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4. HMCS Charlottetown earns two CF Unit Commendations

International Operations: HMCS Charlottetown earns two CF Unit Commendations

August 30, 2011

By SLt Matt Stickland

Credit:  Cpl Chris Ringius From left: CPO1 Alistair Skinner, coxswain of HMCS Charlottetown, LGen Marc Lessard, commander of CEFCOM, CWO Jorma Hamalainen, command chief warrant officer of CEFCOM, and LCdr Matthew Coates, XO of Charlottetown display the CF Unit Commendations.

This year has been a year of firsts for the navy, and many of these have been spearheaded by HMCS Charlottetown and her crew. Perhaps the most significant first was the fact that Charlottetown was the first ship since the Korean Conflict to come under fire and engage the enemy during her recent deployment off the coast of Libya.

Before commencing her return transit home to Halifax, HMCS Charlottetown was visited by Commander Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Lieutenant-General Marc Lessard. During this visit in sunny Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Charlottetown marked another first, becoming the first naval unit to receive simultaneous Canadian Forces Unit Commendations for two different missions.

The first commendation was for Charlottetown’s role in Operation Altair, where the ship integrated seamlessly into an American carrier group, conducting counter terrorism and anti-piracy operations. The commendation citation reads: “While deployed throughout the Middle East from December 2007 to April 2008, the crew of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown consistently excelled while accomplishing their various objectives. Assigned a leadership role within the international task force, the ship successfully led up to 11 other ships in counter-terrorism, maritime security and search and rescue operations. In particular, their efforts were instrumental in stemming the flow of illegal goods that fund criminal organizations, saving the lives of stranded mariners and highlighting Canada’s contribution to the international fight against terrorism.”

The second CF Unit Commendation was for Charlottetown’s more recent involvement in Operational Mobile/Unified Protector. The citation for the commendation reads: “In responding to the crisis in Libya from March to August 2011, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown participated in numerous NATO operations that resulted in the security and safety of the Libyan coast. The work performed by the ship and her crew had an enormous impact on the port city of Misratah, ensuring it maintained its critical life line to the sea and withstood all attempts from pro-Gaddafi forces to occupy the city, bringing well-deserved credit to both the Canadian Forces and Canada.”

For the next year, Charlottetown has the distinct honour of being able to fly two CF Unit Commendations at the same time. However, the greatest honour for the crew of Charlottetown is the knowledge that their actions helped to bring about positive change in the lives of the people of Libya.

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Date Modified:

2011-08-30