Defence Team News with LCol Forsyth, Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, on the presentation of their fifth Guidon
Video / December 14, 2022
Transcript
Genevieve Germano: The Royal Canadian Dragoons have been presented with their fifth Guidon by Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon. We're in Petawawa at the parade commemorating this honour, and joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolas B. Forsyth, Commanding Officer of The Royal Canadian Dragoons, to tell us more.
Genevieve Germano: So thanks for joining us today, Sir.
LCol Forsyth: Thank you very much for being here.
Genevieve Germano: So this is the Royal Canadian Dragoons' fifth Guidon, the last one having been presented in 1998. Can you tell us about why we're here today, and the significance of the presentation of the Guidon?
LCol Forsyth: Absolutely, and it is very fitting. The last Guidon was presented when former CDS General Natynczyk was the Commanding Officer of the regiment here. And he's actually going to be returning as our Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, so it's very nice to have him here. In terms of the Guidon presentation: So over time, Guidons have been presented at different intervals in time. And a lot of the time, it's to recognize new battle honours. So, in this case, the fifth Guidon is going to be given the Afghanistan Battle Honour, which I think is fitting given we're a few years after we ended our involvement in that theatre of war. And now, it's actually relatable to a lot of the generational Dragoons that we see here.
Genevieve Germano: And what does it mean to the Royal Canadian Dragoons to be receiving this today?
LCol Forsyth: Oh, this is a generational event. I mean, there is a generation that wasn't even born when the last one happened, but it's just one of those things that, you know, it's a symbol of devotion and duty, and to see one presented by someone like the Governor General is a huge honour.
Genevieve Germano: So, I know there's a lot of history when it comes to Guidons, dating back to 1912. What are some of the traditions or protocols that are still in place today?
LCol Forsyth: Absolutely. We still carry on a lot of the protocols that you would have seen in the past dates. In terms of who can handle the Guidon: So, we have the Guidon Bearer, as you'll see on parade. We have serving and former Commanding Officers, as well as former honourary Colonels. We have the current RSM and then the Guidon Orderly. To add to this, we also pay our respects to the Guidon whenever it is not on parade. So, it is placed in a case in front of our building, and any time that you pass the Guidon, you salute it, and check your arms because it is that symbol of devotion to duty that we always need to recognize in our daily lives.
Genevieve: And is there anything else you'd like to add?
LCol Forsyth: Once again, we are honoured to have the Governor General here to present this Guidon to us. And for many of those, who were Afghan veterans like myself, this is a tangible symbol of the service that we made over there. And for those that participated in the conflict, and especially for our brothers and sisters who didn'tmake it home, we can all look at this and say that we represented our Regiment proudly, and that, in the service of our country.
Genevieve: I'd like you for speaking with us today, Sir.
LCol Forsyth: Thank you very much for being here.