1. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MICHAEL (MIKE) HILLIKER WILL RETIRE ON 31 MAY 2020, AFTER 29 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.
2. LCOL MIKE HILLIKER JOINED THE CAF ON THE 23 AUG 90 AS A SIGNAL OFFICER, PREDOMINATELY SERVING IN FIELD AND OPERATIONAL UNITS SPANNING THE TACTICAL, OPERATIONAL, AND STRATEGIC LEVELS ACROSS CANADA, THE ARCTIC, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA. A PROUD MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS, HIS SERVICE INCLUDED GARRISON POSTINGS TO KINGSTON, GERMANY, CO ALERT (2005-06), AND OTTAWA, AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS TO BOSNIA (1999/2000) AS OC NCCIS / CCSFOR J6; AFGHANISTAN (2009/2010) AS HQ RC(S) DEPUTY J6 AND CHIEF OPS; CYPRUS (2013) AS CO THIRD LOCATION DECOMPRESSION (TLD); AND SOUTH SUDAN (2017/18) AS MIL LIAISON OFFR, AND POSTINGS WITHIN THE FOL UNITS: 4 CMBG HQ AND SIG SQN GERMANY (1991); ADM(IM) DIMR (2004-05) AS D/PD SATCOM, ADM(IM) ITSDA TEAM LEADER (2005), ADM(IM)/DGCEEM (1992-94) AS PROJ OFFR; 2 CMBG HQ AND SIG SQN (1994-95) AS OC SHQ AND OC C TP, AND (1997) AS DCO, (1997-98) AS BDE IS OFFR, AND (1998-99) AS OPS O / TRG O; 2 COMBAT ENGR REGT (1995-97) AS 1ST REGT SIG O; 79 COMM REGT (1999) AS TP COMD AND 2IC RAPID DEPLOYMENT SQN; CLS/DLR 4 (2001-03) AS PROJ DIRECTOR LC2IS; CF H SVCS GP HQ (2008-09) AS J6; CFJSR (2008-09) AS OC 1 LINE SQN, (2009) AS R OPS O, (2010-11) AS DCO; CANOSCOM /CJOC J6 (2011-13) AS J6 INTEGRATION; CFJOSG (2013-15) AS FORMATION J6; SJS (2015-18) AS J6, AND RMC (2018-2020) AS CO SUPPORT SERVICES WING AND CIO / J6.
3. LCOL HILLIKER HAS MANY FOND MEMORIES WORKING WITH MANY FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND COMMAND TEAMS, ENCOMPASSING SENIOR COMMAND APPOINTMENTS SUCH AS CO ALERT, CO THIRD LOCATION DECOMPRESSION IN CYPRUS (SUPPORTING SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM AFGHANISTAN), AND CO SUPPORT SERVICES WING AT RMC. IN ADDITION, HE IS PROUD TO HAVE COMPLETED THE SSF IRONMAN COMPETITION IN 1994 AND ACHIEVING THE CAF PLATINUM FITNESS LEVEL IN 2020.
4. MIKE ([email protected]) AND HIS SPOUSE MHAIRI INTEND TO REMAIN IN KINGSTON AS HE HAS ACCEPTED A JOB WITH SHARED SERVICES CANADA AS SENIOR SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGER, ONTARIO REGION, EFFECTIVE JUNE 2020.
5. THERE WILL BE A SMALL INFORMAL CEREMONY HELD AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE, DATE TBC.
6. ANY ANECDOTES/STORIES FOR SHARING CAN BE SENT NLT END MAY TO MWO L.W. CHEESEMAN AT [email protected].
Congrats on your retirement Mike! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it completely.
Congratulation Mike for a job well done serving your country.
Beau geste was a great theater play to know you and your wife as you are a wonderful familiy. God bless you all Canadian colleagues with whom I have studied in Kingston and served in Afghanistan.
with great appreciation,
Paul MTAP – Kingston CACSC
Mike, congratulations on great career. I wish you the best of luck in future endeavours. Hope we cross paths again in the not too distant future. I remember 4CMBG Sigs well lol!! Take care brother. VVV