1. AFTER 36 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS, CAPT JEFF WATSON WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 16 JUNE 2025.

2. JEFF ENROLLED IN THE PRIMARY RESERVE IN OTTAWA IN APRIL OF 1988 AS A CASUALTY AIDE. HE THEN TRANSFERED TO THE REGULAR FORCE AS A RADIO OPERATOR IN FEBRUARY 1989.

3. UPON COMPLETION OF BASIC TRAINING AND BASIC TRADES TRAINING, JEFF WAS POSTED TO CFB PETAWAWA FROM 1990 TO 1996 WHERE HE SERVED WITH SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON, 2 SERVICE BATTALION, CANADIAN AIRBORNE REGIMENT AND 2 COMBAT ENGINEER REGIMENT IN A VARIETY OF ROLES. DURING THIS PERIOD, HE WAS MARRIED TO HIS WIFE VIOLET WHO SERVED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

4. FROM 1996 UNTIL 2013 JEFF AND VIOLET WERE POSTED TO CFB EDMONTON WHERE JEFF SERVED WITH 1 MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNALS SQUADRON, 3RD BATTALION PRINCESS PATRICIA’S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY, 1 FIELD AMBULANCE AND 408 TACTICAL HELICOPTER SQUADRON.

5. JEFF WAS POSTED TO 764 COMMUNICATIONS SQUADRON AS MESSAGE TROOP WARRANT OFFICER IN 2013 AND WAS SELECTED FOR COMMISIONING AS A SIGNALS OFFICER IN 2014. UPON COMMISSIONING LT WATSON WAS POSTED TO 76 COMMINCATION REGIMENT WHEN HIS DUTIES INCLUDED SATCOM TP COMD, SQN OPS O, REGT A/OPS O AND FINALLY OPS O OF 768 COMMUNICATION DETACHMEN (EUROPE) IN NIEDERHEID GERMANY. CAPT WATSON’S FINAL POSTING WAS TO DIRECTOR LAND COMMAND SYSTEMS PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AT ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER (MATERIEL).

6. CAPT WATSON WAS DEPLOYED ON OP SCALPEL, OP PODIUM, OP DANACA, OP PALLADIUM, OP APOLLO, OP ATHENA R3. OP ATHENA R6 AND OP HIESTA INTERNATIONALLY AND OP ASSISTANCE, OP PERIGRINE AND OP NANOOK DOMESTICALLY.

7. WHILE JEFF’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION, JEFF PARTICULARLY ENJOYED HIS OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS AND IS HAPPY TO STILL BE WALKING AFTER ACCUMULATING 117 STATIC LINE PARACHUTE DECENTS OVER A 20 YEAR JUMPING CAREER.

8. JEFF WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE HIS SPOUSE VIOLET, FOR HER SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. JEFF WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL HIS COLLEAGUES THAT HE HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING WITH OVER THE PAST 3 ½ DECADES FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP.

9. JEFF WILL REMAIN IN THE NCR WITH VIOLET SO THEY CAN BE CLOSE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA HEART INSTITUTE AS VIOLET BATTLES A RARE CONDITION.

10. THERE WILL BE NO DEPART WITH DIGNITY; HOWEVER, A PRIVATE FUNCTION WILL OCCUR WITH CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS IN ORLEANS, ONTARIO. ANYONE WISHING TO PASS ON BEST WISHES, ANECDOTES OR CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES CAN FORWARD THEM TO [email protected].