1. ON 30 APRIL 2025, LCOL MIKE LEE WILL RETIRE AFTER 25+ YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.

2. BORN TO THE WEST COAST, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MICHAEL (MIKE) LEE FIRST JOINED THE RESERVE FORCE IN 1996 AS A RADIO TELETYPE OPERATOR AT 748 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON (SQN) IN NANAIMO, BC WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. LURED BY THE EXCITEMENT AND GRANDEUR OF RESERVE EXERCISES, HE CONTINUED TO HAVE FUN WITH THE MILITARY RESERVES UNTIL 1999 BUT THEN DECIDED THAT A UNIVERSITY DEGREE WAS REQUIRED.

3, AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE, PROMPTLY REMEMBERED HOW FUN THE MILITARY WAS AND ENROLLED IN THE REGULAR FORCE AS A SIGNALS OFFICER IN MARCH 2003. AFTER A WONDERFUL TRAINING CYCLE AND SOME INSIGHTFUL ON-THE-JOB APPOINTMENTS, THEN LIEUTENANT LEE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNAL REGIMENT (CFJSR), 1 LINE SQN, AS C TROOP (TP) COMD. AFTER A GOOD STINT WITH 1 LINE SQN, NOW CAPTAIN LEE WAS REWARDED WITH A TROOP DEPLOYING TO AFGHANISTAN UNDER THE CFJSR 3 SQN BANNER AS THE NATIONAL COMMAND AND CONTROL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (NCCIS) TROOP COMD WITH OPERATION (OP) ATHENA. AFTER THIS CHALLENGING DEPLOYMENT TO KANDAHAR, CAPTAIN LEE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF 3 SQUADRON SECOND-IN-COMMAND UNTIL BEING PORTED OVER TO THE CFJSR’S SISTER REGIMENT, 21 ELECTRONIC WARFARE REGIMENT WHERE HE BECAME THE REGIMENTAL OPERATIONS OFFICER.

4. AFTER A YEAR, AND MUCH PLEADING, CAPTAIN LEE WAS ONCE AGAIN REWARDED WITH A TOUR TO AFGHANISTAN ON OP ATTENTION AND SPENT A YEAR WITH 5 BRIGADE RUNNING CONVOYS THROUGHOUT THE KABUL AREA OF OPERATIONS. UPON HIS RETURN, CAPTAIN LEE, WAS ACTUALLY ASKED TO COME BACK TO THE CFJSR TO BE THE DEPUTY REGIMENTAL OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR A YEAR UNTIL HIS PROMOTION.

5. ONCE PROMOTED, THE INTELLIGENT CAREER MANAGER NOTICED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DEPLOYMENTS, NOW MAJOR LEE HAD SPENT HIS ENTIRE CAREER IN KINGSTON. THIS WAS SOON REMEDIED WITH A POSTING TO OTTAWA IN THE VICE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF’S (VCDS) HEADQUARTERS. UPON NOTICING THAT MAJOR LEE WAS THE ONLY SENIOR SIGNALS OFFICER (BESIDES THE VCDS HIMSELF) HE QUICKLY ANOINTED MAJOR LEE AS THE VCDS GROUP J6.

6. AGAIN, MUCH PLEADING COMMENCED AND A DEAL WAS STRUCK TO SEND LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE ON OP KOBOLD IN KOSOVO. ONCE FINISHED, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE WAS OFFERED A THIRD TIME AT THE CFJSR AS THE OFFICER COMMANDING 1 SQN AND HE QUICKLY MOVED BACK TO KINGSTON BEFORE THE NEW CAREER MANAGER REALIZED HIS MISTAKE.

7. AFTERWARDS, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE ASKED TO BE DEPLOYED BACK TO MIDDLE EAST AND OPPORTUNITY REWARDED HIM WITH A ONE-YEAR TOUR ON OP PROTEUS AS THE UNITED STATES SECURITY COORDINATOR (USSC) COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CIS) PROGRAM MANAGER (PM) IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE. A DEAL WAS MADE, AND LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE WAS GRANTED HIS REQUEST TO STAY IN KINGSTON AFTER THIS DEPLOYMENT AND ENJOYED A YEARLONG FRENCH COURSE. AFTERWARDS, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE WAS APPOINTED AS THE DEPUTY COMMANDING OFFICER (DCO) 77 LINE REGIMENT, ONCE AGAIN, STAYING IN KINGSTON.

8. UPON PROMOTION TO HIS CURRENT RANK, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEE IS STILL LEARNING HOW TO BECOME A POLICY OFFICER AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PEACEKEEPING PORTFOLIO BUT HAS ENJOYED THE WORK WITHIN THE POLICY GROUP AT THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING POSTINGS OF LCOL LEE’S CAREER.

9. LCOL LEE IS GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE WITHIN THE CAF AND GOVERNMENT OF CANADA THAT HAVE SUPPORTED HIM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. LCOL LEE WILL NOW SUPPORT MRS. MICHELLE LEE IN HER CAREER AS A TEACHER IN KINGSTON, ON AND WILL BE AT HER BECK AND CALL WHILE RAISING THEIR DAUGHTER LUCY.

10. A DWD LUNCHEON WILL TAKE PLACE ON 21 MAY 2025 AT THE HEART AND CROWN, 67 CLARENCE ST., OTTAWA, ON K1N 5P5 STARTING AT 1400. RSVP AND ANY MESSAGE OR ANECDOTE CAN BE SENT TO LCOL JUSTIN OLSEN, AT [email protected].