Lt(N) Maxwell Riley: A beekeeper with a good heart
By RCN
When Lieutenant(N) (Lt(N)) Maxwell Riley enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), he did not imagine how fulfilling his work would be. Now, in his position as the Marine System Engineering Officer onboard HMCS Windsor, the Nova Scotian is glad he joined.
“As I progressed through my career, the sense of fulfillment, the opportunity for humanitarian aid kept me going,” said Lt(N) Riley.
Born in Eastern Passage, NS, Lt(N) Riley enrolled in the Naval Reserves on May 4th, 2010, the Royal Canadian Navy’s centennial. He remembers being on the deck of HMCS Toronto for the enrollment ceremony.
“From my perspective it was a larger ceremony, and it was pretty interesting,” added Lt(N) Riley.
After the ceremony, the reviewing officer, Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, approached him and asked him why he had joined. His answer was “for the money.” His father, Master Sailor (ret’d) James Riley, who was with him for his enrolment was mortified.
“No wonder he was shocked! I had no idea who he was, but my father did,” said Riley.
However, soon after his enrollment, Lt(N) Riley would receive a component transfer to the regular force under the Regular Officer Training Plan and that experience would change his perspective. As he learned more about the culture, heritage and history, Lt(N) Riley came to appreciate what it meant to be part of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“The fact that I could be useful to the people around the world, the sense of duty and purpose are the core values that keep me in the CAF,” said Lt(N) Riley.
Now Lt(N) Riley is always on the lookout to make a difference. In his free time, he gives back to his community by coaching little league soccer, volunteering as a firefighter and, most recently, started bee keeping.
“My friend, an avid beekeeper, was talking about how his neighbour had an apple tree that had not yielded any fruits in years. A couple years after my friend started bee keeping, the same neighbour came back to show the beautiful apple his tree made. Increasing the bee population of Nova Scotia, helping with the pollination of gardens, it is a neat hobby,” said Lt(N) Riley.
What is next? Lt(N) Riley has an idea that will give forward.
“My career end goal would be to support the new submarine project,” he said.
