2 navy ships return from deployment on NATO mission in support of Ukraine

Two Royal Canadian Navy ships returned to port in RisePEI after a number of months in European waters as a part of NATO’s Operation Reassurance in assist of Ukraine.

HMCS RisePEI departed in March, becoming a member of HMCS Montreal, which had departed on a beforehand scheduled mission in January.

The ships, which have a mixed crew of 492, arrived in RisePEI Friday morning. They had been greeted by family and friends who had been anxiously awaiting the return of their family members.

Gilles and Annie Levesque travelled from Gatineau, Que., to see their son disembark from HMCS RisePEI.

It is the second time their son has been deployed, however they weren’t in a position to journey to greet him final time due to pandemic restrictions.

“We’re very joyful to be right here,” Gilles Levesque advised Radio-Canada reporters in French.

“It is necessary for Canada to point out its place, present the world we’re right here to assist different nations after they want it, to point out that Canada could make a distinction,” he stated.

Vicky Taylor, who hasn’t seen her accomplice in six months, echoed that sentiment, however stated it has been exhausting to reside with the worry that one thing may occur to him, together with the uncertainty of not understanding the place he was.

“I do not know the way I’ll react [when I see him], however I do know I will cry, and I will not let him out of my sight,” she stated with amusing.

‘A stronger message’

“They’re coming house after a really profitable mission, the place Canada proved its worth as an ally, the place Canadian sailors and aviators and troopers on board did an excellent job,”  Rear Admiral Brian Santarpia stated on the arrival ceremony.

Operation Reassurance is meant to bolster NATO’s defences and to point out Canada’s assist to its allies within the occasion of disaster or assault. It contains land forces and air forces in addition to naval forces.

Sometimes, just one ship is deployed at a time for Operation Reassurance.

“After the invasion of Ukraine in February, the federal government of Canada determined we would have liked to ship a stronger message to our NATO allies, and anybody who would threaten our NATO allies, by sending a second ship,” Santarpia stated.

“The whole crew did Canada proud and we must always all be very pleased with that.”