THUNDER BAY – Retired Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile received the Meritorious Service Cross from His Excellency, David Johnston, Governor General and Commander in Chief of Canada’s Armed Forces at a ceremony in Rideau Hall on June 10th. Rear Admiral Pile is Métis and the brother of Tim Pile, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Provisional Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario (PCMNO). The decoration recognizes a military deed or activity that has been performed in an outstandingly professional manner, according to a rare high standard that brings considerable benefit or great honour to the Canadian Forces.
The citation for the award reads: “As Commander of Joint Task Force Games for Operation Podium, the Canadian Forces’ mission in support of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Rear Admiral Pile led one of the most complex domestic military operations ever conducted in Canada. He demonstrated exceptional leadership in shaping a co-operative and effective working environment among dozens of partners, including all levels of government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as their civil and military counterparts in the United States. His ability to facilitate the collaboration and coordination of these entities, while ensuring that strategic and operational goals were understood, respected and met by all, was instrumental to the success of Operation Podium and brought great credit to the Canadian Forces.”
Retired Rear Admiral Pile is the son of Eileen Pile and the late Herbert Pile of Geraldton. As a teenager he was the senior cadet at 227 Raven Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He enrolled in the Canadian Forces upon graduating from Geraldton Composite High School and attended both Royal Roads and Royal Military College, graduating from the latter in 1979. During his career as a naval officer he served in a number of Canadian warships, including a brief tour aboard Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia in 1983 during the Queen’s Royal Visit to North America. In 1995 he was appointed as Commanding Officer of the new frigate HMCS Regina, later becoming the first Canadian warship to fully integrate with a United States Carrier Battle Group on deployed operations. He subsequently served as Director of NATO Policy and as Commander of Maritime Operations Group Four in Victoria before being promoted to Commodore and appointed as Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic in 2003. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 2005, he served as Chief Military Personnel and Commander of Military Personnel Command until being appointed Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, he was also concurrently appointed as Commander Joint Task Forces Games, leading Canadian Forces support to security and public safety for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games for which he received this award.