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A Mention in Dispatches was presented to Capt Hanly by the VCDS this week

Yeah, no kidding... Also, almost 4 years later.

Sounds like the evacuation saved eight lives, and only an MiD.


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Congrats to the Capt.

Our entire H&A system is setup on the idea that it's better to not recognize our people at all, than it is to have lowly Capts wearing LCol level awards (MSM). If we give medals to Capts we might have to give medals to filthy rankards.
 
Arguably the MiD is more significant than a MSC or MSM; MiD requires warlike conditions and is capped at the number that may be nominated (let alone awarded); MSC and MSM have no such prerequisites.

 
And I agree - I am sure G2G will weigh in but going into a hot LZ in a bus with rotors and extracting casualties cannot be a ton of fun.

My hat is off to this hero.

Maybe I have a mindset from back in the day when acknowledgement in the form of gongs was rare, very rare. However, what caught my eye was this:
Despite littered unexploded suicide vests, intermixed with wounded and killed peacekeepers, he developed a game plan to insert and extract personnel on board in an unsecure landing zone.

While my hat's off to the Capt, what about the "personnel on board" who got off the a/c to deal with the casualties? They would likely have included
Our highly-trained aviators and crews operated our flying emergency rooms. Aboard were:
  • our force protection team
  • a flight surgeon
  • a critical care nursing officer
  • two medical technicians

Or the crews of the four other a/c that responded to that scene?

 
Arguably the MiD is more significant than a MSC or MSM; MiD requires warlike conditions and is capped at the number that may be nominated (let alone awarded); MSC and MSM have no such prerequisites.

And yet, in order of precedence, it's near the bottom of the page;

Canadian Medals Chart - Canada.ca

@Blackadder1916 I'm hoping they aren't mentioned because they are up for other higher H&As, but not holding my breath.
 
Sidebar:

I know a nurse who works in public health - specifically, healthy sexuality and risk reduction (lots of great stories).

She was once attending a military function, and commented on how progressive the senior leaders of the military were. When I asked why, she noted how many of them had as their official title "Col Bloggins, MSM"; in her field, the designation "MSM" means "man who has sex with men" and therefore, in her vocabulary, all these senior CAF leaders were making strong public pronouncements that they were gay.
 
The responding medical team including:
Lt(N) Jen Loye RN
Sgt Eric Alexander (Med Tech)
Cpl Emma Galloway (Med Tech)

As well as the Force Protection team lead
MCpl NJJP Audet-Larivee

All recieved a MiD. It was released in the same CANFORGEN as Capt Hanly's recognition. (076/22}.

The Doc, Maj Richard Grainger recieved a CDS Commendation
 
Sidebar:

I know a nurse who works in public health - specifically, healthy sexuality and risk reduction (lots of great stories).

She was once attending a military function, and commented on how progressive the senior leaders of the military were. When I asked why, she noted how many of them had as their official title "Col Bloggins, MSM"; in her field, the designation "MSM" means "man who has sex with men" and therefore, in her vocabulary, all these senior CAF leaders were making strong public pronouncements that they were gay.
Well, that's probably coming before long.
 
The responding medical team including:
Lt(N) Jen Loye RN . . . recieved a MiD
. . .

The Doc, Maj Richard Grainger recieved a CDS Commendation

And apparently she also received a CDS Commendation.

For her efforts throughout the mission, Lt(N) Loye received a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. The task-force surgeon Major Patrick Gilbride will receive a Meritorious Service Medal.
 
He wasn't the TF Comd? Who "distinguished themselves with expert tactical leadership and strategic vision from Jul to Dec 2019" ?
Who I'm sure received their MSM in a fairly timely fashion as well...
The responding medical team including:
Lt(N) Jen Loye RN
Sgt Eric Alexander (Med Tech)
Cpl Emma Galloway (Med Tech)

As well as the Force Protection team lead
MCpl NJJP Audet-Larivee

All recieved a MiD. It was released in the same CANFORGEN as Capt Hanly's recognition. (076/22}.

The Doc, Maj Richard Grainger recieved a CDS Commendation
I'd hope they'd received something as well...other than good on you for doing your job.

As for the doc, I'm going to put that into the "Things you don't know about people you work with" file - he'd pick up shifts at one of the ED's I used to work at as part of his maintenance of competency scheme.
 
At the end of the day, everyone else but the pilot is along for the ride.

It doesn't matter if you the TF Ground Commander, sitting behind them (and sometimes yelling obscenities over the net at them...) - the Pilot will do what they feel is best - in the interest of themselves, the aircraft, and the mission - in whatever sequence they feel like -- because they are the AC Commander.

As a GIB, it doesn't matter what or who you are, you are along for the ride, you may be assisting with the mission, but you are still along for the ride.
I say this from experience of being in several Helicopters in combat - and sometimes the AC hasn't ended up where I had expected.
 
The whole task force also received a unit commendation for that day....well deserved. Chaotic day for sure.
 
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