Cpl Cody Misner

Stag Special

Cpl Corbin Monaco joined the Canadian Army Reserve with The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) when he was 22, just a few years after meeting a pioneering local veteran with whom he shared much in common.

The son of a Jamaican mother and Italian-Canadian father, Cpl Monaco’s goal was to expand his skill set while also finding out just how far he could be pushed out of his comfort zone.

From Hamilton, Ont., he is not the first in his family to have joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). His parents, although somewhat apprehensive at first about the career move, were proud their son became another member of the family to join; Cpl Monaco’s aunt had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during a long career before retiring recently.

He says he was also inspired by the story of Lincoln Alexander, the first Black person ever elected to the House of Commons, among other firsts achieved by him.

The late Toronto-born Alexander has had numerous awards and schools named in his honour, in addition to a major freeway in Cpl Monaco’s home town of Hamilton. The “Linc,” as it is known locally, was named for Alexander, who became the 24th Lt-Gov of Ontario. The son of West Indian immigrants also served with the RCAF, just like Cpl Monaco’s aunt, during the Second World War.

He also served as Honourary Colonel of 2 Tactical Aviation Wing (later 2 Air Wing) from November 1985 to December 1996. A Royal Air Cadet Squadron, 876 Lincoln Alexander Squadron, in Scarborough, Ont., is named in his honour and he was an honorary director of the Air Cadet League of Canada.

Alexander died on Oct. 19, 2012 at the age of 90 in Hamilton.

Cpl Monaco met the pioneering leader when he was a teen, and aspired then to “become something more than an ordinary citizen,” just as Alexander had.

An avid athlete and soccer player currently working as a sheriff with the Ontario Public Service, Cpl Monaco believes that joining the Army Reserve provides regular citizens with a valuable background of discipline and duty that serves them well in today’s tough job market and provides service to the communities in which they live, as well.

“It’s a great place to develop as a person,” he said. “It’s also a great place to give back.”

It is not always easy balancing the life of a citizen and the part-time job of a Reserve infantry soldier, as summers are often spent training full-time.

“The Army is truly one of the places where you get back what you put into it,” he said. “The best part about being a Reservist is being able to maintain my civilian career and still gain the skills that the Army offers.”

Cpl Monaco links his military career to that aspiration to “be more.”

During his years of service, he has done some remarkable things, such as participating in the Canadian Patrol Concentration — a gruelling endurance and soldiering competition in the freezing temperatures of Northern Alberta in November — as a member of the 31 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) team.

The feeling of accomplishment is a regular occurrence in the Army, according to the young soldier.

“My best day in the Army was back when I graduated from my infantry trade course. It was the first challenge that I had to overcome,” he recalls with a smile. “There is nothing quite like the feeling of knowing that you and some of your closest friends had just finished doing something great.”

Speaking about why Black history is important to him as a soldier, Cpl Monaco reminds us Black History month is a great time for historical reflection.

“It means a lot to me because it provides an opportunity to showcase the contributions that Black Canadians have provided and the sacrifices that they made during conflicts throughout history. It also highlights the heroism of Black soldiers that may have been skipped over in history classes being taught in school.”

Cpl Corbin Monaco, of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment), takes part in live-fire and patrol training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Photo SLt Andrew McLaughlin/31CBG

Lincoln Alexander inspects a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) guard of honour during his tenure as Lt-Gov of Ontario. He was Canada’s first Black person elected to the House of Commons, first Black federal cabinet minister, first Black person to serve as Lt-Gov of Ontario, and was an Honourary Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Photo DND archives