There’s a new command team for 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG) at Garrison Petawawa. A change of command ceremony and parade was held on June 30th, 2022, to mark the occasion. Colonel Jay MacKeen has taken over as the Commanding Officer from Colonel Eric Landry to become the 17th commander of 2 CMBG. MacKeen says it’s a natural transition that happens every couple of years to provide new perspectives on training.
Colonel MacKeen joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 and was recently awarded a master of strategic studies from the US Army War College. MacKeen says he’s excited to be in Petawawa and to have the opportunity to serve with what is arguably Canada’s most famous and operationally focused brigade.
MacKeen will lead roughly 4,700 troops through the contingency and committed phases as they prepare to deploy on missions across Canada and around the world.
As part of the 2 CMBG change of command ceremony at the end of June, Chief Warrant Officer Donovan Crawford was appointed the Brigade Sergeant Major, replacing Chief Warrant Officer Jeramie Leamon.
2 CMBG is home to eight units including an artillery unit, a combat service support unit, an armoured unit, a combat engineer regiment, a headquarters and signals squadron and three infantry units.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)
Photo by Corporal Lanny Jellicoe, Garrison Petawawa Imagery Technician.