Skip to content

Saskatchewan Dragoons hold Change of Command ceremony

Maj. Mackenzie Driscoll takes over as new commanding officer from Maj. Gillian Dulle
The Saskatchewan Dragoons have a new leader.

The storied Canadian Armed Forces primary reserve unit held their official Change of Command ceremony on Saturday at the D.V. Currie VC Armoury, officially enshrining Maj. Mackenzie Driscoll as their new commanding officer as he takes over from Maj. Gillian Dulle.

The event featured a full military parade, with Col. Geoff Abthorpe of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group acting as the reviewing officer and more than two dozen military members and their families on hand to witness the event.

To say the least, it was a bittersweet day for both the outgoing and incoming C.O., especially given their time together and close friendship.

“I’ve been with the Saskatchewan Dragoons the last 18 years now, over half my life as a trooper in the unit, and it’s really special now where I’ve reached this point that I now get to take command,” Driscoll said prior to a special social event that evening. “We have such a great group of people here, I’ve come up through my military career with them, our former C.O. Gill included. So it is special to be able to do this, but as Major Dulle said, it’s a little bittersweet since she’s going to move on to her next move. But it’s been wonderful, we had a great turnout and I’m just glad the day went well.”

Driscoll hails from Swift Current and joined the Army Reserve with the Dragoons in 2001 while still in high school. He rose to the rank of master corporal and was an armoured reconnaissance crew commander, serving two tours with Operation Athena – Canada’s commitment to NATO in Afghanistan. He received his commission in 2009 and eventually became the deputy commanding officer and second in command of the Dragoons behind Dulle.

Seeing as both live in Saskatoon, the duo made the trip south every Wednesday night to work with their unit and in doing so became close compatriots.

“It’s been a really special experience, since the last three years I’ve been able to be her deputy commanding officer,” Driscoll said. “We’ve been able to accomplish a lot of things and our unit has faced a lot of challenges, so it’s been an exciting time that way. So now it’s a new page.”

Dulle has little doubt Driscoll is up to the task of leading the Dragoons.

“He’s a fantastic leader and he’s going to do very well in this position,” she said. “He’s a very confident and capable officer and I’m more than excited to see where he takes the unit the next few years.”

There’s little question he’ll have quite the legacy to live up to – Dulle’s time with the Dragoons saw a host of highlights, including the rare honour of overseeing the consecration of a new guidon, guiding her troops through the acquisition and training on their new Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle as well as leading the Dragoons through numerous field exercises the deployments through her three years in command.

“It is a bittersweet day… it’s been an amazing three years,” Dulle said. “Having the privilege to serve in this unit as their commanding officer is an honour unmatched by anything else.”

The change won’t mark the end of Dulle’s military career, not by a long shot. She’s currently on track to take part in the two-year Joint Command and Staff program out of Toronto before moving on to command an armoured unit out of Winnipeg.

For Driscoll, meanwhile, it’ll be picking up right where Dulle left off.

“A big priority for us is to continue to strengthen our unit and grow our organization,” he said. “Western Canada is currently in a state of high readiness for performance outside of Canada, as well as there’s always the possibility for an emergency inside Canada. So our focus will be to just continue to be ready for that.”

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks