Military Lecture: Training the Ukrainian Army Before Russia Attacked
Capt. Jeff Fry will share his experience training the Ukrainian army before the start of the war with Russia. Capt. Fry was deployed on OP UNIFIER in Ukraine from July 2020 to May 2021 where he served as the Officer Development Team Lead at the Odessa Military Academy and Airborne Assault School. He will talk about instructing Ukrainian officer cadets on Troop Leading Procedure and Ukrainian Army Brigade Staff on Military Decision Making Process (OPP), and advising and assisting Academy staff at a national level to develop new course material and training.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7 p.m., followed by a question period.
The lecture premieres in-person at the Civic Museum, and online via our Facebook livestream. The recorded conversation will be available on Facebook, YouTube, and our Museum Everywhere Portal. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
bout The Speaker
Captain Jeffrey Allan Fry, CD was born in Toronto Ontario on 20 March 1976 and raised in Guelph after his family moved for work in 1982. After completing high school, Captain Fry was enrolled into the Army Reserve in 1995. He served two years with the Royal Highland Fusiliers in Cambridge after completing basic training. In the winter of 1997, he was accepted as an Officer Cadet. In the spring and summer of 1997, Captain Fry completed Phases 1 and 2 at the Combat Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.
Upon moving to Toronto in 1998, Captain Fry transferred to the Governor General’s Horse Guards and was selected to attend the armoured crew commander course with Royal Canadian Armoured School (Wainwright, Alberta) during the summer of 1998. After completion of the course, he returned to the regiment and continued armoured officer OJT. In June 1999, he returned to Wainwright, Alberta and completed the armoured Troop Leader course.
Captain Fry continued to serve with the GGHG as a troop leader in A Squadron and subsequently a battle captain until moving back to Guelph Ontario for civilian work in 2001.
On his return to Guelph, he was attached to the 11th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. After some persuasion, the decision was made to officially transfer to the Royal Canadian Artillery and, in 2002 Captain Fry attended the Command Post Officer and Reconnaissance Officer course, Royal Canadian Artillery School. He returned to the regiment and was employed as a Command Post Officer and Reconnaissance Officer in the autumn of 2002. He attended the Officer Staff Course, Canadian Army Staff College Toronto from January to April 2003.
Between 2002 and 2009, Captain Fry held various positions, including Command Post Officer, Reconnaissance Officer, Gun Position Officer, Battle Captain and Adjutant. In 2009 he transferred to inactive supplementary reserve to start a civilian company.
In 2016, while still residing in Guelph, Captain Fry returned to primary reserve with the 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery as there were no positions available with 11th Field Regiment. He proudly accepted the chance to return to the Royal Canadian Artillery when a position was made available at 7th Toronto Regiment. He returned as CPO, GPO, Recce O and then, BK 9 Battery.
While serving with 7th Toronto, he deployed with the CAF support to flooding in Northern Ontario OP Lentus from April to June 2019 as Officer Commanding A Company, 32 Brigade. During this command, 32 Brigade conducted a Relief in Place of Regular Army (2 Brigade led by the 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment), and was the largest Reserve relief of Regular army since WW2.
In June 2019 Captain Fry attended the Army Tactics and Operations Course, Tactics School, Gagetown and, in September 2019 returned to 11th Field Regiment in Guelph Ontario as the Battle Captain of 29 Battery.As part of the CAF response to the COVID Pandemic, Captain Fry deployed on OP Laser between April and July 2020 as a Company 2IC and subsequently OC of B Coy, 31 Territorial Brigade Group.
Captain Fry is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College (2024) in Kingston Ontario and currently is the Battery Commander for 29 Battery Guelph and, 16 Battery (the operational field battery).
Captain Fry has spent his civilian career in investment banking and commercial real estate and has experience working in Canada, US, UK and Europe.
Honours and Awards:
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
Special Service Medal (SSM)
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