Alsask, SK

1987 – A Final Hoot From the "Best in the West" – The Attention Arrow

The time is 00:01, 1 April 1987 and the place is Canadian Forces Station Dana, Sagehill, Saskatchewan. One hundred and ten military personnel are gathered to participate in an event of historical significance; the Phase II closure of the Pinetree Line. While all understand the necessity of the closure and realize that the development of the North Warning System will present a new and exciting challenge for the Armed Forces, it is none-the-less a very emotional time. To say farewell to a System we have become very familiar with and close friends we have made over the years is not easy.

The announcement by the Minister of National Defence in 1985 that the Pinetree Line would be closed in three stages was extremely important to personnel serving at these stations. It meant that we would be responsible for closing down in one year what it took twenty-five years to build. Little did we realize what this meant in real terms. Suddenly, things like evenings and weekends were no longer taken for granted. For those of us who hadn’t taken courses as Tourism Directors on-job training came fast and furious.

Out of necessity a Station Deactivation OPI (SSTO) was appointed who would work hand in glove with the Dana Joint Assessment and Planning Committee (formed of representatives from the surrounding civilian communities). Their mandate was to find an alternative use for the Station after closure. This involved regular meetings with the committee and local MPs and MLAs to determine possible new users. In addition, our Commanding Officer was kept busy fielding questions from the local press as to the disposition of our assets and the relocation of our sixty some civilian employees who have been an integral part of the station for the past twenty-five years.

The task of Ground Environment Officer was especially challenging during this year of closure. It was important to instill in the Air Defence Technicians a strong sense of purpose and yet at the same time prepare for the inevitable closure. Training had to be kept at the same high standard and participation in NORAD exercises had to continue with enthusiasm. At the same time our ability to diversify became very evident as we underwent rapid manning changes, requiring us to accept many additional responsibilities. Twelve hour shifts became the routine as opposed to the exception.

Comprehensive closure plans had to be drawn up for each section and each Branch had to coordinate very closely with the others to ensure a smooth, efficient closure. If you’re trying to imagine what this means in terms of work, imagine trying to itemize all your household goods; every pair of socks, every can of soup in your cupboard, and figure out how much it cost you, how much it has depreciated, what was given as a gift, what was loaned and what can be thrown out. Now multiply this by twenty-five years of accumulation instead of talking about your house, let’s talk about a small village! Get the picture! And that’s only a portion of what’s involved. Now, think ahead to the APS. About 25-30 percent of you can anticipate moving this summer. You know how it gets … everyone’s hounding the boss for that posting message, they want to get a MQ or a HHT as soon as possible. Now imagine 100 percent of personnel being posted. Pretty scary, eh!

Probably the most difficult task of a Station closing is to keep morale high in spite of all the extra work, confusion and anxiety that everyone is experiencing. For some reason, personnel problems seemed to be much more frequent than in the past. Several of our Air Defence Technicians were forces to make career decisions; should I retire now, should I remuster … must I take my release … and so on.

The biggest change for yours truly was on 1 January 1987 when I became the Station Chief Administration Officer. You want to talk about OJT! This has actually worked out very well as everyone in DMCC got to stretch their wings a bit, the WO becoming the GEOpsO and so on … It becomes very clear in times like this that pulling together as a team is the only way to succeed.

While there are several ways to regard the effects of Station closure, I firmly believe the individuals who regard this as a special challenge; an opportunity to become involved in areas where they would otherwise never be challenged, will be far ahead of their peers in terms of gaining valuable insight and experience. I have enjoyed immensely the challenge of being both GEOpsO and taking over the Administrative Branch here at CFS Dana and the experience will no doubt become valuable to me as I shortly embark on a new stage of my life as a civilian in St. Jean, Quebec.

This article was written by Captain KM Lareau and published in "The Attention Arrow - Spring 1987"