Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: March 15, 2010
- Invested on: November 02, 2010
Rank: Major
In response to a series of incidents that severely disrupted Canada’s aerial surveillance capability in Afghanistan, Major McCauley was deployed on short notice to Kandahar Airfield in June 2008. Assuming temporary command of the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Detachment, he strengthened the unit and set the conditions for its ongoing viability. He later assumed full command of the unit and ensured that its members continued to provide exceptional support to the task force until September 2008. Major McCauley’s leadership and technical knowledge ensured the delivery of critical intelligence and surveillance information to Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.