Warrant Officer Steve Dugas: From sky to sea
By DND
When Warrant Officer Steve Dugas was young, his father, Roland, often talked to him about the benefits of a career in the Canadian Armed Forces. But Dugas always replied that it did not interest him.
Today, Dugas is the father of seven children and has experienced a lot during his 14 years in the Forces, including a deployment in Afghanistan, participation in Exercise RIMPAC near Hawaii, and deployments at sea. He now thinks that enrolling in the CAF was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
“When I talk to my civilian friends, they have trouble believing the stories I tell them, because it’s quite an exceptional career,” Dugas says.
Dugas was born in Happy Valley, Labrador, but he spent very little time there before his father, an aerospace control operator, was transferred to Germany and then to Ontario. Later, his father retired in Grande-Anse, New Brunswick, his family’s natal village, where Dugas would spend most of his youth.
“My parents still live in Grande-Anse with the rest of my family. I would have liked to stay there,” he says.
He finished secondary school and college in Grande-Anse and found work as a security guard. But in 2009 he lost his job, and his wife, Magalie, told him she was pregnant. In order to support his growing family, Dugas decided to enroll in the Air Force as a material management technician.
He had hoped to stay in Eastern Canada, but after two years he was transferred to Esquimalt, BC.
“When they told me I was coming here, to Esquimalt, I didn’t know what it was. When I realized it was a naval base, I actually cried,” Dugas reveals.
Clearly, Base Esquimalt was not his first choice. One of the main reasons for that was his fear of the marine environment and of seasickness. He even considered leaving the Forces. However, thanks to support from Magalie, he decided to stay. He then proceeded to fall in love with life at sea. The experience was so enjoyable that he spent most of his career on naval bases and 10 years at sea on board ships.
“My wife convinced me to stay. Those were the best years of our lives. We absolutely loved it,” says Dugas.
With his years of experience, Dugas brings a unique approach and the mentoring the troops need for their professional development, which he sees as his primary role.
“Looking out for the troops is the part of our job that I like best. It’s important to be a good listener when they have problems, and to offer solutions,” he says.
