AFTER 39+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA AND THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, LCOL SHELLEY NICKERSON WILL RETIRE ON 15 JULY 2022.
LCOL NICKERSON JOINED THE CAF ON 23 SEPTEMBER 1983, AS PART OF THE YOUTH TRAINING EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (YTEP, 1YR GOV’T-SPONSORED MILITARY TRAINING) AND PROCEEDED TO BASIC TRAINING IN CORNWALLIS, N.S. AFTER BASIC TRAINING, SHE WAS SENT TO BORDEN TO COMPLETE THE PHOTO TECHNICIAN TQ3 LEVEL TRAINING. AFTER COMPLETION, SHE WAS SENT TO PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, TO COMPLETE THE YTEP YEAR. SHE WAS THEN OFFERED TO JOIN THE REGULAR FORCE AS A PHOTO TECHNICIAN AND UPON ACCEPTANCE, WAS POSTED TO GREENWOOD, NOVA SCOTIA WHERE SHE MET HER HUSBAND DAVE, AND SPENT THE NEXT 8 YEARS, POSTED TO BASE PHOTO, THE DIAC, AND AIR PHOTO.
IN 1992, LCOL NICKERSON WAS POSTED TO THE PHOTO UNIT IN OTTAWA. IN MAY 1994, SHE WAS ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY TRAINING PLAN FOR NON-COMMISSIONED MEMBERS AND PROCEEDED TO BASIC OFFICER TRAINING IN CHILLIWACK, B.C. LCOL NICKERSON ATTENDED ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA IN KINGSTON, AND GRADUATED WITH BACHELOR SCIENCE PHYSICS IN 1999.
UPON COMPLETION OF CELE OFFICER TRAINING IN 2001, SHE WAS POSTED TO OTTAWA WHERE DAVE AND DAUGHTER ASHLEY RESIDED. FOR THE LAST 21YRS, SHE HAS BEEN FORTUNATE TO SERVE IN MANY POSTINGS IN OTTAWA AREA AND A POSTING TO HALIFAX. DURING HER CAREER, SHE WAS PRIVILEGED TO CONDUCT MANY TAVS AROUND THE WORLD, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPLETE A UN TOUR IN SUDAN.
LCOL NICKERSON FEELS PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HELD NUMEROUS CHALLENGING POSITIONS; SAILED IN A NUMBER OF HER MAJESTY’S SHIPS, FLOWN IN NUMEROUS RCAF AIRCRAFT AND EXPERIENCED THE CA WAY OF LIFE, THROUGHOUT HER CAREER. SHE WOULD NOT TRADE A DAY OF IT, EXCEPT FOR THE YOUNG OFFICER’S COURSE IN PETAWAWA, FOR ANYTHING AND WILL GREATLY MISS HER CAF FAMILY. SHE HAS NO PLANS FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, OTHER THAN SAILING ON PANACEA AND CYCLING WITH DAVE, AND SPENDING A COPIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME SPOILING HER TWO GRANDSONS.
LCOL NICKERSON WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MANY PEOPLE SHE HAS WORKED WITH. THE PAST 39 YEARS HAVE GONE BY SO QUICKLY DUE TO ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE, GOOD FRIENDS AND GREAT EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE MADE IT SEEM LIKE JUST YESTERDAY, SHE WAS STANDING AT THE GATES OF CORNWALLIS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, NERVOUSLY WONDERING WHAT THIS GREAT ADVENTURE HAD IN STORE FOR HER. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LAUGHS, TEARS AND FOREVER FRIENDSHIPS.
A DEPART WITH DIGNITY WILL BE HELD AT THREE BREWERS, ON SPARKS STREET, ON 07 JULY 22. PLEASE INFORM BARBARA O’GORMAN, [email protected], IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND. PLEASE SEND ANY CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO MWO JASON DANIELS, [email protected]. HE WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER A MEMORY BOOK WITH ALL CERTIFICATES AND MESSAGES.