3rd Canadian Division medals, awards and commendations
April 15, 2024
Every quarter, the Western Sentinel recognizes 3rd Canadian Division members who have received medals, awards and commendations.
The following members were recognized by their units for actions that benefited their units, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian people.
On Jan. 25, Nicole Warren and Marc Vandal, Compliance Officers with Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) Headquarters, received the DM/Chief of the Defence Staff Regional Achievement Award.
Warren received the award for their innovative program development skills and for leading a national initiative within the parameters of the Safety Environment Management System (SEMS) for the Western region. Their leadership with the SEMS was adopted as the standard at the national level.
Vandal now provides guidance and coaching to conduct quality control and policy reviews at the detachment level, improving health and safety outcomes for employees.
Warren and Vandal both analyzed practices and techniques for investigating environmental incidences, emphasizing identifying root causes and applying a non-biased approach. They developed a system check to track unsatisfactory findings that were presented as a result of audits and inspections, leading to increased accountability, a reduction in non-compliance, minimized material waste and reduced environmental risk to personnel.
In addition, Warren and Vandal had significant influence over the development of the Asbestos Awareness course on the Defence Learning Network for all Department of National Defence (DND) employees. The course provides awareness about the potential presence and identification of asbestos in DND facilities, and has been adopted nationally.
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Lieutenant‑Colonel Johnathan Hallett, Commanding Officer Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) (left); and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Barney, RPOU(W) Regimental Sergeant‑Major (right), present RPOU(W) Compliance Officers Marc Vandal (centre left) and Nicole Warren with their DM/Chief of the Defence Staff Regional Achievement Awards.
Photo by Capt Kyle Ho, Real Property Operations Unit (West) Headquarters
On Dec. 12, 2023, Captain John Hufnagel, Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) Headquarters Assistant Operations and Plans Officer, received the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.
Between July 2021 and January 2023, Capt Hufnagel demonstrated exceptional work and technical acumen while employed in Lethbridge, Alta. Far exceeding the expectations of their position, they spearheaded the use of data analytics and optimized information management software to inform program planning decisions up to the national level. Capt Hufnagel’s actions drastically increased infrastructure maintenance expenditures and fostered a culture that leverages data to inform decisions.
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Lieutenant‑Colonel Johnathan Hallett, Commanding Officer Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) (left); Colonel Donald Henley, RPOU Group Commander (second from left); and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Barney, RPOU(W) Regimental Sergeant‑Major (right), present Captain John Hufnagel with their Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.
Photo by WO Jeffrey Groenenberg, Real Property Operations Unit (West) Detachment Calgary
On Dec. 12, 2023, Major Ryan Bartek, Officer Commanding Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) Detachment Suffield, received the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.
Maj Bartek received the Commendation for their exemplary leadership and foresight to spearhead an unprecedented infrastructure maintenance plan to address the changes associated with British Army Training Unit Suffield. To commemorate the achievements of Maj Bartek, they were presented a silver insignia and Commendation Scroll.
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Colonel Donald Henley, Real Property Operations Unit (RPOU) Group Commander (left); and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Barney, RPOU (West) Regimental Sergeant‑Major, present Major Ryan Bartek, Officer Commanding RPOU(W) Detachment Suffield, with their Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.
Photo by LCol Johnathan Hallett, Commanding Officer Real Property Operations Unit (West)
On Dec. 12, 2023, Matthew Carnelli, preventative maintenance inspector from Real Property Operations Unit (West) (RPOU(W)) Detachment Suffield, was presented with the Commander’s Coin by Colonel Donald Henley, RPOU Group Commander; and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Barney, RPOU(W) Regimental Sergeant‑Major.
Carnelli received the Commander’s Coin for how they responded to a communication malfunction from Defence Research and Development Canada to avoid any adverse biological safety impact to the laboratories supported by the affected system.
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Colonel Donald Henley, Real Property Operations Unit (RPOU) Group Commander (left); and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Barney, RPOU (West) Regimental Sergeant‑Major (right), present Matthew Carnelli, RPOU(W) Suffield preventative maintenance inspector, with their Commander’s Coin.
Photo by LCol Johnathan Hallett, Commanding Officer Real Property Operations Unit (West)
If you want to see your members recognized for going above and beyond, please contact Western Sentinel editor Tim Bryant at timothy.bryant@forces.gc.ca.