Putting a face to the uniform: The importance of the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program
October 9, 2024 - Tim Bryant, Western Sentinel
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are an integral part of Canadian society, yet for many Canadians it is often something that is out of sight and out of mind.
One way to bring the CAF back into the homes of the nation is through the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program, which helps bring soldiers, aviators and sailors into classrooms and community halls across the country to speak to Canadians in the days leading up to Remembrance Day.
Captain Leona Ahn, who recently transferred as a student of law with the Judge Advocate General as a legal officer, and formerly with 1 Service Battalion in Edmonton, is one such soldier who has made it a personal mission to speak at Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day events ever since she joined the CAF in 2005.
“I always seize any opportunity [to talk] about civic service [and] the great things that the Canadian Armed Forces are doing domestically and overseas,” she said.
A favourite venue for Capt Ahn is schools. Her spouse is a teacher, so she has always gone to speak at her schools over the years. In addition, her brother is a vice principal in Vancouver and she made the trip to speak there last year. And now, as a mother of two, she goes to speak at her kids’ school.
“It means a lot,” she said about the chance to speak with and to her children and their classmates. “They don't really understand what the military is or what their mom does when they're not at home, so I find that Remembrance Day is a nice chance to allow my kids to see and internalize the profession that I'm doing and see it in front of them.”
A large part of what Capt Ahn tries to do when she speaks at schools, or any other venue, is to put a face to the uniform she wears. She wants there to be a relationship between the community and the CAF, and she wants to show that CAF members are your neighbours, your sisters, your brothers, your mothers and your fathers.
She added she’s found many people will judge, or even hate, things they don’t understand, and she wants to help those people understand the CAF and its people.
“I find that when you add a relational point of view, it's harder to hate or judge or talk about something in such a trivial or apathetic [manner],” she said.
One other way Capt Ahn builds relationships is through how she personally embodies a growing theme in mass media and popular culture – that representation matters: Capt Ahn is of Korean descent and a woman.
“I think a lot of people at first are a little bit surprised to see me [or] someone [who] looks like me in uniform, and the more I'm out there the more I think it can be normalized,” she said.
That humanizing and relationship building also serves to emphasize what it means to be Canadian.
“When we get out there, it's a chance to educate our youth and the public about our values as a country [and] our history,” Capt Ahn said. “Instead of just learning about it in the classroom, when we get out to talk, you get to ask and hear from someone who is in the Forces, or veterans who've been to certain conflicts or humanitarian missions.”
When she speaks in schools, Capt Ahn said she will tailor her presentation to the age group she’s with. She will also add in some context or explanations of what the kids may be hearing about the world while they’re at home.
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Captain Leona Ahn has been speaking to schools and community groups as part of the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program since she joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2005
Photo supplied
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Captain Leona Ahn said she believes speaking at schools as part of the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program is a way to put a face to the Army uniform and show that soldiers are just regular people.
Photo supplied
She said she feels the schools also appreciate it when she shares some of her personal experiences, like how she deployed to support the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
“That's something a lot of Canadians weren't aware of, because when people think of the military, they just think of war and going overseas, nothing maybe to do with Canada,” she said.
Capt Ahn said she always tries to underscore just how much the CAF does within Canada, from helping communities at risk of wildfires or floods, to assisting Indigenous communities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think a lot of people weren't aware of that kind of work that we do,” she said.
For herself, Capt Ahn said she’s inspired when she goes out to speak to kids at school or to the wider public.
“It's always been a big source of inspiration to continue serving Canadians,” she said. “You get in the community and you see the people you are serving, so when you do have to go out on exercise and train, or you do have to go on long deployments and be away from your family, you realize these are the people in the community [and] these are the families you're doing this for.”
The emotions those realizations create serve as a reminder of the gift of service she has been given that she can fall back on if the job starts to feel redundant.
“Selfishly, I get inspiration from [those I speak to] and hopefully they get inspiration from me,” she said.
Throughout her career, when she has been in leadership and command positions, Capt Ahn has encouraged her soldiers to get out and have “touch points” with their communities.
“It’s a good skill set to have as a soldier or officer to engage in public speaking in a way that can entice or inspire others,” she said.
Looking to the future, Capt Ahn said she views the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program as an integral tool in the pursuit of putting a face to the uniform and presenting CAF members as regular people who are serving their country.
“It's incredibly important for these types of programs to continue,” she said.