Happy New Year to all CFB Kingston Defence Team members! We hope that everyone had an opportunity to relax and recharge with their loved ones, visit sunny places, or travel home over the holiday season. The past year brought many challenges and major successes, and we are incredibly proud of the efforts that the team put in during 2022, and we feel optimistic that 2023 will be an even bigger success.
This next year, we will continue to focus on staffing, communications, and conduct & culture change. All the while, continuing to provide a high standard of support services that will enable lodger units to focus on their primary mission of enabling the fighting force.
CFB Kingston had several accomplishments over the past year. We led the National Defence Workplace Charitable Campaign (NDWCC) as the top provincial contributor and were second across Canada. We also conducted several community donation and volunteering engagements, while Kingston PSP hosted the annual CAF soccer championship and several other sporting events. We held a variety of training sessions for Defence Team members on topics of diversity, gender perspectives, and safety, to name a few.
Many units across CFB Kingston also had noteworthy achievements this year. There were many changes of command and appointments, including a change of command ceremony this summer where we bid farewell to BGen Masson with gratitude for his leadership. Many other members received promotions, and completed important career courses. As well, we have celebrated several important milestones, including the 10th anniversary of CFJOSG, and the 80th anniversary of the Intelligence Branch, which was marked with the unveiling of the MGen Weeks Monument. We also saw a return to a more normal battle rhythm, including RMC being able to bring all its students back to the peninsula after many months of online and hybrid learning. Furthermore, CFB Kingston supported Op London Bridge this fall through the facilitation of parade practices and accommodations for CAF members from Task Force Ottawa.
Our base is back to business, despite the setbacks that have been faced over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we encourage everyone to continue getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the seasonal flu.
In October, a new CAF reconstitution plan was released by the CDS, and further direction has come down from 4 Div and will be aggressively pursued here at CFB Kingston. A key part of CAF reconstitution is to improve the experiences of currently serving CAF members and their families, so they feel supported and empowered to continue their challenging and extremely rewarding service to Canada and Canadians. As we adjust our commitments and focus our efforts on reconstitution, leaders should discuss and work with their teams toward creative solutions.
It is with great pride that we acknowledge the entire CFB Kingston Defence Team goes above and beyond all expectations, and we look forward to working with the team to face whatever challenges the New Year will bring.
