Brandon Salutes

Meet our Executive Officer onboard #HMCSBrandon deployed on #OpCARIBBE. #WeTheNavy Rencontrez notre commandant en second à bord du #NCSMBrandon présentement déployé sur #OpCARIBBE #NousLaMarine

Rheanne Gray is Saluted this month for her unwavering support of the Shilo Military Family Resource Centre. For community events, professional development workshops and training events Rheanne can always be counted on to be an enthusiastic and accommodating host. Rheanne Gray and her staff at the Russell Inn may not all come from a military background but they have been understanding and supportive. For several years, the MFRC has needed a place to meet the unique needs of... military couples during counselling retreats. Rheanne has created a reliable, sensitive, obliging, and generous oasis for them. This past year has been challenging and many planned events have not been able to be conducted due to the Covid pandemic. However, when they are able to do so, the Shilo MFRC will organize retreats and training and they know they will have someone still in their corner to help out and be an exceptional host. We salute Rheanne Gray from Russell, Manitoba for her steadfast support of military families in this area.

Today we 'salute' Captain Robert Killam! Captain Robert Killam is a Troop Commander with 71 Battery, 26th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, (26 Fd) in Brandon. Now a teacher at Birtle Collegiate Institute, Captain Killam set a high standard for community volunteerism within the Regiment. Captain Killam joined the Primary Reserve Army in January 2015 and over time completed the necessary courses and training to become a qualified artillery troop commander. He meticulously plans t...raining exercises for the soldiers of 26 Fd and supervises their training with great enthusiasm and dedication. When Robert moved to Brandon in 2014 from Ste. Rose, MB to pursue not only his Reserve Army career but to pursue his education degree at Brandon University (BU) he took on the role as Editor in Chief with the university’s student newspaper The Quill. He also served as the Mess Manager for the 26th Fd Combined Mess located at the Brandon Armoury as well as the President of the Mess Committee (PMC). While serving as the PMC he planned and supervised the 69th Brandon Military Ball in 2019. Capt Killam’s dedication to service and community continued with volunteering with Westman Immigrant Services in Brandon where he helped immigrant children feel more welcome here. For this and his continuing work we Salute Captain Robert Killam.

What a great initiative! Thank you to the military community for all you do! You can also check out the Brandon Salutes website to find a list of participating businesses offering discounts through our Business Incentive Program. www.brandonsalutes.ca

It's time for another 'Salute'! Penny LaRocque is a force. As a longtime military spouse she has followed her veteran husband, literally, halfway around the world. She worked and volunteered with military families in Israel and England and continued that work when they returned to Canada being active in military Mess life. Now she uses her organizing skills to be Treasurer for Friends of the Museum Inc., the fund raising arm for the 26 Fd/XII Mb Dragoons museum. She also help...s out the museum in many other ways. She is part of the Inner Wheel of Rotary, a longtime member of Beta Sigma Phi and has been part of Brandon’s 100 Women Who Care. Penny established and maintains the library at Rotary Villas as well as running/sorting children’s books at the annual Rotary book sale for the past 12 years. And when she isn’t doing all the above she is a wife, sister, daughter, mother and grandmother with all of the responsibilities that entails. We are very pleased to Salute Penny LaRocque this month.

Salute to Veterans Concert is cancelled. Brandon Salutes will not be presenting the annual Salute to Veterans concert this November. Like so many other events planned for this fall, Covid-19 has forced us to cancel this public event and plan for a concert in 2021. We look forward to next year’s event.

Bombadier Nathanial Ironman of the First Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) is our Salute this month. As a volunteer and founding member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation chapter of the Bear Clan Patrol Ironman has used his military skills and his traditional knowledge to help his home community. Since 2018 he has used traditional Indigenous practices to provide strength and stability to his hometown. Up until an overseas deployment and COVID-19 restrictions pr...evented him from taking part he has been a key member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation chapter of the Bear Clan Patrol. He was also given a military commendation for this important volunteer work. For his dedication to his community, for his ability to use his strengths to help others and for his service to this country we thank Nathanial Ironman and extend a Salute!

This month we 'Salute' Shilo EMS employees! Every day there are hundreds of people in our community that volunteer their time, skills, and expertise to a wide variety of groups and organizations. Among this large army of people are members of the CFB Shilo Emergency Services department. They are the one group of DND employees that have kept up their vital volunteer work during the pandemic. A dozen members of the CFB Shilo EMS also volunteer as firefighters in Wawanesa, Car...berry, Neepawa and Holland. They are a vital part of their local communities bringing vital skills to a vital job. For this dedication we Salute the Shilo EMS employees who are also volunteer firefighters and thank them for their additional service to this region. Do know a deserving individual or group that you would like to nominate for a Salute? Nominate at www.brandonsalutes.ca/salute-nomination photo credit: LIAM PATTISON PHOTOGRAPHY