The new commander of a battalion of one of Canada’s most famous army regiments lives in Hawkesbury.
Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Obas became commanding officer of the Laval-based Fourth Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment—known colloquially as the “Van Doos” on April 29. Obas was born in La Malbaie, Québec in 1973 and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1992.
The Royal 22e has origins dating to 1869 as an all-French-Canadian regiment. It has battle honours from World War One, World War Two, Korea, the Gulf War (1991), and Afghanistan. The Fourth Battalion is a reserve unit.
The Royal 22e has a strong relationship with Québec. The regimental badge contains the Québec coat of arms and as a regimental motto, it shares the provincial motto “Je me souviens” (I remember).
