by Capt Andy Coxhead

   Major-General Marc. J. Dumais, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, made his first official visit to 8 Wing/CFB Trenton last Thursday and Friday.

MGen Dumais, 1 CAD Commander, looks on as MCpl Joe Hawthorne of ATESS demonstrates the relocation of an emergency oxygen bottle for a CF-18 Hornet. The 1 CAD Commander also toured Wing Ops, 2 Air Mov Sqn, 8 AMS, 424 Sqn, the MFRC, the RCAF Memorial Museum and the RCAF Flyers Arena during his Oct. 10-11 official visit.

   The Commander 1 CAD arrived on a 1 Wing CH146 Griffon helicopter with Chief Warrant Officer D. Dietrich, Division CWO, late Thursday afternoon in order to attend a 424 Search and Transport Squadron mess dinner before conducting a formal base visit on Friday.

   It’s a pleasure for me to be back at 8 Wing,” said Major-General Dumais, who commanded the Wing in the late Nineties. “It is an honour for me to have been appointed Commander 1CAD. I am proud to be in the Air Force because of the people we have. We are doing outstanding work with what we have, combined with the great people we have - I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!”

   After a breakfast with senior staff Friday, the Commander’s visit commenced with an operations and status brief followed by a round table discussion in the Wing Operations conference room.

   Acknowledging that all areas of the CF are currently wrestling with significant challenges, the Commander reiterated his belief that the calibre of our people is second to none.

   “What we lack in quantity, we make up for in quality,” said Major-General Dumais. “We are managing issues day by day, but I am confident that we are maintaining safety and training above all else.”

   With the aid of a flight line bus, the visitors received a flight line orientation including a walk-through tour of Wing Operations, 2 Air Movements Squadron, 8 Air Maintenance Squadron, 424 Search and Transport Squadron’s Cormorant preparations and 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron.

   After a stand-up lunch with the Sergeants’ Seminar attendees in the Astra Lounge, the Commander 1 CAD then visited the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre followed by an Installation Site that included EME, Accommodations, MFRC, RCAF Flyers Arena, and the RCAF Memorial Museum, with a final stop at the Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron.