Interview with Chief Warrant Officer (Ret'd) John Barnes (March 11, 2022)

Interviewer: Ruky Osubele Interviewee: Chief Warrant Officer (Ret'd) John Barnes An interview/narrative of John Barnes' experiences serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. Interview took place on March 11, 2022 over a video call. Rank: Private-Chief Warrant Officer Medals and Honours: MSM- Meritorious Service Medal, Master Warrant Officer John Barnes was deployed as company sergeant major of Charles Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, in Afghanistan, from August 2006 to February 2007. Awarded for exceptional leadership and composure under enemy fire directly contributing to Charles Company success under extreme adversity of intense combat operations and significant casualties. Severely injured during operation Medusa he insisted on returning to the front lines. His unwavering sense of duty was instrumental to his company’s cohesion and effectiveness during the mission; MMM- Member of Military Merit; CPSM- Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal; SM- Sacrifice Medal – wounded in action Sept 3rd 2006; UNFICYP-United Nations Peacekeeping force in Cyprus; QDJM- Queens Dimond Jubilee Medal; SSM-NATO- Special Service Medal NATO; UNPROFOR – United Nations Protection Force -former Yugoslavia; G & KM- Gulf and Kuwait Medal; SSM – Special Service Medal; GCS-SWA – General Campaign Star- Southwest Asia; CD2 – Canadian Decoration 2ND clasp CinC- Commander In Chief Commendation as part of November Company for having opened the airport in the besieged city of Sarajevo in July 1992. While surrounded and being shot at by belligerents on all sides, the BG steadfastly executed its mission, securing the Sarajevo airport for humanitarian relief flights and escorting these relief convoys into the city; CinC – Commander In Chief Commendation to 1 RCR for courageous and professional execution of duty in Afghanistan during August and September 2006 that prevented the capture of Kandahar City by Insurgents ABSTRACT: 0:00 – 0:30 – Introductions. 0:30 – 0:55 – Growing up and schooling in St. Mary’s Bay 0:55 – 2:35 – Joining the armed forces, serving in the Army, Royal Canadian Regiment and places served in. 2:37 – 4:38 – Life as a Peacekeeping troop in Cyprus, role as driver for the Canadian contingent commander. 4:39 – 10:42 – Life in Bosnia as part of the First United Nations peacekeeping force. 10:49 – 19:38 – Life in Afghanistan as the Sergeant major of a rifle company, Operation Medusa. 19:47 – 23:20 – What a typical peacekeeping mission consists of, peacekeeping vs. peacemaking, Cyprus vs. Bosnia. 23:26 – 25:54 – Difference between peacekeeping and counter-insurgency 25:55 – 27:40 – Rules of Engagement in Peacekeeping, Counter-insurgency, Cyprus and Bosnia. 27:41 – 28:50 – Weapons in a peacekeeping vs. counter-insurgency missions. 28:51 – 31:04 – Conflict situations for peacekeeping missions, peacemaking. 31:05 – 32:01 – Difference between peacemaking and counter-insurgency. 32:02 – 33:21 – Classifying Bosnia, Cyprus and Afghanistan as peacekeeping, peacemaking and counter-insurgency. 33:25 – 37:50 – Peacekeeping and counter-insurgency as effective strategies in preventing conflict. 37:53 – 42:25 – Goals of peacekeeping and counter-insurgency operations and factors that prevent them from being successful. 42:26 – 44:24 – Peacekeeping and Canadian identity vs. identity as a soldier. 44:25 – 51:10 – Legacy in Afghanistan, wounded and medevac’d during Operation Medusa, effects of military career on his family, takeaway from military career. 51:10 – 52:55 – Closing remarks, peacekeeping vs counter-insurgency

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Barnes, John
• Osubele, Ruky

Subject

• Canada. Canadian Army. Royal Canadian Regiment
• Soldiers--Family relationships
• Military history
• Operation Medusa (2006)
• Siege of Sarajevo (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina : 1992-1996)
• Personal narratives
• Barnes, John
• Peacekeeping forces
• Peacekeeping forces, Canadian
• Soldiers
• Personal narratives--Canadian
• Afghan War (2001-2021)

Language

• eng

Identifier

• Interview #SC141_BJ_900

Keyword

• Afghanistan
• Operation Medusa
• Peacekeeping and Canadian identity
• Bosnia
• Siege of Sarajevo
• Rules of Engagement
• Counter-insurgency
• Cyprus
• Peacekeeping
• Peacemaking

Date created

• March 11, 2022

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews (HIST 426, Spring 2022).

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 00:53:26

Alternative title

• Peacekeeping and counter-insurgency operations: A comparison based on Bosnia, Cyprus and Afghanistan

Geographic coverage

• Bosnia and Herzegovina--Sarajevo
• Cyprus
• Afghanistan

Coordinates

• 35, 33
• 33, 66
• 43.84864, 18.35644

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• reminiscences
• interviews
• video recordings (physical artifacts)
• oral histories (literary genre)

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2022-020; Series: VI; Item: 900

Fonds title

• Military Oral History collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• March 11, 2022

Technical note

• Interview done through a Zoom video call, MP4. Metadata by KD.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/a815-cg95