1. CAPTAIN (MASTER GUNNER) KEN KYLE WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 6 SEPT 2021 WITH 30+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED COMBINED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE ROYAL CANADIAN ARMOURED CORPS, THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF CANADIAN ARTILLERY, AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS.
2. KEN ENROLLED IN THE CAF ON 4 FEB 1991 AS AN ARMOURED CREWMAN AND SERVED WITH THE 8TH CANADIAN HUSSARS AND THE KINGS OWN CALGARY REGIMENT. IN 1997 HE DECIDED TO SWITCH OVER TO FULL TIME AND JOINED THE REGULAR FORCE AS A FIELD ARTILLERYMAN AND SERVED WITH 1 RCHA. IT WAS WITH 1 RCHA THAT HE COMPLETED HIS FIRST DEPLOYMENT (BOSNIA 00) WITH C BTY AS A RIFLE COMPANY OF 3 VP. DURING THIS DEPLOYMENT HE SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR AN OT TO LCIS TECH AND ARRIVED IN KINGSTON IN LATE 2000 TO BEGIN HIS TRAINING.
3. DURING HIS NCM CAREER IN THE RCCS, HE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING IN 1 AND 2 BDE WITH 2 CER, RCD, LDSH (RC), 1 HQ & SIGS SQN, AND 3 VP. THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD HE COMPLETED 3 MORE DEPLOYMENTS (BOSNIA 03/04, AFGHANISTAN 06/07 AND 09). FOLLOWING THESE ADVENTURES HIS CAREER SHIFTED TO THE TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT SIDE, FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS TIME. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1 YEAR IN OTTAWA AT DGMPD, HE WAS A STAFF MEMBER OR STUDENT AT RCAS, RCEME SCHOOL, CFSCE, CFB KINGSTON LANGUAGE SCHOOL AND RMC. THIS INCLUDED THE AWARDING OF THE TITLE “MASTER GUNNER” HAVING SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE ARMY TECHNICAL WARRANT OFFICER (ATWO) PROGRAM (THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS OPPORTUNITIES AS A STUDENT). AS A MWO, KEN CFR’D IN 2020 AND FINISHED OFF HIS TIME IN THE ARMY AS A DP 1 OFFICER INSTRUCTOR.
4. KEN HAS ENJOYED HIS LENGTHY CAREER IN NO SMALL PART DUE TO THE EVER PRESENT SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY; JANE, SAM, AND JACK. THEY HAVE ALL LIVED THE MILITARY LIFESTYLE INCLUDING THE SACRIFICES USUALLY NOT SPOKEN OF, WITHOUT COMPLAINT, OVER THE MANY YEARS AND NUMEROUS POSTINGS. HE COULD NOT HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE SUCCESS HE HAS WITHOUT THEM! JANE AND KEN LOOK VERY MUCH FORWARD TO FINALLY RETURNING HOME TO SUSSEX, NB AND SETTING DOWN ROOTS FOR THEIR FUTURE RETIREMENT YEARS.
5. IN CLOSING, KEN WOULD LIKE TO INDICATE HIS GRATITUDE TO ALL HIS MENTORS, PEERS, AND SUBORDINATES WHO HAVE LED HIM, TAUGHT HIM, AND ASSISTED IN HIS DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS. HE WILL MISS THESE PEOPLE THE MOST AND COUNTS THEM AS THE KEYS TO HIS FULFILLING AND REWARDING CAREER IN THE CANADIAN ARMY. HE IS PROUD TO HAVE HAD THE PRIVLIDGE OF SERVING HIS COUNTRY ALONGSIDE SUCH OUTSTANDING CANADIANS! A SMALL AND INFORMAL DWD WILL BE HELD IN KINGSTON FOR CAPTAIN KYLE. ANY WELL WISHES, ANECDOTES, OR PHOTOS CAN BE SENT TO: CAPT GABRIELLE L.LAJOIE AT [email protected].
Thanks so much Crystal! You are a great friend as well and have always inspired me from day one with your dedication, drive and intellect. Glad to see you, Terry and the kids got a chance to get to the island this summer, hope things are going good with back to school. Stop in and see us in Sussex anytime you are near!
Best wishes Ken! You are a great friend and mentor! All the best to you Jane and the kids!
Congrats Ken,
All the best in your retirement.
Thanks Leighton!
You always made me laugh on tour and on such a long haul, we all needed a good laugh!
Hope things are going good with you, best wishes!
Well Gomer the time has come for you to look back at these adventures and say I really did all that!!!
I remember the beginning of your Adventure and thought Oh My I am going to have fun with this Guy…and You definitely didn’t disappoint me even though you wouldn’t take a sip of my Sand Wine and you stole my Peanut Butter!!!
It was our tour to Bosnia that I got to catch up with you after not seeing you for quite a few years. I thought you dropped off the face of the Earth and to see you before we deployed to the same Camp. I will not Lie Gomer…you made my tour there much better than what it would have been if you weren’t there and I want to Thank You for that!!!
Since then I have been proud to see your career take off as you Sister has been updating me of your Accomplishments!!! You have done well Brother!!!
It has been my pleasure to serve with you and wish you and your Family all the best on the next Chapter!!!
It is my hope that we will meet back up when you get back home and catch up once again!!! However…I will bring my own Peanut Butter under lock and Key!!!
Teddy!!
Great to hear from you, I had a great time in Zgon and I was so pleased to do some time with the RCDs thanks to you all! I’ll never forget learning how to drive an iltis on the parade square! You are a man of great patience and courage! Look me up in Sussex when you’re close by and we’ll catch up over a beer or a coffee!
Hey Ken
It’s been great knowing you and working with you through out the years. Our paths crossed a few times. First time we servered as 8th Canadian Hussars out of Sussex NB as Armour crewmen then when you became Our sigs tech as a MCpl for our tour to Afghanistan in 2006 with the LdSH(RC) B Sqn. I wish you and your family all the best of luck in this new chapter of your life.
Retired Sgt Michael McGarity
Hey Mike!
Great to hear from you, I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with B Sqn, we had a great team with great leadership there and Cyprus was lots of fun as well! Hope you are doing well, best wishes.
I have had the pleasure of being a course mate of yours since 1991, what great times we had in Sussex and Gagetown. Congragulations my friend.
Ron!
Thanks buddy, we did have some great times together!
Remember this weekend?
Me losing my license speeding in a Fiero on the way to Stewiac to sky dive, getting attacked by leeches while inner tubing the local creek between jumps, me evading the drunk tank in Halifax by tossing my bottle into an alley before they grabbed you and you shared a cell with a guy who knew me from Sussex because he was in the city for a ball tournament? LOL, what a weekend! We need to get together again but our activities will have to be subdued compared to back in the day! Let me know when you’re at Grand Lake!
Congratulations to you and your family! Hope your transition to civilian life goes well. Enjoy beautiful New Brunswick!
Thank you Rebecca!
Capt Kyle????? What happened there? Good times at 2 CER. Can you imagine how out of line Willy Kellar would have been without our guidance?
Best of luck in retirement. Now you need to make up for all that time away. Keep in touch.
Hey Buddy!
Yup, I went to the dark side, turned out it wasn’t for as long as I expected but that’s ok.
Great times at 2 CER, lots of hilarious stories came out of those years! You guys were my first introduction to the sigs world, couldn’t have asked to be put with a better bunch!
Jane and I will be down to see you and Gwen for sure (as long as Nova Scotia ever lets New Brunswickers back in). Talk to you later!
KENNY KYLE!!!
It’s been a minute, my friend.
Congrats on a great career!
All the best to you, Jane and the boys.
Hey Mikey!
Time flys by eh! It seems like yesterday we were all excited to be heading out the door to Bosnia, even though we had to go without the guns. I’ll never forget how great for morale you have always been and it’s always felt like “home” every time I ended up posted and found you already there!
Best wishes to you and Nancy!