A CF-18 Hornet sits on the tarmac at Canadian Forces Base Trenton on Monday June 20, 2022. The Royal Canadian Air Force is reinstating two officers disciplined over a homophobic fighter pilot nickname. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg
OTTAWA – The Royal Canadian Air Force is reinstating two officers disciplined over a homophobic nickname given to a fighter pilot.
Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston announced the decision to reinstate Col. Colin Marks and Lt.-Col. Casey Mask in a message to Air Force members today.
The two officers pleaded guilty at a hearing last week after failing to stop a group of fighter pilots from assigning an inappropriate call sign to another pilot in June.
Huddleston says Marks and Mask have demonstrated humility, and that he and Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny believe the two officers can learn from their mistake.
He says that is why Marks will be allowed to assume command of Canada’s fighter base in Bagotville, Que., and Mask is returning to his post as commander of a CF-18 squadron in Cold Lake, Alta.
A military sexual assault survivors’ group has raised concerns about the two officers being reinstated without some type of concrete action to atone for their choice not to intervene.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022.
