Human Resources Administrator proudly shares deployment experience in Europe

Human Resource Administrator, Master Corporal Bailey Krick, deployed on Operation UNIFIER in Poland on May 29, 2023 – Photo by Master Sailor Valerie LeClair

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“Embrace new cultures and don’t be afraid to be yourself regardless of where you are,” shares Master-Corporal Bailey Krick, a proud transgender member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who was recently deployed on Operation UNIFIER in Poland.

Operation UNIFIER is the (CAF) military training and capacity building mission in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was launched in 2015 at the request of the Ukrainian government, and in 2022, was expanded and extended until March 2025.

A Human Resource Administrator (HRA) by trade, Master-Corporal Krick provides human resource administration and services, administers pay and allowances, and maintains personnel records.

She is posted at 1 Air Maintenance Squadron out of 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta. Being in a purple trade like HRA, she gets the opportunity to be posted in different military environments although she wears the Canadian Army uniform. In fact, she also got the experience to work at the Royal Canadian Naval Base Orderly Room in Esquimalt, British Columbia.

“I’ve been in the CAF for nine years,” recounts Master-Corporal Krick. “What drew me to join the CAF was my mother who is a Naval Communicator for the Royal Canadian Navy. She inspired me and convinced me to enroll in the CAF to get work experience, and as the years passed, I get to love my military career more and more.”

Master-Corporal Krick said that she was at work one day when she received an email callout out asking for volunteers to be deployed on Operation UNIFIER. “I was somewhat hesitant at first because it’s my first deployment and I haven’t travelled outside of Canada, but I overcame my hesitation and volunteered. I was so happy to be picked right away.”

Looking back at her deployment experience, she said that “it was an experience of a lifetime” and shared that “it was challenging at times, but so rewarding” and she “loved every minute of it.”

“During my deployment, I got to travel to the various training elements across Poland and in Germany,” said Master-Corporal Krick. “The job of HRA is very important in a deployed mission such as Operation UNIFIER because we ensure human resource administration support is effectively provided to deployed personnel. I’m proud to be a part of the HRA team in Poland.”

Master-Corporal Krick’s advice is to aspiring Canadians who are considering to join the CAF as HRA is to overcome their hesitations as she can attest that a career in the CAF is a very rewarding experience.

As a proud transgender member in the CAF, her message to fellow members of the LGBTQ2S+ community is to not be scared. “The world can be concerning at times, but don’t be afraid to be yourself regardless of where you are,” she said.