1) AFTER MORE THAN 34 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE CPO2 WESLEY LAKE WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES EFFECTIVE 30 APRIL 2024.

2) CPO2 WESLEY LAKE JOINED THE CAF ON 14 MAR 1990. FOLLOWING GRADUATION FROM BASIC TRAINING AND TRADE TRAINING AT CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE) HE WAS POSTED TO 770 COMMUNICATION RESEARCH SQUADRON (GANDER, NFLD) IN JUN 92. NEXT HE WAS POSTED TO HMCS IROQUOIS (HALIFAX, NS) IN AUG 97. HE THEN MOVED TO HMCS ATHABASKIN (HALIFAX, NS) IN OCT 98. IN SEPT 99 HE MOVED OVER TO MARLANT HQ (TRINITY). NEXT HE WAS ON TO CANADIAN FORCES ELECTRONIC WARFARE CENTER (OTTAWA, ON) IN JUL 04. THE NEXT MOVE WAS OUTCAN TO CFIOG HQ DET FT MEADE (MARYLAND IN AUG 04. BACK TO CFS LEITRIM (OTTAWA, ON) IN JUL 13. FOR HIS FINAL POSTING WES WAS POSTED TO MARPAC HQ (ESQUIMALT, BC) WERE HE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE WESTCOAST LIFESTYLE AND DECIDE TO STAY.

3) CPO2 LAKE’S MANY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED ONE TOUR AT CFS ALERT AND TWO NATO DEPLOYMENTS ON HMCS IROQUOIS AND ATHABASKIN IN 97/98, AN EXCHANGE PROGRAMM WITH NEW ZEALAND NAVY (IT WAS CANZEX), AND IN 2000. DEPLOYMENT TF AFGANISTAN (DUBAI,UAE) IN NOV 05.

4) WES IS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY EXPERIENCES, FRIENDSHIPS AND MEMORIES WITH SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC HE MET, OVER HIS LAST 34 YEARS IN UNIFORM. HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL WHO SUPPORTED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, ESPECIALLY THE UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM HIS FAMILY BACK HOME.

5) UPON RETIREMENT WES PLANS TO STAY ON VANCOUVER ISLAND, SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

6) ANECDOTES AND WELL WISHES MAY BE SENT TO WO THOMAS MURPHY AT [email protected]. A DWD CEREMONY WILL BE HELD ON 26 APRIL 2024 AT SPINNAKERS BREW PUB, 308 CATHERINE ST, VICTORIA, BC, ATTENDEES MUST CONFIRM THEIR PRESENCE TO WO THOMAS MUPRHY FOR BOOKING PURPOSES.