Corporal Racette-Harvey receives a Supreme Allied Commander Europe recognition award
February 19, 2024 – Defence Stories
Author: Major Alexandre Munoz, Senior Public Affairs Officer, Formation Europe
Caption
MCpl Normand, MCpl Tremblay, Cpl Racette-Harvey, LCol Bertrand and OR-9 Zelenak (Slovakia) working at the 3rd NATO Signal Battalion in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
On November 8, Corporal Charles Racette-Harvey of Canadian Forces Formation Europe received a Supreme Allied Commander Europe Recognition Award for his achievements at the 3rd NATO Signal Battalion in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Employed with NATO since November 2021, Corporal Racette-Harvey works in the maintenance company. In particular, he oversees supply and ground logistical support for the operational maintenance of generators and satellite communications equipment, as well as supplying parts, fluids and oils for the maintenance of the Battalion’s assets.
Corporal Racette-Harvey was nominated for his contribution to NATO, professional skills, unwavering dedication, and outstanding leadership. Corporal Racette-Harvey was subsequently presented with his award by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Cavolli. "I was pleased that my senior national representative, Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolas Bertrand, was present for the presentation of this award. All this motivates me even more to continue with my work ethic, it’s working," says Corporal Racette-Harvey.
Obviously, a good team is required to achieve the desired results, and it is collectively with other allied nations that the Signal Battalion provides its services. "We are four Canadians, working with people from Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Türkiye," explains Corporal Racette-Harvey.
Speaking of teams, each member of Formation Europe is supported by a regional chain of command. Lieutenant-Colonel Bertrand supports the Canadian military in Poland and the Czech Republic, while acting as Section Head for the NATO force structure, supporting 16 officers at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and Major.
The force structure comprises three main categories of forces: in-place forces, primarily intended for collective defence, and deployable forces, both of which are maintained at graduated readiness levels. The third category, known as [long-term] build-up forces, provides forces generally associated with the development of capabilities for large-scale Article 5 operations, maintained at a very low level of readiness.
The section that LCol Bertrand oversees is part of the NATO Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland, which is under the aegis of Allied Command Transformation, responsible for identifying the future military environment, identifying challenges and opportunities in order to innovate and maintain combat advantage.
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