The British Columbia Dragoons held a Change of Command Ceremony in Kelowna on Sunday.
The commanding officer rotates every three years on average, but the ceremony isn’t usually such a public spectacle.
“The handover itself we often do on a base, for example when I took command three years ago, we did it at the Vernon Military Camp,” said lieutenant-colonel Kevin Mead.
“Particularly with the pandemic, and the restrictions lifting and particularly with the events of last Remembrance Day we felt it was exceedingly important to make our presence known in the community.”
The incoming commanding officer is an Okanagan native with 26 years of military experience, Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor Waaga.
“When I joined this regiment, I worked my way up through the ranks, and now I have the opportunity and the honour to take over as commanding officer,” said Waaga.
“It’s almost surreal. I have been in the unit and in the military now for 26 years and it has taken me all over the place – Canada, the United States, and actually all over the whole world. So, it is definitely a point of pride that I could come back here and command the unit.”
After a three-year term that included leading the armoured reconnaissance regiment through the pandemic, 20-year military veteran lieutenant-colonel Mead, says it’s tough to go.
“There’s nothing more than I love than leading soldiers. I’ll miss all of the people as well as the team, this is such a great place,” said Mead.
A pipe band led reservist soldiers with the BC Dragoons to the cenotaph.
After the ceremony, the RCMP escorted the parade through downtown Kelowna returning to headquarters, exercising the freedom of the city granted to the BC Dragoons in 1963.
“This is one of those very few organizations that are invested in the freedom of the city Kelowna to be able to work alongside the RCMP and the city to be able to march right down Lawrence and have the ceremony at city park where the public could witness,” said Mead.
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