Order of Military Merit Investiture Ceremony

Rideau Hall, Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Welcome to Rideau Hall.

This morning has brought us together to honour exceptional military careers.

Many years ago, you answered a call: to don the uniform and become a part of the extended Canadian Forces family.

It is a family that I am discovering a little more each day, one that fills me with pride and admiration as commander-in-chief.

The choice you made was not an easy one; it affected every aspect of your lives, including those who mean the most to you—your spouse, your children, your parents, your brothers and your sisters.

I can see that many of them are here with you today, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution to the success of the Forces and their missions. And to tell them that the insignia that we are presenting today belong to them as well.

Thank you, so very much. 

I know that when you were posted to one military base after another, it meant that the whole family had to pull up stakes and adapt to a new environment.

And I know that your missions abroad lasted for extended periods of time and that the repeated absences, to say nothing of the difficulties of reintegrating into family life upon your return, could pose tremendous challenges for you and your families.

There are some who would talk of sacrifices.

Believe me, I understand and respect the depth of your commitment and how important it is to you to make a difference.

I know that you put in an extraordinary effort to protect and promote the values that perhaps all too often we take for granted.

In the name of these values, some of you have put your very lives on the line, taking risks we cannot even begin to imagine, removed as we are from the troubled regions of the world.

I cannot help but think of your comrades who have fallen while serving in Afghanistan; of the families whom I have stood beside on the tarmac; and of the wounded whose lives will never be the same.

Whether providing help to populations devastated by natural disasters and humanitarian crises or helping to create a safe environment that encourages development, you made and you continue to make a vital contribution that goes to the very heart of our commitment to global peace, stability and security.

To say nothing of the incredible work you did and continue to do here, on our own shores.

In staving off every threat against us; in defending the sovereignty of our territory, airspace and waters; you protect what is most precious to our society, never hesitating to bring relief to your fellow citizens in times of need, including during rescue operations, floods and storms.

It is important to remind Canadians of the value of the service you perform for the common good throughout your career, and this ceremony gives us the opportunity to do so today.

You have shown us, and continue to show us, what you are made of, and it is your peers who were the first to recognize this. That is what makes this decoration all the more meaningful.

You have faced every challenge and overcame obstacles along the way with a level of commitment that far exceeds the framework of your duties.

On behalf of all Canadians, on behalf of the Canadian Forces, on behalf of everyone here who loves you and supports you, I want you to know how grateful we are and how proud we are of you.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.