1. CWO S MCNABB WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2019 AFTER 35 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS.
2. CWO MCNABB ENROLLED AS A RADIO OPERATOR (RAD OP) ON 20 AUGUST 1984 IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO. THOUGH, AS THE TRADE EVOLVED, HE EVENTUALLY BECAME A SIGNAL OPERATOR (SIG OP) AND THEN AN ARMY COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SPECIALIST (ACISS). UPON COMPLETING HIS BASIC TRAINING AND QL3, HE WAS POSTED TO SSF HQ & SIG SQN, CFB PETAWAWA. REMAINING THERE UNTIL JULY 1989 WHEN CWO MCNABB WAS POSTED TO 742 COMM SQN IN EDMONTON WHERE HE SPENT HIS TIME WORKING AT THE MACS SITE. IN AUGUST 1994, CWO MCNABB WAS POSTED BACK TO CFB PETAWAWA, WHERE HE SERVED WITH 2 RCHA, THE RCD, 2 CER, 2 CMBG HQ & SIG SQN, 1 RCR AND BACK TO 2 CMBG HQ AND SIG SQN AGAIN. CWO MCNABB WAS POSTED TO CANSOFCOM IN OTTAWA IN 2007 AS THE CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR, BEFORE RETURNING TO CFB PETAWAWA IN 2010 AND BEING APPOINTED AS THE SQUADRON SERGEANT-MAJOR FOR 2 ASG SIG SQN. CWO MCNABB WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK IN 2012 AND WAS THEN POSTED TO OTTAWA TO ARMY HQ AS THE MASTER OF SIGNALS. HE THEN RETURNED TO CFB PETAWAWA ONE LAST TIME IN 2013 WHEN CWO MCNABB WAS APPOINTED AS THE REGIMENTAL SERGEANT-MAJOR OF 2 CMBG HQ & SIG SQN. UPON COMPLETING THIS POSITION IN JULY 2016, ACCUMULATING A TOTAL OF TWENTY-THREE YEARS IN PETAWAWA, HE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN ARMY COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE (CACSC) AT CFB KINGSTON AND APPOINTED AS THE CA NCM PD/PME CWO. CONCURRENTLY, WHILE AT THE CACSC, CWO MCNABB WAS APPOINTED AS THE TASK FORCE SERGEANT-MAJOR FOR JTF NIJMEGEN FROM 2017 UNTIL 2019.
3. CWO MCNABB DEPLOYED ON A UN MISSION TO THE GOLAN HEIGHTS IN 1988, AND HAS TWO TOURS OF DUTY IN AFGHANISTAN. IN 2003, HE DEPLOYED TO KABUL AND IN 2006 DEPLOYED TO KANDAHAR. CWO MCNABB WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT IN 2012.
4. CWO MCNABB AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, WHO PREVIOUSLY RETIRED FROM THE CAF, PLAN TO REMAIN IN KINGSTON FOR THE TIME BEING, AS THEY LOOK FORWARD TO SLOWING DOWN A BIT AND ENJOYING THEIR RETIREMENT TOGETHER.
5. THERE WILL BE A DEPARTURE WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY ON 14 JUNE 2019 AT THE CFB KINGSTON WO’S AND SGT’S MESS STARTING AT 1300 HRS. DRESS WILL BE DRESS OF THE DAY OR APPROPRIATE CIVILIAN ATTIRE. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES AND PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE SENT TO THE DWD COORD: (CONTACT REMOVED 2023 APR 20 BY ADMIN. SEND INQUIRIES HERE: https://cmcen-rcmce.ca/contact/).
Congratulation on your retirement Steve. All the best to you and Sandie. I have fond memories of MACS Edmonton with you and gopher hunting.
Thank Jim, great to hear from you and those times at MACS Edmonton were memorable. Thanks for the reminder and for being so supportive! Sandie said to say hi.
Hey Steve, never thought I would hear of the day you retire. I know Sandie will be grateful to spend more leisurely time with you. All the best, really enjoyed our years working together. Kevin
Thanks Kevin, the time was great and l learnt a lot from our time together. Thank you!
Steve, what a career! You can be justifiably proud as I am to say that we first met as no-hook Signalmen in 1CSR way back when! Although we never served together since, I heard about you often from many who had tremendous respect for you regarding your professionalism and your priority to take care of the troops! Enjoy your retirement brother. I will see you on the retirement side of the fence in a couple of months.
Sir, thank you. I remember those times at 1 CSR, and the many times throughout our careers that we have run into each other. We lived in the H-hut barracks, which were situated close to where the curling rink is now. The feeling is absolutely mutual, as I have the same level of respect for you and your accomplished. It’s not easy following the path that you have. I’m looking forward to reading your message when it is released. All the best my friend.
Steve,
Welcome to the club of retirees! From our first time at 2 Sigs including Roto 0 in Kabul to our time at CANSOF, it was always a honour and privilege to serve along side a dedicated professional NCM like yourself. You should be deservedly proud of your accomplishments. Not everyone makes it to CWO and gets the opportunity to be a unit RSM. I always appreciated your sage advice and counsel. I see from the comments that you’ve taken up golf. Good, you’ll see more of Sandie in your retirement that way 🙂 I look forward to raising a glass in your honour with your friends and family on the 14th of June. All the best.
Sir, yes some great times and experiences that I look back on often. I always knew the time would come, but when we look back on our careers at the end, we can say we grew to adulthood in the Corps, and I’ve been privileged to grow grey in service to my country. I have served under great leaders, and you definitely fall in there, and I have led great men and women in the CAF. It’s been a privilege to serve side by side with so many, and it’s time for younger (maybe not as fast) men and women to shoulder the load. Looking forward to seeing you next month!
Steve, thanks for your leadership for the short time our paths crossed in Nanaimo.
Thank you Stu, that was a course we can look back on now and smile. Thanks for that! I’m sure we can both say, that we both took a lot away from it.
Steve, Congrats on your upcoming retirement. It was an honour serving with you over the years. I hope you have something to keep you busy because we all know you are not the kind of guy to slow down. All the best to you and Sandie in this next phase, maybe she can teach you how to golf now.
Hi Dennis, what can I say but thank you for everything. We had some very memorable times at 2 CER, 2 Sig Sqn and on Roto 0 in Kabul in 2003. It was an absolute honour serving with you all those years, and I am a better person for it. You taught me a lot, even that I had an inner (unopened) love for golf… Maybe a future GAG tour is in the cards. Thank you and hope you can make it to Kingston.
Hey Dennis….already working on the golf with him, LOL. He finally beat me the last round we played!
Congrats Stephen, well deserved retirement. Served with you, when you were posted to the Armd in Petawawa. Once retired, you will have even more time to run…Enjoy
Hi Moe, I definitely remember you from the Dragoons, you were the Regt Ops WO for a period of time that I was there. Thank you for your comments, and in all honestly the RCD was the best first line unit I served in. Once a black hatter, always a black hatter! Bold and swift!
Congratulations Steve on your retirement. It was a pleasure working for you and learning from one of the best. You were hard but fair and help shape many other career. Wishing you the best in your next endeavor. Cheers. Dan.
Hi Dan, it was a pleasure and I will alway honour our time together in Pet. I appreciate your comments, and I’m sure we are both better people because of the time together. Thank you Dan!
Congratulations Steve, an outstanding career. It is now time for you to enjoy life. Hey you will need a hobby, maybe take up running. Enjoy my friend
Bill
Bill, thank you! Rick L. mentioned it, but maybe I can start speed golfing and run the course with a couple of clubs. But, I think my shorts would end up falling down, because I’ll need two pockets full of golf balls. Great times we had in Afghanistan! Thanks.
Wow…35 years!! Congratulations to you and Sandie. It was a pleasure to serve with you in the early years in Pet – good times that I will always fondly remember. Now “slow” down and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Wishing you both all the best in your next phase of life – Well earned…take care and enjoy my friend – Cheers!
Wholly mackerel Rob, the stories you could share! Am I ever glad you aren’t close enough where you can attend the DWD. 🙂 All that aside, it was absolutely an honour to serve with you all those years ago, and many times I wished we were still peers. Thank you for the comments, they brought a smile to my face, and I will cherish our time together. I’m look forward to seeing you again in the future!
Congratulations Steve. All the best in this next phase of your life.
Garth, thanks for the work you do and I’m glad we worked together on a few occasions through our careers, including Afghanistan in 2006/07. Time I will definitely look back on for years to come. Thank you!
Congratulations Steve! It’s been a pleasure knowing you as a civvy and I wish I’d have been able to work with you in the army but our paths never crossed.
I know you’ll keep fit with lots of time for jogging now. VVV
Thanks Rick, yes the trade is so large and diverse even after so many years our paths did not cross through working together in uniform. However, they did after your retired and worked on base. I’m blessed to call you a friend, thank you and all the best!
Steve,
I had to laugh when it mentioned slowing down…how many times did we have to yell that on morning PT and you would look back and smile…
Thank you for all your leadership throughout our years together.
Happy Retirement…and yes slow down and enjoy!
Andrew
Andy, we conducted some good PT but I never expected anyone to keep up. 🙂 Fire Chief Baird, thank you for your service, and the great times we had at 2 CER. That was one of the best units I served with, we had a great crew.
Welcome to retirement, nothing better in the world. MSgt James Baker, USAF ret. aka Nova_Guy.
MSgt (ret) Baker, James this is an awesome time, and I am definitely looking forward to it. We’ll be in touch on SNS…
Hi CWO McNabb (Steve). My friend my buddy my protector. Congratulations on your retirement. Our service together is unforgettable and rewarding thank you very much. Steve hope your retirement is as good as the time you spent in the army you are quite the soldier and quite the perfect example of a man and a friend . Enjoy your retirement and I hope our paths cross again
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry… I can see you smiling and laughing now…awesome! 🙂 But I’m still trying to figure out why… You nailed it too, our time together was unforgettable and I definitely learned a lot. But, you know what, that’s what it’s all about. It is never one way, no matter how you look at it. I hope our paths cross again too. Thanks for the comments!
Steve, Congrats on a great Career and Happy retirement! I hope you enjoy the next chapter of your life, whatever you do I’m sure it will be amazing.
Colette, reading your comment brings a warm feeling along with it. I hold our time together (with Randy) pretty close. Thank you for that!
Hey Steve congrats on retirement, I got to work with you in Recce Sqn RCD me the Rad Op Cpl you the Rad Op Sgt, Was good times, Now slow down so we can all catch up in the runs.
Thanks Mitch, those where good times!