Join us on November 10, 2015 for our Annual Tribute to Our Public Defenders, when we host Lieutenant-Commander Sean Batte, a 25-year veteran of the Reserve Force.

While we remember the sacrifices on November 11th, often the war at sea is overlooked.  This event will highlight some of the heroic efforts of our sailors, ships and the Royal Canadian Navy itself over its first century at sea.

LCdr. Batte manages two careers: one is Commanding Officer of HMCS Prevost, the Naval Reserve Division in London, and its 138 sailors. The other is his civilian life as Dr. Batte, which sees him running his own chiropractic practice. When not occupied with either of those pursuits, he may be found practicing high-performance driving at the racetrack, or caring for his daughter.

“There are certainly challenges, but my two careers have really always meshed together,” he says. “They were like gears – one was always driving the other.”

LCdr. Batte recalls the excitement the day he walked two hours in a snowstorm to join HMCS Prevost. He had never seen a warship before and was excited by the opportunity to sail one.

He has a biophysics degree, and spent one year on the East Coast completing his Maritime Surface and Sub-Surface (MARS) officer training. MARS officers manage and direct the maritime strategy, tactics and procedures in the operation of ships, submarines, aircraft, maritime sensors, combat information and weapons systems. They are the only officers who can have command of the navy’s ships and submarines.

While stationed on the East Coast, he sailed in HMCS Moresby, an Anticosti‑class minesweeper, performing interdiction operations and helping to create a new mine warfare doctrine. He experienced the worst storm of his career in Moresby off the coast of Norfolk, Va. The ship was listing so far over he was walking on the walls while waves crashed over the bridge windows.

Following that, he returned to his studies, funding his studies by continuing with short contracts with the Naval Reserve. It is a route he highly recommends to anyone interested in joining the Naval Reserve, as the skill sets learned in the navy, including decision‑making, leadership and interpersonal skills, are highly valued by employers and can help one succeed in any occupation.

We hope you will join us to hear some of LCdr Batte's great moments spent sailing and teaching on both coasts - moments such as participating in Exercise Trident Fury as the executive officer of HMCS Brandon, and training other MARS officers as an Officer in Charge of Orca‑class training vessels. LCdr Batte has worked with officers from all over the world, including the United States, England, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

“The opportunities, like being the Officer in Charge of an Orca, or training under generals who led the fight in Afghanistan or under Nelson Mandela’s former Chief of Staff, are remarkable,” LCdr Batte said. “The Naval Reserves can really augment your whole life and you can make a story for yourself that is far greater than you had ever thought it could be.”