“Raising the Pride flag is about respect, inclusion, and making sure every single person here knows they belong,” said CFB Shilo Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Nguyen on June 2 at a gathering on Base to recognize the start of Pride Month.

 

“It isn’t just something we do because it’s on the calendar. It’s a visible reminder of who we are as a team, and who we want to keep becoming,” he said. “Inclusion isn’t a poster or a speech. It’s in these small moments when we choose to respect and back each other that people feel recognized.”

 

“The flag will fly for the entire month as a symbol, so when people enter the Base, they know, hey, this is a place where we respect people, we treat people with dignity, we include people and bring them in as part of the team.”

 

The Base Commander was resolute that across the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the message is clear: diversity and inclusion make us stronger. It’s not just about doing the right thing, he said, it’s also about being a more effective, more cohesive, and more operationally ready force.

 

“When people feel safe to be themselves, they perform better, they lead better, and they support each other better.”

 

Losing even 10 per cent of the workforce due to a lack of inclusivity would be detrimental, as it would hinder the organization’s ability to serve Canada effectively, he said, adding inclusion makes the organization stronger, both ethically and operationally.

 

“We also recognize that we haven’t always gotten it right. There’s been real progress, and there’s still work to do. What matters is that we keep moving forward together with respect, humility, and a willingness to listen and learn.”

 

Lieutenant-Colonel Nguyen said he is proud of the culture being built at Shilo, and it shows in how individuals treat each other day to day, on course, in the field, and in the workplace. He encourages each member and civilian to take a moment to reflect on what Pride represents, and what each of us can do to keep making our communities and workplaces spaces where everyone can serve with pride.

 

He even shared a message for the “detractors and naysayers.”

 

“[We need to ask them] to think about their neighbours, their coworkers, their families, and all the people around them, who are represented by this flag and respected by this flag. [Ask them] what it means to them to bring us together as a community, and to not divide us as a community.”