Career
He was Commander Maritime Command from 1992 to 1994. Cairns joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1956 and was appointed a midshipman in 1959. He became Commanding Officer of the submarine HMCS Onondaga in 1972, Commander of the First Canadian Submarine Squadron in 1974 and Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Fraser in 1976.
He went on to command the destroyers HMCS Margaree in 1977 and HMCS Assiniboine in 1978.
He became Deputy Commandant of the Canadian Forces Fleet School at Halifax in 1978. After that he was appointed Chief Project Technical Officer at Canadian Forces Maritime Command in 1979, Commandant of the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare School later that year and Commander Fifth Canadian Destroyer Squadron in 1981.
His last appointments were as Commander Maritime Forces Pacific in 1989 and as Commander Maritime Command in 1992 before he retired in 1994. In retirement Cairns became Director of Business Development at the Aviation Services Division of Spar Aerospace.
