June 21, 2004 OTTAWA–Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, today announced that four Meritorious Service Decorations (military division) will be awarded to individuals whose specific achievements have brought honour to the Canadian Forces and to Canada. Recipients will be invited to receive their decorations at a presentation ceremony to be held later this year. The Meritorious Service Decorations are separated into military and civil divisions, with two levels each: a medal and a cross. The military division recognizes individuals for their outstanding professionalism and for bringing honour to the Canadian Forces. The civil division recognizes individuals who have performed an exceptional deed or an activity that brought honour to their community or to Canada. These decorations are an important part of the Canadian Honours System and, like the Order of Canada, they recognize excellence. However, Meritorious Service Decorations honour either a single achievement or an activity over a specified period, while the Order of Canada focuses on lifetime achievement. The Meritorious Service Decorations are open to both Canadians and non-Canadians. Anyone may nominate an individual for the civil division of the Meritorious Service Decorations, while a commanding officer recommends possible candidates to a military advisory committee, which reviews nominations and submits names to the Chief of the Defence Staff. Nominations and awards may be made posthumously, but nominations for activities that occurred prior to June 1984, the year in which the honour was first created, are not accepted. On the recommendation of the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee (Meritorious Service Decorations–military division), the Governor General is pleased to announce the following awards: Meritorious Service Decoration Current Posting Home Town Colonel Joseph Armand Marc Pouliot, M.S.M., C.D. Ottawa, Ont. St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart James Sharpe, M.S.M., C.D. Kingston, Ont. Kingston, Ont. Commander Charles David Lightfoot, M.S.M. Rhu, Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute, U.K., and London, U.K. Helensburgh, U.K. Lieutenant Commander Richard Brian Tilley, M.S.M., C.D. Ottawa, Ont. Halifax, N.S. For more information on Meritorious Service Decorations, please visit our web site at http://www.gg.ca/honours/msd_e.asp. Citations follow. -30- Media information Rideau Hall Press Office (613) 998-0287 or (613) 998-7280 Public information Chancellery of Honours Rideau Hall 1 800 465-6890 Meritorious Service Medal (military division) Colonel Joseph Armand Marc Pouliot, M.S.M., C.D. Ottawa, Ontario and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Meritorious Service Medal (military division) Col Pouliot was Commander of the Theatre Activation Team for Operation ATHENA – the Canadian contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, from April to August 2003. He was responsible for commanding the advance headquarters, negotiating and setting up all logistical arrangements, planning and overseeing the contribution of a 1900-person camp in a remote area of Kabul, and organizing the reception of all equipment and personnel. Col Pouliot's strong leadership, resourcefulness and dedication were exemplary and greatly influenced the successful outcome of the Operation. Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart James Sharpe, M.S.M., C.D., Kingston, Ontario Meritorious Service Medal (military division) LCol Sharpe was Commanding Officer of the Liaison and Reconnaissance Team and then Chief of Staff of the Theatre Activation Team for Operation ATHENA – the Canadian contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, from April to July 2003. He played a critical role in deciphering a multitude of chaotic and complex issues that impacted on the initial set-up and deployment of the Canadian Task Force. An outstanding leader, LCol Sharpe ensured the protection and security of personnel, equipment and operations during the early stages of Operation ATHENA. His professionalism and commitment to the mission far exceeded the normal demands of duty. Commander Charles David Lightfoot, M.S.M. Rhu, Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute, United Kingdom and London, United Kingdom Meritorious Service Medal (military division) In 1999, Cdr Lightfoot, British Royal Navy, then LCdr, began successive commands of three UPHOLDER class submarines as they were each reactivated, trialed and transferred from the United Kingdom to Canada to become the VICTORIA Class submarines. Commanding Officer of all Canadian personnel assigned to crew each submarine, Cdr Lightfoot collectively transitioned them into trained, safe and effective UPHOLDER Class crew. His professionalism, command presence and actions during several at-sea emergencies instilled complete crew confidence in both his abilities and their own. Cdr Lightfoot's exemplary performance has been instrumental to the successes achieved in the UPHOLDER programme, bringing great credit to the Royal Navy and considerable benefit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada. Lieutenant Commander Richard Brian Tilley, M.S.M., C.D. Ottawa, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia Meritorious Service Medal (military division) Widely recognized within the NATO Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence (NBCD) community for his expertise and negotiating skills, LCdr Tilley has distinguished himself, since 2002, through his dedication to the Prague NBCD Initiatives. He assisted the NATO Core Planning Team in defining, developing and validating these initiatives with a demanding completion date, and successfully conducted a NATO live agent training exercise as part of the activities. LCdr Tilley's professionalism, outstanding dedication and knowledge contributed greatly to the success of this undertaking.
