Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: June 30, 2010
- Invested on: November 02, 2010
Rank: Captain
Co-recipients: Corporal Joseph Rudolf Éric Beauclair, M.S.M., C.D.
Corporal Emelie Pilon, M.S.M.
In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Captain Desjardins, Corporal Beauclair
and Corporal Pilon were sent as part of the inaugural deployment of the Canadian Forces
Urban Search and Rescue team, from January to March 2010. Tasked with locating, extracting
and recovering Canadian and foreign human remains, these three individuals helped to ease
the suffering of many families through their unrelenting and compassionate eff orts, and were
an inspiration to their team and international partners. Despite the mental and physical
demands of this horrific and complex operation, they maintained an unwavering dedication
that brought great credit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada.
