1. AFTER MORE THAN 39 YEARS, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER BOB VIEL WILL RETIRE FROM THE CAF ON 31 AUGUST 2022. HE GREW UP IN SEPT-ILES, QUEBEC AND JOINED THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES IN 1983 AS A RADAR TECHNICIAN. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT CFRS CORNWALLIS AND TRADES TRAINING AT CFB KINGSTON, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE PINE TREE LINE AT CFS MOISIE, QUEBEC.
2. IN 1988, HE WAS POSTED TO 8 AIR TRANSPORTABLE COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTROL UNIT TRENTON, ONTARIO. DURING THIS TOUR HE SPENT FIVE MONTHS ATTACHED POSTED TO THE CANADA REMEMBERS CONTINGENT THAT PARADED IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE LIBERATION OF EUROPE. IN 1992, HE WAS APPOINTED A MASTER CORPORAL.
3. IN 1996, CWO VIEL WAS POSTED TO GEILENKIRCHEN, GERMANY, AS A COMPUTER DISPLAY TECHNICIAN FLYING WITH THE CANADIAN CONTINGENT OF THE NATO AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING FORCE. IN 1998, HE RETURNED TO CANADA AND POSTED TO 706 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON AT CFB BORDEN, ONTARIO.
4. CWO VIEL WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT IN 2001 AND POSTED TO 8 AIR COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTROL SQUADRON AT CFB TRENTON AND IN 2003 HE WAS PROMOTED TO WARRANT OFFICER. DURING THIS TOUR, HE SUPPORTED NUMEROUS OPERATIONS.
5. FROM 2005 TO 2006, CWO VIEL WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNALS REGIMENT AT CFB KINGSTON AS THE TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE TROOP WARRANT OFFICER.
6. PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MASTER WARRANT OFFICER IN 2006, HE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES COMMAND IN OTTAWA. DURING THIS POSTING HE COMPLETED A TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN.
7. FROM 2009 TO 2010, HE WAS POSTED TO 764 COMMUNICATIONS SQUADRON IN OTTAWA AS THE TOP SECRET AND ABOVE NETWORK SYSTEM SERGEANT-MAJOR.
8. IN 2010, CWO VIEL WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK AND POSTED TO 14 WING GREENWOOD. DURING THIS POST, HE HELD SEVERAL POSITIONS, INCLUDING WING OPS CWO. IN JUNE OF 2013, HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE 4 WING COLD LAKE CWO AND IN 2015 HE MOVED BACK TO OTTAWA AND APPOINTED AS THE CANADIAN FORCES INTELLIGENCE GROUP CWO.
9. IN JUNE 2016, HE WAS APPOINTED AS CANADIAN FORCES INTELLIGENCE COMMAND CWO. CWO VIEL PROUDLY ASSUMED HIS DUTIES AS FORMATION EUROPE CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER, AT SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED POWERS EUROPE (SHAPE), BELGIUM IN JULY 2019.
10. CWO VIEL AND HIS WIFE VALERIE WILL RETIRE IN ORLEANS, ONTARIO WHERE THEY WILL TRAIN THEIR NEW GOLDEN DOODLE PUPPY AND SPEND TIME WITH THEIR DAUGHTER GABRIELLE WHO IS AT CARLTON UNIVERSITY IN FILM STUDIES. SHOULD COVID RESTRICTIONS ALLOW, AN INFORMAL DWD IS SCHEDULED FOR 10 JUNE 2022 AT 14H00 IN THE MAPLE LEAF LOUNGE IN CASTEAU, BELGIUM. THOSE WISHING TO ATTEND OR TO PASS ON CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES AND STORIES CAN SEND THEM TO MASTER WARRANT OFFICER SIMON LAFLEUR AT [email protected] NLT 31 MAY 2022. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY, YOU CAN JOIN TROUGH TEAMS USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: DWD CWO VIEL
Bob, congratulations on an outstanding career. The C&E Branch is losing one of its elite member but your footprint will remain. Cheers & enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
Congratulations on your amazing career that took you across Canada and the World. Thank you especially for all your advice and assistance on matters while we were posted together at JSR and Europe. Enjoy your retirement and try and take it easy.
Congratulations Robert on your retirement! Such a huge accomplishment! I am sure mom, dad and Denis (RIP) are also so very proud of you! I am looking forward to viewing your retirement via video/Zoom. Especially looking forward to seeing you, Valerie and Gabrielle soon. Luv ya – Jackie (ret’d Sgt Supply Tech)
Congratulations Bob on your retirement. Well done you!! May you enjoy the freedom that comes with being retired and all my very best to you and yours. Cheers!!
Tony Morris (ret’d MWO LCIS Tech).
Bob, It was a pleasure working with you over the years. All the best in your retirement, now you can wear the ORANGE crocs.
Congratulations and thank you for your service.it was a great pleasure to have served with you. Enjoy your well deserved retirement. Pat