HALIFAX, N.S. - The second of two navy ships sent to Haiti to help with relief efforts is returning home.
HMCS Athabaskan is scheduled to arrive in Halifax on Wednesday morning after an eight-week deployment to the earthquake-ravaged country.
The destroyer Athabaskan, with a crew of 240, provided relief to the residents of Leogane in Haiti.
There are many many photos of this tour of Duty
log onto :http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/athabaskan/7/7-s_eng.asp?page=5keyword=
I am sure that the people of Haiti and specifically Leogane will have great memories of the Canadians. Canada's troops provided much more than just aid they provided hopes and dreams for the youth of Haiti.
Out bound work parties arrive by US Navy landing Craft.
Some arrive by Zodiac
The Athabaskans Helo saw lots of duties as well call sign Big Dawg
LS Grandy plays with two girls on the beach, playing the same kind of games young girls in Canada would. It is difficult to imagine, when looking at these children, what kind of country these women will live in, in a few years time'
Curiosity
Who can forget the delivery of a new baby with the assistance of A Canadian Sailor Yes he is a Steward by paid trade. But as on all ships Sailors are all double trained for emergency stations:
Ordinary Seaman Jean-Franois Cloutier, who is based with Canada's navy in Halifax, usually works as a steward in the officers mess aboard the Canadian Forces vessel HMCS Athabaskan, which was deployed to bring assistance to the Haitian coastal town of Leogane after the earthquake.
On Jan 12th, however, instead of delivering meals to the ship's officers, he found himself helping to deliver a baby boy.
Cloutier, who is trained as a medical technician, had gone ashore to help doctors look after Haitians who had suffered broken bones in the quake when he was asked to translate from French to English for a woman in a nearby medical tent.
When we arrived there, there was a pregnant woman, and she was ready to give birth to a baby. I just happened to be there at the right time, Cloutier said Monday. It's the unexpected That was really, really intense.
The next day, Cloutier, who joined the Canadian navy a year ago, was back in the galley cooking and serving meals. Well done Cooks and Stewards the backbone of Morale at sea. Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/01/25/ns-sailor-baby-birth.html#ixzz0iQm32XLA
So as our sailors head home to their loved ones. I am sure that their tour od duty in the earthquake ravaged country of Haiti will forever be in their memories. Bravo Zulu to another fine group of Canucks.
Remember Everyone Deployed
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
AB Murphy and LS Chapman, members of ATHABASKAN's force protection team, take a moment to play with the local curios children
