Interview with Lieutenant Commander (Ret’d) Paul Seguna
Narrator: Lieutenant Commander (Ret’d) Paul Seguna Interviewer: Interviewed by Callum Thomson Interview Date and Location 8 March 2024, Via Zoom. Synopsis: Lieutenant Commander (Ret’d) Paul Seguna speaks about his military career with an emphasis on his Public affairs officer and NATO staff officer roles. The Interview begins with Seguna discussing joining the Royal Canadian navy reserve training program during university. Transitioning to the regular force, his early naval career as a maritime surface officer. His later career as a public affairs officer deployed on multiple UN peacekeeping missions and domestically. Brief return to the reserve system. Return to the regular force and final posting to NATO Allied Maritime Headquarters in Northwood UK. 0:00 - 0:32 – Preamble. 0:32 – 6:15 - Early life and brief career summary. Naval reserve training program. 6:15 – 7:47 - Role as a public affairs officer, Canadian Forces Combat Camera Team. 7:47 – 9:55 - Transition from Maritime Surface Officer (MARS) to public affairs officer CFB Esquimalt, description of public affairs officer career path. 9:55 – 11:55 - Training of a public affairs officer. Public affairs as a purple job. 11:55 – 15:09 - Media relations, professionalism, showing the public what the Canadian armed forces actually does and importance of media in a Democratic society. 15:09 – 17:19 Deployed as a public affairs officer. Dealing with media and sensitive issues related to UN missions. 17:19 – 21:23 - Reasons for First retirement, transition to reserve system. Return to regular force. Geopolitical change in the mid 2010s 21:23 – 24:28 - Training for NATO Allied Maritime Command Headquarters posting, re-qualification, Canadian Forces Command and Staff collage. The international nature of Maritime command. 24:28 – 28:48 - Working within an international organization, cultural exchange, moose milk recipe. Reaction to 2016 Turkey coup attempt. Communication challenges. 28:48 – 32:20 - Role as Breakdown of different NATO planning sections, Changes in NATO geopolitical reality. Russia returns as the presumed enemy. 32:20 – 33:18 - Challenges of NATO member domestic politics and inter NATO ally conflict. 33:18 – 35:16 - NATO civilian- military relationship, structure of NATO chain of command. 35:16 – 39:27 - Thoughts on recent NATO expansion, How Russo-Ukrainian war has changed everything. Return of conflict to Europe. 39:27 – 43:27 - Opinion on Canada’s role in NATO for the 21st century, Canada as a bridge between Europe and the United States. 43:27 – 43:58 – Conclusion. Suggested Clip(s) for Archive: 21:23 – 24:28 – Seguna speaks about Training for NATO Allied Maritime Command Headquarters posting, re-qualification, Canadian Forces Command and Staff collage and how his military career in general prepared him for his role at NATO.
- In Collection:
- Interview #SC141_SP_909
- 00:43:58
- Canadian Military Diplomacy: The Role of Defence Attaches, Liaisons and Seconded Personnel
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- Accession Number: 2025-002; Series 2; Item: 909
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2024. Recorded in digital format by interviewer. Keywords supplied by interviewer. 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