***UPDATE*** RETIREMENT – LCOL ROD STERLING, CD – 00341 SIGS

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Update: There will be a DWD held for LCol Sterling at 1400 hrs on Friday 24 Nov at RA Park officers Mess. Rod was not able to have his DWD when he retired due to COVID restrictions. RSVP and well wishes can be sent to LCol Judy MacDonald at [email protected].

1. AFTER 43 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROD STERLING WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 31 MAY 2021. THIS SERVICE INCLUDED 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE PRIMARY RESERVE, DIVIDED ON BOTH ENDS OF HIS 30 YEARS IN THE REGULAR FORCE.

2. ROD INITIALLY ENROLLED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS RESERVE IN 1978 AS A RADIO TELETYPE OPERATOR (RTOP) WITH 723 COMMUNICATIONS SQUADRON IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, RISING TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT. IN 1984, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FORCE, AND BASED ON AN ABSENCE OF MORSE CODE IN THE RTOP TRADE, STARTED OVER AGAIN AS A SIGNALMAN. UPON COMPLETION OF RADIO OPERATOR TRADE QUALIFICATION TRAINING AT THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE), IN 1985, ROD WAS POSTED TO 4 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP, HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (HQ & SIGS), CFB LAHR, GERMANY. ROD REMAINED WITH HQ & SIGS UNTIL 1991, WHEN, AS A MASTER CORPORAL, HE WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE UNIVERSITY TRAINING PLAN FOR NON-COMMISSIONED MEMBERS.

3. UPON GRADUATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA IN 1994, HE WAS COMMISSIONED AND POSTED TO 2 PPCLI IN WINNIPEG UNTIL RETURNING TO CFSCE TO COMPLETE HIS OFFICER TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION, ROD WAS POSTED AS THE TROOP COMMANDER OF THE COMBAT TRAINING CENTRE SIGNALS TROOP, CFB GAGETOWN, IN DECEMBER 1995.

4. THROUGHOUT ROD’S CAREER HE HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE IN HALIFAX, KINGSTON, LAHR, WINNIPEG, GAGETOWN, AND OTTAWA BOTH AS A SOLDIER AND OFFICER, IN BOTH COMMAND AND STAFF POSITIONS. HE COMMANDED CANADIAN FORCES STATION ALERT AS WELL AS THE UNIT IN WHICH HE INITAILLY ENROLLED, 723 COMMUNICATIONS SQUADRON IN HALIFAX.

5. ROD ALSO SERVED ON FIVE OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS: AS A MEMBER OF THE STABILIZATION FORCE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WITH 42 COMPOSITE ENGINEER SQUADRON IN 1999, WITH THE MULTINATIONAL FORCE AND OBSERVERS SINAI EGYPT, AS THE FORCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS OFFICER IN 2000, WITH THE UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SUDAN, AS A MILITARY OBSERVER AND TEAM SITE LEADER IN BOR SOUTH SUDAN IN 2007, WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE, IN KABUL AS A PLANS MENTOR WITHIN THE AFGHAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE IN 2011, AND LASTLY WITH THE NATO MISSION IN IRAQ, AS THE EMBEDDED TRAINING AND ADVISORY TEAM LEAD WITHIN THE IRAQI SCHOOL OF MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS IN 2019.

6. FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL DURING LCOL STERLING’S CAREER. THE CAMARADERIE AND SHARED HISTORY OF HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS HAS ALLOWED HIM TO PROGRESS AND SERVE AS LONG AS HE HAS. HE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH AND EVERYONE WITH WHOM HE HAS SERVED FOR THE FRIENDSHIP AND GUIDANCE THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED. HE IS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF HIS WONDERFUL FAMILY: HIS SPOUSE JANET, HIS SON MATTHEW AND HIS DAUGHTER MIA.

7. LCOL STERLING’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE ARE TO STAY PUT, ENJOY THE SUMMER WHILE DETERMINING WHAT’S NEXT.

8. A DEPART WITH DIGNITY WITH COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL BE HELD ON 24 JUNE 21 ON THE BRIDGE AT THE CFB HALIFAX WARDROOM FOR THOSE WHO CAN MAKE IT IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY FOR ALL OTHERS WHO WOULD CARE TO PARTICIPATE.

9. BEST WISHES, ANECDOTES, AMUSING STORIES AND ESPECIALLY PICTURES MAY BE PASSED TO MAJ JA ARSENAULT AT [email protected].

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4 months ago

UPDATE!! There will be a DWD held for LCol Sterling at 1400 hrs on Friday 24 Nov at RA Park officers Mess. Rod was not able to have his DWD when he retired due to COVID restrictions. RSVP and well wishes can be sent to LCol Judy MacDonald at [email protected].

William Melanson
1 year ago

Rod and I joined the militia same year, happy retirement

Stewart Campbell
2 years ago

Congratulations Rod! It was an honour and a privilege to serve with you at 4CMBG HQ&Sigs and being commissioned at the same time as you.