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“There is often simply no time to call
back to an office in Canada which may
well be in a different time zone when
the matter may be at minimum, one that
impacts personal liberties, or at worst,
is one of life or death. As a result, where
the client goes, we go.”
The challenge is always to provide information
without a lot of resources to draw on. “It’s
nerve-wracking because you go in prepared
and try to be knowledgeable in those areas that
you foresee being required. But there’s always
something that comes out of left field, and there
are times where you have to do the best you can
based on your general knowledge.”
The decisions that result from Siepka’s input are
often immediately implemented. “I’m keenly
aware that the decision is not mine. I’m providing
the advice to help inform that decision. In the
moment though, it can be very intense.”
Siepka’s CV lists her tours of duty that include
major global disaster and political arenas that
appear as the lead stories on news headlines and
television screen ‘crawls’ everyday.
“I started off as a Deputy Judge Advocate at CFB
Comox in B.C. I was responsible for providing
general legal support and advice to the local
Commander and units as well as the provision
of military legal training including the basics of
International Humanitarian Law and related issues.”
In 2003, Siepka was deployed on board ship
on Operation Apollo serving as the legal
advisor to Commodore Girouard, the Task Force
Commander of the multi-national Task Force
151 (contributing nations under Canadian
command: Greece, France, USA, Netherlands).
“Op Apollo was the Canadian naval contribution
to the campaign against terrorism. My job
included interpretation of the Law of the Sea, and
other instruments related to naval operations
such as vessel boarding.”
In 2004, Siepka was deployed to Haiti on Op Halo
as part of the UN Multinational Interim Force to
contribute to a secure and stable environment in Haiti,
facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance,
along with the Haitian police and Coast Guard.
Next assignment was Ottawa from 2005 to 2008,
where Siepka was a legal advisor at the Directorate
of Law Military Personnel as she provided subject
matter expertise on military administrative law
and personnel matters. During this stint, she was
deployed to Afghanistan for the first time as the
Canadian Senior Legal Advisor to the Joint Task
Force Afghanistan in Kandahar.
From 2008 to 2010, Siepka worked with Legal
Advisory Services, a Directorate with the Department
of National Defence Canadian Forces Legal Advisor’s
Office providing legal services on a variety of issues.
By 2010, Siepka returned to Winnipeg and was
deployed to Afghanistan for a second time in
2011. “Currently, as DJA Winnipeg I provide advice
to Canadian Forces Base Shilo. I also advise 1
Canadian Air Division Headquarters which operates
a diverse fleet of aircraft and also provides an
array of command, control, communications and
intelligence systems.”
It’s all been a dramatic contrast to her initial vision of
the direction her legal career might take. “I don’t think
I had a full understanding of the vast array of careers
available to those with a law degree”.
And to think it all might never have happened if her
older brother had not joined the Canadian Forces
and became a helicopter pilot. “Early in his career he
introduced me to a military friend of his, at the time a
brand new JAG officer. I realize that I was so ill
31 ROBSON HALL ALUMNI REPORT