In a ceremony April 28, 2025, at Canadian Armed Forces Headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, Army Reserve Maj. Dino “Oscar” De La Hoya received the Canadian Armed Forces Special Service Medal-Expeditionary for his service in Latvia during Operation UNIFIER.

The award was presented by the commander of the Canadian Army, Lt. Gen. Michael Wright and Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Robin, chief warrant officer of the Canadian Army.

Maj. De La Hoya has been assigned to the Canadian Army Staff since 2023 as a participant in the U.S. Army’s Military Personnel Exchange Program, which covers exchanges between the U.S. and its Allies and partners. Photo by Master Sailor Dan Bard, CD, Canadian Armed Forces – Department of National Defence / Government of Canada

Background: A Canadian Armed Forces' military training and capacity-building mission in support of Ukraine, Operation UNIFIER was launched in 2015 following the Russian annexation of Crimea. The operation aims to bolster capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through critical military training and to date has instructed over 22,000 Ukrainian military personnel.  Operation UNIFIER was modified in early 2022 in response to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and reflects Canada's commitment to supporting Ukraine's security and sovereignty.