True and Fascinating Canadian History

Fortieth Anniversary of Women in the RCMP

1974 - 2014

A Very Special Sergeant Major

And

The First in RCMP History

S/M D. E. (Debbie) Reitenbach

by J. J. Healy

One could correctly address D. E. Reitenbach as Sergeant Major. In an imaginary way, one could also apply Excellency as a tag because of the exemplary and professional tone which she sets on behalf of the RCMP.

In the RCMP, it is standard issue to say, rightfully so, that no day is a calm day. Usually, the words police and calm don't fit on the same line. Police officers accept that any one of a thousand things might happen which will throw the day into chaos. It just might be an accident, or a bank alarm, or a break and entry or a higly intoxicated, unruly person or a lost child. It could be any one of those incidents or it could be a day in court. And, although court is serious business, presenting evidence does not fall into the same camp as highly proton charged chaos issues.

Tenets of chaos theory can only be satisfactorily understood by advance mathematicians. Yet, police officers understand chaos as the equivalent of playing house cards in front of fully fuel ignited, angry dueling, Rolls Royce turbo engines lying side by side inside Ottawa's Research Council Advance Testing wind tunnel.

Some years ago, one particular day in Ottawa, Ontario started out almost calm for RCMP Sergeant Major Debbie Reitenbach. The first hour of her day was calm until she answered the phone. When the Commissioner called, the conversation was kept succinct. Overnight, former Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau had died. SM Reitenbach realized that she should have eaten breakfast.

At first, SM Reitenbach's emotions were sadness, but then her impulses tried to quell her thoughts which had gone south to chaos. It was exclusively the role of Sergeant Major Reitenbach to work with the Trudeau family and one hunderd other persons and to organize one of the largest televised funeral service ever held in Canadian history.

Under the circumstances, the Commissioner limits the conversation. Over the years, each Commissioner has relied on the expertise of Sergeant Major Reitenbach. No detailed elaboration or direction about the protocol and precision which was to be followed for Mr. Trudeau's funeral was necessary. The Commissioner's call ended. Now, time did not allow for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No food. No sleep. Sergeant Major Reitenback rose quickly from her desk and left the office. Chaos is no friend, she thought. On the way out, chaos gave her a pat on the back.

The Commissioner appointed D. E. Reitenbach as the first woman Sergeant Major in the history of the RCMP. She joined the Force in 1981 and her transfers have taken her across Canada. She served in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario and her work included a coveted stint on the RCMP's crack Drill Team at the Training Academy in Regina, SK. She was chosen to represent Canada and the RCMP at the world renown Military Tatoo in Scotland in the year 2000.

At the Prime Minister Trudeau funeral, Sergeant Major Reitenbach managed her professional ceremonial responsibilities in pure gold Olympic fashion. The RCMP Commissioner already knew that. Canadians did too. Congratulations to Sergeant Major Debbie Reitenbach for a remarkable, memorable and very unique RCMP career. She is truly a first in the history of the Force.