The Royal Alberta United Services Institute

Francis Pegahmagabow survived nearly four years of front-line service on the Western Front despite being wounded twice. In an era when casualty rates were staggering, that alone was a remarkable achievement.

Pegahmagabow enlisted in 1914 and served with the 1st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force throughout the First World War. An accomplished scout and sniper, he fought in some of Canada’s most significant battles, including Ypres, the Somme, Passchendaele, and the Hundred Days campaign.

For repeated acts of bravery under fire, he was awarded the Military Medal and two bars, making him one of Canada’s most decorated soldiers of the war.

After returning home, Pegahmagabow continued to serve as a community leader and advocate, helping shape the future of Indigenous political organization in Canada.

📷 Canadian war hero and First Nations activist Francis Pegahmagabow, a member of Wasauksing First Nation on the shores of Georgian Bay. 1919, and in 1945 while attending a conference in Ottawa where the National Indian Government was formed.

For much of the Cold War, LGBTQ Canadians serving in the military, public service, and other government roles could face investigation, discrimination, or release from service.

Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a series of legal and policy changes brought those practices to an end. Since then, the Canadian Armed Forces have continued to evolve, drawing on the talents and dedication of Canadians from all backgrounds.

The history of military service is not only the history of battles and operations. It is also the story of people and institutions adapting to changing circumstances and changing expectations.

Today, CAF members are recognized for their skills, professionalism, and contributions to the mission.

Looking back on that history reminds us that military institutions, like the societies they serve, must continue to evolve over time.

This weekend, we recognize the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures who have served in uniform and those who have supported military service from home.

Military service is rarely carried by one person alone. Families share in the challenges, sacrifices, and successes that come with service to Canada.

Happy Father’s Day to all who have worn the uniform—and to the families who have stood beside them.

As millions of fans follow the FIFA World Cup today, this First World War recruiting poster offers a fascinating glimpse into another era.

Published in Britain during the First World War, it challenged young men to leave the football pitch and join the fight. Drawing on a quote attributed to a German newspaper, it urged them to stop playing “the game” and instead play the “greater game on the field of honour.”

The message reflects a very different time. In 1914, football was already one of Britain’s most popular sports, and public debate emerged over whether professional leagues should continue while the country was at war. Many players, officials, and supporters ultimately enlisted, with some joining units that became known as “Footballers’ Battalions.”

Today, few would equate athletic competition with military service. Yet this poster remains a fascinating window into a time when sport, patriotism, and military service were closely intertwined.

This summer, visitors to the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina have an opportunity to explore two powerful projects that examine Canada’s mission in Afghanistan and the sacrifices made by those who served.

Mission: Afghanistan is a travelling exhibition developed by Combined Forces that shares the experiences of Canadian Armed Forces members, civilians, and families connected to the Afghanistan mission. Through personal stories, artifacts, and photographs, it offers an opportunity to reflect on one of the most significant chapters in recent Canadian military history.

Visitors can also attend weekly screenings of Fallen Heroes: Their Journey Home, a companion film that explores the repatriation of Canada’s fallen service members and the emergence of the Highway of Heroes and ramp ceremony traditions that united Canadians in remembrance.

RAUSI has been pleased to support both projects over the years and is grateful to RUSIRegina for sponsoring the exhibition’s presentation at the RCMP Heritage Centre.

If you’re in Regina this summer, consider making time to experience both the exhibition and film.

George Schultz was an American economist, businessman, diplomat, and statesman who served as the Secretary of State under Ronald Regan and in three Cabinet positions under Richard Nixon: Secretary of the Treasury, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Secretary of Labour. Having served as a Marine during WW2, Shultz was not afraid to get his hands dirty, and his academic career was characterized by careful research and fieldwork.

Shortly before his death, he wrote a paper reflecting on his career and the lessons learned called Life and Learning After One Hundred Years. The key element, he wrote, was trust: “trust is the coin of the realm”. He calls this the lesson he learned and re-learned over the years. “When trust was in the room… good things happened. When trust was not in the room, good things did not happen. Everything else is details.”

In international relations, alliances are built on trust. We trust our allies when we can predict their behaviour. In alliances, this behaviour is all about commitment: we expect that other countries will commit to a course of action and carry it out. While this commitment may be seen as constraining, the trust that is built by fulfilling commitments creates cohesion within the alliance, and this cohesion is what allows the alliance to accomplish its ends.

The modern paradigm of commitment is Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance will be considered an attack on all, and commits the members to exercising their rights to individual or collective self-defence in support of the nation attacked. Famously, the only occasion on which Article 5 has been applied is in the defence of the United States after the attacks on 11 September 2001.

Since that high-water mark, trust inside NATO has slowly eroded. The caveats placed on fighting forces during operations in Afghanistan and the reluctance of NATO to play a role in Iraq led many in the U.S. to question the value of the alliances. This has culminated in the Americans deciding to go to war with Iran with only one effective ally, Isreal. However, even that relationship is now corroded by lack of trust.

The U.S. operations in Iran have demonstrated two things. First, the United States cannot protect its own forces against the cheap drones the Iranians produce. Second, the United States cannot protect its allies, either. This has led Gulf States to cut deals with Iran, while Israel pursues its own policies in Lebanon. One of the major lessons from this war may be that states should secure their alliances before going to war, rather than starting operations and then trying to brow-beat allies into joining.

~ The Realist

💬 Is trust still the foundation of alliances, or have national interests become the only currency that matters?

From the rugged coastline of the Atlantic to the mountains of the West and the vast landscapes of the North, Canada is home to some of the world’s most remarkable parks and historic sites.

This summer is a great opportunity to get outside, explore somewhere new, and learn more about the places that help tell Canada’s story.

From June 19 to September 7, Parks Canada is offering free admission to national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas across the country.

If you’re planning a visit outside that period, don’t forget to check whether you may be eligible for discounts through programs available to serving Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families.

Whether you’re hiking a trail, visiting a historic fort, camping under the stars, or simply enjoying a day outdoors, we encourage everyone to take advantage of the incredible places Canada has to offer.

Where is your favourite Parks Canada destination?

This week, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exceeded the duration of the First World War.

World War I lasted 1,568 days, from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and has now surpassed that milestone. If the conflict is dated from Russia’s seizure of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the war has now been ongoing for more than 12 years.

Of course, duration alone does not make the two conflicts equivalent. The First World War involved dozens of nations, multiple continents, and casualties on a scale far beyond the current conflict. Yet the comparison is a reminder of how expectations can be overturned.

In both 1914 and 2022, many believed the fighting would be over in months. Instead, both wars evolved into prolonged contests of endurance, where industrial capacity, logistics, manpower, political will, and national resilience became decisive factors.

Another notable milestone occurred earlier this year. By January 2026, the war in Ukraine had already lasted longer than the Soviet Union’s entire war against N**i Germany, which spanned 1,418 days from Operation Barbarossa to Victory in Europe Day.

More than four years after the invasion began, the conflict continues to shape European security, international alliances, defence spending, and strategic thinking around the world.

When a military unit returns from deployment, a common question is: Why can’t it simply deploy again?

Whether we’re talking about a ship, battalion, or air squadron, returning home is only part of the cycle.

Personnel take leave and reconnect with their families. Equipment undergoes inspections, repairs, and maintenance. New members arrive, experienced members depart, and training resumes to rebuild readiness and prepare for future missions.

For this reason, many military organizations use a force generation cycle. While one unit is deployed, another may be preparing to replace it, while a third recovers, trains, and reconstitutes.

Readiness is about more than what is deployed today. It is also about ensuring capable, sustainable forces are available tomorrow.

As Canada welcomes a new Governor General, it is also an appropriate time to reflect on the service of Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon.

As the first Indigenous person to serve as Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon brought a unique perspective to the office—one shaped by a lifetime of leadership, diplomacy, and advocacy on behalf of Indigenous peoples and northern communities.

Her tenure highlighted the importance of listening, reconciliation, and building understanding among Canadians. She reminded us that service can take many forms, whether in uniform, in public office, within communities, or through efforts to strengthen the bonds that unite us as a country.

During National Indigenous History Month, we recognize the contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples to Canada’s past, present, and future. We also acknowledge the significance of Mary Simon’s historic service and the example she has provided for future generations of Canadians.

Thank you for your service, Your Excellency.