RETIREMENT – CAPT MICHAEL C. O’KEEFE, CD – 00341 SIGS

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1. CAPTAIN MIKE O’KEEFE RETIRED 09 JULY 2021 AFTER 35+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATION SERVICE TO THE RCCS, CANADIAN ARMY AND CAF.

2. MIKE JOINED THE CAF AS AN NCM IN ST. JOHN’S IN JUNE 1986 AS A RADIO OPERATOR. AFTER BASIC TRAINING IN CORNWALLIS, HE COMPLETED DRIVER TRAINING IN BORDEN, FOLLOWED BY HIS QL3 TRAINING IN JANUARY OF 1987. UPON COMPLETION OF HIS BASIC TRADES TRAINING HE WAS POSTED TO SSF HQ & SIG SQN, B TP CFB PETAWAWA.

3. FALL OF 1988 SAW THE SIG SQN DEPLOY TO IRAN AND IRAQ WHERE HE SPENT THE NEXT 4 MONTHS IN A BUNKER ON THE IRANIAN SIDE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION SUPPORT TO THE UNMOS THERE. AFTER RV 89 HE WAS POSTED TO 2 RCHA SIG TP WHERE THE NEXT TWO YEARS WERE A WHIRLWIND OF EXERCISES. HE WAS POSTED TO 764 COMM SQN WORKING THE FCC AT UPLANDS THEN TRANSFERRED TO NDHQ TWO YEARS LATER. DURING HIS POSTING TO OTTAWA HE DEPLOYED TO RWANDA FOR THE CLOSE OUT MISSION.

4. THE SUMMER OF 96, THEN MCPL O’KEEFE WAS POSTED BACK TO PETAWAWA WHERE HE SERVED AS THE BDE CP 2IC, A SHIFT TO OPS AS THE TRG MCPL THEN OPS MCPL. THE FALL OF 2002 SAW HIM POSTED TO 2 ASG SIG SQN WORKING IN IS MAINT. MARCH OF 2003, HE WAS PROMOTED SGT AND POSTED TO 3 RCR. HIS FIRST OF THREE DEPLOYMENTS TO AFGHANISTAN BEGAN THE FALL OF 03 TO CAMP JULIEN IN KABUL. JUL 06 SAW MIKE POSTED TO 2 SVC BN AS THE SIG PL SGT AND HIS SECOND DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN BEGAN A FEW MONTHS LATER. PROMOTED TO WO THE SUMMER OF 07, SAW MIKE POSTED BACK TO 2 CMBG HQ & SIG SQN AS THE B TP WO. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SAW HIM MOVE TO SQN OPS AS THE OPS WO. TWO YEARS LATER CAME HIS FINAL DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN AS THE OPS WO FOR TF 5-10 HQ & SIG SQN. DURING THE DEPLOYMENT MIKE WAS OFFERED HIS COMMISSION AND ACCEPTED COMMISSIONED TO THE RANK OF LT.

5. POSTED TO 2 ASG SIG SQN IN SEPT 2011 AS THE ALPHA TP COMMANDER WHERE HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE THRILL OF COMMAND WHILE THE UNIT TRANSITIONED STAFF MEMBERS TO SHARED SERVICES CANADA. JULY 2013 HE BECAME THE OPS O OF THE UNIT AND HAD THE FASTEST TWO YEARS OF HIS CAREER. JULY 2015 HE BECAME THE DCO FOR A YEAR. 2016 HE WAS POSTED TO CFRC TORONTO DETACHMENT LONDON AS A MILITARY CAREER COUNSELLOR AND DET COMD.

6. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER MIKE HAS THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH AND FOR TOO MANY GREAT SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND AIR PERSONNEL TO MENTION ALTHOUGH HE IS QUITE SURE THEY ALL KNOW WHO THEY ARE. TO SAY IT WAS PLEASURE AND ENJOYABLE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT AND ,IF ABLE, WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.

7. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY AND WIFE, CHARLENE, WHO KEPT HIM GROUNDED AND SET HIM STRAIGHT WHEN REQUIRED. HE HAS SETTLED IN THE NIAGARA REGION TO ENJOY ALL IT HAS TO OFFER.

8. AN INFORMAL DWD WAS HELD BACK IN JUNE WITH THE MEMBERS OF CFRC LONDON WHO MADE HIS FINAL YEARS IN UNIFORM ENJOYABLE. IF YOU WISH TO SEND MIKE A MESSAGE DIRECTLY YOU CAN AT [email protected] AS HIS DWAN HAVE BEEN DELETED.

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Rod Sturge
2 years ago

All the best in retirement. Glad I got to serve with you.

Oleg
2 years ago

Hey Mike, enjoy retirement. Thanks for the great times in CAF.

Blair Christie
2 years ago

‘An officer can tell you the square root of a pickle, but he couldn’t tell you how to eat it.’

Warrant Officer Mike O’Keefe to Sergeant Blair Christie
Afghanistan, 2010

Take care brother

Lise Hebert
2 years ago

Mike, it was great knowing and working with you, from basic training to our trades training in Kingston, and 764 Ottawa, I know you’ve had a great enjoyable career, and wish you luck in your retirement, congrats Mike, may see you in the Niagara region in the future 🙂

Lyle Read
2 years ago

Mike, it seems like yesterday that we competed in the CFCC triathlon in Debert, lotsa fun. Congrats on the outstanding career and I know you will be just as successful in whatever you decide to do in the future. All the best to you and Charlene in your well deserved retirement. VVV