1. JUST SHORT OF 39 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE, MWO JAMES NAULT (AKA NICK) WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES 15 JANUARY 2025.

2. BORN AND RAISED IN THE GREATER SUDBURY AREA ONTARIO, MWO NAULT WAS RECRUITED BY CFRC SUDBURY. AFTER SIGNING THE DOTTED LINE 10 APR 1986, HE WAS OFF TO CORNWALLIS NS 03 MAY 1986 AS AN ARTILLERYMAN. AS THE ONLY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY TO JOIN THE CAF, NICK HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS GETTING HIMSELF INTO. HOWEVER, REFLECTING BACK, THIS LIFE-CHANGING CAREER CHOICE WAS AND REMAINS NICK’S PASSION AS HE CONTINUOUSLY PROMOTES THE CAF IDENTITY TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, OTHER CAF MEMBERS AND TO THE PUBLIC.

3. AFTER THE 12 WEEKS OF LIFE ALTERING EXPERIENCES IN BASIC TRAINING AND THE BEGINNING OF LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS, MWO NAULT WAS OFF TO SHILO MB FOR TQ3 FOLLOWED BY A POSTING TO 3 RCHA “H” BTY AS A DETACHMENT (DET) MEMBER WHERE HE LEARNT NEW SURVIVAL SKILLS IN SOME OF CANADA’S HARSHES ENVIRONMENTS.

4. MWO NAULT WAS THEN POSTED TO 1 RCHA LAHR GERMANY IN AUG 1987, REPORTING TO “A” BTY UNDER THE COMMAND OF MAJ LESLIE WHERE NEW ADVENTURES BEGUN. IT WAS THERE WHERE HE FOUND A SENSE OF BELONGING AND A FAMILY WITHIN REGIMENTAL LIFE WHILE LEARNING VALUABLE LESSONS HE WILL NEVER FORGET. WORKING, TRAINING, AND PLAYING HARD AS A TEAM BROUGHT PRIDE AND A SENSE OF PURPOSE ALONG WITH ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THIS IS EXEMPLIFIED WITH NICK’S DET WINNING THE 1 RCHA CO’S PENNANT WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN PROUDLY OVER THEIR GUN FOR A YEAR. PARTICIPATING IN THE VARIOUS EXERCISES AND SEEING COUNTLESS DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET THE JOB DONE, IT MADE A LIFETIME OF SKILLS AND PERSPECTIVE THAT SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. GERMANY WAS THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CANADIAN MILITARY FULFILLING ITS PROMISE OF PROVIDING UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES AND A SENSE OF ADVENTURE THROUGH VARIOUS ADVENTURE TRAINING EXERCISES, INCLUDING A SAILING TRIP TO DENMARK FROM NORTHERN GERMANY, SKIING IN THE ALPS, WATER TRAINING IN SPAIN AND SOME AIMLESS WANDERING DURING THE NIJMEGEN MARCHES. RETURNING TO CANADA AUG 1991, HE WAS POSTED TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN ARTILLERY SCHOOL (RCAS) IN GAGETOWN NB, WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED ON THE HEAVY AND LIGHT TRACK DRIVER TEAM AND LATER AS AN ARTILLERY SURVEYOR. IN SPRING 1994, HE WAS POSTED TO THE TRIALS AND EVALUATION (T&E) TEAM AS THE STORESMAN DURING THE UNIT STAND-UP. PROMOTED TO MCPL (MBDR ARTY) IN 1996, HE REMAINED AT T&E FOR ONE MORE YEAR BEFORE RETURNING TO THE RCAS IN 1997 AS AN ARTILLERY SURVEY INSTRUCTOR AND SCA HOLDER. CONTINUING TO LEVERAGE THE CANADIAN MILITARY OPPRTUNITY, HE PARTICIPATED IN ADVENTURE TRAINING EXCURSIONS WITH SCUBA DIVING IN JAMAICA, RUCKING IN THE HILLS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE IN GAGETOWN, NICK PLANNED AND EXECUTED TWO ADVENTURE TRAINING EXCURSIONS, THE RCAS AND ANOTHER FOR BASE MAINTENANCE. THIS BROUGHT MEMBERS TO GRAND MANAN ISLAND NB FOR SOME LOCAL SCUBA DIVING TO RESCUE SCALLOPS, ROCK CLIMBIMNG AND HIKING IN THE HILLS OF THE ISLAND.

5. AFTER COMPLETING THE ARTY 6A CRSE IN 2000, MWO NAULT WAS ON HIS WAY TO A PROMISING REWARDING AND LONG-LASTING CAREER IN THE ARTILLERY. HOWEVER, IN THE SPRING OF 2001, HE WAS APPROACHED BY THE RCAS RSM WITH TWO OPTIONS, AN OCCUPATION TRANSFER (OT) OR A PROMOTION TO SGT. AT THE TIME, THE ARTY TRADE WAS UNABLE TO OFFER INDEFINITE PERIOD OF SERVICE (IPS). THEREFORE, MWO NAULT CHOSE THE TRADE TRANSFER TO LAND COMMUNICATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY POSTED TO CFSCE, CFB KINGSTON MAY 2001.

6. UPON COMPLETION OF TRADE TRAINING, HE WAS POSTED TO BASE MAINTENANCE AT CFB GAGETOWN TO REPAIR ITEMS THAT HE MAY HAVE HAD A HAND IN BREAKING. WHILE EMPLOYED AT TELS PLATOON, MWO NAULT WAS DEPLOYED TO OP DANICA AUG 2004 TO MAR 2005 IN ISRAEL/SYRIA GOLAN HEIGHTS REGION. IN JUN 2006 HE WAS PROMOTED ONCE AGAIN TO MCPL AND POSTED TO 210 WORKSHOP WHICH WAS PART OF 4 AD REGT AS A RADAR TECH. WHILE LEARNING THE ROPES, HE COMPLETED VARIOUS RADAR COURSES AND SPECIALIZIED TRAINING IN THE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM INTEGRATOR (ADSI). IN 2007, MWO NAULT WAS POSTED TO CFSCE G SQN AND LATER WAS CALLED UPON BY CANADA WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEPLOY TO AFGHANISTAN IN MAY 2008. AFTER SPENDING TEN MONTHS IN AFGHANISTAN, HE RETURNED TO CANADA AND BACK TO CFSCE 3 SQN TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR IN LCSS EQUIPMENT INCLUDING HCLOS, TSS AND EPLRS. PROMOTED TO SGT IN DEC 2010, HE MOVED OVER TO 2 SQN AS COURSE DIRECTOR UNDER THE NEW TRANSFORMATION OF ACISS DP 1.0 DP 2.0 AND LATER JUN 2012 EMPLOYED AS CFSCE OPS SGT. IN JUL 2013, MWO NAULT DEPLOYED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME TO OP CALUMET, MFO EGYPT FOR A 1 YEAR OUTCAN POSITION. PROMOTED TO WO AND ON HIS RETURN IN JUL 2014, HE WAS POSTED TO CFJSR FORCE DEVELOPMENT CELL AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME THE STD WO. HOWEVER, THIS WAS ONLY FOR A SHORT STINT, AS HE WAS POSTED TO CFNOC IN JUL 2016 INTO THE TECHNICAL SECURITY INSPECTION TEAM (TSIT). AFTER AN EXCITING AND DIFFERENT VIEW OF SECURITY, MWO NAULT WAS PROMOTED IN JUL 2018 TO HIS CURRENT RANK AND POSTED TO DGLEPM/DLCSPM AS THE HCLOS LIFE CYCLE MATERIAL MANAGER. AFTER A LEARNING CURVE IN LIFE CYCLING, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO DGLEPM/DLCSPM TRG DEVELOPMENT DETACHMENT KINGSTON AS THE DET COMMANDER. IN JUL 2022, MWO NAULT WOULD COME TO HIS LAST AND CURRENT POSITION AS FORMATION FOREMAN OF SIGNALS ADVISOR (FOS) AT CFJOSG. HERE, HE WAS PART OF THE J6 TEAM TO PROVIDE/INPUT TO THE COMMS PLAN AND SYSTEMS FOR VARIOUS MISSIONS. IN ADDITION TO HIS PRIMARY ROLE, MWO NAULT WENT ON TO DEPLOY AN ADDITIONAL THREE TIMES BETWEEN APR 2023 TO MAY 2024 AS CAMP SERGEANT MAJOR ON CONPLAN ANGLE.

7. NICK IS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO HIS FAMILY, SPOUSE KIMBERLY, DAUGHTER LINDSAY, SON SAMUEL, MOTHER, FATHER, SISTER, AND BROTHERS FOR THEIR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT TO HIS CAREER DURING BOTH GOOD AND BAD TIMES. NICK WILL REMAIN IN THE KINGSTON AREA WITH KIM AND SAM AND CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. SAM WILL OF COURSE REMAIN LIVING AT HOME TERRORIZING NICK BUT DOING SO WITH A NICE YOUTHFUL SMILE.

8. A DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON 22 NOV 2024 @ 1200 HRS AT WO’S AND SGTS MESS, 18 CRAFTSMAN BLVD, KINGSTON ON. TO RSVP, RECEIVE FURTHER DETAILS ON THE FUNCTION, OR TO PROVIDE CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, BEST WISHES, AND CAREER ANECDOTES, PLEASE CONTACT MWO SEAN ZEBINSKI AT [email protected].