Military Police Officer Honoured
A Woodstock local was the head Canadian military police officer during the annual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise, which has more than 25,000 military personnel from 25 nations.
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A Woodstock local was the head Canadian military police officer during the annual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise, which has more than 25,000 military personnel from 25 nations.
Major Lisa Clark was the provost marshall and oversaw Canadian security, investigative and custody services for all military and civilian personnel in Hawaii and southern California. She also had the same role for all Royal Canadian Navy ships in the world’s largest maritime exercise.
Clark, who now lives in British Columbia, is the commanding officer for the Military Police unit at CFB Esquimalt and the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges, a testing facility on the east side of Vancouver Island in Nanoose Bay. She’s also responsible for all military police activities in B.C.
Clark received her Canadian Forces’ Decoration from the command team of the National Command and Support Element on the beaches of Waikiki during RIMPAC. The award goes to members who have completed twelve years of good and loyal service.
“I was so grateful and appreciative of the entire staff and leadership, and grateful as well that my fiancé was able to attend and experience this very memorable moment in my career,” Clark said.
Clark became a military police officer while she was obtaining two degrees at Laurentian University and serving as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Irish Regiment of Canada, an infantry regiment in Sudbury, Ontario.
“I learned a lot being at Laurentian University,” she said. “They gave me opportunities to be a teaching assistant [and] to work out of student services in the special needs department.”
On her off time, Clark’s passionate about participating in the Military Police Motorcycle Relay, which supports the Military Police Fund for Blind Children.
“The tools to assist young children with visual impairment become quite costly for a family, so it’s helpful when a charity can help offset some of those costs,” Clark explained.
The support of extra software and equipment gives students the opportunity to get the most out of the classroom.
“What I love is a lot come back and say, ‘I’ve graduated from college,’ (or) ‘I’ve graduated from university.’ A lot of them achieve A’s, and B’s and some are at the top of their class,” Clark said. “We are able to assist so many young people who have visual impairments. It’s not just for military families. We open up the applications to anyone who wants to apply.”
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