Sydney Mines native receives Meritorious Service Medal
SYDNEY MINES — Warrant Officer Daniel Pius Mansfield, M.S.M., C.D., a native of Sydney Mines, received the Meritorious Service Medal (military division) during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday.
Mansfield, who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994, has been on tour in Croatia in 1992, 1993 and 1996 and served in Afghanistan in 2008-2009 and 2010-2011.
He served as task force Kandahar engineer regiment operations warrant officer from Aug. 2010 to July 2011. As the engineer adviser to the Tactical Operations Centre, he ensured the optimal allocation of scarce engineer resources, contributed to the provision of accurate information regarding threat levels and enabled the acquisition of equipment that would have otherwise been inaccessible to the task force. Warrant officer Mansfield’s remarkable efforts and outstanding leadership were critical to the operational success of the engineer regiment.
“As engineers we end up doing quite a few tours,” Mansfield said. “Receiving this award is quite the honour. I love what I do. We have a role as engineers and we try to fulfill that role as best we can whether it is road building, water crossings or explosive work.”
He was promoted to sergeant in June 2000, to warrant officer in 2006 and promoted his current rank of master warrant officer in 2011. He continues to serve 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, Canadian Forces Base, Petawawa, his home base for most of his mil- itary career.
As the engineer adviser to the Tactical Operations Centre, he ensured the optimal allocation of scarce engineer resources, contributed to the provision of accurate information regarding threat levels and enabled the acquisition of equipment that would have otherwise been inaccessible to the task force.
Mansfield, the son of Sylvia Mansfield and the late Nick Mansfield, and his wife Leanne Mansfield (Young) have a 16-year-old son Cody, and two daughters, 11year-old Bailey and 10-year-old Meghan.
“We are really proud of Danny,” said his mom Sylvia Mansfield of Sydney Mines, who travelled to Ottawa to attend the ceremony.