By Lloyd Lewis

As Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of 41 Signal Regiment, I get a unique view into the day to day workings of the unit.  The annual “Feed the Troops” celebration was an excellent opportunity for me to see firsthand the passion and commitment these men and women have for what they do. This particular tradition sees senior leaders serve the soldiers a Christmas Dinner.  While various trainings sessions took place during the day, once the work was done, the focus was on celebration of the season and the recognition of the many jobs done well through the year.

There are no public funds used to put this dinner together. Instead, it’s paid for by the members themselves. And there is a genuine excitement and a sense of camaraderie that only comes from working with a high-functioning team.  Like everything I’ve witnessed in my short few months in this role, it’s efficient and well-executed, as you’d expect. It’s also an exercise in civility and good manners. As I stood in the receiving line and shook hands with each member of the unit, just as those before me had done for well over a century, I was reminded of how important these traditions are to the members, and how special it was for me to be able to share this day with the Regiment.

Here is a gallery of photos I put together that shows a few of the sights and sounds of the day.

Inside of Cormack Armoury in Red Deer where 41 Signal Regiment Celebrates the Christmas Season

“Turkey Shoot” tests the skills

LCol Gilson helps me set the frame for a group photo

Given the complexity of some of their tasks, organizing a group photo happens pretty fast.

Time for Group Photos

LCol Gilson and RSM Prospero

Members of 41 Signal Regiment pose for group photo

Dinner is about to be served

It’s a fun and festive dinner

If you are interested in more information about a career with 41 Signal Regiment and play a role in the Canadian Armed Forces, simply drop by one of the Armouries: 1 Squadron – LCol Philip Debney Armoury, Edmonton, 2 Squadron – Cormack Armoury, Red Deer, or 3 Squadron – HMCS Tecumseh Building, Calgary, Alberta.

41 Signal Regiment is a Communications unit that uses leading edge technologies to provide communication and information systems to all field units under combat conditions. With Squadrons located in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer, the Regiment is tasked to provide signal services to all other Reserve units of 41 Canadian Brigade Group. In addition, the Regiment has provides a large number of soldiers as augmentees to the Regular Force for domestic and international operational taskings such as 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Bosnia, the Golan Heights, and Afghanistan.

Lloyd Lewis is Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of 41 Signal Regiment