It might be dirty and weather worn but the city flag will soon be back in the Mayor’s office after a trip to Kandahar City, Afghanistan, with Warrant Officer Neil Pitts. (pictured with his wife and grandson)

Pitts left the Bay in the spring for his seven month tour in Afghanistan with fellow military servents Cpl. Andrew MacLean and Master Cpl. Dale Degagne, both stationed at CFB North Bay.

“It was a bit of home,” Pitts says of the city and Legion flags.

“You always look up because you know it is there you hosted it up. You don’t see it at night because were normally in blackout conditions we don’t want to give them a target to shoot at.”



Pitts was surprised on his return home Saturday to find an airport full of well wishers that included family, friends, North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli, Callander, Mayor Hector Lavigne and a colour guard from the Callander Legion.

“I was surprised when they said they wanted the agent to have a seat and I said okay something is up here and we just went through the same thing in Quebec City,” he explains.

“But coming home here and seeing my cousin Donnie out there who is the president of the Callander Legion and I was ah this is pretty cool, and then once I got outside and I looked through the glass and saw my family here, my uncle here, my dad here, my mom, my aunt, so I’m a little teary eyed.”



Missing the gathering was Pitt’s brother because he is on his way over to Afghanistan, but the brother’s paths did cross in Toronto where the Warrant Officer had the opportunity to offer a bit of advice.

“I just told him to pay attention to what is going on over there,” notes Pitts.

“He’s with the civilian police CivPol as they call them over there and he did all the training and all the build up to it so he’s old enough and mature enough to know what is going on there. So ya it was great that I actually had a chance to meet with him.”

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