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GUEST SPEAKERS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 
2025  
 
Jan          LGen Guy R. Thibault, CMM, MSC, CD (Ret'd) Chair of the CDA Institute Topic: TBA
 
2024  
 
Nov        RKUSI Annual General Meeting
 
Oct            MGen David Fraser, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD, MA, BA (Ret'd) Topic: Ready or Not...Here we Are
 
Sept          George S. Takach, MA, JD Topic: Cold War 2.0: Technology and Geopolitics and What it Means for Canada and Other Democracies
 
June          Dr. Robert S. Williams, OMM, MSM, CD, BGen (Ret’d) Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP) Topic: Poland Knows Too Well the Price of Freedom
 
May          Col Mark Hutchings MSM, CD (Ret'd) Topic: Homes for Heroes
 
Apr          Dr. Phillip Drew (JD, LL.M)  Assistant Dean, Queen’s University Faculty of Law and Fellow Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP) Topic: The Rwanda Genocide

Mar          Maj Cameron G. Carbert, CD (Ret'd) Topic: the Overseas Operations of the Canadian Forestry Corps (CFC) in WWII
  
Feb          BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, KC (Ret'd) Topic: the Assassination and the Killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar 
  
2023  
 
Nov          BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, KC (Ret'd) Topic: Treachery, Treason and the Ukraine Conflict 
  
Oct          Col James Holsworth, CD, LOM  (Ret'd) Topic: Cyprus: Peacekeeping and A Forgotten War
  
Sept        Col (Ret'd) Mike Hill, British Army (King’s Own Scottish Borderers and Intelligence Corps) Topic: The military and civilian use of drones
May     RKUSI Membership Meeting

2022  
Nov     Joint RKUSI / RCMI Event - Dr Howard G. Coombs, OMM, CD, PhD Topic: The First Special Service Force: North Americans at War
 
Sept      RKUSI Annual General Meeting
 
July         Phil Gurski, MA (former analyst CSIS/CSE), CEO Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd Topic: How has terrorism evolved in Canada since 1897?
 
June       LCol Greg Tayor, CD (Ret'd) (former Chief of Staff, Special Service Force) Topic: Is it time to revisit the Special Service Force concept for defence of Canada operations? 
 
Apr         Prof Lubomyr Luciuk, PhD Topic: Perspectives on the Situation in Ukraine
 
2021
  
Nov         Alastair Hensler, BA (RCMP/CSIS Ret'd) Topic: Creating a Foreign Intelligence Service for Canada
  
Sept        BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, QC (Ret'd) Topic: Lessons Learned After Twenty Years of Hostilities: The Use of Force in the Forever War
 
Aug         Dr Phillip Drew, CD, JD, LLM, Dr. luris Topic: Rwanda and the Predictable Path to Genocide
 
July         Pia Brinkschulte, MA 2018 RKUSI Scholarship Recipient Topic: The Ineffectiveness of Sanctions Towards Aspiring Nuclear Programs
 
2020
 

Feb         LCol Geoff Hampton, Directing Staff, CACSC Topic: Contemporary Targeting - The Process and Legality

Jan         Asst. Commr. John Neily, RCMP (Ret'd) Topic: Human Behaviour in Organizational Risk - "Tools or Twits" in Positions of Authority

 
2019
 
Dec         Wassail (Festive food and fellowship) - Tues. Dec. 3 at 1130 hrs

Nov        Lt (N) AC ("Andy") Ashworth, VR, MSc, PEng Topic: The Canadian Cadet Movement in 2019

Oct         BGen David Martin, CD (Ret'd) Topic: Shaping Canada's Modern Maritime Helicopter Force: Experiences from the 1990-1991 Gulf War

Sept       Col Ted Nurse, CD, MA (Ret'd) Topic: The Legend of Danny McLeod: A Tank Troop Leader at War

May        LCol Gord Hagar, CD Topic: The Canadian Operational Support Hub (Europe)

Apr         BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, QC (Ret'd) Topic: Law, Ethics and Targeted Killing in 21st Century Warfare

Mar        Paul Van Nest, MSc Topic: The Impact of British North America on the American Civil War

Feb        Col Chuck Oliviero, CD, PhD (Ret'd) Topic: The Birth of Enlightened Command - The Origins and Concepts of Auftragstaktik

Jan        Dr. Emily Spencer, Dir., Education & Research Centre Canadian Special Operations Force Command Topic:  Building and Sustaining Effective Diverse Teams Within a Military Context

 

2018

Dec        Wassail (Festive food and fellowship) - Mon. Dec. 17 at 1300 hrs

Nov        BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, QC (Ret'd) Topic: The Role of Police Forces in Urban Warfare

Oct        Col James ("Jim") T.J. Calvin, MSC, CD (Ret'd) Topic: The "Medak Pocket" Operation September 1993: Personal Experiences & Aftermath

Sept       Laurence ("Larry") Brooks, BA, Special Advisor to Public Safety Canada and the RCMP Topic: The Relationship Between the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

June       LCol Steve Taylor, MBE, CO PWOR Topic: The Challenges of Command:  How Counter Terrorist and Insurgency Operations Prepared Me for Unit Command in the Canadian Army Reserve

June       RKUSI Summer BBQ 

May        Dr. Meghan Fitzpatrick, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, War Studies (RMCC) Topic: The Human Cost of War: Soldiers and Psychiatrists in Korea, 1950-1953

Apr         LTCOL Andrew Behan, CSM, Australian Army LO to the Canadian Army Topic: Peacekeeping Operations –The Australian Army Experience in East Timor: 1999-2000

Mar        BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, QC (Ret'd) Topic: Military Evidence Collection on the Battlefield

Feb        Forest Edwards, BA (Hons) Topic: Deconstructing the Shia Crescent

Jan        AGM followed by LTC Andrew ("Andy") J. Whitford (US Army), PhD Topic: The War that Would Not End: Britain, Refugees, and the Aftermath of the Vietnam War

 
2017

Dec        Wassail (Festive food and fellowship) - Sat. Dec. 16 at 1300 hrs

Nov        Maj Daniel Eustace, CD, PhD (Ret'd), Director, Defence and Security Studies Program (RCMI) Topic: Design Thinking and the Future of Military Planning

Oct        Lt Col Richard ("Dick") J.D. Ovey, psc(j), British Defence Liaison Staff Topic: British Army International Engagement Policy

Sept       Col C.M. ("Spike") Hazleton, OMM, MSM, CD (Ret'd) Topic: Reflections as an attaché in Italy

Aug        RKUSI Annual BBQ

June       BGen Greg R. Smith, CD Topic: Experiences in Iraq as COS Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command - Operation Inherent Resolve

May        Col Mark Hutchings, CD (Ret'd) Topic: The Hill 70 Project

Apr        Donald G. Mahar, RCMP/CSIS (Ret'd) Topic: Soviet double agent Yevgeni Brik - Note location: a joint presentation with the Military Communications and Electronics Museum (CFB Kingston)

Mar        Lt (N) AC ("Andy") Ashworth, VR, MSc, PEng Topic: (Sea, Army, Air) Cadet Program Renewal

Feb        Richard Brisson, MSc Topic: The History of Camp 'X'

Jan        LtCol (GS) Andreas Vogler, German Armed Forces Visiting Defence Fellow, Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen's University Topic: Experiences and Analysis of Afghanistan Operations

 

2016

Dec      Wassail (Festive food and fellowship)

Nov      LCol Pascal Ratté, CD Topic:The Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence:  An Overview

Oct      Alan Jones, BA, former Assistant Director for Technology (CSIS), and Pierre LaCompte, former DDG Ops of IR (CSIS) Topic: CSIS: The Service's Role in Afghanistan

Sept     LCol Lawrence Zaporzan, OMM, CD (Ret'd), former Defence Attaché to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Cyprus Topic: A former attaché's perspective on the Middle East

June     Members' Dinner on the Terrace (Tues, 21 June)

May      Richard Brisson, MSc Topic: WWII and the German Enigma - ​Cryptology, Cryptanalysis and Exploitation

Apr       Ambassador Louis A. Delvoie (Ret'd), Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen's University Topic: The Islamic State

Mar       LCol Lawrence Zaporzan, OMM, CD (Ret'd), former Defence Attaché to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Cyprus Topic: A former attaché's perspective on the Middle East [cancelled due to inclement weather]

Feb      Maj Errol G. MacEachern, CD, Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre Topic: Light Forces Development

Jan      Film - Operation Husky, commentary by Col  George Javornik, CD (Ret'd)


2015

Nov     Brent Holland, BFA, radio host and author Topic: The Kennedy Assassination

Oct     Col Stephen W. Hall, CD, Director, Applied Military Science, RMCC Topic: The Canadian Army's Applied Military Science program

Sept    Maj John Tyler, CD (RCMP/CSIS) (Ret'd) Topic: The History of Intelligence

May     Phil Osanic, BA, LLM Topic: 20th - 21st Century CAF Service Rifles, Marksmanship Principles, and Small Arms Doctrine

Apr      Peter Milliken, PC, OC, FRSC Topic: The Role of the Speaker of the House

Mar     Neil Bernard Dukas, CD, MA Topic: Hawaiian Wars - The Battle of Nuuanu, 1795

Feb      LCol Doug Bland, PhD (Ret'd) Topic: Time Bomb: Canada and the First Nations

Jan      Col Karl Michaud, CD, Director, Applied Military Science, RMCC

 
2014

Nov     LCol Jeffrey M. Barr, CD Topic: Op Proteus: The Tactical Situation

Oct      BGen Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, QC (Ret'd) Topic: 21st Century Conflict: Definitely Not Your Grandfather’s War

Sept    Prof Lubomyr Luciuk, PhD Topic: Ukraine

May    MGen Dean Milner, OMM , MSC, CD Topic: The Canadians in Afghanistan Transition from War Fighting to Training

Apr      Tim Sugrue, MA Topic: The IV Princess Louise Dragoon Guards: Origins & Memories

Mar     Neil Bernard Dukas, CD, MA Topic: A Brief Military History of the Hawaiian Kingdom (and the surprising Canadian connection)

Feb      Supt Guy Rook, RCMP, OIC ‘O’ Division Topic: The case of Lt (N) Delisle, convicted of spying for Russia

Jan      MGen Jim Ferron, OMM, MSC, CD Topic: DART in Philippines & other things

 
2013

Nov     Ken Weber, Prof Emeritus (University of Toronto) Topic: “Why Canadian History is Not Boring”

Oct      BGen Serge Labbé, MSC, CD (Ret'd) Topic: Will speak on his experiences in Afghanistan

May    A Second World War Retrospective: Canadian Army Film Unit Newsreels from 1943-1944 (Battlefields: Italy, NW Europe, Homefront)

Apr      Col Howard Coombs, CD Topic: "Integrating Operations: A Perspective On Canada's Activities In Afghanistan"2004 and 2010-2011"

Mar     Ambassador Louis A. Delvoie (Ret'd), Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen's University Topic: India: An Emerging World Power???

Feb      Maj John Grodzinski, CD, PhD Topic: "The Enemy kept up a heavy and destructive fire": The British Raid on Sackets Harbor May 27-29, 1813

Jan      Col Jody Nelson, US Army, Senior Service College and Visiting Defence Fellow, Queen's University Topic: "Commanding in Afghanistan: Soldiers to Afghans"