April 28, 2005 OTTAWA – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, today announced the awarding of two Meritorious Service Decorations (military division) 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 at a later date. 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. 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 Cross (military division) Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Sidney Rolland Allen Smith, M.S.C., C.D. Victoria, B.C. Meritorious Service Medal (military division) Master Warrant Officer Donald Gerald Fox, M.S.M. Oromocto, N.B. and Burton, N.B. A backgrounder on the Meritorious Service Decorations (Annex A) and the recipients citations (Annex B) are attached. -30- Media information Rideau Hall Press Office (613) 998-0287 (613) 998-7280 Public information Chancellery of Honours Rideau Hall 1 800 465-6890 Annex A 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. Annex B Citations Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Sidney Rolland Allen Smith, M.S.C., C.D., Victoria, B.C. Meritorious Service Cross (military division) On August 7, 2003, while escorting HMCS VICTORIA some 200 nautical miles at sea in the Baja Peninsula, Mexico, HMCS OTTAWA experienced a major fire in its engine room. For several hours, in extreme temperatures and with limited visibility, CPO2 Smith personally led and directed the efforts of 20 firefighters, ensuring their safety and welfare and the preservation of vital engineering equipment. CPO2 Smith's leadership and calm decision-making in extreme conditions were instrumental in the favorable conclusion of a life-threatening situation. Thanks to his personal efforts, HMCS OTTAWA was underway again in a normal engineering mode within two hours. Master Warrant Officer Donald Gerald Fox, M.S.M., Oromocto, N.B. and Burton, N.B. Meritorious Service Medal (military division) MWO Fox provides exceptional service in the field of mine awareness training. His detailed reference materials and training packages are directly credited for saving life and limb of Canadian soldiers and air personnel deployed throughout the world, as well as the lives of countless international military and United Nations communities. In particular, the United States 82nd Airborne Division specifically requested that MWO Fox conduct its mine awareness training prior to deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, in 2002. The outstanding service provided by MWO Fox brings credit to himself, to the Canadian Forces, and to Canada.
