1. AFTER 38 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER CHRISTINE OUELLET WILL RETIRE ON 29 JAN 2021.
2. CWO OUELLET, IS ORIGINALLY FROM THE LAURENTIDES, QUEBEC AND JOINED THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES IN OCT 1982 AS A RADAR TECHNICIAN. FOLLOWING BOOT CAMP AND TRAINING AT CANADIAN FORCES BASES ST-JEAN, BORDEN AND KINGSTON, SHE WAS POSTED IN 1984 TO CANADIAN FORCES STATION SIOUX LOOKOUT, ONTARIO. THERE SHE WOULD WORK ON THE SEARCH RADAR FPN-107 AND IFF UPX-14, UNTIL THE STATION WAS CLOSED IN 1987. SHE THEN WAS POSTED TO CFB BAGOTVILLE AND WORKED ON THE AIRFIELD NAVAIDS EQUIPMENT. WHILE THERE SHE ALSO SPENT 11 MONTHS IN VALCATIER AS PART OF THE FEMALE MENTORING PROGRAM.
3. PROMOTED IN 1990 TO MASTER-CORPORAL SHE WAS POSTED TO THE 22 RCW NORAD, NORTH BAY, ONTARIO AND IN 1991 TO THE MAINTENANCE CONTROL CENTRE. IN 1992 SHE WAS TRANSFERRED TO BECOME AN AUTOMATED DATA PROCESSING TECHNICIAN. DURING THIS POSTING SHE PARTICIPATED IN 3 ADVANCE PARTY OPERATIONS TO HAITI, CROATIA AND RWANDA.
4. IN 1998, SHE WAS POSTED TO CC-NAEWF, GEILENKIRCHEN, GERMANY, AND WORKED ON THE E3A AWACS AS THE FIRST FEMALE AIRBORNE RADAR TECHNICIAN IN NATO. SHE COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 1959 FLYING HOURS WHICH 365 HOURS WERE COMBAT FLYING WITHIN 34 COMBAT SORTIES DURING THE KOSOVO CONFLICT IN 1999. SHE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF SGT THAT SAME YEAR. DURING HER POSTING SHE WORKED ON MAJOR OPS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOWINA AND KOSOVO, AND 11 SEP 2001 WHERE SHE WAS ON THE FIRST AWACS LANDING IN THE USA UNDER ARTICLE 5.
5. IN 2002, SHE WAS PROMOTED TO RANK OF WO AND POSTED BACK TO 22 WING NORTH BAY. IN 2003, SHE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE NCR INFO SECUR AS A IM/IT FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR. IN 2005 SHE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MWO AND BECAME THE NCR EMSEC ZONING AND CERTIFICATION & ACCREDITATION OFFICER. IN 2007, SHE TRANSFERRED WITH DPDOIS ON THE CRYPTO MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
6. IN 2008, SHE WAS POSTED TO AETE, IN COLD LAKE, ALBERTA AND WORKED AS THE TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE SERGEANT-MAJOR AND IN 2009, WAS THE AETE A/CWO.
7. IN 2010, SHE WAS PROMOTED TO HER CURRENT RANK AND MADE HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST FEMALE RADAR 231 – ATIS TECH TO BE PROMOTED TO CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER. THAT SAME YEAR SHE WAS ALSO POSTED TO OTTAWA TO BECOME THE ATIS TECH CAREER MANAGER. IN 2012, SHE WAS POSTED TO BAGOTVILLE TO RE-ESTABLISH THE WING OPS CWO POSITION. IN 2014, CWO OUELLET RETURNED TO OTTAWA WITH DAEPM (R&CS) AS THE DIRECTORATE CWO. IN 2016, SHE WAS SELECTED TO BECOME THE CFINT GROUP CWO. IN 2018 SHE WAS TRANSFERRED BACK TO DAEPM (R&CS) WHILE RECEIVING DENTAL TREATMENTS.
8. CWO CHRISTINE OUELLET IS A MEMBER OF ORDER MILITARY MERITORIOUS SINCE 2010.
9. CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER OUELLET IS MARRIED TO HER LOVELY WIFE RETIRED MWO GERVAISE PILOTE.
10. PENDING COVID RESTRICTIONS A SMALL DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY, 05 FEB 2021, AT THE NDHQ WOS’ & SGTS’ – CHIEFS & POS’ MESS, 4 QUEEN ELIZABETH DRIVE, OTTAWA. WELL-WISHES, HUMOROUS ANECDOTES, TALL-TALES OR COMPLETE LIES ARE WELCOME AND CAN BE SENT TO MAJOR DON EBSARY AT [email protected].
Congratulations CWO Ouellet, an outstanding career and an influential member of the ATIS trade. Thank you for the chats and guidance, you will be missed
Congratulations Chris!
Congratulations on an amazing and storied career Chris!! You have been a true friend and colleague throughout our years in uniform together and you have much to be proud of! Enjoy your retirement driving around on your tractor and riding your Harley! You deserve it my friend. All the best!! CWO (ret’d) Giorgio Frausin