Latest news with #Airborne
Cision Canada
09-08-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
The Government of Canada Honours Lieutenant-General (Retd) Larry Ashley as a Hometown Hero Français
Lt.-Gen. (Retd) Ashley became the first and only Royal Canadian Navy officer to command Canada's Air Force HALIFAX, NS, Aug. 9, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada proudly honours a Canadian whose service helped shape Canadian military capacity during the Cold War. On Saturday, August 9, 2025, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth–Cole Harbour, paid tribute to Lieutenant-General (Retd) Larry Ashley through Parks Canada's Hometown Heroes program on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. The ceremony was held at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in the Halifax Regional Municipality in the presence of dignitaries and family members. Born and raised in Simcoe, Ontario, Lt.-Gen. (Retd) Ashley was the first and only Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) officer to command Canada's Air Force. He helped pioneer the use of helicopters at sea and worked to make Canada's naval aviation community one of the most capable in the world during the Cold War. Destined for high command, he held key roles with Air Command (now the Royal Canadian Air Force) in Winnipeg, commanded CFB Shearwater, and contributed to NATO operations in Europe, where he was instrumental in implementing the crucial Airborne Warning and Control System, designed to detect aircraft, ships, and vehicles at long ranges and to control and command the battle space in an air engagement. Upon returning to Canada, he became the commander of Air Command, serving in this role until his retirement in 1989. Throughout his career, Lt.-Gen. (Retd) Ashley worked to benefit his community. He has been involved with the Shearwater Aviation Museum for most of his life and was a founding Director of the Canada Science and Technology Museum Foundation. Forever the sailor, he served two decades on the board of Bytown Brigantine, a sailing program to benefit underprivileged youth. Quotes "Lieutenant-General (Retd) Ashley's legacy reminds us of the strength, courage, and unwavering commitment that define the Canadian Armed Forces. His distinguished service—spanning both the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force—is a powerful example of leadership in a polarized time. His leadership should serve as a reminder to all Canadians of what we, as individuals, can achieve during times of instability and conflict to safeguard and shape our country." The Honourable David J. McGuinty Minister of National Defence "Lieutenant-General (Retd) Ashley's story is one that resonates deeply here in Halifax and across Nova Scotia. As a Hometown Hero, his legacy of service reflects the values we hold dear in our community, such as leadership, perseverance, and commitment to country. Today, it's an honour to celebrate his remarkable contributions." The Honourable Darren Fisher Member of Parliament for Dartmouth – Cole Harbour "Parks Canada is honoured to induct Lieutenant-General (Retd) Larry Ashley as Canada's newest Hometown Hero. He joins a growing list of Canadians recognized for their leadership, community service, and dedication to making a difference. I invite all Canadians to discover his story and those of other Hometown Heroes who have helped build the Canada we know today." Ron Hallman President and Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada "Lieutenant-General (Retd) Larry Ashley exemplifies the very best of what it means to serve—both in uniform and in the community. As the only Royal Canadian Navy officer ever to command Canada's Air Force, his career broke new ground and built enduring bridges between our naval and air forces. His legacy of service continues to inspire generations of sailors and aviators alike, and it is entirely fitting that he is honoured today as a Hometown Hero." Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee Commander, Royal Canadian Navy "Today we honoured the legacy of Lieutenant-General (Retd) Larry Ashley, a distinguished Canadian who proudly commanded Canada's Air Force during a significant moment in its history. His contributions to the Maritime Helicopter community and naval operations can still be seen today, leaving an impressive legacy from an impressive individual. We are grateful to be celebrating the accomplishments of this Hometown Hero." Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander, Royal Canadian Air Force Quick Facts Lt.-Gen. (Retd) Ashley joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a cadet and, over a 34-year career marked by determination, innovation, and opportunity, rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and became Commander of the Canadian Air Force. He received many honours and awards during his military career. He was made a Commander of the Canadian Order of Military Merit (1986), received the Queens's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). He was Aide-de-Camp (ADC) for the Governor General of Canada and has been Honorary Aide-de-Camp to four Lieutenant-Governors. Launched by Parks Canada in 2015 as a community-based initiative, the Hometown Heroes began as a celebration of the inspiring stories of Canadians—both military and civilian—who supported the Allied efforts during the First and Second World Wars. The program has evolved to include people from across Canada who have made meaningful contributions to their communities. This initiative highlights the remarkable achievements of these heroes and the lasting impact they've had on their communities. To date, more than 140 individuals nationwide have been honoured, showcasing the profound influence of community engagement and the spirit of collective effort. Parks Canada's Hometown Heroes program Parks Canada mobile application Parks Canada Website SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Father accused of killing 3 daughters in Washington served at Fort Benning
Fort Benning confirmed that a man being sought by authorities in Washington in connection with his three daughters' deaths served at the Georgia Army post. Travis Caleb Decker, 32, served at Fort Benning from 2018 to 2020, the Public Affairs Office said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He was an infantryman, earning the Expert Infantryman Badge and completing the Airborne course while at Fort Benning. Authorities in Washington state are still searching for Decker one week after he and his daughters didn't return from a planned custody visit, our sister station KIRO reports. Authorities found Becker's three girls dead Monday. The bodies of 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia were discovered Monday near Decker's unoccupied truck near a campground in Leavenworth, Wash., KIRO said. TRENDING STORIES: Peachtree City celebrity alligator 'Flat Creek Floyd' dies after driver hits him 17-year-old missing after boat found circling on Allatoona Lake GA ringleader of fraud scheme sentenced for creating fake recruiting websites to steal identities The attorney for Whitney Decker, Travis Decker's ex-wife, told ABC News that Decker struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and lacked mental health help. His ex-wife feels the system 'let Travis down,' attorney Arianna Cozart told ABC News. 'If somebody would have provided Travis with the help that he needed, those girls would be alive.' The attorney also told ABC News 'there were no red flags' before he and the girls disappeared. Officials said Decker could be traveling along the famed Pacific Crest Trail, ABC News reports. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Law enforcement officials have warned people in the rural area to keep their windows and doors locked. Deputies with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office in Washington state have released multiple photos and a surveillance video of Decker in the hopes that someone might recognize him, KIRO reports.
Irish Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Legal bill at Airborne Capital hits €4.2m after it is sued in UK
The scale of the firm's mounting legal bill is revealed in the latest set of publicly-available accounts for Airborne Capital, which is a specialised aircraft leasing and asset management firm. The fees compared to just $443,000 incurred by the company in 2023. They were $2.3m in 2022. Airborne Capital is embroiled in a legal battle with former shareholder, UK-based InterGlobe Aircraft Management Services (IGAM), a unit of InterGlobe Enterprises that owns India's largest airline, IndiGo. IGAM has sued Airborne CEO and co-founder Ramki Sundaram and the Irish firm's chief financial officer, Anand Ramachandran. InterGlobe has also sued a UK-based entity called Airwayy Partnership, which controls 90pc of Airborne Capital's ordinary shares. All the defendants are being represented by London-based global law firm Slaughter & May. IGAM has claimed they and Airborne conspired to deliberately mislead it and induce it to sell an interest in the business 'at a far lower price than it otherwise would have done'. Airborne Capital has insisted IGAM has no basis for the $28m (€25m) claim. The firm has said the claims made against it and its directors 'have no basis in fact or law'. InterGlobe first invested in Airborne Capital in early 2019, acquiring a 42.5pc stake from Kerry-based financial services firm Fexco and taking a total 65pc shareholding in Airborne. That involved InterGlobe investing $73m in Airborne. Fexco retains a working relationship with Airborne Capital. In 2022, InterGlobe exited Airborne via an agreement whereby it received an upfront cash consideration of $43.2m and profit participating notes valued at $30.3m. But InterGlobe claims the defendants misrepresented revenues by more than $15m in order to adversely impact Airborne Capital's valuation, resulting in InterGlobe selling its interest in the leasing firm 'at a discount to the full value'. The case remains open, according to official court records. The latest set of accounts for Airborne Capital show that it made a $4.3m pre-tax loss last year, compared to a $1.5m profit in 2023. Revenue last year rose to $19m from $15.1m the year before. Had the firm's legal bill not jumped, it would have been closer to a break-even position. In 2024, the trend of increased travel continued with airlines returning to profitability, the directors note in the newly-filed accounts. 'Capital markets and investor demand for new aviation issuances/exposures is rebounding, offering aircraft trading and other opportunities,' they added. Earlier this year, Airborne Capital and Daiwa Securities confirmed a joint venture to create Daiwa Airborne. Airborne Capital said it continues to pursue emerging opportunities, supported by its business alliance with Daiwa Securities, that will offer 'comprehensive support' to high-net-worth individuals and corporations through Japanese Operating Lease products and the management of leasing services. Last year, activist investment giant Elliott increased its stake in Airborne Capital by way of about $3m in payment-in-kind equity notes.
India Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
How to make Pakistan pay for Pahalgam carnage: The hard options
(NOTE: This was originally published in the India Today issue dated May 5, 2025)AIR STRIKESThe obvious reference point is India's air strike in 2019 following the Pulwama attack, where 12 Mirage jets fooled the Pakistan Air Force, made a deep ingr ess and bombed a JeM camp in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inviting retaliatory air strikes from Pakistan in J&K. The IAF's Rafale jets (in pic) are one of the best multirole fighters, so this is an option. India's strike can be at the LeT headquarters in and around After the Pahalgam incident, Pak is tan is said to have moved more of its air assets to Lahore and Rawalpindi. Its Airborne and Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft are also watching the Indian airspace. MISSILE ATTACKSInstead of mobilising for a conventional conflict, India could target terror launch-pads/ training centres in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and elsewhere with surface-to-surface short-range tactical missiles like Prithvi, Pralay (in pic) and Shaurya, all of which are ideal for hitting strategic targets across the Pakistan's terror infrastructure can be in camps in pro xi m ity to those of the armed forces. If an Indian missile strike hits a Pak army unit, it will lead to a wider conflagration. Also, the worry is that Pakistan has missiles with tactical nuclear FLOW OF INDUS WATERSadvertisementIndia has already suspended the Indus Waters Treaty that apportions the rivers of the Indus system among the two countries. While this wouldn't immediately affect Pakistan, if India does disrupt or divert the flow of water by building canals or dams, lower riparian regions in Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh would be seriously Pakistan has declared that any atte mpt to div ert Indus waters would be 'an act of war'.SURGICAL STRIKESThe Indian army's special forces or commando units can cross the LoC, attack Jaish-e-Mohammed/Lashkar-e-Toiba terror camps . This is exactly what happened after the Uri attack in September 2016, when Indian commandos conducted a series of strikes and claimed that they had taken out 150-odd Once bitten already, Pakistan army units along the border will be on high alert to such an eventuality. A surgical strike could actually be employed in conjunction with an air attack on the terror PRESSUREPakistan, with its long, dubious record in harbouring terror groups, has spent three periods in the 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, the latest being 2018-22. Pakistan is surviving on IMF loans, so another spell on the FATF list would be After Pahalgam, India has the supp ort of all major countries; our diplomats are briefing them too. Pakistan has reason to exp ect a diplomatic blitzkrieg. Another option is to paralyse their economy by enforcing a blockade by the Indian Navy on its ports. But that would be considered an act of extreme hostility, akin to declaration of war.—with Pradip R. SagarSubscribe to India Today Magazine
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Medal of Honor March: Master Sergeant Matthew Williams
Master Sergeant Matthew Williams is a member of the United States Army and a recipient of the Armed Forces' prestigious Medal of Honor. Williams was born near the small town of Boerne, Texas, on October 3, 1981. After completing high school, he attended Angelo State University, where he earned a degree in criminal justice. His initial ambition was to work as a detective for the FBI. However, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he became interested in military service. He joined the Army in 2005, attending Basic Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then underwent an assessment and training to join Special Forces and eventually became a sergeant. Williams joined Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Company C, 3rd Battalion, Special Operations Task Force-33, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, and in 2008, he deployed to Afghanistan to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. There, he showcased exceptional bravery and earned his Medal of Honor. Sergeant Matthew O. Williams distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on April 6, 2008, while serving as a Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Sergeant Williams was part of an assault element inserted by helicopter into a location in Afghanistan. As the assault element was moving up a mountain toward its objective, it was engaged by intense enemy machine gun, sniper, and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The lead portion of the assault element, which included the ground commander, sustained several casualties and became pinned down on the sheer mountainside. Sergeant Williams, upon hearing that the lead element had sustained casualties and was in danger of being overrun, braved intense enemy fire to lead a counter-attack across a valley of ice-covered boulders and a fast-moving, ice cold, and waist-deep river. Under withering fire, Sergeant Williams and his local national commandos fought up the terraced mountainside to the besieged element. Arriving at the lead element's position, Sergeant Williams arrayed his Afghan commandos to provide suppressive fire, which kept the insurgent fighters from overrunning the position. When the Team Sergeant was wounded, Sergeant Williams braved enemy fire once again to provide buddy-aid and to move the Team Sergeant down the sheer mountainside to the casualty collection point. Sergeant Williams then fought and climbed his way back up the mountainside to help defend the lead assault element that still had several serious casualties in need of evacuation. Sergeant Williams directed suppressive fire and exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reestablish the team's critical satellite radio communications. He then assisted with moving the wounded down the near-vertical mountainside to the casualty collection point. Noting that the collection point was about to be overrun by enemy fighters, Sergeant Williams led the Afghan commandos in a counter-attack that lasted for several hours. When helicopters arrived to evacuate the wounded, Sergeant Williams again exposed himself to enemy fire, carrying and loading casualties onto the helicopters while continuing to direct commando firepower to suppress numerous insurgent positions. His actions enabled the patrol to evacuate wounded and dead comrades without further casualties. Sergeant Williams' complete disregard for his own safety and his concern for the safety of his teammates ensured the survival of four critically wounded soldiers and prevented the lead element of the assault force from being overrun by the enemy. Sergeant Williams' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. With the battle raging on, Williams made his way to the task force's satellite radio and established communication with headquarters. He requested backup, and despite the ongoing fight, he rescued several wounded soldiers and recovered numerous casualties. He worked tirelessly, dodging enemy fire and putting himself in harm's way to save the lives of his fellow service members. Finally, evacuation helicopters arrived, and the battle ended. However, the bravery and selflessness displayed by Sergeant Williams will never be forgotten. He put the lives of others before his own, showing unwavering courage in the face of danger. On October 30, 2019, President Donald Trump presented Williams with his Medal of Honor during a special ceremony at the White House. Williams continues to serve in the United States Army. Learn more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society at or find them on Instagram |Facebook Participate in Medal of Honor Day on March 25 by sharing a recipient's story Support veteran hiring and transition programs in your workplace Teach younger generations about the values of courage, sacrifice, and service Medal of Honor Month isn't just about recognizing history. It's about keeping the mission alive for the future. Observe Medal of Honor March on We Are The Mighty here.
