Quesnel Canadian Ranger receives Joint Task Force Pacific Command Commendation

Major Geoff Robinson, left, and Major Master Warrant Officer Donald Clark, right, present the Joint Task Force Pacific Command Commendation to Canadian Ranger Master Corporal Juri Agapow of the Quesnel Canadian Ranger Patrol. Photo by Canadian Ranger Lindsay Chung, Quesnel Canadian Ranger Patrol

Canadian Ranger Lindsay Chung, Quesnel Canadian Ranger Patrol ~

Master Corporal Juri Agapow of the Quesnel Canadian Ranger Patrol recently received a Joint Task Force Pacific Command Commendation to recognize his work during the 2017 British Columbia wildfires.

Major Geoff Robinson, Officer Commanding 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group’s British Columbia Company, and Master Warrant Officer Donald Clark, British Columbia Company Sergeant Major, travelled to Quesnel to present the award on Feb. 11.

“Master Corporal Juri Agapow was heavily involved in Operation Lentus during the summer of 2017,” said Maj Robinson. “He spent time fighting fires to save his own property, and then he went ahead and helped everybody else. That’s outstanding work, and that was recognized.”

MCpl Agapow served on Operation Lentus 17-04 in western Canada during the wildfires. Between July 9, 2017, and Sept. 15, 2017, Canadian Armed Forces members supported B.C. provincial firefighters in firefighting operations, evacuating locals, transporting first responders and equipment, delivering essential aid to isolated communities, assisting the RCMP in providing information to the public and conducting observation and reporting at assigned points along access roads in affected areas.

At the Quesnel Patrol meeting, Maj Robinson read the Command Commendation from the Joint Task Force Pacific Commander, signed by Vice-Admiral Art MacDonald, who in 2017 was the Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific.

“Tasked in support of Operation Lentus 17-04, Canadian Ranger Agapow’s performance and dedication to duty were exceptional,” read Maj Robinson. “His knowledge of the local area was an outstanding resource to the Task Force, specifically his in-depth knowledge of the Chilcotin Plateau area was of great value during evacuation operations. This knowledge, combined with his personal connections, greatly contributed to the success of operations. Canadian Ranger Agapow has brought great credit upon himself, the Canadian Rangers, and Joint Task Force Pacific.”

Agapow, who operates Hanceville Cattle Company in Hanceville, B.C., near Williams Lake, was serving with the 100 Mile House Canadian Ranger Patrol in 2017 and is now a section commander with the Quesnel Canadian Ranger Patrol.