Master Seaman (MS) Bradley Chapman grew up in Estevan. Growing up on the prairies, like growing up in any one of Canada's ecologically and culturally diverse regions, often means that as an adult, you will settle in the same approximate area, at least for awhile, in order to maintain the family support network and to get your bearings.
MS Chapman held a variety of jobs in the hospitality industry after graduating from Estevan Comprehensive School, ranging from being a sought-after radio personality for promotions and events (his voice is legendary), to selling vehicles to working at a bank call centre, before joining the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) at the age of 30 with a mind to committing to a stable and rewarding career as a weapons engineering technician in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
The navy was not a random choice for Chapman. His brother Brian is a Petty Officer Second Class on the west coast and his father Rick served in both the regular and reserve navy forces, so it is somewhat of a Chapman tradition, it seems.
When asked what he likes most about his job, he said, "it is the people I work with they truly are my family away from home."
Halifax, N.S. is where Chapman and his wife Tracy and son Nicholas live. Nicholas is a seven-year-old who is reportedly referred to as "mini-me."
Chapman said that though he has been to both the west and east coasts, and the fact his brother lives on the west coast, he still chose the east because he found "an affinity for the people in Nova Scotia. Being from a small town, it is important for me to stay somewhere where family values and a slow pace are appreciated," he said.
When he is not sailing with the Atlantic fleet, Chapman enjoys playing guitar, hockey and snorkeling. Though he has been told he has a gift of conversation and public speaking, he feels that is contrary to his reserved and shy nature.
Chapman is currently serving on board Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto on Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean Sea. When he thinks about HMCS Toronto, he thinks "of the mission we are doing. It makes it easy to forgive the lack of luxury of waking up in a big bed and showering without bracing yourself, in order to contribute to Canada's role in NATO and the world. It is rewarding to know I am doing my part to ensure others can enjoy the freedom so many of us may take for granted."
HMCS Toronto is Canada's maritime contribution to promoting security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in the context of Russia's ongoing aggression and provocation against Ukraine.
Operation Reassurance refers to the military activities undertaken by the CAF to support NATO reassurance measures through the provision of military capabilities for training exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks.
