Canadian Armed Forces

Mr. Hawn remembers losing friends in the service, and as Commanding Officer at Cold Lake, having to present the flag from the coffin of a dead airmen to his widow.

Mr. Hawn differentiates between the terms 'peacekeeping' and 'peacemaking', using Canada's role in Afghanistan as an example.

Mr. Hawn explains how the entire squadron, including the civilian families of those enlisted, is a family. He describes his role in the family while commanding officer of 416 Squadron, and explains how civilian families are taken care of while their loved ones are sent away on a mission.

Mr. Hawn explains what rules of engagement are, using his experience in West Germany as an example. He then describes an instance that occurred in Kosovo (which he was not involved in) where the rules of engagement caused a mission to be halted.

Mr. Hawn recalls accidentally flying into East German airspace while stationed in West Germany, and explains the repercussions that followed.

Mr. Hawn explains how fear was a fleeting emotion during missions, describing how time would pass exponentially faster the more scared you became.

Mr. Hawn describes the Starfighter CF104, the plane he flew while stationed in West Germany.

Mr. Hawn explains why the time he was stationed with North Atlantic Treaty Organization in West Germany was not "peacekeeping".

Mr. Penney describes the mortar murders he witnessed that killed innocent children. Also, he wants people to realize how important it is to respect soldiers of the past, present and future.

Mr. Campbell explains how important camaraderie is in the army.