Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania – Sergeant Kelly Press is a long way from home. Again. A graduate of Prince George Secondary School, and daughter of a member of the Royal Navy, Kelly always wanted to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). In 2008, she did just that, signing up as an Aircraft Structures Technician (ACS Tech) in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
After completing Basic Military Qualification Training – more familiarly known as Boot Camp – at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, ON, then-Private Press remained at CFB Borden for the ten month ACS Tech course. This multi-faceted trade has three main parts. The core part is metal work, fabricating and refinishing aircraft. In recent years, the trade has acquired Life Saving Systems, which entails maintaining equipment critical to keeping aircrew safe, such as ejection seats, parachutes, and survival kits. The third part is Aviation Life Support Equipment, which consists of maintaining equipment that is worn by aircrew, such as helmets, oxygen masks, and life preservers.
As an ACS Tech in the CAF, Sgt Press has had many unique opportunities. Two that stand out in her mind are the time she was selected to stand guard on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a month in 2012. Sgt Press says it was both a great experience, and a great honour. The second is her month in Japan as part of Operation DRIFTNET, whose aim is to aide in efforts to protect wild fish stocks world-wide from the threat of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Sgt Press found the work very rewarding, and being able to experience the culture of Japan was a life-long dream.
Travel is something Sgt Press enjoys, and as a CAF member, she has been fortunate to travel all over the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. She has deployed to Curacao as part of Operation CARRIBE and to Kuwait as part of Operation IMPACT. Currently, Sgt Press is deployed from 4 Wing Cold Lake to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base as part of Air Task Force – Romania in support of Operation REASSURANCE. This Operation is Canada’s contribution to NATO assurance and deterrence measures, demonstrating Canada’s ability and willingness to react rapidly to international crises and to work side by side with its NATO Allies to reinforce NATO’s collective security.
