Jorma “Hammy” Hamalainen 

President

He commenced his military service after four years as an Air Cadet in

Ottawa prior to enrolling in the CF on 29 Jun 1979, he was 17 years old.

Serving operationally as a Navy Weapons man Underwater, Ships Diver and

AESOP from the ranks of Ordinary Seaman to CWO he flew on Trackers,

Auroras, Dash 8’s and Sea Kings on flying Sqn’s 402, 404, 405, 406, 415,

423, 880 and MP&EU. Serving also on HMCS ships Saskatchewan, Terra

Nova, Iroquois, Preserver and Athabaskan, as a door gunner on Seakings,

during the First Guld War Aug 1990 to April 1991). Following this long

deployment he was posted Outcan to AF North NATO Hq’s in Norway.

Promoted to CWO in 2002 he served as the AESOp trade advisor and AI

Training coordinator at 1 Cdn Air Div. Hammy served in Kuwait Jan to July

2004 as the CWO in charge of the multi nation air hub to support

Afghanistan operations. Next as the school CWO CFANS 17 Wing Winnipeg,

following a year in language school at Winnipeg, Hammy was appointed in

2006 to be WCWO, 14 Wing Greenwood, awarded the Order of Military

Merit (MMM) he then was posted to Ottawa to be appointed in 2009 to be

Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEFCOM) Command CWO and Chief of

Defence Intelligence (CDI) Command CWO.

As part of the CAF leadership command team , various General/ Flag

officers Hammy deployed and served in an operational leadership capacity

to over 30 countries and deployed operations locations across the world.

His last operational command deployment in 2011 as a CCWO in Italy

during the Libya crisis.

Accepting a special commissioning in 2013 direct to the rank of Major. He

was employed within RCAF CAS staff in various roles as a strategic desk

officer. Hammy completed JCSP (staff School) in 2018 at the CAF Staff

College in Toronto

Completing 42 years and 184 days of service Hammy retired on his 60 th

birthday 31 Dec 2021.

Neil MacLeod

1^st Vice President

Neil MacLeod embarked on his military career in 1970, enlisting in the UK HM Armed Forces as a boy soldier with the Royal Corps of Signals. He attended the Army Apprentices College in Harrogate, Yorkshire, for three years before graduating and being posted to Germany. While at Harrogate Neil first learned to play the pipes a hobby that he continues to this day.  His first assignment was with 4 Guards Armoured Brigade as part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), a key component of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) during the Cold War. Next posting was a demanding two-year operational tour in Northern Ireland during the height of the Troubles, gaining extensive experience operating in high-risk environments. He then spent six years with an elite military unit, where he further refined his skills in complex and demanding operations. His assignments took him across Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, and Africa, including deployment to the South Atlantic for the 1982 Falklands War. Recognized for his leadership and technical expertise, Neil was selected for the prestigious Foreman of Signals course at the Royal School of Signals in Blandford, Dorset, before retiring from military service in 1985.

Upon leaving the military, Neil leveraged his expertise in defense, security, and telecommunications, spending a decade in the Middle East advising and leading projects for military and international organizations. In 1997, he emigrated to Canada, where he took on progressively more senior roles in the high-tech sector, leveraging his extensive operational and leadership experience. His work has spanned global telecommunications and IT companies across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Now retired, Neil remains deeply committed to the veteran community, dedicating his time and leadership to advancing the interests of former service members while also enjoying time with his family and grandchildren. For the past ten years, he has served as the Sergeant-at-Arms and Parade Commander at his local Royal Canadian Legion. Additionally, he served as Chair of the local Police Services Board for two years and one year as Chair of the County Association of Police Services Boards, overseeing eight boards. As First Vice President of NATO Veterans of Canada (NVOC), he brings his wealth of military and leadership experience to advocate for and support fellow veterans.

Ted Bransfield
2nd  Vice President 

 Ted Bransfield enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1981 from the Miramichi in New Brunswick. He has been posted to a number of Combat Engineer units in locations around the world. After basic trade qualifications, he was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Chilliwack, B.C. After three years developing his skills as a Sapper, he was posted to 4 Combat Engineer Regiment, Lahr, Germany, in 1985.

On his return from Germany, he was promoted to Sgt and posted to 22 Field Squadron in Gagetown, N.B., for one year. During that time, he was involved in the Oka Crisis. With his experience and expertise, he was sent to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering, Chilliwack, B.C., for four years teaching bridge building and water purification. After the School, he returned to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment where he deployed as the Recce Sgt to Bosnia in 1997 and again in 2000 to Bosnia as a Field Troop Warrant Officer. During his time in 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, he was involved in numerous major bridging projects. He was intimately involved commanding the construction of a 300-foot floating bridge in Atoka, Bosnia, a 200-foot ACROW bridge in the village of Wainwright, a 120-foot ACROW bridge across the Battle River at Base Wainwright and a 120-foot Bailey bridge in the most southern part of Afghanistan which he constructed under combat conditions. In 2002, he was posted to Land Forces Western Area Training Center in Wainwright where he spent two years as Tp Commander of 1 Engineer Equipment Troop.

In 2004, he was promoted to MWO and appointed Squadron Sergeant Major of 11 Fd Sqn, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, and deployed to the High Arctic twice. From January to August 2006, he was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, as part of Operation ARCHER ROTO 1, as part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, the US-led war on terrorism. After returning from Afghanistan, he was posted to Land Forces Western Area HQ's in Edmonton as the Area Engineer Operations MWO. During his time there, he completed his Certified Engineering Technician qualification.

CWO Bransfield was then posted to Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) in 2009 as the Joint Engineer Operations 2 MWO and appointed as the HQ's Sergeant Major. He was involved in all engineering aspects of operations in Afghanistan, the earthquake disaster in Haiti and many other operations around the world.

CWO Bransfield was appointed the OS Engineer Group CWO, Canadian Operational Support Command (CANOSCOM), on 22 June 2011.

CWO Bransfield was appointed as the RSM of the new Canadian Joint Operations Command Head Quarters (CJOC HQ) on 05 October 2012 to 08 Sept 2016. 

CWO Bransfield retired on 08 November 2016 having completed over 35 years of service to Queen and country.

Karen Hamalainen 

Director / Membership

Karen commenced her military service at CFB Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, in 1981. Following basic training she reported to CFB Borden and CFB Kingston Ontario studying POET (Performance Oriented Electronics Training)  and technical training to what was to become an Avionics Technician in the Air Force. Karen was posted to CFB Greenwood in 1982 and served at 14 AMS on A, B and C crews working on the CP140 Aurora. Karen moved to Supplementary Ready Reserves in 1987 with the birth of her first daughter, which allowed her to become a stay-at-home mom and follow husband Hammy on his career journey which took them to Halifax, Oslo Norway, Greenwood and Winnipeg. A second bluenose country daughter followed along during this journey as well. Karen transferred to the primary reserve in 2003 in Winnipeg as an RMS Clerk’ Subsequent postings from Winnipeg to Greenwood and then Ottawa solidified a full career.

Karen retired from the CAF in the Ottawa area where she currently resides. She is active in Veterans Organizations in addition to her numerous hobbies including golfing, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, rv camping, sewing, cross stitching, woodworking, gardening, and maybe a bit of wine-drinking.