A Lethbridge man has taken on a significant role with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Colonel Curtis Wright is the new Commander at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, also known as 17 Wing. A change of command ceremony on June 30 saw Col. Wright take over the role for Col. Jody Hanson.
“It’s certainly humbling,” Col. Wright told My Lethbridge Now, adding that the position will have him oversee all the operations at 17 Wing.
“It’s always a little daunting to take on a position of a wing commander, but it’s very interesting and encouraging as well, to have the opportunity to lead a team – there’s almost 3,000 people that work for 17 Wing across, right from the border of Alberta/Saskatchewan all the way to Thunder Bay [Ontario], is the area we look after.”
He referred to the appointment as a “true privilege”.
Col. Wright has been with the Canadian Armed Force since 1990, but his interest started much earlier in his youth, as a member of the #11 Air Cadets in Lethbridge.
He said he had an interest in flying when he decided to join the Air Cadets.
Through the program, Col. Wright said he learned about flying, but even more about the importance of community service and leadership, something that drove him further into a career with the armed forces. He also had a teacher at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute that he said taught him about the value of helping others.
“I really attribute where I am today to that starting out in Lethbridge,” Col. Wright remarked.
EVOLUTION
Over the years, Col. Wright said he has seen many changes within the Canadian Armed Forces, including a focus on modernizing aircraft and operations.
He said primarily throughout the 1990s and 2000s, “We didn’t update the aircraft, we didn’t replace some of the aircraft, and now that we’ve gone with meeting the two per cent, and potentially the 3.5 per cent of GDP spending for NATO, there’s been an influx of money to replace some of those aging systems, which is quite daunting because we’re stepping up and replacing a lot of systems at the same time.”
Another big change the new commander has noticed is the culture of the military.
“We started out in the 90s, it was very militaristic … but society has changed and people have changed and we need to change with them, so no longer is it ‘do what I do and don’t ask any questions’, it’s more of a communication with the newer generations to ensure that people understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Col. Wright remarked that people join the CAF to serve the country and help others, so it is very important that they know why certain decisions are made.
A HELPING HAND
One of Col. Wright’s fondest recent memories is assisting residents of Manitoba and northern Ontario impacted by wildfires in 2025.
“We sprung to action as a team, and we flew, in one circumstance, Hercules aircraft and in another one, a bunch of helicopters in to help lift people out before the fires reached their towns because they had no other way,” he said. “That is an amazing feeling, and you could see that from every person on the team.”
He added, “Everybody was just happy to be able to help their fellow Canadians and that is really inspiring when you see people come together to help those that need that help.”
Col. Wright said there have been some experiences that have proven quite challenging but overall, his time in the Air Force has allowed him to see many parts of Canada and lend a helping hand to Canadians in need.
He encourages everyone to do their part to help fellow members of their community.
“All of those [experiences] just really contribute to the fact that you have that opportunity to serve your country and do what the country needs, and that has been an incredible experience that I would encourage everybody to try and get out there and help and experience those things about Canada, because that’s the one thing I’ve learned in my time is how lucky we are.”
Col. Wright added that he still has family and friends in Lethbridge and always appreciates when he can visit his hometown.
