CFB Edmonton member given role in Ottawa Remembrance Day program

File photo of Corp. Lucas Mullens. (Source: Canadian Armed Forces)

A member of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton participated in the national Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa on Monday.

Cpl. Lucas Mullens, a crewman at Lord Strathcona's Horse, was one of 12 from across the country selected by the Remembrance Day Sentry Program as the special guest of the chief of defence staff and the Canadian Armed Forces' chief warrant officer.

"I'm very honoured to be chosen from all the other deserving soldiers in the army," he said during a weekend interview.

Mullens, 40, was awarded the Sacrifice Medal for his time as a Leopard 2A6M and Leopard C2 gunner in Afghanistan in 2009. His leg and back were seriously injured when his tank was struck by an improvised explosive device.

After a long recovery, he climbed the 5,895-metres-tall Mount Kilimanjaro in 2011.

Since returning to service, he has worked in a number of positions, including as a driver in the Coyote Reconnaissance Troop in Latvia in 2019 as part of the Forward Presence Battle Group.

But his 2009 injuries continued to impact his life and so, in 2022, he decided to have a below-the-knee amputation.

In October, he passed the CAF employment fitness test.

"I'm happy that I'm inspiring other people. I thought I was just doing my job. People at the regiment stop by and say hi and that I've inspired them. When I pass people running, it makes them pick up the pace as I only have one leg," he told CTV News Edmonton.

The sentry program was created in 1998 to recognize outstanding members of Canada's armed forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their dedication, professionalism and performance.

Candidates are evaluated on their deployment experience, community involvement, physical fitness, and conduct record.

"I have family that have served before and it's quite an honour to remember them and their sacrifices," Mullens said.

"If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have our freedoms."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Shelby Clarke