1. AFTER ALMOST 53 YEARS OF COMBINED CAF AND DND SERVICE COL (RETD) B. BLONDON, WILL RETIRE ON 1 JULY 2019.

2. COL BLONDON ENTERED CMR DE ST JEAN IN SEPTEMBER 1966 AND GRADUATED IN MAY 1971 WITH A BSC AND BECAME ONE OF THE “NEW EIGHTEEN”. ONCE COMPLETING BASIC SIGNAL OFFICER TRAINING HE WAS POSTED TO 5IEME GBC FOR 2 TOURS: ONE IN QGET AND ONE IN 5 RALC. DURING 2 CONSECUTIVE SUMMERS HE WAS A PL COMD FIRST AT CFOCS CHILLIWACK AND THEN AT EAC VALCARTIER. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY POSTED TO CFSCE AS AN INSTRUCTOR AND STANDARDS OFFICER, TEACHING MANY OF HIS FORMER BOTC STUDENTS. HE RETURNED TO 5IEME GBC AS THE DCO OF QGET. DURING THAT TOUR HE COMPLETED THE CLFCSC. AFTER A SHORT STINT OF OJT AS DLR 4 IN NDHQ HE WAS POSTED TO RMCS SHRIVENHAM IN JANUARY 1981 WHERE HE COMPLETED THE ASC DIV 1 AND WAS PROMOTED TO MAJ AT THE ONSET OF THE COURSE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY BEING POSTED AS CO 715 E COMM IN ST HUBERT AND THEN TO CFCCHQ AS SSO OPS AND TRG. HE NEXT ATTENDED CFCSC IN TORONTO AND UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE HE WAS POSTED AS CO SSF HQ AND SIG SQN AND AFTER HIS TOUR HE WAS PROMOTED TO LCOL AND POSTED TO FMCHQ AS SSO ADP. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY APPOINTMENT AS COMD 71 G COMM. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A POSTING TO DISO IN NDHQ AS THE J6 OPS ON THE DCDS BATTLE STAFF. AFTER A SHORT STINT AS AN A DIRECTOR HE TOOK OVER AS TEAM LEADER OF THE Y2K TECHNICAL REVIEW TEAM. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY APPOINTMENT AS THE SECT HD FOR ALL CAF C2IS PROJECTS (LESS LFCS) AND THE CAF IMAGERY PROJECT. AFTER A SERIES OF SHORT DURATION JOBS HE WAS APPOINTED AS COS OF DGIMO, WHEN DGIMO INCLUDED THE SOME ODD 2200 COMM RESERVISTS. DURING THIS POSTING HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE OMM AT THE RANK OF OFFICER AND PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF COL. HE RETIRED FROM THE CAF IN AUGUST 2004.

3. HE IMMEDIATELY JOINED THE RANKS OF THE PS AND FOR 2 YEARS SERVED AS A PROJECT OFFICER ON A CAF IMAGERY PROJECT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY 6 YEARS AT CFIOGHQ AS COS CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT WHERE 2 SIGINT PROJECTS RECEIVED EPA IN RECORD TIME. HE ALSO LED THE TEAM THAT DEVELOPED THE 20 YEAR STRATEGIC SIGINT CAPITAL PROGRAM. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A MOVE TO NDHQ WHERE HE WAS INVOLVED IN ALL THINGS RELATED TO IM GP MIL C4ISR FORCE DEVELOPMENT. HE THEN MOVED TO DG CYBER TO CARRY OUT SIMILAR TASKS.

4. ALONG THE WAY COL BLONDON HAS MET NUMEROUS EXCELLENT MEN AND WOMEN, IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM, WHO HAVE SERVED CANADA WITH PRIDE AND DISTINCTION. UPON RETIRING (MEANING NOT WORKING FULL TIME…) HE AND HIS WIFE  WILL REMAIN IN OTTAWA WHERE COL BLONDON WILL WORK ON IMPROVING HIS GOLF GAME. HE PLANS TO WORK PART TIME TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A LIFESTYLE THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO.

5. A RETIREMENT LUNCHEON WILL BE HELD IN THE OTTAWA AOM ON 23 MAY AT 12:00. IT IS BEING ORGANIZED BY NICOLE LEMAN AND THE COST WILL BE $30. THOSE WISHING TO ATTEND SHOULD CONTACT: (CONTACT REMOVED 2023 APR 20 BY ADMIN. SEND INQUIRIES HERE: https://cmcen-rcmce.ca/contact/) BY NLT 17 MAY OF YOUR INTENTION TO ATTEND. MESSAGES AND ANECDOTES CAN ALSO BE SENT TO NICOLE : (CONTACT REMOVED 2023 APR 20 BY ADMIN. SEND INQUIRIES HERE: https://cmcen-rcmce.ca/contact/) WILL BE THE MC.