Episode 031 – Pte Joshua Rigg

09/07/14 • -1 min

Podcasts – Canadian Military History Podcast

Pte Joshua Rigg was born in Walkerton, Ontario. He is currently 19 years old and he is a single child. Though, he considers his closest female cousin as his sister since they grew up very closely together. His immediate family consists of himself, his mother, aunt, sister, grandmother and grandpa. Most of his family lives in Brampton; however he has had to move to Toronto in order to go into grade nine at Jarvis Collegiate Institute.

When he was 12 years old his mother signed him up in the Army Cadet program because she thought he could use more discipline. Throughout his cadet career, he transferred from two different cadet units before his found his home at the 48^th Highlanders of Canada. There he achieved the Cadet rank of Master Warrant Officer and held the position of Drill Sergeant Major and the highest award in the Canadian Cadet program: the Lord Strathcona Medal. Before aging out of the Cadet program, he received the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence and a scholarship from law firm for college.

In September of 2014, he’ll be starting his second year of the Police Foundations Program at Humber College. In April 2015, he’ll be graduating with his diploma and has the intention to transfer his credits to Ryerson University for Criminology. The lawyer who presented him the scholarship saw his interests in becoming a police officer with the Toronto Police Service and a soldier with the Canadian Army. He has helped Pte Rigg enlist as a Private in the 48^th Highlanders of Canada. Today, he is one of his mentors and is a Major with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

Pte Rigg was sworn into the Canadian Army in October 2013 and started his Basic Military Qualification course a week later. The course was 13 weekends long and was very memorable. He learned a lot of new things, gained new skills and made new friends. He also earned the distinction of being named the course top candidate. That is his biggest accomplishment to date, but after completing his infantry trade courses by the end of the summer of 2014, he expects that that would likely be his biggest accomplishment.

Before entering the Canadian Army he took a year off after graduating high school in the summer of 2012. Before entering college, he worked security at different sites around downtown Toronto. He has worked at Scotiabank Plaza, Bell Media/CP24 Building and a mall across Dundas Square. Pte Rigg has also had the opportunity to work with the Toronto Police Service as Youth in Policing Initiative summer student and spoke at their media launch in front of Police Chief Bill Blair.

Pte Rigg continues to progress towards his goal to become a police constable with the Toronto Police Service and progressing through the ranks as a Canadian Soldier. He says “Without the help of many people in...

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Episode – 030 Year One Look-Back and Review

In this episode, I look back at some of the highlights from the first year of the Canadian Military History Podcast as well as one clip from the cutting room floor.

The clips come from LCol Mike Vernon, LGen Andrew Leslie, WO2 Sam Magee, WO2 Stan Egerton and Sgt Chris Murdy. Although I would like to include all of my guests as highlights, their words are still preserved within their own episodes.

New episodes will be posted in September for your enjoyment as we kick-off Year Two!

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http://podcast.canadianmilitaryhistorypodcast.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CMHP-Episode-030-Year-One-Look-Back-2013-2014.mp3

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Episode 032 – CWO Emmett Kelly

CWO Kelly was born in Montréal, Québec in 1965 and was raised and educated in the Montreal area. In 1982, after five years as an Army Cadet with the 3 Field Engineers and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, he joined the Black Watch as a private soldier in B Company.

CWO Kelly was with the Black Watch from December of 1982 until transferring to The Calgary Highlanders in August of 1995. During his tenure with the Black Watch, CWO Kelly qualified as an Infantry Communicator and Basic Machine Gunner. In 1985 CWO Kelly attended the Ecole de Combat with the Royal 22^nd Regiment in Valcartier and successfully completed the Regular Force Infantry Section Commanders Course. This was followed with the completion of the Basic Parachutist Course at CFB Edmonton in December of that same year. While employed with the Black Watch, CWO Kelly was employed as a Section Commander and eventually as a Platoon WO in A Company. He was also employed as the Platoon WO with the Reconnaissance Platoon with 3^rd Battalion of the Royal 22^nd Regiment within the 10/90 establishment. CWO Kelly was attached to 2eme Regiment Artillerie Leger de Campagne during Operation Salon (Oka Crisis) in 1990 as a platoon WO.

In 1995 CWO Kelly transferred to the Calgary Highlanders where he filled all available positions for a Senior NCO within A Company. From 1999-2002 CWO Kelly was employed as the HQ Company Sergeant Major at the Western Area Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta. CWO Kelly was appointed as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Calgary Highlanders in 2008, eventually handing over the position in January 2012.

CWO Kelly deployed to Sierra Leone on Operation Sculpture Roto 21 as the Staff College Sergeant Major within the International Military Advisory Training Team (IMATT). While there in 2011 he instructed on a Sergeant Major Course and on a Machine Gun Instructor course for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF.) CWO Kelly returned to Sierra Leone in 2012 using his civilian skills to oversee construction of a FOB and FIBUA Training Site sponsored by IMATT in support of RSLAF pre-deployment training. Upon return to Canada CWO Kelly was appointed as the Brigade Sergeant Major for 41 Canadian Brigade Group.

CWO Kelly attended Dawson College in Montreal studying Languages and Literature. CWO Kelly has worked in the construction industry in Calgary as a project manager and operations manager for various developers and construction firms.

CWO Kelly is married to Ottilie Kelly (nee Ermel) of Wainwright, Alberta and they have a daug...