Serving Canada, Together: The RCAF on Military Family Appreciation Day

The Strong Family

Majors Brianne and Mathew Strong first met during their basic military training. Now, almost 15 years into their careers (Logistics and Public Affairs Officers, respectively) and with two young kids in the mix, their definition of family has evolved.

In addition to supportive parents, in-laws, and siblings, their “chosen family” includes several fellow serving members—who are especially appreciated when Mat and Brianne are stationed across the country, far from home and relatives.

“When it comes to making our village and building our support network wherever we go, there are a few key players which are our chosen family,” says Brianne. “When one of us is away, and we need a little help with a sick kid, they’re the ones that will be able to come over, drop everything, step up, and help us.”

Mat agrees, “It really is important that you find others and other ways to get that familial support, whether it’s through friends or through organizations. We know that if things are ever challenging or difficult we can reach out to people who aren’t technically family, they’re very close friends.”

Although being a service couple has its challenges, Mat and Brianne wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s not an easy lifestyle, and it’s not for everybody, but I’m very grateful to have a partner with a deep understanding of my job, and accepts the sacrifices involved with this very rewarding career,” shares Brianne. “I feel fortunate to serve alongside him.”

The Zacher Family

Master Warrant Officer Anita Zacher (Air Maintenance Superintendent) and Major Jacklyn Zacher (Air Operations Officer) first met through the CAF sports program at 4 Wing Cold Lake. Now, years later and with a young family, they continue to embrace their military journeys together—even through the more challenging times.

“[Often] you will see that deployments are really hard on families,” says Jacklyn, whose wife Anita recently returned from an 8-month deployment in Iraq. “[Anita’s deployment] was a discussion that we needed to have as a family because we do have two young boys. […] They often say it’s harder for the one at home because you’re left basically holding everything [together].”

But for Anita, “[Jackie] was such a source of strength for me. Being able to count on her while I was deployed and knowing that she understood the sacrifices we were making as a family […] meant so much. She persevered through 8 months without me, and she just did it in such a compassionate and perceptive way.”

For Anita and Jacklyn, support is found in many forms, whether it’s through family, the RCAF community, or even their teammates (both are avid hockey players). But most importantly, they support each other.

“Our triumphs, our struggles, our successes… they’re all linked. Everything we’re doing is towards a common goal for the Air Force,” says Anita. “It’s nice because her accomplishments are my accomplishments. We can both feel pride and ownership over what [the] other is doing.”

The Kutryk Family

Just days after Colonel Joshua Kutryk was announced as one of the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) newest astronauts in 2017, he and his wife, Heather, moved to Houston, Texas. Now, with two young children, life is busier than ever—but for Josh, who is still an active RCAF member (he flew the CF-18 for many years) his current mission to the International Space Station is a family endeavour.

“I wear the suit and I work at Johnson Space Center, but there’s a lot of other things that go into this […] awesome adventure of space exploration. My family is very much involved,” says Josh. “There’s a lot of travel, […] very unpredictable schedules.”

He continues, “I do the NASA [and CSA] piece and then with any energy I have left, I do the home piece. But [Heather takes care of] the home, the family, the kids, and all of our friends and communities and relationships. That’s a really big job, and it enables everything else that we’re able to do. It’s a joint effort.”

Heather agrees, “We really have to rely on one another. We don’t have family down here […] but we do have a really close-knit community.” she continues, “Josh too, he helps to lighten my load. This man doesn’t take a break. He comes home, he changes his clothes, and then he takes the kids out so I can get some things done around the house.”

Even with a stratospheric career, Josh believes that raising kids is one of the most important jobs someone can have: “We’re only here for a fleeting moment, and it’s the next generation that’s going to solve some of these enormous problems that we’ve created. In that light, thank you to the military families in Canada, and keep doing what you’re doing.”

The Laflamme and Pariseau Family

For Sergeant Marie-Pier Laflamme and her partner Warrant Officer Francis Pariseau, music is what brings people together. As musicians serving with the RCAF Band (Marie-Pier plays trumpet, and Francis plays guitar), they fostered a special connection to the Air Force community and their own family through Tous Unis, To The Skies—a song crafted by Francis and his fellow member, Sergeant Scott Foster, for the RCAF Centennial.

“My kids are musicians as well. My youngest plays drum, and my oldest plays bass,” explains Marie-Pier. “Because it’s our trade, we get to share that with them. They see us at performances, we play music here together.”

“One of our most important moments as a family is that our kids learned [Tous Unis, To The Skies],” says Francis. “It was their song for awhile. They were singing it, and they were really loving it. And it was a great feeling.”

With the Centennial song’s release, the family performed it at a party attended by their whole unit, as well as at a local school. Recalling the school performance, Francis explains, “At one point [we had to stop singing] because we were so emotional.”

“I think music has that power to make everything bigger, deeper,” says Marie-Pier. “I think we [have] the most powerful way of promoting the Air Force this year because we [have] a direct access to people’s hearts.”

The Huddleston Family

Serving the nation does not come without its sacrifices. For Major General Iain Huddleston (former Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, current Deputy Vice Chief of the Defense Staff), his military career has been extremely rewarding, but also challenging. Through it all, his family—his wife, Amanda, along with their two now-teenaged kids—have stood by his side, whether minutes or miles away.

“[My family] has allowed me that space and supported me, despite the fact that the military takes me away from them quite often,” says Iain. “I’ve tried to do as much as I can to avoid that, to be at events and to be there. But I have to admit there’s been a pretty significant impact, I think, on the kids.”

From Iain’s deployment in Afghanistan (“The only part that [my four-year old daughter] understood about it was that fathers weren’t coming home to their families.”) to packing up and moving multiple times as a family (the recent move to Ottawa is their ninth), Amanda and Iain have learned to take it day by day.

“Even though we know what a move entails, we know the stress and hard work, we don’t actually know how it’s going to impact the kids because they’re at a different phase in life,” says Amanda. “We just continually learn and adjust and come out the other side slightly wiser than when we went in.”

Iain adds, “At times like this, when I’m in Ottawa in a job that’s a bit less intense, I have to focus in on supporting [my family] and paying them back.”