23 Service Battalion

23 Service Battalion

31 Service Battalion, formerly 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion, is a Combat Service Support unit of The Canadian Army Reserve. It is currently commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Poole. The current Honorary Lieutenant Colonel is Kevin D Reed.

The Hamilton Service Battalion was formed on 1 January 1965. The new battalion was made up of many units including 133 Company, Royal Canadian Service Corps, 16 Medical Company and 4 Ordnance Company. The unit became part of the Hamilton Militia District.

In 1975 all service battalions were numbered and the Hamilton Service Battalion became 23(Hamilton) Service Battalion. In 1976 the Medial Company became an independent unit known as 23 Medical Company, Canadian Forces Medical Services. With the closing of the Militia Districts and the formation of the Brigade system, 23 Service Battalion became part of 31 Brigade Group headquartered in London, Ontario.

On 3 November 2001, 23 Service Battalion was granted Freedom of the City of Hamilton by Mayor Bob Wade.

Over the years members of the battalion have served with NATO on Reforger Exercises in West Germany and in Norway, and with distinction on peacekeeping missions with the United Nations, NATO and multi-national forces, in Egypt, Cyprus, Golan Heights, Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda and Afghanistan.

Unit Members have also served on domestic operations during the Olympic Games in Canada, the blizzard of 1977 in the Niagara region, the Manitoba floods of 1997 and the ice storms of 1998 in eastern Ontario.