C&E Week 2019 successfully concluded this year with the annual Branch Update held at the Knowlton Theatre on Friday, 25 October 2019. The roster of speakers included the Branch Leadership alongside our senior-most representatives from the RCCS (Director Signals and Corps Chief), RCAF Telecomm Wing (Strategic A6 and Senior ATIS Tech Advisor), SIGINT & Cyber community (Comd CFIOG and the CFIOG Group Chief) along with members from the C&E Foundation and Association. The state of the Branch and its founding services was discussed at length, allowing participants to understand the opportunities and challenges that collectively face our joint community.

A key component of the Branch Update entailed the Awards Ceremony of which the following members were honoured …

Colonel-in-Chief Commendation:
Chief Warrant Officer William ‘Bill’ Fallows, MMM, CD, RCCS (Retired) – former RSM of the CFJSR – was awarded the Colonel-in-Chief Commendation. Endorsed by HRH, The Princess Royal, Princess Anne; the Col-in-Chief Commendation is the highest award that the Branch can bestow upon a member. Decades of selfless service to the Branch, support to veterans, and preservation of our military heritage must be evidenced before an application is drafted by the Colonel Commandant for furtherance to Buckingham Place.

C&E Branch Subaltern of the Year:
Captain Mathias Bowles of 76 Communication Regiment was formally recognized by Lieutenant-General (Retired) Guy Thibault (former VCDS), Major-General Francois Chagnon (Branch Leader), Brigadier-General (Retired) Kevin O’Keefe (Colonel Commandant), and Chief Warrant Officer Gilles Philibert (Branch Chief). Captain Bowles is recognized for his outstanding sense of duty, steadfast dedication to the mission, exceptional loyalty to the chain-of-command, remarkable leadership, and unfaltering professional bearing.

C&E Branch Member of the Year:
Master Corporal Justin Barfoot, a Communication Research Operator from the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre (CFNOC) was formally recognized by Major-General Francois Chagnon (Branch Leader), Chief Warrant Office Gilles Philibert (Branch Chief ), and Brigadier-General (Retired) Kevin O’Keefe (Colonel Commandant). He is acknowledged for his outstanding sense of duty, steadfast dedication to the mission, and unfaltering professional comportment.

Master Corporal Barfoot and Captain Bowles shall partake in the forthcoming Battlefield Study Tour, which will expose deserving soldiers and aviators to the Netherlands Campaign of WWII.

These members – representing our retired and serving communities – constitute our finest.