- LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R. THOMPSON WILL RELEASE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 5 JULY 2023 AFTER 20 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA.
- HE FIRST JOINED THE CANADIAN FORCES AS A NAVAL RESERVIST AND LATER RE-ENROLLED IN THE REGULAR FORCE AS A SIGNAL OFFICER IN MARCH OF 2003. HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER INCLUDE EXTENSIVE TIME WORKING WITH THE ARMY OF THE WEST. FIRST AT 1 CMBG HQ AND SIG SQN AS A TP COMD AND LATER (MUCH LATER!) AS THE COMMANDING OFFICER, AS WELL AS AT 742 SIG SQN, DURING WHICH TIME HE CAPTAINED THE LFWA OP NIJMEGEN TEAM TWICE AND DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN IN 2008 AS PART OF THE OPERATIONAL MENTORING AND LIAISON TEAM. HE ALSO FONDLY REMEMBERS HIS TIME AT CFSCE AS 2 AND 3 SQN OC AND LATER CHIEF INSTRUCTOR, (MIS)SHAPING YOUNG MINDS AND (PERHAPS UNDULY) INFLUENCING THE FUTURE OF THE C&E BRANCH.
HE IS INTENSELY GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY SOMETIMES TRYING BUT ALWAYS INTERESTING EXPERIENCES HE HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE HE HAS HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO MEET THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. 20 YEARS IS FAR TOO SHORT A TIME TO SPEND AMONG SUCH EXCELLENT AND ADMIRABLE CANADIANS.
- LCOL THOMPSON AND HIS WIFE CYNTHIA, DAUGHTER VICTORIA, AND SON JAMES CURRENTLY LIVE IN HALIFAX, WHERE HE WILL BE WORKING AS A DIRECTOR AT SHARED SERVICES CANADA OVERSEEING THE DEPLOYMENT OF CONTACT CENTRE SOLUTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA.
- A DWD CEREMONY WILL BE HELD AT A DATE AND TIME TO BE DETERMINED. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES AND PHOTOS CAN BE SENT TO LCOL J. GASH AT JIM(dot)GASH(at)FORCES(dot)GC(dot)CA
PERSEVERAMUS.