Sawyer, Stephen: my Canadian Militia story (March 22, 2017)
Interviewer: Milne, Laura
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel.
Interviewee: Sawyer, Stephen
ABSTRACT: The interview begins with the narrator’s military background, including his transition from the Regular Force to the Reserve Force. The narrator then describes his enlistment with the Canadian Army and his current career as the Commanding Officer of the Canadian Scottish Regiment. The operations training of the Canadian Scottish Regiment and primary duties of the Reserve Force are also discussed. The role of the Reserve Force in today’s community is described, including domestic and foreign operations. The narrator then discussed many issues that affect today’s Reserve Force such as recruitment, community involvement and changes in Canadian defense policy. The narrator’s 1991 deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt as part of Operation CALUMET was then described. The changing role of peacekeeping, both in Canada and abroad, was then discussed. The narrator concluded the interview with an emphasis on the strong leadership in the Canadian military. Time Log: 0:00 - 1:37 Background and Enlistment, including transition from Regular Force to Reserve Force 1:37 – 2:23 Background: Differences between Regular Force and Reserve Force 2:23 –3:28 Background: Difference between Cold War experiences and peacetime experiences as well as the evolution of the modern battlefield such as Afghanistan 3:28 – 4:50 Background: Describing deployment to Egypt as part of Operation CALUMET 4:50 – 8:56 Reasons for enlistment, including background in Army Cadets. Description of Basic training. 8:56 – 10:50 Family history of military service 10:50 – Training with the Canadian Scottish Regiment Reserve Force, including description of ‘urban operations’ training. 15:00 – 22:43 Description of duties of Canadian Scottish Regiment, including recruitment process and community relations. 22:43 – 28:32 Role of a Reserve Force in today’s community, including domestic and foreign duties. Description of Reserve Force’s involvement in natural disasters such as firefighting and floods. Description of differences between Reserve and Regular Forces. 28:32 – 34:22 Community relations for the Reserve Force, including events and memorials. 34:22 – 36:57 Sacrifices in the military and fallen soldiers from Vancouver Island 36:57 – 39:50 Changes to community engagement and the Canadian army, including memories from the Vietnam War era and anti-military sentiment. 39:50 – 49:21 Description of duties as Commanding Officer of a Reserve Regiment 49:21 – 57:26 Issue of recruitment for the Reserve Force 57:26 – 1:03:31 Description of transition from Regular Force to Reserve Force, including description of Reserve Force training 1:03:31 – 1:10:00 Changes in defense policy for the Reserve Force, including improvements to equipment and training 1:10:00 – 1:16:00 Description of deployment in 1991 to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt as a part of Operation CALUMET and the changing role of peacekeeping 1:16:00 – 1:19:50 Experiences with the Bedouin tribes in the Sinai desert in Egypt 1:19:50 – 1:27:00 Experiences of touring Egypt while deployed, including the differences in Egyptian culture and Canadian culture 1:27:00 – 1:39:40 Canada’s changing role as ‘peacekeepers’ 1:39:40 – 1:44:13 Description of strong leadership in the Canadian military and effects of Canadian politics on the Canadian military 1:44:13 – 2:04:50 Signing of Interview Release Form and explanation of military zones in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt 2:04:50 – 2:06:50 Ending acknowledgements
An interview/narrative of Stephen Sawyer's experiences with the Canadian Militia. Interview took place on March 22, 2017 in Victoria, B.C.
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- 33, 66
- Original sound recordings (MP3) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- SS_851
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- March 22, 2017
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2017. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- 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
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