Episode 023 Sgt Tristan Bankasingh

03/23/14 • -1 min

Podcasts – Canadian Military History Podcast

Tristan O’Neil Bankasingh, the son of Jamaican parents, was born in Etobicoke, Ontario. Deciding to take a career path different than other members of his family, he enrolled in the Canadian Forces after completing high school and was sworn-in as an artilleryman on October 21, 2004 at Moss Park Armoury. He completed his basic training in the spring of 2005 and finished within the top three of his class. After completion of his DP1 Artillery course in the summer 2005, Tristan was posted within 9 Battery of 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA. While serving in 9 Bty as a gunner, Tristan took his Artillery 81mm Mortarman Course in the spring 2006 and graduated as the top student.

Tristan was promoted to Bombardier in November 2006 and he took his PLQ course during the summer of 2007, completing Mods 1-5 before civilian opportunities prevented him from taking the final portion, Mod 6. Nevertheless, Tristan started a long and rewarding career as an instructor within the Canadian Forces. Between fall 2007 and summer 2009, Tristan completed the PLQ, and the Gun Detachment 2i/c courses and served in 15 Bty as a Gun Detachment 2i/c. He was part of the leadership team that assisted in re-rolling 15 Bty as the mortar battery for the first time within 7^th Toronto Regiment. On November 2008, he was promoted to Master Bombardier and he was posted back in 9 Bty during the fall of 2009 as the Battery Sigs Sgt along with assisting in the running and managing of the BQ for the battery.

Opportunities to obtain a BA degree within one year drew Tristan to Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia during the fall of 2010. He transferred to 5(B.C.) Field Regiment, RCA and was assigned a dual-role as a Gun Detachment Commander and Artillery Reconnaissance Sergeant for 55 Battery. He also assisted in introducing the 81mm Mortar to the unit’s members by instructing on the unit’s first 81mm Artillery Mortarman Course. Displaying leadership and integrity, Tristan was promoted to Sergeant on October 2011.

Civilian job opportunities brought Tristan back to Toronto during January 2012 and he transferred back to 7^th Toronto Regiment. He was posted in 130 Battery and was appointed Troop Sergeant Major of its Training Troop. This made him responsible for all new members joining the regiment. After a successful year as the TSM of Training Troop, Tristan was moved to 9 Battery and was appointed as the TSM of B Troop in the fall of 2012. He completed his Command Post Technician course during the summer of 2013 was received the Top Candidate award for his excellent performance. He now currently serves in the position of the TSM of A Troop and primarily performs the duties of a Gun Line TSM.

In 2008 at the request of his regiment, Tristan began his involvement with the 105 (Streetsville) RCACC. For his consistent dedication to the cadet corps, Tristan was awarded a unit commendation on December 2013.

Tristan has an Advanced College Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Administration and a BA Degree in International Hotel Management from Royal Roads University. Tristan currently resides in Whitby, Ontario and after a career with the hospitality industry now works with Cutting Edge Inc. as a Financial Referral Agent; assisting personnel of African or Caribbean descent with various solutions of their financial issues.

Follow me on Twitter @MikeLacroix32 and k...

Follow me on Twitter @MikeLacroix32 and k...

Previous Episode

Episode 022 WO Lise Bourgon

WO Lise Bourgon is an Administrative Clerk by trade and currently holds the rank of Warrant Officer. Her current appointment is the Unit Sergeant-Major of the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre (CFRC) in New Westminster, British Columbia.

She joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1988, joining the Royal Canadian Air Force. Being an Admin Clerk does not automatically mean that a person will be assigned to their element. WO Bourgon has worked mainly with Army Units and pan-CF units like the Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics (CFSAL) and the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre.

Her first posting was to CFB Borden in Ontario where she completed on-the-job-training in the Base Orderly Room (BOR) awaiting her Qualification Level (QL) 3 Training. Her QL3 was completed in December 1988 and she was posted to the BOR in Borden, ON. While at the BOR, she worked in the Records Section, Receive & Dispatch Section and the Release Section. She completed her QL 4 OJT and QL 5 course in 1991 and was promoted to the rank of Cpl in August 1991.

She was posted to CFRC Hamilton, ON in July 1993 where she worked first as a File Manager and later after her appointment to MCpl as the Finance Clerk. In September 1993, she completed the Recruiting Clerk’s Course required to work as a File Manager in a CFRC. On 1 January 1998, she became a Resource Management Support (RMS) Clerk with the amalgamation of the Administrative, Finance and CEP trades. In July 1998, she was posted to her first Reserve Support Staff (RSS) position with 705 Communications Squadron (31 Signals Regiment today) in Hamilton. She worked in the OR until her posting to CFRC Toronto, ON in July 1999. While in Hamilton, she had the opportunity to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Honours Modern Languages and Linguistics.

At CFRC Toronto, she was the Senior File Manager. She took the Recruiter’s course in September 1999 and went on to teach the File Manager’s Francophone course in 2000 and as Senior Instructor of the Anglophone course in 2001. She was also part of the working group to formalize the course and OJT package for the File Managers at CFRCs. In April 2000, she received the Canadian Forces’ Decoration.

She was promoted to Sergeant in June 2002 and posted to her second RSS position as the Chief Clerk (CC) of the Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s Own), Toronto, ON. During this posting, she had the opportunity to teach at CFSAL on the QL 3, 5 and 6 courses during summer tasking and go in the field for the first and only time as CC of 32 Light Infantry Battalion in August 2005. In December 2006, she was presented the Queen Mother’s Silver Dish in recognition for her work as CC for the Toronto Scottish.

She was promoted to her present rank in June 2008 and posted to HMCS Discovery in Vancouver, BC. This was her third RSS posting and her...

Next Episode

Episode 024 CWO Mike Lacroix Part I

Chief Warrant Officer Michael Lacroix enlisted in 1988 as a Private in The Toronto Scottish Regiment. He completed his Basic Infantry Reconnaissance, Machine-Gunner and Section Commander’s courses early in his career as an Infantry Soldier. He worked his way up to Sergeant by instructing on countless basic courses and, in 1994, became a full-time Army recruiter. During his first year as a Sergeant he completed his Senior Leaders Course and his Infantry Platoon Second-in-Command Course.

In 1998 CWO Lacroix was promoted to Warrant Officer and became the Company Sergeant Major of A Company, The Toronto Scottish Regiment. Four years later he was a Master Warrant Officer and served as one of twelve Canadian soldiers in the funeral service and procession of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. During this task he met and worked with Senior NCOs from across the Commonwealth. He was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer and appointed Regimental Sergeant Major in 2006, completing his term in May of 2010.

The biggest event of his term as Regimental Sergeant-Major was the planning and execution of the Toronto Scottish Regiment’s move out of Fort York Armoury to the new Captain Hutcheson VC Armoury in southern Etobicoke. It was also during his term that new Colours were presented to the Royal Regiment of Canada and the Toronto Scottish Regiment by HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. After completing his duties in the Toronto Scottish Regiment, CWO Lacroix transferred to 32 CBG HQ and worked on infrastructure and demographics projects.

From January to October, 2011, he was deployed as the Task Force Sergeant-Major of the International Military Advisory & Training Team in Sierra Leone (Operation Sculpture). In Africa he worked as the advisor and mentor to the Forces Sergeant-Major of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, planning and conducting a series of courses in drill instruction, tactics, machine-gun instruction and leadership. Along with the members of the Canadian Contingent to IMATT, CWO Lacroix aided in the rebuilding of a war-ravaged scout camp and agricultural school.

Since the beginning of 2000, CWO Lacroix has been a Constable with York Regional Police. He was deeply involved in the Joint Forces Anti-Street Racing Initiative, known as Project ERASE, and has worked in Uniform Patrol, District Criminal Investigations and the Traffic Bureau. He has achieved accreditation as a Commercial Vehicle Inspector and as a Drug Recognition Evaluator. He is currently employed as a Use of Force Trainer with the Training and Education Bureau of York Regional Police. Chief Warrant Officer Lacroix is married to Gillian, has two sons, Kieran and Aidan, and lives in Barrie, Ontario.

http://podcast.canadianmilitaryhistorypodcast.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CMHP-Episode-024-CWO-Mike-Lacroix-Part-I.mp3

Cpl Mike Lacroix on the C-9 covering the movement of the Company from the Landing Zone of the Chinook (that’s why there are soldiers with no hats on!) in Meaford. Recognizable A Company members include Pte Brad Stapleton, Cpl Steve Bertrand, Sgt Drew Gilmour and Sgt Victor Ceni.

The Raid in Meaford is over, so let’s buzz the CN Tower with the Ramp down on the way back to Fort York Armoury.

May 4, 1996 – It’s great to be a Sergeant in the Toronto Scottish Regiment!