Trident June 15 2009 - Tridentnews.ca

TRIDENT, JULY 15, 2009 11HMC Dockyardanniversary BBQBy Virginia BeatonTrident staffThe CF showed its appreciation tocivilian employees of the Dockyardduring a barbecue held onThursday, June 4, 2009. The eventwas held as part of the 250th anniversarycelebrations of HMC Dockyard.Military members flipped burgersand hot dogs to serve to hundreds ofcivilian staff who lined up to enjoythe hospitality.“This event is about the appreciationwe want to show to all the civilianmembers of the defence teamhere in JTFA and MARLANT,” statedRAdm Paul Maddison, CommanderJTFA and MARLANT.RAdm Maddison observed thatwith Halifax’s founding as a fleetand garrison town in 1749 and eversince the establishment of theKing’s Yard in February 1759,civilians have played key roles inits accomplishments.He outlined a history that beganwith the Seven Years War, followedby the War of 1812, the standup ofthe Halifax Rifles, the Boer War atthe close of the 19th century, theestablishment of the Canadian Navyin 1910, the naval air branch atShearwater, and then the two WorldWars and the Korean War.“The actions of those in uniformcould not be achieved without theexcellence and the professionalismand the skills sets of our civilianemployees. You help the ships tosail, the aircraft to fly and the soldiersto deploy. We could not do thiswithout you, and thanks for yourservice to Canada.”RAdm Maddison noted that severalrepresentatives from HalifaxShipyard, the barbecue’s sponsor,were present: Jack Scholey, Technicalmanager of the FELEX program,and Jack Berglund, vice president ofmarketing. He noted that the defencesector partnerships help the CF andthe Navy “to achieve operationaleffect for Canada.”The spirit of Family DaysFamily Days allows CF and DND families to spend time together.Padre’s CornerBy Padre Lt(N) Earl KlotzThere is something very specialabout Family Days. Moms anddads walking about with excitedchildren exploring the many offerings,filling their goodie bags, enteringdraws, going on rides, eating hotdogs, candy and a host of other joyfilledtreats. There is a quiet andsometimes not so quiet pride ofbeing part of a military family. Thisis where mom and/or dad work.Those are the ships that protectCanada and sail around the world.Can you see how the Army, AirForce and Navy all work together tokeep our country safe and our worldat peace? We are here together. Thisis all the bonus of family days. Thereal joy though, is parents spendingtime with their kids. Or is it the otherway around? Any way you put it,our families are important and FamilyDays is a great way to celebratethis truth.One of my core beliefs is that spiritualityis best lived and discoveredthrough relationship. After all, theBible tells us “God is Love.” I thinkGod was with us last weekend. Godwas in the mother strolling her infantdaughter around, in dad wiping thesticky stuff off Isaac’s face, again.God was between brothers and sistersholding hands, in the volunteersgiving all they had to make a childhappy. God was with each and everyperson who worked, contributed andparticipated so Family Days couldbe another great success. Thank youeveryone and all the organizationsand businesses that allowed our militaryfamily to spend a great weekendtogether and feel valued. Thisevent and the memories, hugs, surprises,treats and joy sharing are thefruits of love, family and community.These are the fruits of bonds thatwill sustain us spiritually and emotionallyeven when the distances arefar. May the loving spirit of God bewith you and all our military familiestill we meet again to celebrate FamilyDays 2010.