A member of the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton participated in the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on Monday.

Corporal Lucas Mullens, a crew member of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse, was one of 12 people from across the country selected by the Remembrance Day Sentinel Program as a special guest of the Chief of the Defense Staff and the Chief Warrant Officer of the Canadian Armed Forces.

“I am very honored to have been chosen over all the other deserving soldiers in the Army,” he said in an interview this weekend.

Mullens, 40, received the Sacrifice Medal for his stint as a Leopard 2A6M and Leopard C2 gunner in Afghanistan in 2009. His leg and back were seriously injured when his tank was hit by an improvised explosive device .

After a long recovery, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, peaking at 5,895 meters, in 2011.

Since returning to the service, he has held several positions, including as a driver with the Coyote Reconnaissance Troop in Latvia in 2019 within the Forward Presence Battle Group.

But his injuries from 2009 continued to impact his life and that is why, in 2022, he decided to have a below-the-knee amputation.

In October, he passed the CAF employment aptitude test.

“I’m happy to inspire other people. I thought I was just doing my job. People from the regiment stop and say hello to me and I inspired them. When I pass people running, it makes them understand .the pace since I only have one leg,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

The Sentry Program was established in 1998 to recognize outstanding members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their dedication, professionalism and performance.

Applicants are evaluated based on their deployment experience, community involvement, physical fitness and driving record.

“I have family who have previously served and it is quite an honor to remember them and their sacrifices,” Mullens said.

“Without them, we would not have our freedoms.”

With files from Shelby Clarke of CTV News Edmonton