Major Sean Hackett was born near Toronto, Ontario in 1965 and is a graduate of Lakefield College School. He entered the Canadian Armed Forces in 1986 under the Regular Officer Training Program, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in May 1991 after graduating from Royal Roads Military College.

Early in his career Major Hackett enjoyed over seven years of uninterrupted Regimental service with both the Third Battalion (first in Victoria, BC and later in Edmonton, AB) and with 2 Commando of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. He has served as a Rifle Platoon Commander (1991-93), Bn Intelligence Officer, Airborne Platoon Commander (1994-95), Independent Parachute Company 2IC (1995-96), and Mortar Platoon (Parachute) Commander (1996-1998). During this period he commanded both a rifle platoon with the 3 PPCLI BG in Croatia for six months in 1992-93 (UNPROFOR ROTO 1), and elements of the PPCLI Queen’s Guard in London, UK (May 1998).

In the summer of 1999 Major Hackett was posted to HQ 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) as the G3 Operations, with primary staff officer responsibilities for both domestic and international operations. Promoted to the rank of Major in 2000, he returned to 3 PPCLI in August 2001 and was appointed to his current position, OC A Company (Para). In February 2002, the 3PPCLI BG deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan for six months to join 3 BCT of the 101st (US) AB Division Air Assault (The Rakassans). Major Hackett led the company as part of the Battalion’s historic first combat air assault mission for the Canadian Army.

Major Hackett is a graduate of the Advanced Mortar Course, the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff Course (1999), and the Combat Team Commander Course (2000). He holds a BA in Military and Strategic Studies (History and International Politics) from RRMC (1991).

An avid mountaineer, kayaker, and scuba diver, he enjoys marathon training with his wife, Iana.

Professor Reg Whitaker is the Distinguished Research Professor (Emeritus) at York University, Toronto and in 2001 became Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Victoria. He specializes in national security issues and intelligence services. Some of his forthcoming works include Canadian Secret Service: The Security Service from the 19th to the 21st centuries and Canada’s Cold War. He has written on ‘The new national security agenda in Ottawa’ and testified last May before the Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Last September, at a conference of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies in Ottawa, he spoke on ‘Designing a Balance between Freedom’ and Security. He lives in Victoria.

Colonel Henneberry is Commander, Maritime Air Component Pacific and Assistant Chief of Staff Air at the Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters, Esquimalt. He recently participated as the Air Component Comd for EX MARCOT 2001 and the Multi-National Force MPA Comd at EX RIMPAC 2002. A native of Toronto, he graduated in mechanical technology from Algonquin College in 1975 and joined the CF in 1976. He earned his wings in 1977 and has flown trackers and the CP-140 Aurora. He attended CF Command and Staff College, Toronto. Staff tours included NDHQ, Air Force HQ and 1 Cdn Air Div in Winnipeg. He commanded 415 Maritime Patrol Sqn, Greenwood, NS.