Meritorious Service Cross
- Awarded on: January 14, 1993
- Invested on: March 04, 1994
Rank: Master Warrant Officer
On 1 November 1991, Warrant Officer J.A.E. Macauley demonstrated outstanding professional skills, determination and courage in the face of considerable risk. Following the crash of a Hercules aircraft near Canadian Forces Station Alert in the Northwest Territories, he led sixteen Search and Rescue Technicians into a successful parachuting mission in dangerous blizzard conditions. Darkness and severe weather obscured the ground and forced the rescuers to parachute into unknown surface conditions, using an untried night procedure. They were able to locate the survivors, carry out triage and provide emergency medical treatment, thus saving many lives.
