Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala

It's 1 April, and this day marks 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force! To mark this occasion, I am proud to welcome our guest, Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

I am honored that the General spent time to speak about his motivation to serve, and speak about the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Centennial celebrations, and the seismic modernization that the Force has embarked on.

In this episode you will hear about the challenges faced by the RCAF, the threat vectors as seen by the General, and you will get a detailed appreciation for the new fleets of aircraft and capabilities the RCAF will soon induct into service.

We chat about how the Air Force needs to adapt to ever-changing threat environment and how the Force needs to adopt long-range and precision guided stand-off munitions to counter threats on land and at sea.

You'll also hear the General's thoughts on the future of the RCAF beyond 2035.

This is a must-hear, fascinating and wide-ranging discussion from the Commanding General that leads the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Our thanks to Lieutenant-General Kenny for the time he spent with us. Happy 100th Anniversary to the RCAF!

Go Bold!

Our podcast is unique in that we regularly feature senior military leaders from Allied Forces, and this episode continues that trend with our guest, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant-General Ben Hodges.

General Hodges is a graduate of the West Point Military Academy, and in recent years has been Senior Advisor to Human Rights First, and also serves as NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He previously held the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

I first met Lieutenant-General Hodges in Portugal when he was serving as the Commanding General for US Army Europe. He was kind to extend time to me then, and is continuing that kindness as a guest for this episode where we discuss service in the context of his time in uniform.

A notable part of our discussion focuses on the events from Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait, the site of a fatal grenade attack which killed soldiers and left the General with shrapnel wounds.. You'll hear the General describe what happened that night and the chain of events which he said saved his life.

We then shift our focus to the war in Ukraine, which General Hodges is eminently qualified to comment on since much of his career was focused on Europe and NATO. We discuss Ukraine's efforts to fight off the Russian invasion, and how allies are postured to repel further Russian aggression with NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups and Brigades. The General also shares his thoughts on land warfare as it is evolving from Ukraine, and things that allies could do to help in that effort.

It's a wonderful discussion with a globally recognized military expert, so we hope you find our discussion informative.

My thanks to Lieutenant-General Hodges for his time, insight and kindness.

Go Bold!

(Note: Our discussion took place on 18 March 2024)

We are very happy to welcome another great leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley of the Canadian Army to share his reflections as we continue to mark the 10th Anniversary of Canada's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Colonel Kieley joined the Army as a direct entry officer, and I can tell you that he is one of the most conscientious, intelligent and engaging Army leaders that I know, so I am thankful for the extended time that he shared.

You'll hear Colonel Kieley describe his experiences in Afghanistan with a theme characterized by friction.

The Colonel shares a spectrum of experiences ranging from the comical, like an EOD team blowing up their own weapon, to the serious where a suspected IED bomber who may have killed a Canadian soldier is captured.

I am very confident you will find the Colonel's reflections interesting and informative, and particularly insightful as we discuss the type of foundational lessons to retain from the counterinsurgency operation, and how that differs from the current need to focus on peer adversaries.

The Colonel also shares his perspective on the outcome of the counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, which I think is thoughtful and measured, and important to hear. You'll also hear the Colonel share one of his most important lessons in leadership and sending people into harms way.

This is a must hear episode, so we thank Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley for the time he shared with us. We thank him and all his colleagues for their service.

Go Bold!

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For active or retired service members who are listening and feel that you need some help or support, please reference the following contact numbers, and please remember that there is no shame in asking for help as these resources are here for you.

In Canada: A confidential and free service available 24/7 to Veterans, former RCMP members, their family members, and caregivers. Call 1-800-268-7708.

In the US: For the Military Crisis Line / Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, dial 988 then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255.

In the UK: Samaritans provides a 24/7 safe place to talk about anything that's bothering you. Tel: 116 123

Also in the UK, Combat Stress/Rethink offer a 24 hour freephone helpline if you have concerns about your mental health. The number to call is 0800 138 1619. They provide emotional support, a listening ear and signposting service.

One of our goals at this podcast is to preserve the memory of Allied and Coalition forces, so this episode is particularly poignant as we mark the 10th Anniversary of Canada's withdrawal from Afghanistan (which occurred on 12 March).

For this episode I am honored to welcome back Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis, a Canadian Army General who is currently serving as the Canadian Defence Attache to the United States, and a warfighter who served in Afghanistan.

Major-General St-Louis is an Infantry officer who holds 3 masters degrees focused on war studies, military history, and strategy and defence. He has deployed on 5 overseas missions including Bosnia, Croatia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.

Notable highlights of the General's career include being the Commander of Operation Impact; Commander of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Center; Deputy Commanding General for Operations for the US Army's First Corps; and serving for an extended period as the acting Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Army Staff.

Major-General St-Louis has attended the U.S. Capstone Leadership Program and is a graduate of the National War College in Washington, DC; and he is also an Officer within the Legion of Merit in the United States.

I have had the privilege to meet the General on numerous occasions over the years, and I know him to be a kind, professional and passionate leader who genuinely cares about the people and mission of the Canadian Army and the Canadian Armed Forces in which he serves.

Major-General St-Louis' first tour in Afghanistan was in February 2006 as part of the Strategic Advisory Team (SAT), which brought together a team of strategic advisors for Afghanistan. 

His second deployment in Afghanistan was from November 2010 to July 2011, where he commanded the last Canadian battle group that conducted combat operations in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar Province.

The focus of this episode is to chat about the General's experiences in Afghanistan, reflect on this milestone anniversary, and chat about lessons learned.

We want to thank Major-General St-Louis for the time he extended to us and we thank him for his continued service to the country. We also thank and recognize all those that served in uniform in Afghanistan, and we pay respect to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. You are not forgotten.

Similarly, we want to thank the Afghan people who sided with Coalition Forces in hope of a better life, and in particular those who fought side-by-side with Coalition Forces, and their families, many of whom live in fear today. You went Bold, and you should never be forgotten.

Our guest is Commander Vince Pellerin, the Commanding Officer of HMCS Winnipeg, a Halifax-class surface combatant warship of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Our chat took place while on board HMCS Winnipeg, which at the time was acting as the command ship during the recent Exercise Trident Fury, the largest Canadian-led exercise hosted by Maritime Forces Pacific.

We discussed the exercise, but the bulk of our conversation focused on a new training model that the Royal Canadian Navy was exploring in order to expedite the professional development of its sailors. Part of that effort included a different crewing model on HMCS Winnipeg to facilitate its training mandate. That model could have implications for the future Canadian Surface Combatant warships.

We also had the opportunity to discuss digital transformation and what that means for the Navy today and into the future.

I want to thank Commander Pellerin for sharing his perspective on service, leadership, and topics in the naval domain.

Go Bold!

Our guest is Royal Canadian Navy Lieutenant Steve Oxley, who is the Operations Officer on HMCS Winnipeg, making him third in command of that front line surface combatant warship.

Our discussion for this episode specifically focuses on a major incident that occurred aboard HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509), a replenishment oiler that was a part of the Royal Canadian Navy's Pacific Fleet. Protecteur's primary role was to deliver supplies (fuel, aviation fuel, dry goods, and ammunition) to deployed ships.

The incident was a major engine room fire which occurred on 27 February 2014, when Protecteur was 340 nautical miles northeast of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

LT Oxley was a Sub-Lieutenant on HMCS Protecteur at the time, and he kindly agreed to share his memories of that harrowing event. 

There are some great perspectives in this episode -- you'll hear what happened, you'll hear about the emergency stations response, you'll hear about bravery, off-the-cuff ingenuity, leadership, allied support, and so much more.

Our discussion references some U.S. Navy ships that were dispatched to help HMCS Protectuer, and they are: USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), USS Chosin (CG 65) and USNS Sioux (T-ATF 171).

The chat also makes reference to AFFF, which stands for Aqueous Film Forming Foam.

We are publishing this episode on the 10 year mark since the incident occurred.

Our thanks to LT Oxley for his kindness and time in sharing his memories so we can help preserve that history and acknowledge the bravery exhibited by everyone that was serving aboard the ship that day.

Go Bold!

The Go Bold podcast features senior leaders of allied forces so we can bring personal insight to important topics and events, and preserve those voices for generations to come.

Today's episode continues on our objectives as we are honored to welcome Royal Canadian Air Force Colonel Jeremy Hansen to Go Bold!

Col. Hansen is a CF-18 Hornet fighter pilot, and he is one of only 4 active astronauts in the Canadian Space Agency.

In the years ahead you'll hear a lot about Astronaut Hansen because he has been selected to fly on the Artemis II mission, which will be the first crewed flight test of the Orion spacecraft which will launch atop the SLS rocket.

As part of the Artemis II crew, Jeremy Hansen will become the first Canadian to venture towards the Moon, and in doing so he will be the first non-American to leave low earth orbit.

There is a lot to Astronaut Hansen's path to space as one might expect, but in short, here are some highlights:

In 1988, at the age of 12, he joined the Air Cadets.

In 1999 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in honours space science from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.

He completed Fighter Pilot Training in 2003, after which he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot with 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron.

In 2009 Colonel Hansen was one of two recruits selected by the Canadian Space Agency.

In 2011 he graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training and started working at NASAs Mission Control Center in Houston as CAPCOM — which is the voice between the ground and the International Space Station.

In 2017 Astronaut Hansen became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class, and that meant that he is in charge of training astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada.

And in 2023 he was assigned to the Artemis II mission.

This episode focuses on Astronaut Hansen's Air Force career, training for the Artemis II mission, and his perspective on flying to the Moon and being the first non-American to leave low earth orbit.

It's an awesome chat with a great Canadian, so I really hope you'll enjoy this discussion.

NOTE: We have also had the privilege to interview another Canadian fighter pilot and Astronaut, and Jeremy's colleague, and that is Josh Kutryk, who we featured in Episode 3 and Episode 22. They are wonderful chats which we highly recommend.

Our thanks to Astronaut Hansen for his time and kindness. We wish him and his crewmates a safe journey on their mission towards the Moon!

Go Bold!

This episode is part of our Bleeding Edge series were we discuss new products, platforms, concepts, technologies and ground breaking events.

We are all aware of the dire geopolitical security events that are taking place around the world, including the War in Ukraine, and the Israel-Hamas conflict and the instability of that region.

Of particular note is the security situation in the Red Sea where naval vessels and commercial shipping have come under attack from ballistic missiles, and from Unmanned/Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which are also known as Unmanned/Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones. These events have disrupted global shipping and that has far reaching implications for us all.

The threat posed by drones is very real and it is a concern to navies and to ship operators around the world. Companies like Federal Fleet Services, which owns and operates the Combat Support Ship Asterix - and lease its capabilities to the Royal Canadian Navy - have recognized this growing problem and have invested their own money to research, select and integrate a counter-UAS, (counter-drone) system onto the Asterix.

After looking at various options, Federal Fleet Services selected the MARSS NiDAR counter-UAS system as the best solution available.

In this episode we visited the Combat Support Ship Asterix when it was in port at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, and we had the privilege to interview John Schmidt, the President and CEO of Federal Fleet Services who spoke about the selection of the MARSS NiDAR counter-UAS system which will protect Asterix; and we spoke with Ryan Walker, who is also from Federal Fleet Services, and he discussed the components, capabilities and the installation of the NiDAR system, and working with the Royal Canadian Navy to validate and implement new tactics, techniques and procedures for using the system.

This cutting edge counter-UAS technology is of critical importance for the threats faced by ships around the world, so it will be interesting to see how the system will do, and how its modularity will enable future enhancements if needed or desired.

It's a great chat about new technology and new capabilities that will extend the eyes and ears of the Asterix.

We want to thank Federal Fleet Services and the crew of the Combat Support Ship Asterix for their kindness and hospitality during our visit.

Go Bold!

2024 is the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), so happy 100th to the RCAF and our respect to all those who have served and are serving in the Air Force.

To mark this milestone year, we plan to publish a number of episodes featuring the men and women who are serving in the RCAF, and as we do here at Go Bold, that means we will be speaking with senior leaders in the Air Force including the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, so we encourage you to keep an ear out for those episodes.

Central to the efforts to celebrate their 100th Anniversary are the men and women that make up the CF-18 Demonstration Team, which travels across Canada and further abroad to demonstrate the capabilities of Canada's fighter force.

Our guest for this episode is Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, and the pilot for the 2024 CF-18 Demo Team, Capt. Caleb "Tango" Robert.

Capt. Robert is a combat qualified element lead on the CF-18 Hornet, and is assigned to 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, the "Alouettes" which is based at 3 Wing in Bagotville, Quebec.

In this episode you'll hear about Tango's motivation to serve, flying the CF-18 Hornet, and his operational history. You'll also hear details about this year's CF-18 Demo Team, the jet he'll fly, and Tango's focus for the air show season ahead.

It's a great chat with a frontline warfighter of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Go Bold!

On 27 December 2023, a Twin Otter aircraft operated by Air Tindi crashed in Canada's high North, approximately 300 km Northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

10 people were onboard, with some suffering injuries. It was night time, and there was blizzard conditions.

This episode is a first-hand account of the Search and Rescue (SAR) response to this incident by the Canadian Armed Forces, and specifically the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and its 435 "Chinthe" Transport and Rescue Squadron which is based at 17 Wing in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Search and Rescue at 435 Squadron is a 24 hour-a-day, seven day-a-week responsibility. The Squadron operates the venerable CC-130 Hercules aircraft, some of which are permanently equipped and dedicated for search and rescue missions. During working hours on weekdays, the search and rescue standby aircraft and crew are ready to respond within 30 minutes of being notified. At all other times, the response time is extended to two hours.

435 Transport and Rescue (T&R) Squadron; and 424 T&R Squadron at 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario, provide primary search and rescue response for the Trenton Search and Rescue Region, the largest in Canada, which extends from Quebec City to the British Columbia/Alberta border, and from the Canada/United States border to the North Pole.

In this episode you will hear a first-hand account of the SAR response from 435 Squadron members Capt. Jason Shaw, who was the aircraft commander, and Sergeant Vincent C. Benoit, who was the senior Search and Rescue Technician (SARTech) on the mission. They are 2 of 8 RCAF members who flew on this rescue mission.

You'll hear about the C-130 in its SAR role, you'll hear the distances the crew had to fly, you'll learn about the challenging conditions they encountered, you'll hear about parachuting from the aircraft in blizzard conditions, and you'll hear about the care they gave to the occupants of the aircraft that crashed.

Our tag-line at Go Bold is Talking to Real Life Heroes, and this episode is exactly that.

Our guests, and the rest of their crew, the men and women at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, the men and women than maintain and support the RCAF aircraft, and the rescue team from the Diavik Diamond Mine are all heroes. We honor them with this episode which preserves their actions for others to hear and remember.

Thank you to my guests, and thank you for serving and helping those in need!

Go Bold!