1. AFTER 36 1/2 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF), MAJOR GREG SARSONS WILL TAKE OFF HIS COMBAT BOOTS FOR THE LAST TIME ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2025.

2. THE BEGINNING. HIS CAREER IN THE CAF BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 1989 WHEN HE ENLISTED AS A NAVAL ELECTRONICS SENSOR OPERATOR (NESOP). HE WAS SHIPPED OFF TO CANADIAN FORCES RECRUIT SCHOOL CORNWALLIS, NOVA SCOTIA. HOWEVER, THINGS CHANGED QUICKLY. SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT CORNWALLIS, HE WAS INFORMED THAT NESOP WAS NO LONGER AN OPTION, AND HE HAD TO CHOOSE ANOTHER TRADE. HE REPLIED, “ANYTHING AS LONG AS I GET TO KEEP MY COOL NAVY UNIFORM.” AFTER BASIC RECRUIT TRAINING, ORDINARY SEAMAN SARSONS WAS SENT TO THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN KINGSTON TO LEARN ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH AND “291ER” DUTIES. POSTINGS THAT FOLLOWED AS A 291ER INCLUDED CFS LEITRIM IN 1990, THE NAVAL SECURITY GROUP DEPARTMENT’S NAVAL RADIO RECEIVING FACILITY IN IMPERIAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA, IN 1993, AND 2EW SQUADRON AT 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION HQ AND SIGNAL REGIMENT IN JULY 1996. IN 1998, ON PARADE BEFORE THE REGIMENT, LS SARSONS WAS STRIPPED OF HIS BLACK NAVY BERET AND HANDED A GREEN ARMY ONE WHEN HE ACCEPTED HIS UTPNCM OFFER. WHILE ATTENDING UNIVERSITY FROM 1998 TO 2002, HE SPENT HIS SUMMERS ENJOYING MILITARY-PAID VACATIONS AT CFB KINGSTON AND CFB GAGETOWN.

3. NEW CHALLENGES. AFTER COMPLETING HIS BASIC SIGNAL OFFICER TRAINING AT THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN KINGSTON IN 2003, 2LT SARSONS WAS POSTED TO 1 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON AS A TP COMMANDER. IN 2004 AND 2005, HE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE 1 SERVICE BATTALION (1SVC BN) SIG O. DURING THIS TIME, HE LEARNED THAT HAVING SIGNAL COLOURS PAINTED ON HIS TROOPS’ DOORS WOULD BE FROWNED UPON AT A SERVICE BATTALION.

4. LOTS OF STAFF DUTIES. LATE IN 2005, CAPT SARSONS RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT LED HIM TO LEAVE EDMONTON AND 1SVC BN WITHOUT SELLING HIS HOUSE. HE JOINED CANSOFCOM IN JANUARY 2006. IN 2009, HE WAS SELECTED AS AN EA AND POSTED TO UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. IN 2011, CANSOFCOM TOOK MAJOR SARSONS BACK AS DEPUTY J6. IN 2017, HE MOVED INTERNALLY WITHIN CANSOFCOM TO A DIRECTOR OF SOF REQUIREMENTS C4ISR POSITION, WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL 2019. IN 2019, MAJOR SARSONS SOUGHT CHANGE AND WAS POSTED TO COMBINED CYBER UNIT AS THE DEPUTY TEAM LEAD. HIS SECOND-TO-LAST POSTING WAS TO NATO CIS GROUP (NCISG) HQ IN BELGIUM IN 2022, WHERE HE SERVED AS THE J3 CURRENT OPS TEAM LEAD.

5. SOME MEMORIES.

• 1991 TOUR AT CFS ALERT AND THE TRAGIC CRASH OF BOXTOP FLIGHT 22 ON OCTOBER 30, 1991.
• AS A 291ER, HE WAS TOLD TO PICK HIS NEXT POSTING LOCATION AND SEND HIS OWN POSTING MESSAGE TRAFFIC.
• OPERATION ASSISTANCE (1997): RED RIVER FLOOD, HIS FIRST AND LAST TIME PILOTING A NAVY RHIB WITHOUT ANY TRAINING.
• OPERATION RECUPERATION (1998): GREAT ICE STORM ONTARIO.
• OPERATION GRIZZLY (2002): G7 SUMMIT IN KANANASKIS, ALBERTA, WHERE HE SAT ON TOP OF A MOVING PASSENGER VAN TRYING TO GET A SATELLITE SIGNAL.
• CANSOFCOM, THE DEDICATION, HARD WORK, MISSION FOCUS, PRAGMATISM, TEAMWORK, AND CAMARADERIE.
• WHILE ON TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN WITH CANSOFCOM IN 2006, HE WAS ASKED BY BROOKFIELDS TO COME BACK TO CANADA TO FINALIZE HIS HOUSE SALE.
• OPERATION IMPACT (2018): A 6-MONTH DEPLOYMENT TO USCYBERCOM AT FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, WHERE HE APPRECIATED THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE AND CYBER OPERATIONS.
• IN EARLY 2025, AFTER ALMOST A 5-YEAR DELAY, RECEIVING LCOL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED RECOGNITION.
• HIS TIME IN NCISG J3, WHERE HE WAS GIVEN TRUST AND FREEDOM OF ACTION FROM THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT FROM THE THREE NATO SIGNAL BATTALIONS.

6. THANK YOU. MAJOR SARSONS EXPRESSES HIS SINCERE GRATITUDE TO ALL FORMER COLLEAGUES AND MENTORS FOR THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. HE BELIEVES THAT THE PEOPLE HE HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING HAVE BEEN THE BEST PART OF HIS JOURNEY. FROM THE HIGHS TO THE LOWS, THE RIDICULOUS TO THE SOMBRE AND SERIOUS, HIS CAREER HAS BEEN FILLED WITH NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES AND A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCES. MAJOR SARSONS WOULD LIKE TO PARTICULARLY RECOGNIZE THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND LOVE OF HIS WIFE, MARIE-CLAUDE, AND DAUGHTER, VALÉRIE, WHO WERE ALWAYS BY HIS SIDE. HE EXPRESSES HIS GRATITUDE FOR THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND PATIENCE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE TWO HOUSE FLOODS WHILE HE WAS AWAY. AS HE CLOSES THIS CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE, HE CARRIES THE GRATITUDE FOR WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WHILE EAGERLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. HIS TIME IN THE CAF WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART AND REMAIN AN IMPORTANT, INTRINSIC PART OF WHO HE IS.

7. FINAL WORDS. MARIE-CLAUDE AND GREG HAVE RECENTLY MOVED INTO THEIR NEW HOME IN KEMPTVILLE. GREG IS LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY AND TRYING TO LEARN FRENCH. IN BETWEEN GOLFING AND WOODWORKING, HE MAY TAKE ON SOME PART-TIME WORK TO SUPPORT THE CAF. A PRIVATE DWD WILL BE HELD TO CELEBRATE HIS RETIREMENT.