Eye In The Sky
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In late November, four formerly Edmonton-based Canadian Armed Forces members were presented with Medals of Bravery for their actions in hazardous circumstances by rescuing a family from their burning home in Lancaster Park.
These heroic acts were recognized during a ceremony in Ottawa on November 23 with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada. While being recognized with a Medal of Bravery could be considered a crowning achievement of a career or lifetime, it was the second time Sergeant Dale Kurdziel was awarded the Medal of Bravery.
In the early hours of July 20, 2015, a fire broke out in a PMQ on Mons Avenue of Edmonton Garrison. A neighbour, Master Warrant Officer John Dunbar (a Warrant Officer at 1 Service Battalion at the time), awoke to the smell of smoke and was first to arrive on the scene. After determining a young child was stranded on the roof of the burning home, MWO Dunbar rushed to his home to fetch a ladder and was able to retrieve one of the children from the roof.
While one child was able exit the home on their own, it became clear that there were still residents inside the burning building.
Next on the scene, Sgt Kurdziel rushed into the smoke-filled residence to locate and recover another child. Accompanied by Master Corporal Alexander Keightley (Corporal at the time) and MCpl Shawn Thorn, Sgt Kurdziel then entered the house once again to locate the unresponsive mother and moved her to safety.
Since the start of the Decorations for Bravery program in 1972, only 26 individuals have received more than one Bravery decoration (which includes the Cross of Valour, Star of Courage, and Medal of Bravery).
“While it’s an honour to be recognised for something like this, the main thing is that the family is safe,” says Sgt Kurdziel. “It’s what I think most people would try to do when faced with the similar situation of a neighbour in trouble.”
His first Medal of Bravery was awarded for actions while deployed with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment to Afghanistan as a member of the Task Force Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Squadron for Roto 3-09.
On February 19, 2010, Sgt Kurdziel (then Corporal) placed himself at great risk in order to defuse a large IED. With the IED located in a confined space, Sgt Kurdziel volunteered to dismantle it by hand. Equipped with a flashlight, he used his feet and elbows to propel himself inside. It took nearly two hours for Sgt Kurdziel to successfully remove all the IED components.
Now developing his second language skills as a French student at the Edmonton Garrison language school, Sgt Kurdziel also recently deployed to Ukraine on Operation UNIFIER to teach C-IED skills. MCpl Keightley is now posted to 12 All Source Intelligence Centre in Petawawa, while MWO Dunbar is the Sergeant-Major for the Canadian Forces Postal Unit Atlantic Detachment. MCpl Thorn is a medical technician with 1 Field Ambulance.
BZ to all!
In late November, four formerly Edmonton-based Canadian Armed Forces members were presented with Medals of Bravery for their actions in hazardous circumstances by rescuing a family from their burning home in Lancaster Park.
These heroic acts were recognized during a ceremony in Ottawa on November 23 with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada. While being recognized with a Medal of Bravery could be considered a crowning achievement of a career or lifetime, it was the second time Sergeant Dale Kurdziel was awarded the Medal of Bravery.
In the early hours of July 20, 2015, a fire broke out in a PMQ on Mons Avenue of Edmonton Garrison. A neighbour, Master Warrant Officer John Dunbar (a Warrant Officer at 1 Service Battalion at the time), awoke to the smell of smoke and was first to arrive on the scene. After determining a young child was stranded on the roof of the burning home, MWO Dunbar rushed to his home to fetch a ladder and was able to retrieve one of the children from the roof.
While one child was able exit the home on their own, it became clear that there were still residents inside the burning building.
Next on the scene, Sgt Kurdziel rushed into the smoke-filled residence to locate and recover another child. Accompanied by Master Corporal Alexander Keightley (Corporal at the time) and MCpl Shawn Thorn, Sgt Kurdziel then entered the house once again to locate the unresponsive mother and moved her to safety.
Since the start of the Decorations for Bravery program in 1972, only 26 individuals have received more than one Bravery decoration (which includes the Cross of Valour, Star of Courage, and Medal of Bravery).
“While it’s an honour to be recognised for something like this, the main thing is that the family is safe,” says Sgt Kurdziel. “It’s what I think most people would try to do when faced with the similar situation of a neighbour in trouble.”
His first Medal of Bravery was awarded for actions while deployed with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment to Afghanistan as a member of the Task Force Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Squadron for Roto 3-09.
On February 19, 2010, Sgt Kurdziel (then Corporal) placed himself at great risk in order to defuse a large IED. With the IED located in a confined space, Sgt Kurdziel volunteered to dismantle it by hand. Equipped with a flashlight, he used his feet and elbows to propel himself inside. It took nearly two hours for Sgt Kurdziel to successfully remove all the IED components.
Now developing his second language skills as a French student at the Edmonton Garrison language school, Sgt Kurdziel also recently deployed to Ukraine on Operation UNIFIER to teach C-IED skills. MCpl Keightley is now posted to 12 All Source Intelligence Centre in Petawawa, while MWO Dunbar is the Sergeant-Major for the Canadian Forces Postal Unit Atlantic Detachment. MCpl Thorn is a medical technician with 1 Field Ambulance.
BZ to all!
