- LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BRAD BRUCE DONNED THE UNIFORM FOR THE LAST TIME ON 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 AFTER MORE THAN 38 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.
2. AFTER FAILING TO SECURE A SUMMER JOB, BRADAS FATHER ENROLLED HIM IN THE SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SYEP) IN THE SUMMER OF 1982. UPON COMPLETING SYEP, BRAD STILL COULD NOT FIND A JOB, SO HE ENROLLED AS A VEH TECH WITH 18 SERVICE BN THUNDER BAY. BRAD REALIZED THERE WAS A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY RE-MUSTERED TO ADMIN CLK. BRAD DEPLOYED WITH 3 RCR ON 2 DIVISION LEVEL RV EXERCISES IN 1985 AND 1987, AND THEN DEPLOYED TO CYPRUS WITH LDSH (RC) IN 1988 THRU 1989. THIS WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A 6 MONTH TOUR WITH 5 AMU IN LAHR.IN 1990, BRAD HAD A VISION AND COMPONENT TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FORCE AT UPLANDS WHERE HE MET HIS FUTURE WIFE SHELLEY. IN 1995, BRAD THEN ENROLLED IN UTPNCM AS CELE(AIR) COMPLETING HIS DEGREE IN 1999. SINCE THEN BRAD HAS HAD NUMEROUS STAFF AND TRAINING ROLES WORKING WITH ATESS, CFCSE, IM GROUP, CFSMI AND CFJSR, WITH THE HIGHLIGHT OF WORKING IN NATO DEPLOYABLE AIR COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTRE IN POGGIO RENATICO, ITALY. WORKING WITH PERSONNEL FROM 15 OTHER NATIONS FOSTERED LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS AROUND THE WORLD. SEEING THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, BRAD COMPONENT TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE RESERVE FORCE IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR AS DCOS OPS AT THE CANADIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY JUST 3 DAYS BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TOOK ROOT IN KINGSTON.
3. BRAD WILL BE PURSUING A NEW CAREER IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE WITH JSR AND WILL REMAIN IN KINGSTON WITH HIS WIFE SHELLEY, SUPPORTED BY DAUGHTER ALLIE AND SON TYLER.
4. AT BRADS REQUEST, AND DUE TO COVID-19 GATHERING RESTRICTIONS, NO DEPART WITH DIGNITY WILL BE HELD AT THIS TIME. WHEN RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN EASED, BRAD INTENDS TO HAVE A MORE FORMAL GATHERING. PLEASE SEND CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES ANECDOTES AND INTEREST IN ATTENDING A FUNCTION IN THE KINGSTON AREA TO LT BRAD HOGAN AT [email protected].