1. MASTER WARRANT OFFICER DARREL MACKENZIE WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 15 JUNE 2018 AFTER 28 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE.

2. FROM VANCOVER, BC, D. MACKENZIE SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE HALLOWEEN DAY 1989 IN HOPES TO GET A LAST MINUTE MILITARY UNIFORM COSTUME. NEXT THING HE KNEW, HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO BEGIN BASIC TRAINING AT CANADIAN FORCES RECRUIT SCHOOL CORNWALLIS. AFTER TRADES TRAINING AT THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE), PTE MACKENZIE WAS POSTED TO CFB CHATHAM IN CHATHAM, NB, WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS ON-JOB TRAINING AND WAS PROMOTED TO CPL IN 1992.

3. IN 1994, CPL MACKENZIE EARNED HIMSELF THE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER POSTING TO COLD LAKE, AB, AS AN AIRFIELD MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN AND ALSO MEET HIS SPOUSE AMBER.

4. IN JULY OF 2000, CPL MACKENZIE AND AMBER WERE SENT BACK EAST TO THE TROPICAL DESTINATION OF GANDER, NF. AFTER LESS THAN 2 YEARS AS A DESKTOP SERVICES TECH, MCPL MACKENZIE WAS THEN POSTED TO 12 WING SHEARWATER TO WORK IN THE FM RADIO WORLD. AT THIS POINT HIS CAREER ACCELERATED SOMEWHAT, LEADING TO A POSTING TO THE AEROSPACE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING SUPPORT SQUADRON (ATESS) IN TRENTON AS A SGT IN AUG 07, 1 CANADIAN AIR DIVISION (1CAD) AS A WO IN JULY 2011, AND THEN TO WHAT WOULD BE HIS FINAL POSTING OF CFS LEITRIM AS AN MWO IN JUL 2015.

5. DURING HIS 28+ YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, MWO D MACKENZIE WORKED IN EVERY FIELD OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS AND DEPLOYED ON OP ABACUS (DOMESTIC) IN 1999, OP PALLADIUM (BOSNIA) IN 2002 AND 2003 (TWICE), OP CALUMET (EGYPT) IN 2006, AND OP ATTENTION (AFGHANISTAN) IN 2012.

6. MWO MACKENZIE AND HIS SPOUSE WILL BE MOVING TO HALIFAX, NS TO BE CLOSER TO FAMILY AND SO THEY CAN START THEIR LIFELONG DREAM OF SHRIMP BOATING.

7. AN INFORMAL RETIREMENT GATHERING WILL OCCUR FRIDAY 15 JUNE 2018, STARTING AT 1200 HRS, AT THE CFS LEITRIM ALL RANKS MESS. THIS IS NOT A CATERRED EVENT THEREFORE THERE IS NO COST TO ATTEND OR NEED TO RSVP, SIMPLY COME BY AND ENJOY A BEVERAGE WITH MWO MACKENZIE BEFORE HE WALKS OFF INTO THE SUNSET.