In Support of the Signal Corp

Heroes Remember

In Support of the Signal Corp

Transcript

And the main part of the entire mission was the signals people out of Kingston, 1st Canadian Headquarters of the Signals Regiment. They were accompanied by a troop of engineers, a troop of or a platoon of commando, from 3 Commando which is the RCR, medical platoon as attachments, and then a supply organization. But the bulk of the mission was a Signals mission and they were there to restore national communications. You know, get the outside world connected again, get the TV station up and running, the radio towers and transmitters and that sort of thing. So Canada’s mission was a Signals mission and we were there, ourselves and the Commando and that just in support of the Signals guys. As it turned out for the first six weeks for sure I was pretty busy with the amount of unexploded ordinance and mines and stuff that were around, scattered mines, which we call nuisance mining and stuff and it was totally at random. They were in school yards and convents and that sort of thing and that obviously will cause grief to no end. The Commando from 3 Commando were there to provide defence and security so the Siggys could go out and do what they were supposed to do. Everybody that shows up always has a very special job to do on a mission but Canada’s mission as a whole was a Signals mission to replace and secure national communications for Rwanda. All the rest of us were sort of add ons. I was the only engineer officer in the contingent and when it was realized that I was also EOD trained, I had a number of very specific things to do. Cleaning up things around the presidential building and the parliament buildings, getting some unexploded mortar bombs and grenades and things out of hospitals and in school yards and convents and that sort of thing so we were pretty busy really early on.

Description

Mr. Deveau explains their roles and responsibilities in securing communications for the people of Rwanda.

Jerry Deveau

Mr. Jerry Deveau was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia on November 20, 1950. Looking for excitement, Mr. Deveau believed he was up for a reasonable challenge in life and decided to join the Canadian Forces. Mr. Deveau joined the Army and after going through a personnel selection unit held occupation of Combat Engineer. In 1990, Mr. Deveau participated in his first operational tour to Pakistan and in 1994 accepted another tour to Rwanda as Chief Warrant Officer. At the end of his military career, Mr. Deveau held rank of Major. Mr. Deveau became employed as a Peer Support Coordinator with the OSISS (Occupational Stress Injury Social Support) program, a federal government network that provides support for military personnel returning to civilian life. Mr. Deveau resides in Fredericton, New Brunswick with his family.

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