It can simply be said that the commander of 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base, Colonel Richard Jolette, was born in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Undated photo of the commander of the 22nd Wing/Canadian Forces Base, Colonel Richard Jolette, and his father, a former member of the Air Force. (Fourni/Richard Jolette)
Jolette decided to follow in her inspirational father’s footsteps and devote herself to military service.
“This is very important to me and my family. Just for me, I’ve been in the military since 2001. My dad was in the Air Force for 36 years,” the base commander said.
“People are at the center of the CRA. “
The city of North Bay will proudly fly the RCAF flag this weekend, officials said, to mark its centennial by recognizing the evolution of the Army branch as it goes above and beyond and honoring the men and women who have sacrificed so much in recent years. your country, knowing that Canada participates around the world in overseas operations, peacekeeping operations and combat operations.
Officials say the city of North Bay proudly flies the flag of the Royal Canadian Air Force during Easter weekend, March 28, 2024. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)
“It has been an honor to be an Honorary Colonel of the 22nd Wing,” said North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico.
“It’s not just the air zone, it’s all the planes that take off, land and enter our area and the zone. “
The Royal Canadian Air Force grew out of the RAF (Royal Air Force) during World War I, when Canadian airmen flew alongside the British against the Germans.
On April 1, 1924, the RCAF was officially created. It was composed of a full-time standing force (regular force), a part-time non-permanent force (air reserve), and a reserve of non-active personnel. At that time, no non-permanent sets were created because investment was limited. Unavailable.
An undated black-and-white photograph of members of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. (Supplied/Royal Canadian Air Force)
The RCAF was first tested 16 years later in a war against a Nazi air unit, the Luftwaffe, in World War II.
“I’ve said it many times, but thanks to them we can sleep at night,” Chirico said.
22 Wing has been in the North Bay for over 70 years. “RCAF North Bay Station” opened on September 1, 1951, as a component of Canada’s new National Air Defence Network, built in reaction to the risk of the Cold War by the former Soviet Union.
In 1963, after 4 years of construction, the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) underground complex was opened. In the underground bunker, the Canadian and American NORAD workforce guarded the front lines of the Cold War in North America. The station was renamed CFB North Bay in 1963 and in the past housed aircraft, adding the All-Weather Operational Training Unit (Fighter) No. 3, and at one time it was the most complex air defense flight school in the world.
Over the years, the base housed several RCAF squadrons before leaving the base in 1992. A year later, it was renamed the 22nd Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay and features air defence equipment, computers and electronics.
The Air Force has evolved since the time of the war. Today, it supplies air defence, maritime patrol, search and rescue, aerospace surveillance, and air mobility across Canada. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force has 12,000 Regular Force members and only has about 2,000 Primary Reserve members, is supported by 1,500 civilians, and operates more than 250 aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles.
The uniforms of a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in North Bay on March 28, 2024 (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario).
“I’m very pleased to be here in North Bay,” Jolette said.
“It’s my celebration and celebrating the centennial at myArray basically, where I’ve spent most of my career, it’s special. “
22 Wing/CFB has approximately 400 men and is on base.
“They’re from our network and from our fabric,” Chirico said.
North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico shakes hands with the Army Corps of Workers on March 28, 2024 (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario).
North Bay is also part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s initiative to light up monuments in blue on April 1, and City Hall will be lit up on Monday.
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