it was just a weekend Ex he made quite an impression. You could tell he cared about each and every person under his command and those that were affected by the jobs we all did. A stellar individual and leader.

Thoughts and prayers to his family.


----------



## geo (22 Aug 2006)

Though I have never met the man, I have heard of the man
Good troops

At the going down of the sun
and in the morn
We will remember them!

CHIMO!


----------



## COBRA-6 (22 Aug 2006)

I had the pleasure of working with LCol Rafferty on several occasions, great man. He will be missed.

RIP Sir!


----------



## Nieghorn (22 Aug 2006)

I had the pleasure of meeting him once through his daughter, who's a friend of mine.  He seemed like an amazing guy, and I'm sure he's missed by all.  Reading that obit gave me shivers as all the descriptions about him seemed apparent to me during that brief moment I shooke his hand.

My thoughts for all who have had the pleasure of serving under him and being a part of his life!


----------



## riggermade (22 Aug 2006)

I served with Mike at CFPMD...you would never meet a more down to earth man... He will be missed


----------



## Meridian (31 Aug 2006)

I too had the pleasure of meeting him last year through his daughter, and he had a profound effect on both my friend and I as to what an officer really could be.


----------



## Signalman150 (31 Aug 2006)

You know, this just sucks.  I didn't think I new Mike Rafferty until I was midway through the article.  Then I read he had been the CO of the PMD in 1987.  When I saw that I quickly looked for a picture of him on the net. Yeah, I knew him, if only superficially.

Back in 1987 I was spending my time as a civ instr w/ the Army Cadets in Yellowknife, and their affiliated unit was the CFPMD. This guy was one of the few soldiers I ever met that was really enthusiastic about cadets, and wanted to do everything he could to make the cadets a positive experience for the kids.  

Through his own force of will he arranged to have the entire corps brought down to Edmonton (via 440 Sqns Twin Otters no less), and put through an extended weekend of training at the PMD.  Many of his own staff (fm Pte to WO) volunteered to assist w/ the training, and the lot of them were nothing short of marvelous.  Rafferty spent the entire weekend with the cadets, and insisted they have a parade at the end of it all where he presented each one with a rigger t-shirt.  Those kids were overwhelmed with the man's vigor,  his interest in their corps, and his enthusiasm. It spread to everyone around him, from the cadets to the CIC officers, to the lone civilian instructor, me. A truly singular man.

To those of you who worked with him, those who were his friends, and his family, my condolences.


----------



## xo31@711ret (31 Aug 2006)

A leader who showed and recieved respect. As the old saying goes '...someone I would follow through the gates of hell..." Wish I had of known such a highly respected leader and individual.

 My condolences to his family... RIP


----------

