A statue of Mercury, the ancient messenger of the gods, was unveiled at Cormack Armoury at the 50th anniversary celebration held last Saturday for the 41 Signal Regiment 2 Squadron based in Red Deer.
The reserve communication unit started out as the 745 Communication Troop in 1974, grew to become the 749 Communication Squadron, and has been 41 Signal Regiment 2 Squadron since 2011.
Despite its modest size, the squadron is said to have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness. Reservists with the squadron have been deployed on 50 individual overseas deployments over its history.
“We’ve been involved in pretty much every overseas deployment that the Canadian Forces has had over the last 50 years. We also do domestic operations, like fighting forest fires, helping with floods and other kinds of natural disasters the military is asked to assist,” said Maj. Richard Babich, Officer Commanding, 41 Signal Regiment 2 Squadron.
To celebrate the milestone, the 41 Signal Regiment acquired a statue of Mercury, the symbol of the Communications and Electronics Branch, and installed it on the grounds of Cormack Armoury, the base for the reserve’s 78th Field Battery and 2 Squadron of the 41 Signal Regiment.
The project was funded by donations from alumni of the squadron and signal community.
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Army reservists have full-time civilian careers and train on evenings and weekends to maintain their readiness. Communications is strategic for command and control in the military. Signal regiments consist of soldiers who specialize in operating radios, computers and other communication equipment to augment the regular Canadian Forces.
Members of the local squadron work and live in Red Deer, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, and Blackfalds.
An open house and barbecue with games for kids was also held on Saturday to mark the squadron’s anniversary, hosted by Calgary Military Family Resource Centre.
About 250 people attended the open house and 60 attended the statue unveiling.
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Babich said Saturday was an opportunity for the community to check out military equipment displays and learn about the squadron, which has about 20 members, and is looking for more reservists.
Reservists are paid for their work and students can receive $2,000 a year in tuition reimbursement to a maximum of $8,000.
He said it’s an excellent part-time job for students and those already in the workforce looking for part-time work.
“As the Canadian Forces Reserve, we represent the citizens of the country.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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