From sibling rivals to sibling equals in the military

Master Warrant Officer Sibylle Michel is joined by her two brothers (left) MWO Renaud “Mich” Michel and Chief Petty Officer Second Class Max Michel following a promotion ceremony at the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU). Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A recent promotion ceremony at Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) marked a rare “three-peat” for the Michel family.

With her brothers looking on, Warrant Officer Sibylle Michel was promoted to Master Warrant Officer by Lieutenant Commander Judith Harlock and Chief Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Goodwin.  The April 13 promotion elevated her to the same rank as her brothers who also work at CFB Esquimalt.

Younger brother, Master Warrant Officer Renaud “Mich” Michel works as the Transport Controller at TEME for Base Logistics at Work Point. Older brother Chief Petty Officer Second Class Max Michel holds the navy equivalent rank and works as a Fleet Chief for Senior Weapons Engineers at Canadian Fleet Pacific in Dockyard.

“This promotion has taken a number of years to achieve as my trade is quite competitive, so to finally reach the rank that my both my brothers have held for several years makes me very happy,” said MWO Michel.

She and her two brothers have served a combined 95 years in Canada’s military. MWO Sibylle Michel has enjoyed a 30-year career with Canada’s military and now moves on to Canadian Fleet Pacific where she will become the Fleet Senior Human Resources Administrator (HRA) Manager. After her promotion was complete she thanked those in attendance before receiving congratulations and a few good natured barbs from her brothers.

“Of course we are proud but it’s about time,” joked her older brother noting she was the last one in the family to reach the rank.

“Yeah, she’s lagging,” chimed in the younger Mich. “But seriously, three of us is enough for Canada’s military.”

The patriarch of the Michel family moved them to Canada from France in 1972. Their father Claude Michel is a retired Sergeant who fought for France in the Algerian War, a bloody war of independence that claimed over 300,000 lives in the 1950s and 60s.

Her father and mother, Siegrun Michel both live in Victoria but were unable to attend the ceremony. A member of the Base PA team made a video of the proceedings so the parents could watch it from home.

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