Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: December 20, 1996
- Invested on: September 12, 1997
Rank: Sergeant
Co-recipient: Master Corporal Daniel Christien Lamoureux, M.S.M.
On September 27, 1993, Warrant Officer Ainslie, then Sergeant, and Master Corporal Lamoureux were dispatched with their Hercules aircraft to a remote area of northern Quebec where a critically wounded victim of a hunting accident awaited assistance. On the scene, Warrant Officer Ainslie, the Team Leader, quickly ascertained the gravity of the situation and decided to carry out an extremely hazardous night water parachute jump -- the first ever of its type to be conducted by Canadian Forces Search and Rescue Technicians. Warrant Officer Ainslie and Master Corporal Lamoureux parachuted into a nearby lake strewn with fallen trees and numerous other obstacles, swam to shore and proceeded to the victim. They provided successful emergency medical treatment for over six and one-half hours, until a Labrador helicopter arrived to transport the injured man to hospital. Despite the hazardous conditions, and at great personal risk, Warrant Officer Ainslie and Master Corporal Lamoureux demonstrated exceptional courage, sound judgement and outstanding dedication in order to affect this life-saving rescue mission.
