1. FOLLOWING 21+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, CAPTIAN KYLE POWELL WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) ON THE 7 AUGUST 2025.

2. KYLE ENROLLED IN THE CAF ON 11 SEP 2003 AS A REG F SIGNAL OPERATOR. EVENTUALLY LANDING AT 2 CMBG HQ & SIGS SQN IN PETAWAWA. HE WAS DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN IN 2005/06 WITH JTF-A HQ WHERE THEY EVENTUALLY MOVED THE CAMP FROM KABUL DOWN TO KAF. AFTER RETURNING HOME HE WAS ACCELERATED PROMOTED TO CORPORAL AND THEN DEPLOYED BACK TO KANDAHAR WITH THE OMLT IN EARLY 2007. IN 2008 HE JOINED CANSOFCOM WHICH MEANT A FEW MORE TOURS TO AFGHANISTAN IN 2009 AND IN 2010. HE SPENT A MONTH AND HALF IN CALIFORNIA OBTAINING HIS PARACHUTING QUALIFICATION AND THEN AFTER DEPLOYING TO AFRICA IN 2011 HE MOVED OVER TO THE CANADIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS TRAINING CENTER (CSOTC) WHERE HE WAS PART OF THE INAUGURAL TEAM TO STAND-UP THIS NEW CAF UNIT. KYLE WAS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF FLAGSHIP SOF COURSEWARE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT AND POSTED BACK TO THE CANADIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS REGIMENT (CSOR). HE DEPLOYED BACK TO AFRICA IN 2015 FOLLOWED BY JAMAICA AND SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME IN BELIZE. IN 2016 HE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ AND THEN AGAIN TO AFRICA. IN 2018 HE WAS ACCEPTED CFR PROGRAM. ONCE COMMISSIONED HIS FIRST POST WAS AS THE REGT ADJT FOR 77 LINE REGT WHERE HE WAS AWSE’D TO CAPTAIN. HE THEN TOOK ANOTHER JOB WITH CANSOFCOM WHERE HE WAS ACCELERATED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN IN 2020. IN 2023 HE SPENT A YEAR WITH THE CFJSR AND THEN MOVED ONTO CANSOFCOM HQ’S FOLLOWED BY A PATHWAY TO RETIREMENT NOW IN 2025.

3. KYLE CHAMPIONED THE USE OF INCLUSIVE LANGUAGES IN THE CFPAS SYSTEM WHICH LED TO CAF WIDE CHANGES WHICH ARE STILL REFLECTED TODAY. HE CHALLENGED CAF REGULATIONS AND POLICIES WHICH RESULTED IN MULTIPLE CANFORGEN’S BEING GENERATED TO REVIEW/RESOLVE A WIDE RANGE OF POLICY INSTRUMENTS. HE IS A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR ETHICAL, COMPASSIONATE AND LAWFUL LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CAF AND SPENT A LOT OF HIS TIME ASSISTING MEMBERS TO ENSURE THEIR VOICE WAS HEARD FAIRLY AND THAT THEY WERE TREATED WITH DIGNITY. HE LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING HIS SUPPORT TO CAF MEMEBRS OUT OF UNIFORM.

4. CAPTAIN POWELL IS LOOKING FORWARD TO RETIREMENT AND SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HIS WIFE, SONS, DAUGHTER, AND GRAND CHILDREN.

5. THERE WILL BE A PROPER RETIREMENT PARTY FOR KYLE ON 4TH JULY 25. THERE IS LIMITED SPACE FOR THE DINNER BUT IT WILL BE OPEN TO ALL AFTER 1930HRS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE REACH OUT TO CAPTAIN STEVE HITCHIE, [email protected].

6. ANY WELL WISHES OR ANECDOTES CAN BE SENT TO [email protected].