1 CER Change of Command

MCpl Mark Midan, 13 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment

Western Sentinel 23 June 2011

On the morning of June 9 the soldiers and officers of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) participated in the unit’s Change of Command ceremony at the Edmonton Garrison.

Commanding Officer LCol Mark Flint and Regimental Sergeant Major CWO James Russell handed over command to LCol Jim Jullien and CWO Russell Vida. The Commander of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) Col Omer Lavoie oversaw the change and reviewed the parade.

“LCol Flint will be remembered for the professionalism in Engineering that he brought to the Brigade’s mission to return to basic soldiering,” commented Col Lavoie.

LCol Flint and CWO Russell have been in command of 1 CER since June 2009. They have commanded the unit through many tough endeavours including the Operation Athena Rotation 8 Task Force 3-09 Deployment, Operation Podium 2010Winter Olympics Security tasks, numerous exercises, and most recently the Manitoba flood relief effort.

“It was great honour to command the greatest Combat Engineer Regiment in the world,” declared LCol Flint. “[Thanks to the] tenaciously tough soldiers and skilled specialists for all your service.”

Both LCol Flint and RSM CWO Russell deploy to Afghanistan to command the Task Force Engineer Regiment.

Incoming CO LCol Jullien and RSM CWO Vida have served at 1 CER before. LCol Jullien comes to 1 CER from CEFCOM in Ottawa. CWO Vida recently completed a year long French language course but before was in G3 at 1 CMBG Headquarters. Both officers bring years of operational command experience and expertise to the Regiment.

“Today is a glorious day in the history of 1 CER,” LCol Jullien stated.

“It marks the start of the change of the Regiment on its road after the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan

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