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A message from the 17 Wing Commander
Colonel Jody Hanson, OMM, CD
17 Wing/CFB Winnipeg Defence Team,
Is it just me, or did 2025 fly by faster than a Gonzo flypast? Somehow, we’ve already reached December—and what a remarkable year it has been for the 17 Wing/CFB Winnipeg Defence Team!
Throughout the year, we continued to deliver on our core mission: supporting NORAD, Search and Rescue, and JFACC operations. This year was especially significant on the Operation LENTUS front, where we helped evacuate approximately 6,500 people from Northern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario during the wildfire season. Achievements of this scale are only possible because of your extraordinary teamwork, dedication, and resilience.
At the same time, our Force Generation efforts evolved to meet the demands of future CAF growth. Every day, new Met Forecasters, ACSOs, AES Ops, AOOs, Instructor Pilots, character-based leaders, survival-savvy aircrew, Space Operators, maintenance technicians—and many more—honed their skills, graduated courses, and prepared to integrate into RCAF operations. Every RCAF member knows they’ll come to 17 Wing for training, and they’re right—the quality of training you deliver here is second to none.
Meanwhile, we adapted to a rapidly changing global security environment and CAF mobilization efforts, alongside a significant increase in defence spending. Readiness and warfighting became regular topics of discussion, and we faced the challenges of growth head-on. Unprecedented financial opportunities pushed us to achieve aggressive targets with the same personnel, demanding agility, creativity, and flexibility—and you delivered in spades.
All of this happened while we celebrated CFB Winnipeg’s 100th Anniversary. This hugely successful campaign added extra work for hundreds of personnel across the base, yet you rose to the occasion. Twelve incredible events over nine months, outreach to thousands of Winnipeggers and Manitobans—together, we made our mark. People will not soon forget what we accomplished here at CFB Winnipeg, and that’s thanks to you.
As we head into the holiday season, take this time to pause, recharge, and connect with family, friends, and loved ones. To those who support our Defence Team members—thank you. Your support enables us to achieve everything listed above.
Please take care of yourselves and each other and reach out if you or someone you know needs support—because our strength lies in our team.
On behalf of CWO Rousseau and myself, we wish you, your family, your friends, and yes, your pets, a wonderful Holiday Season. We wouldn’t want to enter 2026 with any other team than the one right here at 17 Wing/CFB Winnipeg.
Voxair has been the official Winnipeg military community news source since 1952. The name derives from the Latin word "vox" meaning voice and "air" from the Royal Canadian Air Force, combining to establish the Voice of the Air Force.
Managed by the Corporate Services team, Voxair represents CFB Winnipeg/ 17 Wing and is the central source of local information for the CAF community.
Currently, Voxair operates on Facebook and Instagram under the channel name @Voxair.
17 Wing is situated at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg and operates under the command of 2 Canadian Air Division. It plays a vital role in generating, delivering, and sustaining air missions to support the mandate of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and offers assistance to Lodger Units and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The wing is responsible for providing fundamental aircrew training, specialized education, and environmental skills training for aircrew members.
Functioning as a support base, 17 Wing offers administrative, operational, and logistical support to over 113 units situated across 35 locations and 10 armouries spanning a wide geographic area. Additionally, 17 Wing serves as a Deployed Operations Base for NORAD fighter operations, including the CF-18 Hornets, as needed. The wing takes pride in supporting both 1 and 2 Canadian Air Divisions as lodger units.
