# 33 Service Battalion

33 Service Battalion is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve unit with three companies located in northern and eastern Ontario - at the M.L. Troy Armoury in North Bay, Pine Street Armoury in Sault Ste Marie, and the Major Holland Armoury in Ottawa. The battalion is under command of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, itself commanded by the 4th Canadian Division. The battalion is made up of officers and soldiers primarily from the Royal Canadian Logistics Service and the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers providing Combat Service Support to 33 Canadian Brigade Group and other military organizations in eastern and northern Ontario - by means of transportation, supply, administration, food services, and mechanical repair and recovery activities.
The battalion is composed of an integrated and cohesive team of active military members and part-time reservist members. Soldiers must maintain their soldiering and war-fighting skills to a high degree of proficiency, while concurrently developing expertise in their respective trades.
The battalion's primary focus is on conducting and training for operations; however, the unit also provides combat service support to the remaining units within 33 CBG. 33 Svc Bn has, from regularly generated, trained, and deployed members to the National Support Element (NSE), and other deployed formations for several Canadian international missions.
The unit motto is Devoir Avant Tout which translates to "Duty Above All". The current Commanding Officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Neil Marshall and the Regimental Sergeant-Major is Chief Warrant Officer Kris Carter.

## History

The first reserve service support unit was organized in Ottawa on 1 July 1903 when a 1st Class Stores Section of the Ordnance Corps was established in the Military Stores Building behind Cartier Square Drill Hall. The unit was composed of members of the Permanent Force and transfers from both the Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) and the 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall’s Own Rifles (perpetuated by The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh’s Own). The battalion's lineage from this point forward is complicated, with many changes in organizational structure and nomenclature occurring from pre-WWI and the eventual move from a horse-based military to the modern mechanized force of today. The complexity of military equipment and ever changing tactics and operations led to changes to the ideology of Combat Service Support including the formation of new corps such as the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) to maintain the complex equipment, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (providing Transportation Services) and the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (managing the control of all material required by the Canadian Army). The latter two Corps eventually combined under the Royal Canadian Logistics Service title.
In 1975 all service battalions were numbered geographically, Sault Ste Marie and North Bay becoming 26 Service Battalion and Ottawa becoming 28 Service Battalion. In 2009 the two units were amalgamated and in 2010 were renumbered as 33 Service Battalion in the re-organization of the Service Battalions nationally.
The Battalion has won many awards and trophies through the years, including the Commonwealth Shield three times. Battalion members have served on domestic and international missions including Operation (Op) RECUPERATION (January 1998 North American ice storm), Op LENTUS 17-03 (flood relief support in the Outaouais region of Quebec) and 19-03 (flood relief in the Ottawa valley area in Ontario), Op LASER 20-1 (Canadian Armed Forces response to the global COVID-19 pandemic) and combat missions in Bosnia, Croatia, and Afghanistan. Additionally the Battalion has a long history of participation on United Nations mission including UNEF II, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNIFIL, UNTAG, UNPROFOR, and UNMISS.
28 Service Battalion received the Freedom of the City of Ottawa in 1981. In 1987 on successive weekends (27 September and 3 October) 26 Service Battalion was awarded the Freedom of the City in Sault Ste Marie and North Bay respectively. Following amalgamation in 2010, 33 Service Battalion exercised its right to march the streets of Ottawa for the first time as a formed body consisting of members of the unit from all three geographic locations.

## The Unit Today

Although Canadian service battalions were a product of the Cold War and were expected to operate as complete units in support of Canadian Army brigades and brigade groups in the field, since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the non-linear battlefield has meant a shift towards the provision of service support to ongoing operations, e.g. in Afghanistan being provided by National Support Elements (NSE) concept, tailored to the task at hand and not necessarily formed of just one service battalion. Service battalions are now thus largely force-generation units, and provide essential support in garrison.
33 Service Battalion continues to force generate personnel and provide individual officers and trades personnel to meet mission specific needs. The current unit establishment recruits and trains the following jobs:
- Logistics Officers providing the various means of transportation, equipment and supplies for the movement of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and all types and sizes of cargo throughout the world;
- Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers who maintain and support all Army equipment, and the land-based equipment of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force;
- Mobile Support Equipment Operators who operate military vehicles ranging in size from standard automobiles to snow removal equipment and all-terrain vehicles;
- Materiel Management Technicians ensure that all of the supplies and services necessary for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations are available when and where they are required;
- Vehicle Technicians maintain, repair, and overhaul land vehicles and related equipment to keep them in top condition;
- Weapons Technicians maintain and repair weapons, weapons systems and ancillary equipment;
- Cooks prepare nutritious food items and meals for Canadian Armed Forces members in both kitchen and field environments;
- Financial Services Administrators provide financial assistance and budget resources support to all military activities; and
- Human Resources Administrators provide administrative and general human resources support to all military activities.

## Deployed operations (Combined 33 and 28/26 Svc Bn History)
### International

* Operation Unifier – Ukraine (2015–present)
* Operation Impact – Middle East (2014–present)
* Operation Reassurance – Poland/Latvia (2014–present)
* Operation Soprano – South Sudan (2011-present)
* Operation Kolbold - Kosovo (2008-Present)
* Operation Attention – Afghanistan (2011–2014)
* Operation Archer – Afghanistan (2005–2013)
* Operation Athena – Afghanistan (2005–2011)
* Operation Kinetic – Macedonia (1999–2000)
* Operation Palladium – Bosnia (1995–2004)
* Operation Marquis – Cambodia (1992–1993)
* Operation Danaca – Middle East (1974–2006)
* Operation Snowgoose – Cyprus (1964–1993)

### Domestic

* Operation LASER - Domestic response to the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2022)
* Operation Lentus 19-03 – New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario floods April-June 2019)
* Operation Lentus 17-03 – Quebec and Newfoundland floods (May 2017)
* Operation Podium – Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C. (winter 2010)
* Operation Recuperation – ice storm relief in eastern Canada ( January–February 1998)
* Operation Assistance – Manitoba flood response ( April–May 1997)
* Operation Gamescan – Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec (1976)

## Leadership

Commanding officers:
* 2010–2012: Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Playfair, CD
* 2012–2015: Lieutenant Colonel Sheila K. Chapman, CD
* 2015–2019: Lieutenant Colonel David A. Paterson, CD
* 2020–2023: Lieutenant Colonel Richard D. Gallant, CD
* 2023–Present: Lieutenant Colonel Neil B. Marshall, CD
Regimental Sergeants Major:
* 2010–2013: Chief Warrant Officer Robert Winfield, CD
* 2013–2017: Chief Warrant Officer Denis Lessard, CD
* 2017–2020: Chief Warrant Officer Marc Richard, CD
* 2020–2023: Chief Warrant Officer Kriston D. Carter, CD
* 2023–2024: Chief Warrant Officer Steven Slominski, CD
* 2024–Present: Chief Warrant Officer Kriston D. Carter, CD

## Athletics

Since the inception of 33 Service Battalion in 2010 there has been a large emphasis placed on sport and fitness. The battalion hockey team competes annually in the Sgt. Rick Foldek Memorial tournament hosted by hosted the Brockville Rifles - winning the 'B' pool in 2011, 'C' pool in 2014 and 2015, and finishing runner-up overall in 2016. The battalion Iron Warrior team have been the winners of the 33 CBG unit award a record five times with four consecutive wins from 2016 to 2019 and again in 2023. In 2018 the battalion was awarded a team to participate in the 102nd Annual International Four Days Marches Nijmegen, a first for a reserve service battalion. Additionally, there have been individual accolades from unit members including Sgt. Erin Carter winning the women's category of the 2018 2 CMBG Iron Warrior (Day 1 edition), and Lt. Steven Jackson finished second place in the 6633 Arctic Ultra race in February 2020.

## Honours and awards

* Commonwealth Shield won 3 times, the latest in 1982
* Freedom of the City of Ottawa: 1981 (as 28 Service Battalion)
* Freedom of the City of North Bay: 3 October 1987 (as 26 Service Battalion)
* Freedom of the City of Sault Ste Marie: 27 September 1987 (as 26 Service Battalion)
* 33 CBG Iron Warrior Champions 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

## Unit Insignia

The 33 Service Battalion Unit flag is steeped with the traditions of the founding corps. The flag is a tri-color with the top and bottom equaling 2/5ths of the height each and the centre equaling 1/5th of the height. The official colours of the unit flag are Oriental blue (top) and marine corps scarlet (bottom) with an intervening gold stripe. Then it has a large white numerals representing the number of the service battalion emblazoned on both sides in the flag's centre. These regal colours have a long history of association with army services. The Oriental blue colour of the flag is reminiscent of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC) flag while the gold colour can be found on the former banners of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC), the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers Corps (RCEME), and the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps (RCAPC). The scarlet colour refers to the scarlet accoutrements on the RCOC and RCEME dress uniforms earned through its close association with the Royal Canadian Artillery in the early 1900s. This flag was designed by Chief Warrant Officer Phil Raven during his time as Regimental Sergeant Major of 2 Service Battalion in the 1970s.

## Cadet corps

Active:
* 2310 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps – Sault Ste Marie
* 2332 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps – Ottawa