Retirements
1. AFTER 31 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE BRIGADIER-GENERAL DAVID AWALT RETIRED FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2022. 2. BGEN DAVID AWALT ENROLLED IN THE REGULAR FORCE IN 1991 IN THE REGULAR OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATING FROM ROYAL ROADS MILITARY COLLEGE IN 1995. AFTER 10 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE REGULAR FORCE, BGEN DAVID AWALT TRANSFERRED TO THE RESERVE FORCE. BGEN AWALT WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK IN MARCH 2019. HIS COMMAND POSITIONS INCLUDED TROOP COMMANDER 740 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON, COMMANDING OFFICER 748 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON, COMMANDING OFFICER 744 COMMUNICATION REGIMENT, COMMANDING OFFICER 39 TERRITORIAL BATTALION GROUP, COMMANDING OFFICER THE CANADIAN SCOTTISH REGIMENT (PRINCESS MARY’S), COMMANDER 39 CANADIAN BRIGADE GROUP, AND DEPUTY COMMANDER 3 CANADIAN DIVISION AND JOINT TASK FORCE (WEST). BGEN AWALT DEPLOYED TO BOSNIA IN 2000 AS THE MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION (SOUTH-WEST) LIAISON OFFICER TO THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE. DAVE IS VERY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH SO MANY OUTSTANDING SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS AND IS GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE VALUABLE LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP PROVIDED TO HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. 3. DAVE WILL BE RETIRING WITH HIS WIFE STACEY AND DAUGHTER LAUREN IN VICTORIA, BC. 4. A DEPARTURE WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY […]
1. PO2 SCOTT BROOKES WILL SWALLOW THE ANCHOR AND PROCEED ASHORE FOR THE FINAL TIME ON 24 NOV 2022 AFTER MORE THAN 23 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CAF AND THE RCN. 2.PO2 BROOKES ENROLLED IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES 18 JAN 1999 IN TORONTO, ON. AFTER HE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING AT (THE MEGA) HE COMPLETED HIS INITIAL NAV COMM TRAINING IN ESQUIMALT, BC AND THEN PROCEEDED TO HIS FIRST SHIP HMCS PRESERVER. THERE HE SPLIT HIS TIME BETWEEN BIG DADDY S AND WAVING HIS ARMS REALLY FAST AT PASSING SHIPS. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER, HE SERVED IN HMC SHIPS HALIFAX, TORONTO, SUMMERSIDE AND PRESERVER. HIS SHORE POSTINGS INCLUDED MOG 5, 2 STINTS AT NRS HALIFAX BEFORE MOVING TO ONTARIO IN 2013. THERE HE WAS POSTED TO HMCS CATARAQUI AS THE UNIT ISA. HE CONSIDERS THIS POSTING TO BE ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE OF HIS CAREER. LASTLY AS SENIOR INSTRUCTOR FOR QL5 NAV COMMS AT CFSCE. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER HE HAS MANY MEMORIES OF GREAT PEOPLE AND PLACES INCLUDING SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE BEACH IN ROSY. THE CONCRETE PALACE THAT IS NYC DURING FLEET WEEK. LOOKING FOR EURO CAR PARTS FOR […]
1. ON 10 JANUARY 2023, CAPTAIN AL TRASK, CD, WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) AFTER 40+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH, AND CANADA. 2. CAPT TRASK’S JOURNEY BEGAN AT 17, ON 7 OCTOBER 1982 WHEN HE JOINED 11 SVC BN, A RESERVE UNIT IN VICTORIA, BC. IN FEBRUARY 1986, HE WAS INVITED TO JOIN THE REGULAR FORCE AS A 211 RADIO OPERATOR (RAD OP). WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT RAD OPS DID, HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY WORKED IN THE BUNKER THAT WAS LOCATED AT NANAIMO BC. EAGERLY HE JOINED ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER, THAT THE ONLY BUNKER HE WOULD WORK OUT OF WAS ONE HE HAD DUG FOR HIMSELF. CAPT TRASK STARTED HIS CAREER IN CORNWALLIS AND THEN HEADED OFF TO KINGSTON TO COMPLETE HIS TQ3 TRAINING AS A RAD OP. FROM THERE CALGARY WAS HIS DESTINATION, WORKING WITH 1 CMBG HQ & SIGS SQN. AFTER 3 YEARS AND A DEPLOYMENT TO THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AS PART OF UNDOF, HE WAS POSTED TO 1 PPCLI AS A CP OPERATOR. WHILE WITH 1 PPCLI HE COMPLETED ANOTHER TOUR, THIS TIME TO UNFICYP IN […]
1. CPL WARREN HAMELIN WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 15 NOVEMBER 2022 AFTER MORE THAN 6 YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED, DEDICATED AND LOYAL SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF). 2. WARREN JOINED THE CAF ON 24 MAY 2016 AS AN ATIS TECH. AFTER COMPLETING BMQ IN SAINT-JEAN, QC ON 26 AUGUST 2016 HE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN KINGSTON, ON WHERE HE TRAINED ON THE POET AND QL3 COURSES. AFTER COMPLETION OF POET AND QL3, WARREN WAS POSTED TO 14 WING GREENWOOD ON 17 DECEMBER 2018. WARREN WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MISSION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE TEAM AT TELECOM FLT. 3. WARREN WOULD LIKE TO THANK HIS COMRADES IN ARMS FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, CAMARADERIE AND MENTORSHIP GIVEN UNSELFISHLY OVER THE YEARS. 4. WARREN WILL BE MOVING TO THE HALIFAX AREA WITH HIS WIFE AS HE STARTS HIS NEW CAREER WITH SERVICE CANADA. HIS OFFICIAL DWD WILL BE ON 25 OCTOBER 2022. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES CAN BE SENT TO CPL TYRRELL KEICKS ([email protected])
1. CAPTAIN GREGORY RITONJA IS RETIRING ON 23 NOVEMBER 2022, AFTER 12 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CAF, C&E BRANCH, THE SIGNALS TRADE, AND CANSOFCOM. 2. HE ENROLLED IN THE CAF AS A SIGNALS OFFICER IN JULY 2010. AFTER 4 YEARS AT RMC, IN THE COMPUTER ENGINEERING PROGRAM, HE WAS POSTED TO THE 1ST CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP, HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNALS SQUADRON, IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA. 3. SOON AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN THE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNALS SQUADRON, CAPT RITONJA WAS POSTED TO 1 PRINCESS PATRICIA’S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY BATTALLION, A MECHANIZED INFANTRY UNIT, AS THE BATTALION SIGNALS OFFICER. DURING HIS TIME WITHIN THE BATTALION, HE DEPLOYED TO LATVIA AS THE ROTO 0 SIGNALS OFFICER IN 2017. AFTER TOUR, HE WAS POSTED TO CANSOFCOM, OTTAWA, WHEREIN HE WAS DEPLOYED TO IRAQ IN 2019. SHORTLY AFTER HIS RETURN HOME, HE BECAME THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTER, SECOND IN COMMAND, WHERE HE STAYED UNTIL HIS FINAL DAYS WITHIN THE MILITARY. 3. CAPT RITONJA IS TAKING A PUBLIC SERVICE JOB AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CANADA’S INTERESTS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. GREG, HIS WIFE LEILA, AND DAUGHTER THEA PLAN TO STAY IN WESTERN OTTAWA NEAR THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FAVOURITE […]
1. CAPTAIN RALPH T. MACDONALD WILL RETIRE ON 13 JANUARY 2023, AFTER 34 YEARS OF DEDICATED, ALBEIT BROKEN, SERVICE TO CANADA, ITS ARMED FORCES, AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS. 2. RALPH WALKED THROUGH THE FRONT GATES OF CFRLS CORNWALLIS ON 8 NOVEMBER 1986 AND AFTER COMPLETING BASIC AND QL 3 RADIO OPERATOR TRAINING AT CFSCE KINGSTON, WAS POSTED TO THE SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE (SSF) HQ AND SIGNAL SQN, PETAWAWA. WHILE IN PET HE SERVED IN 3 UNITS (SSF HQ AND SIG SQN, 2 RCHA, AND 427 TAC HEL SQN) EARNING BOTH HIS CANADIAN AND US JUMP WINGS ALONG THE WAY. POSTED TO THE “DIEFENBUNKER” AT CFB PENHOLD, ALBERTA IN 1989, RALPH DECIDED THAT A QL 4 QUALIFIED PRIVATE HAD NOTHING MORE TO LEARN AND LEFT THE CAF TO PURSUE CIVILIAN LIFE. A SHORT 15 MONTHS LATER HE WAS BACK IN UNIFORM, AND BACK IN PETAWAWA AFTER REALIZING THAT A QL 4-QUALIFIED PRIVATE ACTUALLY DID HAVE MORE TO LEARN! CPL MACDONALD WAS SUBSEQUENTLY POSTED TO CFB GAGETOWN IN 1997 WHERE HE SERVED WITH 2 RCR AND 5 CDSG SIG SQN. WHILE STILL IN GAGETOWN IN 1998, HE ONCE AGAIN LEFT THE CAF TO PURSUE A CAREER AS A […]