ST. PAUL - After spending his childhood growing up in St. Paul, Cst. Ashley JD van Leeuwen has been living a life dedicated to helping others. Now working with the RCMP, he recently received the highest award for bravery - the Medal of Valour.
He received the medal in recognition of exceptional valour in the face of extreme hazard, and his willingness to take action for the benefit of others, and the risk of placing himself in harm's way.
A full career
After graduating from St. Paul Regional High School in 2000, van Leeuwen went on to play football in the JCFL for the Edmonton Huskies. He attended NAIT for Civil/Geomatic Engineering, then enlisted with the Canadian Armed Forces.
He was deployed to Afghanistan and fought during Operation Enduring Freedom, a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. It was the heaviest combat Canadians had seen since the Korean War, according to information from van Leeuwen.
With just days left on his deployment, van Leeuwen was severely wounded when he was hit by a suicide driver. He survived the attack but was given a grim prognosis that he may never walk properly again.
Undaunted by what he had been told, van Leeuwen set his sights on becoming a paratrooper, and went from being in a wheelchair to jumping out of airplanes.
"With a promise to a fallen comrade," van Leeuwen says he returned to Afghanistan to complete two more deployments.
Joining the RCMP
With the war overseas winding down, van Leeuwen decided to take his skills to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he attended calls ranging from domestic situations, to warrant executions on drug houses, and a call that involved a barricaded gunman.
His career has continued to evolve, and he is now trained to provide bodyguard duties for a wide range of dignitaries. He has been deployed to the G20 Summit, provided close protection for several Prime Ministers and Premiers, and was part of the late Pope Francis’s bodyguard detail during his past visit to Alberta.
Currently, van Leeuwen is on a full-time close protection unit and maintains an active duty statue with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Along with the Medal of Valour, van Leeuwen says he has "humbly earned several honours and awards." Those accolades include the Sacrifice Medal for being wounded by the enemy, Aug. 5, 2006. He earned a South-West Asia Service Medal, US-lead Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He also has a Campaign Star with double bar for two Follows on Mission under ISAF in Afghanistan.
Cst. van Leeuwen has Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) for over 12 years of exemplary military service, soon to be CD 2. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee for his service in the Military and RCMP. He has a Commanding Officer Citation Accommodation for saving lives. He also has the coveted Canadian Jump Wings, a King Charles III Coronation medal, and now the Medal of Valour.
