10 May, 2002
For more information about these and other potential speakers contact: Major K.D. Munro (CF Retired), Communications Director, Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver Island (Victoria), (250) 382-3491 or by e-mail to usiviccda@yahoo.ca
Lieutenant Colonel Cecil Berezowski, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 652-4982
Topics: Defence Policy, Peacekeeping, State of the Canadian Forces
Joined the Canadian Army Reserves Artillery in 1945 and was commissioned in 1951. Served subsequently in a variety of operational and staff appointments, including UN peacekeeping in Cyprus, the faculty of Army Command & Staff College as well as Canadian Liaison Officer duties at US Army Material Command.
He joined RUSI VI in 1985 and has served on the Board of Directors on more than one occasion, most recently as the Editor of the quarterly newsletter. He is currently Chairman of the FMUSIC Defence Committee, and many of his articles have been published in the press and in military journals.
Colonel Peter Green, CD, MB BS (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 658-2270
Topics: Military Medicine
Commissioned in 1965, he was a physician in the British Army before joining the Canadian Forces in 1978. He has extensive experience in military medicine having served widely in Europe, including the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and also in East Africa. He was the Operations Officer for the Surgeon General of the Canadian Forces during the early '90s, the period when the character of peacekeeping changed to peacemaking. Now retired and living in Victoria, he is currently President of the Defence Medical Association of Canada and serving on the RUSI VI Board of Directors.
Commodore Ted Heath, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 477-7646
Topics: Naval Affairs, NATO Policy & Intelligence, International Negotiations
Joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1963 and served in a variety of operational and staff appointments, including NATO Headquarters, until his retirement in 1998.
He joined RUSI VI in 1999 and immediately accepted a position on the Board of Directors as Vice President. He will complete post graduate studies at Royal Roads University in October 2002; and, during the summer of 2002, he will assume the position of President of the Defence Associations National Network (Pacific Region).
Major General Pat Mitchell, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 658-1627
Topics: Defence Policy, Combat Readiness, Armoured Vehicles
Joined the Canadian Army in 1951 and served for 35 years as a member of the Armoured Corps. That service included command and staff appointments at every level to the rank of Major General in the position of Chief of Land Doctrine and Operations at National Defence HQ and subsequently in NATO HQ as Chairman of Military Standardization.
He retired to Calgary in 1985 as a defence marketing consultant and President of Hussar Consulting Ltd. More recently, in Victoria, he has been the President of RUSI VI and Past President. After four years in those tasks, he remains on the Board of Directors.
Brigadier General John Neroutsos, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 655-0225
Topics: Military & Civil Aviation Policy, Reserve Force Organization & Programs
Joined the Canadian Air Force Reserves in 1950 as a Pilot and served in a variety of Air Reserve operational and staff appointments over the following 33 years including the most senior position available: Commander of the Air Force Reserves. For most of those same years he flew for and was an executive of Air Canada.
He retired to Victoria in 1998, joined RUSI VI and accepted the task of Publisher of that organization's Quarterly Newsletter.
Lieutenant Colonel Reg Roy, CD, PhD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 477-1563 or by e-mail to: TBA
Topics: Miltary History, Canadian War Museums
Joined the Canadian Army Cape Breton Highlanders in 1939 and served in Mediterranean and North West Europe formations as a Company Commander until the end of World War II. He then returned to UBC where he gained his MA in History in 1951 and then rejoined the Canadian Army Historical Section in DND, Ottawa, where he helped to write the official history of the Canadian Army in WWII.
Since 1954, while working as an archivist and lecturer, he completed his PhD studies at the University of Washington in 1965. Subsequently he has been Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at UVic, Acting Dean of Graduate Studies and is Professor Emeritus. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs as well as the Canadian Historical Association. He has also authored twelve books and dozens of articles on military and defence topics.
Major General Bob Stewart, CMM, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 721-0880
Topics: US - Canada Military Cooperation, Army Combat Operations and Peacekeeping
Joined the Regina Rifles Regiment in 1954 and the Regular Army - Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in 1956. Graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1960, after which he rejoined the Patricia’s. He attended the Canadian Army Staff College and then served in Germany with Headquarters 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and as a company commander with 2 PPCLI. On return to Canada he served with the Canadian Airborne Regiment in Edmonton as the Regimental Major and as Commanding Officer of 2 Airborne Commando.
He subsequently commanded 2nd battalion PPCLI in Winnipeg and Cyprus and the Canadian Infantry School in Gagetown. He was the Deputy Commander of 1 Canadian Brigade Group in Calgary after which he attended the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. He commanded the Special Service Force in Petawawa and then was Commandant of the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston, Ont. He was the Military Attaché to the United States from 1987 – 89 and in 1989 was promoted to the rank of Major General and assumed command for Land Force Central Area in Toronto. He retired in 1992
He joined RUSI VI in 1995 and has been an active member of the Board of Directors as Treasurer and, as of March 2002, now serves as President and Treasurer.
Brigadier General Lloyd Skaalen, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 388-7512
Topics: Airforce Policy and Equipment, Air Transport Operations, Defence Advocacy
Joined the RCAF as a Flight Cadet in December 1948 and subsequent training as a fighter pilot. He then served with 421 Fighter Squadron on Vampire aircraft in Chatham, NB, and in southern England until return to Canada for conversion onto F86 Sabre aircraft and subsequent postings to France with 421 Sqn and the Overseas Ferry Unit. After many interesting flying and staff appointments, including exchange assignments with the USAF and in NORAD, the latter in the rank of Brigadier General as Deputy Commander of the 21st Region in Syracuse, NY; he concluded his career with assignments as Commander of the Air Transport Group in Trenton, ON, and then as Director General Current Policy in NDHQ, Ottawa.
On retirement in 1983, he joined Pratt & Whitney Canada as their representative in Ottawa until 1993, and remained active in defence advocacy as President of the Air Force Officers Advisory Group and subsequently as Vice President of the Canadian Defence Preparedness Association. He took full retirement to the west coast in 1994, reaching Victoria in 1998. Now a member of the Air Force Officers Association of Victoria, the Defence Associations National Network (Pacific) and RUSI VI where he served as Membership Director and Communications Director until March 2003.
Commander Migs Turner (CF and Canadian Coast Guard Retired)
Victoria (250) 592-1198
Topics: Naval Operations and Policy, Coast Guard Operations and Policy
Cdr Turner spent 3 years in the Cdn Army (Reserve), 30 years in the RCN, 14 years in the CCG/Dept. of Transport & then 4 years as a consultant in Marine (ship & tanker) Safety. In the RCN he specialized in Communications & Electronics, commanded ships & represented Canada at numerous UN & NATO conferences. CCG jobs included management of the CCG fleet in the Pacific & Western Arctic. He is currently a member of the Victoria Local Marine Advisory Council, RUSI-VI and of DANN (Pacific).
Colonel Bill Weston, CD (CF Retired)
Saltspring Island (250) 537-1646
Topics: Aviation Industry and Aerospace Defence Policy, International Affairs
Bill has forty years experience in aviation and aerospace, which included 31 years in the RCAF and Canadian Forces and seven years in the aerospace industry. Air Force experience included operational tours in France, Germany, United States as well as Canada. Last operational tour was as Deputy Commander 25th NORAD Region, McChord Air Force Base Tacoma Washington. Senior appointments included National Defence Headquarters positions directly associated with the Minister of National Defence, Deputy Minister, Chief of Defence Staff, strategic planning, aerospace policy analysis, and public policy.
Currently, Bill is working as a consultant in Aerospace, Defence and Strategic Planning. He has been a member of RUSI VI since "retirement" to BC in September 2000, and he now serves on the Board of Directors of that Institute while continuing his association with many other defence, strategic and national organizations, including the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires.
Captain (MN) Hill Wilson (Master Mariner, Marine Pilot - BC, Retired)
Victoria (250) 592-1848
Topics: Maritime History, Coast and Port Security
Hill started as a volunteer Home Guardsman in the UK 1941 at the age of 13, and three years later was enrolled in the Canadian Merchant Navy as a Cadet Officer aboard s/s Algonquin Park for service with the Park Steamship Company, and subsequently the Western Steamship Company. He was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the RCNVR in 1950. After a move to the Canadian Pacific Company (Ocean Service) in 1953-54, he gained his Master's Certificate and commenced coastal work with Straits Towing Ltd. (BC). By 1991 he had become the Senior Pilot of the British Columbia Coast Pilots.
After appointments as National President of the Canadian Merchant Service Guild (1965), Director then President of the British Columbia Coast Pilots Ltd., Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Maritime Museum of British Columbia and, more recently, Executive Vice President of the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Association, it will be evident that Hill Wilson is a very respected and experienced sailor. He has also been a member of RUSI VI since 1999.
Captain (N) Pierre Yans, CD (CF Retired)
Victoria (250) 592-5997
Topics: Naval Operations and Policy, Cadet Affairs
Joined the Belgian Navy before transferring to the RCN.
Retired to Victoria from the Canadian Forces as a naval Captain in 1995. Having previously being a member of Royal Canadian Military Institute, Toronto, and also a member of l'Institut Militaire du Québec, he joined RUSI VI in 1995 and served as President for two years, 1996-97. While still being a member of the RUSI VI Board, he also serves as National Vice-President of the Navy League of Canada.
