Voxair has been the official Winnipeg military community news source since 1952. The name derives from the Latin word "vox" meaning voice and "air" from the Royal Canadian Air Force, combining to establish the Voice of the Air Force.
Managed by the Corporate Services team, Voxair represents CFB Winnipeg/ 17 Wing and is the central source of local information for the CAF community.
Currently, Voxair operates on Facebook and Instagram under the channel name @Voxair.
17 Wing is situated at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg and operates under the command of 2 Canadian Air Division. It plays a vital role in generating, delivering, and sustaining air missions to support the mandate of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and offers assistance to Lodger Units and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The wing is responsible for providing fundamental aircrew training, specialized education, and environmental skills training for aircrew members.
Functioning as a support base, 17 Wing offers administrative, operational, and logistical support to over 113 units situated across 35 locations and 10 armouries spanning a wide geographic area. Additionally, 17 Wing serves as a Deployed Operations Base for NORAD fighter operations, including the CF-18 Hornets, as needed. The wing takes pride in supporting both 1 and 2 Canadian Air Divisions as lodger units.
A message from the 17 Wing Commander
Colonel Jody Hanson, CD, US LOM
17 Wing/CFB Winnipeg Team,
I am honoured and humbled to be selected as your next Wing Commander and look forward to working with you over the course of my tenure.
As we celebrate the RCAF’s 100th Anniversary and approach the 100th Anniversary of 17 Wing/CFB Winnipeg in 2025, we are lucky to have such a long history of excellence to be proud of, and upon which we can rely for the future activities and initiatives. The Wing’s motto “Prospice,” meaning to look towards the future, is more than fitting when we consider what lies ahead of us. The global security environment is more complex than ever, the RCAF is undertaking its largest acquisition of capabilities since the Second World War, our CAF personnel challenges are at an all time high, and our funding is continuously in question.
There is no doubt about it – we are facing some challenging times. However, it is these situations which can bring about the best in us; that test us to become stronger and smarter together as a team. It is all about the perspective one chooses to hold. The key mandates of 17 Wing are extremely important to the future of the RCAF and we will have new opportunities that are exciting to be part of, such as FAcT, digitalization of processes, willingness at all levels to support innovation, and more. The future is bright, and we are lucky to be a part of the RCAF at this historic time. By drawing upon the diverse perspectives from our entire team, I am confident that we will generate comprehensive and inclusive efforts that will contribute to future success.
As we navigate this period of transition, I offer to you, for consideration, the four components of leadership that I consider to be the most important: Emotional Intelligence, Respect, Trust and Accountability. I challenge you to consider how you can incorporate these into your daily practices to build strong teams, and I will continue to practice that along with you.
I look forward to celebrating our successes together.
Regards,
Col Jody Hanson
