Chris Sokoloski of Canora served in the Canadian military for 32 years and 10 months, from 1974 to 2006. He was stationed at locations all over the world and achieved the rank of Master Warrant Officer (MWO.) After his retirement, Sokoloski received a commendation from the Honourable Julian Fantino, Federal Minister of Veterans Affairs in 2014.
Sokoloski grew up in Lintlaw, and remembers enjoying sports, cars and many things related to the army as a youngster. Because he was unsure of what career to pursue, he decided to join the Canadian military in 1974 and took his basic training at CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Cornwallis, N.S.
As part of his training, he was given an aptitude test. Sokoloski was found to have a strong mechanical aptitude, which led to his military career as a vehicle technician.
“That didn’t really surprise me,” he said. “Growing up in Lintlaw I spent plenty of time working on my grandfather’s farm and with the farm equipment.”
Sokoloski’s military employment began at CFB Calgary, where he worked as a junior vehicle technician with the 1 Service Battalion (1 SVC BN) from 1974 to 1977. This included a call to active duty when he served a tour at the Golan Heights in Israel from April to October of 1976 as part of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations. He worked in vehicle repairs and recovery, which meant if a vehicle broke down he would take out the universal tow truck and retrieve it.
Sokoloski recalls at one point there was a mandate for a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. All the vehicles were running and everyone was ready to leave the base, and since he drove the tow truck, he would be the last one out if the agreement was signed. But that didn’t happen.
After his return to Canada, Sokoloski came back to Calgary, where he served with the LDSH(RC) Lord Strathcona Horse (Royal Canadians) Armoured Regiment on the Maintenance Repair Team (MRT) from 1977 to 1979.
At that point Sokoloski had the opportunity to work in Europe, and from 1979 to 1983 he served as an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) MRT Commander in the 4 Combat Engineer Regiment (4 CER) at the Canadian Military Base in Lahr Germany.
In 1983 he came back to Canada and was stationed at CFB Moose Jaw Base Maintenance Land (BML) where he was Second in Command (2i/c) of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV.) He said this included heavy runway equipment such as sweepers, blowers and plows.
In 1985 Sokoloski decided to move west, and served at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Kamloops as the In Charge (IC) Maintenance Supervisor until it was closed in 1988.
At that point he took advantage of an opportunity to move back to his home province, and served at 16 Service Battalion Reserve Unit in Regina from 1988 to 1990 as the Training Non-Commissioned Officer for the entire Battalion (Trg NCO BN.) His duties included overseeing the Battalion and serving as a link to the regular force.
From 1990 to 1994, Sokoloski was back in Calgary, as WO Acting Engineer Technical Quartermaster Sergeant (A/ETQMS) with the 1 Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI.) It was during these years that he participated in two overseas tours.
From February to August of 1991, Sokoloski was involved in UN Peacekeeping Operations in Cyprus where he worked at Camp Maple Leaf as a Vehicle Production WO out of the old airport in Nicosia. He said one of the centre points of the conflict between the Greeks and the Turks was the Ledra Palace in downtown Nicosia, which, prior to the conflict was one of the most glamourous hotels in the city.
“Our Battalion Headquarters (HQ) was at the Ledra, which was the dividing line between the Greeks and the Turks,” said Sokoloski. “Once a year, Turkish protestors would assemble at the palace and our job was to keep the peace.”
From Cyprus he made the transition to Norway, where he served from August of 1991 to September 1992 as A/ETQMS for the entire Battalion of the 1PPCLI.
Back in Canada, Sokoloski moved to CFB Shilo, Man. and worked from 1994 to 1996 as A/ETQMS, Production WO and as Control Officer and Trg Officer in the “First and Finest” regiment of the LDSH (RC.)
From 1996 to 2000 he was based out of CFB Edmonton in the 1 SVC BN General Support as Trg Officer, Control Office and Trg NCO.
For about 10 days in April and May of 1997, Sokoloski served in Winnipeg during the “Flood of the Century.”
“When we got the call we were in Wainwright, Alberta, training to go to Bosnia,” said Sokoloski. “Because it was such short notice and we had such long convoys of vehicles, it took us about 30 hours to get to Winnipeg, travelling at around 60 to 70 kilometres per hour.”
From HG in Winnipeg, he worked as Operations (OPS) WO, helping to co-ordinate logistics and maintain facilities and vehicles in Winnipeg and the surrounding area.
“This included dealing with everything from food to mail and fuel delivery, to vehicle breakdowns,” said Sokoloski. “But it certainly was different in that we were not dealing with an armed conflict, but rather with nature.”
By July of 1997, he was in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he served until January of 1998 as a Control Officer for the National Support Element in the Stabilization Force (S4), based out of the Black Bear Camp in Velika Kladusa.
Sokoloski’s final employment with the Canadian military was from 2000 until his retirement in 2006 at CFB Meaford, Ont. There he worked as MWO and Company Sergeant Major (CSM) and was in charge of all non-military, or Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) items for the base.
In looking back on his military career, Sokoloski said there are some mixed feelings.
“It was difficult to deal with death and the lives that were lost,” he admitted. “But I have mostly great memories and friends that I made, many of whom I still keep in touch with today.”
As a veteran, Sokoloski has a reminder for residents in Canora and the surrounding area on this Remembrance Day.
“Let’s not forget those who have sacrificed their lives and all the efforts made on our behalf as Canadians,” he said. “Its easy to say that these things happened a long time ago, but still today men and women are dying for our freedom and without our forefathers many of us would not be here today.
“Let us all support our Legions and wear our poppies with dignified pride.”
