1. CAPTAIN RONALD (RON) MITCHELL WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, EFFECTIVE 26 SEPTEMBER 2019, AFTER 35 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CAF AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS.

2. RON ENROLLED IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AS A COMMUNICATOR RESEARCH OPERATOR ON 26 SEP 1984. AFTER COMPLETING BASIC TRAINING IN CORNWALLIS, N.S. AND HIS TRADE TRAINING AT CFSCE KINGSTON, HE WAS POSTED TO CFS MASSET, BC AS A MEMBER OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY RADIO SYSTEM.

3. IN 1989, RON WAS DIRECTED TO REPORT TO THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN OTTAWA TO LEARN GERMAN IN PREPARATION FOR AN OVERSEAS POSTING. UNFORTUNATELY GERMANY DID NOT GET THE MEMO AND WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE BERLIN WALL, THEREFORE WENT ANY REQUIREMENT TO POST RON TO GERMANY. AS SUCH, 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT FROM 1990 TO 1994 WOULD BE HIS INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF ELECTRONIC WARFARE. WITH HIS APPOINTMENT TO MCPL IN 1994, ALSO CAME A POSTING BACK TO CFS MASSET, AND FROM THERE HE STARTED HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE RANKS WITH POSTINGS TO CFSCE, DLCI, AND 21 EW REGT. DURING THIS TIME, CAPT MITCHELL COMPLETED 2 TOURS OF CFS ALERT, AND 2 TOURS OF AFGHANISTAN THE FIRST WITH OP ATHENA (KABUL) AND THE OTHER WITH OP ARCHER (KANDAHAR) ATTACHED WITH THE ENGINEERS DOING CIED.

4. IN 2009, RON WAS APPOINTED TO THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT AND ACCEPTED A CFR TO SIGNAL OFFICER. AS AN OFFICER HE WAS POSTED TO CFJSR, 3 CDSG SIG SQN DET SHILO, AND THEN BACK TO CFSCE WHERE HE HAS FINISHED HIS CAREER AS THE 2IC OF 4 SQN, THE SAME SQN THAT FIRST TRAINED HIM AS A COMM RSCH AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS LONG JOURNEY.

5. RON AND HIS LOVING WIFE TRACY HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, ALICJA AND ERIN. UPON RETIREMENT THEY ARE MOVING TO FALL RIVER N.S. WITH THEIR DAUGHTER, ERIN. LONG TERM PLANS FOR RON INCLUDE REACQUAINTING HIMSELF TO THE JOYS OF THE GOLF COURSE, AFTERNOONS SPENT FISHING, BIKING, AND PUTTERING IN HIS NEW WORK SHOP. SOME ITEMS ON RON AND TRACY’S BUCKET LIST ARE TRIPS TO PORTUGAL AND TO TAKE IN A FOOTBALL MATCH IN BARCELONA.

6. A DEPART WITH DIGNITY FUNCTION WILL BE HELD IN RON’S HONOUR AT THE VIMY OFFICERS MESS AT CFB KINGSTON, 20 SEPTEMBER 2019, COMMENCING AT 1200HRS. COST WILL BE 25.00, CASH ONLY, WHICH WILL BE COLLECTED AT THE BAR TO COVER THE COST OF THE MEAL.

7. RSVP WITH ANY DIETARY REQUIREMENTS, BEST WISHES, ANECDOTES, MESSAGES, OR PICTURES THAT CAN BE SHARED AT THE FUNCTION, MAY BE PASSED VIA E-MAIL TO PO1 DOYLE AT [email protected].