Lieutenant-Colonel Chelsea Braybrook calls troops to attention during the 2 PPCLI Change of Command ceremony, handing over leadership to incoming Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Brown on June 8.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

 Signing of the declarations 2 PPCLI Change of Command with leadership change from LCol Chelsea Braybrook to incoming Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Brown on June 8.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media

A call-out order to troops to stand at attention was issued by Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) Chelsea Braybrook, the outgoing Commander of the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI), as she passed leadership to incoming Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Brown, on June 8.

The Change of Command ceremony was as warm as the morning sun on the Kapyong Parade Square at CFB Shilo, with the new 2 PPCLI Commander welcomed by more than 200 special guests, staff and troops.

The exiting Lieutenant-Colonel Braybrook initially met Shilo Stag two years ago, when she took leadership as the unit’s first female commander in a line of 34 previous male commanders over a 75-year period. At that time, she didn’t want the focus to be on her being female. After all, a soldier is a soldier – it’s not dependent on gender, but on ability and skill. She feels the same today, two years on, when she met with the Stag again to share departing words.

She said she sees and shares some of the same qualities in herself that her brigade commander or division commander emanates.

“I don’t think their gender is a barrier to me not seeing myself as serving next to them or as a colleague to them … I truly do not believe there is a glass ceiling in the regiment.”

“I think that the regiment has done and continues to do a great job of the right person for the right job at the right time. But I don’t even know how you would measure such a thing. If this helps … when women join or when they serve, maybe it helps them see themselves in the bigger organization. As they see women advance, have positions in command, as they see that every job is open to them, then maybe that helps to see their own futures, and to see what’s possible … Then I think that’s a really positive benefit to this.”

She wants her legacy at 2 PPCLI to be one of continued betterment, explaining that commanding officers are traditionally rotated from their position on a two-year basis, so there is constant, fluid change.

LCol Braybrook said that over the last few cycles of commanding officers at 2 PPCLI, a good job has been achieved through a “standing command philosophy” focused on the stewardship of the unit.

“I think the unit is far more than any commanding officer. We are short-timers here; we come, and we go. I think the thing I’ve cared about from the beginning, through to today, and now as I hand over to Pat, is that you want to leave things better than you found them. If everyone just tries to make things a little bit better … and there’s lots of work to do, but I think just … leaving things slightly better than you found them is an achievement.”

During her two years as one of CFB Shilo’s COs, she has been actively busy around the world with job taskings. Some of which were unexpected opportunities to make things better for others.

“When I got here, very quickly, we (2 PPCLI) went to Jasper to respond to the forest fires and do an Operation Lentis iteration. Then we were back here getting Charlie Company and Combat Support Company ready to go on Op Reassurance … then we did our own fourth-generation training for Op Unifier. We then [deployed] into Eastern Europe on Unifier. Then we went over to Korea for the Kapyong 75th before wrapping up here with our platoon live-fires exercises ahead of the change of command.”

She attributes successful missions to the unit’s support and to working together as a team. She mentions OPERATION Unifier.

“So, we were not meant to be the lead mounting unit for Unifier 2502 [Ukraine], and when we found out that that was going to be an opportunity for this battalion, … it was a realization that the only way that was going to happen was as a whole team effort, like we are going to need everybody here to get that done.”

Everyone would be needed to accomplish the mission, and that meant a quick transition for the 2PPCLI members returning from Latvia.

“Being able to reorient the unit onto that short-notice lead mounting unit task was really important … To lead that was super rewarding and very meaningful, but then to watch the team grow was [significant].”

From that growth, being able to see three specific members of her team awarded for their efforts in theatre by receiving Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) commendations, she said, was because of the team mentality and operations.

“So to see those folks enabled and recognized and to watch their success was because of a whole team effort.” That is probably the most poignant moment or memory [for me in my 2PPCLI command.]

Sharing another memorable moment from her time as commanding officer, she said the visit to Kapyong will hold a special place in her heart. The contingent was able to participate in several commemorative events, with the highlight being the day at Kapyong and hiking up hill 677 on the actual anniversary date.

She said she and the Commander of the Canadian Army, General Wright, were able to attend the cenotaph and the remembrance ceremony together.

“It was also a great personal moment, getting to be there with the Commander of the Army, who had also commanded the Second Battalion – I don’t think that will probably ever happen again. And to have two Second Battalion commanding officers there on the occasion of the 75th anniversary was great.”

Asked how she feels about leaving, LCol Braybrook said she feels “great” and has no reservations, as she has full confidence in LCol Brown.

“Obviously, I would rather stay, but this is not an option. Pat is no stranger to this battalion service. He has been here before. He’s a great person, super competent, and a great leader. He’s a great friend … I always feel like this battalion’s in really good hands. It’s people who care, so they’ll do the right thing because they care. So I have no apprehension.

“And you know, I look forward to the day when I’ll serve next to these folks again, wherever that is, whatever capacity. I turn 44 in a few days, so I have lots of legs left, and I’m sure I’ll see these people again in any capacity. You know, there are buildings, there are vehicles, there are lots of weapons, but the only thing that makes this place a battalion is the people. That is by far the most important thing here.”

PHOTO GALLERY:

Lieutenant-Colonel Chelsea Braybrook stands during the 2 PPCLI Change of Command ceremony, handing over leadership to incoming Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Brown on June 8.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

Inspection of 2 PPCLI during the Change of Command ceremony, when Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Brown takes leadership from LCol Chelsea Braybrook on June 8.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)