The inaugural issue of "Thunderbird Journal" is published as an official periodical of the Security Branch.  The Thunderbird Journal would remain in print for nearly 16 years. 

You can catch up on back issues of Thunderbird Journal here on the CMPA website.

​10 Service Detention Barracks (SDB) moves to Edmonton from Calgary, while SDBs in Winnipeg and Esquimalt were closed.  A fourth, 14 SDB, remained open in Valcartier. 

10 SDB would later be disbanded and closed on 30 September 1968.  However, 14 SDB was eventually relocated to Edmonton, and on 1 August 1980, was renamed Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks (CFSPDB).  It remains in service to this day. 

​Cpl Farquharson and Cpl Worsnup of MP QL3 course 7403 become the first two female members of the Security Branch, and thus the first female MPs since unification.

You may have heard the rumours...and it's finally true.  Membership in the CMPA is now better than ever!  

As our Canada Day gift to you, we've made massive changes to your CMPA membership that will significantly benefit you now and for years to come.

These changes to the CMPA Membership, Departure Gift, and Retired Credentials bylaws will make it easier to become and remain a member in good standing of the CMPA and be eligible for departure gifts and retired MP credentials.  

BLUF:  

1. Any regular member who has paid dues for at least five (5) consecutive years will automatically become a Lifetime member.  You must apply for your Lifetime membership prior to 31 Dec 19. After this date, you will be required to apply as a new member.
2. Any regular member who has previously received a CMPA departure gift or Retired MP credentials will become a Lifetime member upon application at no further cost.
3. Any regular member who has either missed annual payments or paid their dues sporadically, is considered to be a member NOT in good standing. In order to be a member in good standing, you have until 31 Dec 19 to pay a one-time payment of $125. and will then become a Lifetime membe​r.

Anyone who wishes to join the CMPA for the first time can pay a one-time fee of $250 and become a lifetime CMPA member.  Anyone who is on a MP QL3 or MPOC course will receive a discount of $50.  

​All members of the CMPA are entitled to a once in a lifetime departure gift, at no cost, when leaving the MP Branch.  Credentialled MP may receive their MP Badge mounted in a shadow box with an appropriately engraved name plate.  Non-credentialled MP and other CMPA members will receive a gift approved by the CMPA Executive.  

Any member of the CMPA who was a credentialled MP and is fully retired or released (including medical release) from the CAF may purchase either Retired or Veteran MP Credentials from the CMPA Kit Shop, some restrictions apply.  

You can read a detailed description about the changes and the process by clicking on this link, or by visiting our website's homepage.

Happy Canada Day from the CMPA to all members of the MP family...Regular, Reserve, civilian, and dependants!

​The CMPA’s co-Director of History and Heritage, LCol (Ret’d) Paul Thobo-Carlsen, is researching the history of CAF Military Police working dog programs from 1972 to present (after the RCAF Police Sentry Dog Program ended*) and is seeking relevant information and photos from anyone with knowledge of any of these locally-run K9 programs.

​To date, twelve MP handlers and eleven working dogs are known to have operated in support of MP operations from 1987 to present. These include:

​A significant amount of information is known about the three most recent MP K9 teams operating from 2006 onward.  However, much less is know about the earlier MP teams and the security dog programs in Germany.  

​Former supervisors or co-workers of dog handlers, or anyone with knowledge of one or more of these earlier programs, is requested to contact the CMPA.  Of particular interest are details on how these teams came into being, trained, operated and were supported at the MP unit and base levels.  Other historically relevant information includes photos of handlers and dogs, unit-level documentation (e.g. K9 SOPs, commendation letters, etc), newspaper articles related to MP K9 programs, stories about cases that K9 teams worked on, and amusing anecdotes.

​Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated to help shed light on an area of MP Branch history that has not been yet be well covered.

NOTE:  ​The recently published book by LCol (Ret’d’) A.J. Murtagh and Maj (Ret’d) A.W. Kendall (The History of the RCAF Police Sentry Dog Program: 1963-1972. Burnstown ON: Burnstown Publishing House, 2017) does an excellent job of telling the story of Canada’s only formal and sustained military working dog program.  If you're interested in purchasing a copy of this book, you can do so by visiting www.rcaf-sentrydogs.ca/order.html (website is not associated with the CMPA).

​The CMPA is working with the National Air Force Museum of Canada, at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton ON, to create a new exhibit showcasing the role of RCAF Air Force Police and CAF Military Police in securing the nuclear weapons used by Canada’s air force during the Cold War.

​The exhibit project lead is Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Paul Thobo-Carlsen, CMPA Co-Director of History & Heritage.  The project technical advisors are Major (Ret’d) Wayne Kendall, CMPA Director of Membership (Veterans) and a former AFP sentry dog handler, and Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Andy Murtagh, who organized and implemented the Sentry Dog Program while serving as a staff officer at RCAF 1 Air Division Headquarters, Metz, France.

​The exhibit will be implemented in two phases:

​The National Air Force Museum of Canada has established a specific trust fund to collect the money necessary to create a professional looking exhibit.  The money collected in this trust fund will be used only to build and maintain the AFP/MP exhibit, and donors will be provided charitable donation receipts for tax purposes.

Donations to the trust fund may be made by cheque to the “National Air Force Museum of Canada.” Please ensure all cheques are clearly annotated with “Attn: Air Force Police Exhibit Trust Fund” to ensure they are appropriately directed.  Donation cheques should be mailed to:

  Executive Director
  National Air Force Museum of Canada
  220 RCAF Road
  Astra, ON
  K0K 3W0

Any former AFP or MP sentry dog handlers who wish to donate related artifacts in support of this exhibit should contact the CMPA (cmpa.apmc@gmail.com) with the details of all items for consideration.  Any artifacts subsequently accepted into the NAFMC collection will also be eligible for income tax receipts.

The Military Police Branch celebrates its 75th Anniversary.  While celebratory events are held at locations throughout Canada, the centre of gravity was in Ottawa, where numerous events, including a Casino Night, Golf Day, the return of Thunderbird Challenge, and a Gala Dinner at the Canadian War Museum were held throughout the week to celebrate this auspicious anniversary. 

The Security Branch flag was formally approved by the Chief of Defence Staff. 

​BGen Simon Trudeau is the new the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM) and Commander of the Canadian Forces Military Police Group (CF MP Gp).

BGen Trudeau assumed the role from BGen Rob Delaney, at a change of command ceremony held May 28, 2018 in Ottawa. LGen Alain Parent, Acting Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, was presiding officer at the ceremony.

Canadian Forces Military Police provide a variety of operational, law enforcement, investigative and security services at military establishments across Canada and throughout the world, wherever members of the Canadian Armed Forces serve.

“We expect all Canadian Armed Forces members to serve with honour and fulfil their missions, but the expectation of trust is highest when considering the role of the Military Police who protect military communities – the foundation of our effectiveness and readiness as a fighting force,” said LGen Parent.

The CFPM is an advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on policing matters. He or she is an active member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. As the new CFPM, BGen Trudeau commands all Military Police directly involved in policing duties. He is responsible for investigations conducted by any unit or other element under his command, as well as the selection, training and professional standards for the military police.

He enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1988 and commenced his Military Police career following graduation from the College Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean in 1992. He has held numerous leadership positions across various functions with the Military Police, including operational deployments in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997 and Afghanistan in 2002. Prior to his appointment as CFPM, he was Deputy Commander of the CF MP Gp.

In his comments at the change of command parade, BGen Trudeau took the opportunity to thank BGen Delaney for his service and outline his vision for the years ahead.

“On behalf of the women and men of the Canadian Forces Military Police Group, I thank Brigadier-General Delaney for his leadership these past five years. Under his watch we have transformed, expanded, and built on our proud history as a policing organization respected worldwide for its professionalism and integrity,” said BGen Trudeau. “I am looking forward to working with the dedicated and talented members of the MP Group to ensure that Canada’s Military Police remains operationally oriented as we implement Canada’s defence policy Strong, Secured, Engaged.”

BGen Delaney was appointed CFPM and group commander in August of 2013, and he is scheduled to deploy to Iraq this summer as the Ministerial Liaison Team Director – Operation IMPACT.

“It was an honour to serve with the Military Police for more than 25 years, and for five years to command an organization that provides steadfast police and security support to every Canadian Armed Forces installation in Canada and virtually every CAF operation worldwide,” said BGen Delaney. “We have the finest police officers in the world, and it has been my privilege to contribute to the ongoing strength of Canada’s Military Police capability.”

​Within the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing some major changes to the way the CMPA serves its members.

But before we do, we need your help!  Mark Twain once observed that "everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it".  Well, now is your chance to help steer the CMPA.

We’re looking for volunteers to take over three critical positions on the CMPA Executive Committee:

​If you think you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and help steer the CMPA into its new future, please contact us at cmpa.apmc@gmail.com.

A message from CWO Crystal Krammer, outgoing Military Police Branch Chief:

"I am in midst of finishing off a project at the Academy before I depart, and I require your assistance.
 
I am looking for a high resolution picture of an early C Pro C member.  This picture will be blown up to about 10 feet.
 
I currently had submitted one but the graphics designer has indicated that it is not of good enough quality. (it was taken from the internet)
 
Could you please see what you have in your arsenals for me?  I am particularly looking for a gentlemen standing and perhaps looking left.
 
If you have something can you please send it to my civilian e-mail ckgumby18@gmail.com.

Thank you"

All CMPA members are cordially invited to the upcoming Change of Command ceremony Brigadier-General R.P. Delaney, OMM, CD and Brigadier-General S. Trudeau, CD.

The ceremony will take place The ceremony, which is scheduled for Monday, 28 May 2018, at 1000 hrs, will take place at Cartier Square Drill Hall, 2 Queen Elisabeth Dr., Ottawa.
 
The event is open to all serving and retired members of the CMPA, however, it is requested that you RSVP before 18 May 2018 by contacting Nicole.Vidal@forces.gc.ca.  Note, seating is limited and there is no guarantee to have a seat upon arrival.
 
Dress for all attendees is DEU 1A for military personnel, and business suit or equivalent for civilians.
 
Attendees are asked to be seated by 0945 hrs, and a reception for invited guests will follow the parade.
 
Additional details are contained in the downloadable invitation.

​We’ve learned the hard way that having a serving member function as the CMPA Gift Coordinator simply doesn’t work.  Operational tempo, TD & deployments, and daily workload are simply incompatible with keeping on top of the massive amount of requests for Departure Gifts that arrive weekly.  As a result, we continually find ourselves with a huge backlog of unfulfilled orders.  This hurts our members and is unacceptable.

​However, we've now found a solution.

​Effective immediately, the CMPA Kit Shop has assumed full responsibility for members requesting Departure Gifts.  A retired MP has stepped forward and volunteered his service as our new Gift Coordinator and will be working with the Kit Shop to ensure the backlog of orders is filled as quickly as possible, and that all new orders are processed in a timely fashion.  This new process should address the current situation with the backlog of outstanding gifts.  

All requests for or queries about Departure Gifts should be sent to cmpadeparturegift@gmail.com

​It is important to stress that this is for departure gifts only and that we are still trying to find someone to coordinate Retirement Credentials.  If you are interested in helping out with this function, please contact the kit shop at this email address.

In the coming weeks we hope to be able to update the website with the new bylaw on Departure Gifts and an updated order form.

The February 2018 edition of the MP Branch Newsletter is now available online. 

This issue features a farewell from CWO Krammer, MP Branch CWO, who will be retiring in May 18 after completing 30 years of service with the Military Police.

This issue also features articles about MP operations and exercises in Ukraine, Latvia, United Kingdom, and here at home.

You can find this month's issue along with all the previous publications by clicking here.

​For the second article in our Local Units Profile series, we sat down with Maj Claude Lemieux, Commanding Officer of the Military Police Unit (Ottawa) (MPU(O)), as well as MWO Marc Paulin, unit Sergeant-Major and Lt Adam Carleton, OIC of Services Platoon.

For most in the National Capital Region (NCR), their typical interaction with the Military Police occurs at pass control for NCR building passes and National Defence Identification Cards. However, behind the secured area, members from this unit work around the clock to provide police and security services to the NCR Defence community. Recognized for their excellence, professionalism, integrity and transparency, the unit provides a variety of services including, investigations, training for their staff and counterparts, security, patrolling, victim services and community outreach, to name a few. Not only do they work closely with military and DND personnel throughout the NCR, they also work closely with their civilian partners, such as at the RCMP, the Ottawa Police Services and the Ontario Provincial Police.

​“90 percent of what we do at MPU(O) is how we can best support CFSU(O) and the Defence community,” said Maj Lemieux. “We’re part of the team and we work every day to do our absolute best to support […] we win as a team and we lose as a team,” added Maj Lemieux.

​With CFSU(O) being the largest unit in Canada in terms of the number of military and civilian personnel it supports, MPU(O) operates in a very complex and unique environment. In addition to supporting the Commandant, DND buildings in the NCR and their staff, MPU(O) is also responsible for close protections services and OUTCAN units in Germany and throughout the United States. According to Maj Lemieux and MWO Paulin, the unit would not fulfill these mandates if it weren’t for their troops.

​“All our missions are no-fail missions,” said MWO Marc Paulin. “We put a huge responsibility on our younger troops and they come through with flying colours. It’s really about the guys and girls that are here […] it’s phenomenal to be able to support them and see them succeed.”

​“This is the place to be […] you can tell that the CoC really supports the troops and that they have your back,” added Lt Carleton.

​With the big move to NDHQ (Carling) underway and a growing Defence community, the main challenge facing the unit is to remain operationally ready and in a position to support the Commandant, with the same existing resources. For members of MPU(O), it also brings exciting opportunities for unique training, increased stability and new detachments to their teams. Amongst all the changes, the main priority for Maj Lemieux remains the same: to take care of his team and provide them with the tools to succeed, while always supporting the mission.

“To be able to give my team exactly what I wanted 15 years ago as a young corporal […] what I wish I had, that’s the most rewarding for me,” said Maj Lemieux.

Cpl Cornfield of 12 MP Flight Comox and Cpl Bennett of 1 MP Platoon Edmonton conduct traffic control in the Fraser River Valley to allow a flatbed transporting a LAV to have full access of the bridge.

​Peter and Marilyn Clark donate an original oil painting of Lieutenant Peter Seddon Oliver to the Canadian Forces Military Police Academy, Borden, ON, on August 2, 2017. 

Lieutenant Peter Oliver of the Canadian Provost Corps was killed on 19 August 1942 during the amphibious landing at Dieppe, France.  In honour of his sacrifice, the “Oliver Trophy” is awarded to the most outstanding MP QL3 candidate of every year.

​In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Click Protective Services in Sudan - Members of CFPSU accompanied Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, to South Sudan this June. In June 2017, the Minister visited the area to assess Canada’s assistance with the country’s Famine Relief projects.

​Canadian Forces Military Police Group (CF MP Gp) was established, with Captain (Navy) Steve Moore, Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM), assuming command.

The CF MP Gp was established to group Military Police units that did not otherwise belong to the environmental commands (Army, Navy and Air Force) or operational commands (Canada Command, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Canadian Operational Support Command, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command). 

This new CF Formation comprised the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS), the Military Police Security Service (MPSS), the Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks (CFSPDB), and Canadian Forces Military Police Academy (CFMPA).

​

​Canadian Forces Military Police Group (CF MP Gp) was established, with Captain (Navy) Steve Moore, Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM), assuming command.

The CF MP Gp was established to group Military Police units that did not otherwise belong to the environmental commands (Army, Navy and Air Force) or operational commands (Canada Command, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Canadian Operational Support Command, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command). 

This new CF Formation comprised the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS), the Military Police Security Service (MPSS), the Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks (CFSPDB), and Canadian Forces Military Police Academy (CFMPA).

​

​Yesterday, CWO Crystal Krammer had the pleasure of presenting a scholarship cheque on behalf of the CMPA to Miss Geneviève Langlois, who was accompanied by her Mother Mrs France Bélanger, and father WO Frédérick Langois.

In addition to a solid academic performance, Genevieve demonstrated a strong community and school involvement with multiple organizations.  She has also dedicated much of her teenage years with the Army Cadets and achieved many distinctions to recognize top performance and dedication.  Genevieve will be taking a 2-year program with Georgian College in Pre-Health Sciences or Massage Therapy

Congratulations Geneviève, your scholarship is certainly well deserved!   

The Canadian Forces Military Police Academy will be hosting its annual Day of Remembrance in a few short weeks.  There will be three platoons, and MP veterans are welcome to parade alongside CFMPA staff, students, and cadets if they wish.  

​Please ensure that you are on the grounds NLT 1030 hrs for sizing.  The actual service will be approximately 40 minutes in duration.

​Refreshments and chili after the parade, and there will be an opportunity for veterans int interact with staff and students.