Our People

The men and women of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and their civilian colleagues are the RCAF’s greatest strength, the heart of the institution and the foundation upon which the RCAF’s future is built. They are extraordinary and professional, capable of accomplishing great things, setting standards of quality that are respected around the world. Day after day, night after night they contribute directly and indirectly to the delivery of air and space power for our nation.

Our airmen and airwomen are guided and inspired by the achievements of those who have served in the Air Force throughout its history.

Here are some of their stories.

Present

A woman and a man wearing civilian clothes look at an open book that they are both holding. Behind them is a white board on which are scribbled mathematical equations.

Dr. Slawomir Wesolkowski, an analytics expert of the highest calibre

RCAF’s Dr. Slawomir Wesolkowski is one of about 2 000 people worldwide to have been a certified analytics professional. However, you don’t have to be great at analytics to understand how impressive that is.
November 26, 2020

Two white medium-sized jet aircraft on a runway.

New aircraft means better squadron cohesiveness

This summer, the RCAF acquired two new Challenger 650 aircraft which replaced two older aircraft before they could fall short of operational requirements. What does this mean for the RCAF and the CAF?
November 19, 2020

A woman wearing a blue military uniform plays the bugle under a big tree among tomb stones in a cemetery.

“Last Post” presents challenges for buglers

Many people cannot hear “Last Post” without tearing up. For the people who sound it, suppressing an emotional reaction is not the only challenge.
November 10, 2020

Two men in green flight suits unveil a badge on a stand. Behind them are three flags.

New aircrew badge announcement made at 22 Wing North Bay

On October 23, 2020, LGen Al Meinzinger, Commander of the RCAF, unveiled the new Airborne Warning and Control System aircrew badge that qualified Aerospace Controllers and Aerospace Control Operators will receive.
October 23, 2020

Two men and a woman wearing military camouflage uniforms stand on a runway. The man on the right gives a medal to the woman, who is in the centre. Behind the three people is a big yellow and red helicopter.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lisa Baspaly-Hays, Commander of 9 Wing Gander, receives the United States’ Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Commander of 9 Wing Gander, Lieutenant-Colonel Lisa Baspaly-Hays, whose outstanding leadership and ceaseless efforts strengthened collaboration between the United States’ and Canada’s intelligence forces, received the U.S. Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
October 20, 2020

Past

A woman wearing a blue military uniform plays the bugle under a big tree among tomb stones in a cemetery.

“Last Post” presents challenges for buglers

Many people cannot hear “Last Post” without tearing up. For the people who sound it, suppressing an emotional reaction is not the only challenge.
November 10, 2020

An engraved granite memorial with a crumpled piece of metal resting on the ground on one side, and a remembrance wreath resting on a stand on the other side.

Delta 673’s lost airmen commemorated

Eighty years after they mysteriously vanished, the aircrew of Northrop Delta 673 were commemorated and a granite monument unveiled in their honour on September 14, 2019, deep in the New Brunswick woods.
November 9, 2020

A man wearing a tan camouflage uniform and blue beret holding a camera.

We remember Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede

Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede, a military image technician serving with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, was killed when the Chinook helicopter he was a passenger in crashed on May 30, 2007.
November 9, 2020

Five men wearing flying gear stand in a row in front of a Second World War aircraft. One is holding a young black labrador dog.

The hero around the corner

Lewis Johnstone Burpee, one of those who died during the famed Dambusters' Raid, was from a neighbourhood called the Glebe in Ottawa and a graduate of nearby Lisgar Collegiate Institute. Author Dave O’Malley, who lives and works in the same neighbourhood, ponders Lewis’ life and death.
November 6, 2020

An elderly woman and man wearing blazers with medals sit on a couch, looking at each other and smiling.

Second World War RCAF couple recognized

Corporal (retired) Anne McNamara and Flying Officer (retired) Howard McNamara are featured on this year's Veterans Affairs Canada’s Veterans' Week poster.
November 4, 2020

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