1. AFTER ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CANADA, MASTER WARRANT OFFICER MATTHEW MCCORMACK WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE CAF ON 31 MAY 2021.

2. MATT ENROLLED IN THE CAF IN 1996 AS AN INFANTRY SOLDIER. AFTER COMPLETING BASIC TRAINING AND RCR BATTLE SCHOOL IN MEAFORD ONTARIO, HE WAS POSTED TO 3RCR AT CFB PETAWAWA. WHILE A MEMBER OF 3RCR HE PARTICIPATED IN ICE STORM ’98, OP PALLADIUM ROTO 3 AND OP PALLADIUM ROTO 8. WHILE ON DEPLOYMENT IN 2001 HE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF A LAND OCCUPATIONAL TRANSFER PROGRAM TO ATIS TECH ON THE ADVICE OF A GOOD FRIEND. IN 2002 HE BEGAN AN ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN DIPLOMA PROGRAM AT ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE AS A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNICIANS. FOLLOWING HIS COLLEGE EXPERIENCE, HE WAS POSTED TO 8 WING TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS SQUADRON IN TRENTON ON. WHILE AT 8 WTISS HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY WITH THE PRIME MINSTER OF CANADA ON SEVERAL 001 FLIGHTS AS THE ONBOARD X-RAY TECHNICIAN, AND TO DEPLOY ON OP ATHENA/ARCHER IN SUPPORT OF THE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN. WHEN PROMOTED TO MCPL IN 2008 HE REQUESTED TO BE POSTED BACK TO CFSCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO ATIS APPRENTICE TRAINING. IN AN UNUSUAL SERIES OF EVENTS, HE REMAINED AT CFSCE THROUGHOUT THE RANKS OF MCPL, SGT, AND WO. HE FILLED MANY ROLES AT THE SCHOOL, INCLUDING INSTRUCTOR, COURSE DIRECTOR, STANDARDS WRITER, TROOP WARRANT OFFICER, A/TROOP COMMANDER AND CELE(A) COURSE WARRANT OFFICER. IN 2017, WHEN PROMOTED TO MWO, HE RETURNED TO 8 WTISS, THEN RENAMED 8 TELECOM FLT AS THE C4ISR MWO. ONE YEAR LATER HE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE SECOND LANGUAGE TRAINING, WHICH WAS A UNIQUE AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE. IN 2019 HE RETURNED TO TRENTON AS THE CCISF MWO AT ATESS, ANOTHER EYE OPENING AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, HE WAS POSTED BACK TO CFSCE IN 2020 TO FILL THE ROLE OF SERGEANT-MAJOR IN THE NEWLY CREATED STANDARDS SQN, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR JUST ONE MORE YEAR.

3. MATT HAS BEEN OFFERED A PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION AT CFSCE AS A TECHNICAL STANDARDS SUPERVISOR. HE HOPES THAT HIS EXPERIENCE AND PASSION FOR TRAINING CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPING THE FUTURE OF THE CAF.

4. PLANS FOR A DWD WILL BE DEPENDANT ON THE COVID-19 ENVIRONMENT AND RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE. ANY LETTERS, WELL WISHES, LIES OR ANECDOTES CAN BE SENT TO: CWO ROB SHERMAN AT [email protected].