#GaleForceWins was in invited by https://genoadesign.com/ to attend http://defsecatlantic.ca/ to interview a selection of attendees. In episode #62 we interview the most senior sailor in The Royal Canadian Navy. Rear-Admiral Santarpia enrolled in the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate Training Plan as a Maritime Surface Officer in 1986. His operational postings on both the East and West Coasts of Canada included Navigating Officer of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Cormorant and Vancouver, Combat Officer of HMCS Huron, Executive Officer of HMC Ships Chaleur and Halifax, and Commanding Officer of HMCS St. John’s. He was Navigation Instructor at the Naval Officer Training Centre, Head of the Warfare Training Division at Canadian Forces Fleet School (Esquimalt), Operations Officer at Sea Training Pacific, and Commanding Officer of Sea Training Atlantic. Following his promotion to Captain (Navy) in 2009, he was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Vice Chief of Defence Staff. In 2010, he was appointed Base Commander of CFB Halifax until his departure to attend the National Security Program in 2012. Promoted to Commodore in July 2013, he was appointed Director General Naval Personnel. He led the transformation of that organization and assumed the duties of the first Director General Navy Strategic Readiness in April 2014. From December 2014 to April 2015, then Cmdre Santarpia deployed to Bahrain to command Combined Task Force 150, a multinational group of ships and aircraft conducting counter-terrorism operations. Upon his return to Canada, he was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, and later appointed Director General Plans at the Strategic Joint Staff in July 2016. In May 2018, he joined the Canadian Joint Operations Command as the Chief of Staff. It has been our pleasure and privilege to spend time with the Navy’s Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic.
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