RETIREMENT – MAJ E. GRANT WHITTLA, MMM, CD, MA – 00340 CELE(AIR)

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1. SERVING AS BOTH AN NCM AND OFFICER, MAJOR WHITTLA WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, AND THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH ON 3 JUL 18 AFTER ALMOST 35 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE IN UNIFORM(41 YEARS IF YOU COUNT HIS TIME AS AN AIR CADET).

2. IN TYPICAL RETIREMENT MESSAGE FASHION, YOU WILL READ BELOW THE HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER, BUT GRANT WANTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE HE HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH OVER THE PAST 35 YEARS. WITHOUT THEM, HIS TIME IN UNIFORM WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS FUN AND WITH MUCH LESS PASSION AND COMMITMENT. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN CAREER LOWS, THE MORE POSITIVE ASPECTS FAR OUT-WEIGH THEM. HE IS KEEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MANY, MANY SUCCESSES THAT UNITS WHERE HE WAS POSTED HAVE ENJOYED OVER THE YEARS. THE PEOPLE HE HAS WORKED WITH CONTINUE TO FILL HIM WITH PRIDE IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE CAF AND THE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENT. HE CONSIDERS THESE PEOPLE TO BE THE REASON WHY HE ENDED UP WHERE HE IS TODAY, LEADING, COACHING, MENTORING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONTINUALLY LEARNING FROM EVERYONE, GROWING BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.

3. SO, ONTO THE BORING STUFF. AT THE URGING OF HIS MOTHER AND STEP-FATHER, WHO WANTED A SLACK AND IDLE TEEN TO GET A JOB, GRANT JOINED THE CAF (NAVY) ON 23 SEP 83 AS A COMMUNICATOR RESEARCH OPERATOR. IN 1985 WHEN THE TRI-SERVICE WENT BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL DRESS, GRANT CHOSE TO BE ARMY AS HE LIKED THE LOOK OF THE TAN ARMY UNIFORM (SO MUCH FOR THAT). THEN, TO COMPLETE THE ELEMENTAL TRIFECTA IN SERVING IN ALL THREE ELEMENTS, IN 2009, AS PART OF HIS COMMISSIONING, HE BECAME A CELE (AIR) OFFICER WEARING AIR FORCE BLUE.

4. GRANT HAS SERVED IN ALL THREE CORNERS OF CANADA, WHEN HE WAS WITH THE SUPPLEMENTARY RADIO SYSTEM AND THEN THE CF INFORMATION OPERATIONS GROUP: FROM CFS MASSET, 770 COMMRSCH SQN GANDER, TO FOUR TOURS OF CFS ALERT. HE HAS ENJOYED FIVE TOURS OF CFS LEITRIM AND HAS HAD THE HONOUR OF SERVING AT THREE NATIONAL SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE HEADQUARTERS: THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY AT FORT MEADE MD, USA, THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HEADQUARTERS IN CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND AND AT THE COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT IN OTTAWA, ON. HE DEPLOYED IN 2004-2005 TO CAMP JULIEN AS PART OF THE NATIONAL COMMAND ELEMENT, TASK FORCE KABUL (OP ATHENA ROTO 2), AS THE ALL SOURCE INTELLIGENCE CENTRE SGT-MAJ/EW TROOP WO AND TFK SENIOR SIGINT ADVISOR. GRANT SPENT HIS LAST 10 YEARS ON THE WEST COAST WITH THE NAVY, ARRIVING IN 2008 AS THE CFIOG SIGINT SUPPORT ELEMENT DETACHMENT CHIEF, THEN TURNING DOWN A PROMOTION TO CWO IN
2009 IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN VICTORIA, HE WAS CFR D TO CAPT AND WAS APPOINTED OIC OF THE CFIOG SSE DET UNTIL 2014. IN 2014, PROMOTED MAJOR, MOVED UP TWO FLOORS IN MARPAC HQ TO THE N62 PLANS AND READINESS POSITION FOR A YEAR. IN 2015 HE WAS POSTED TO CFB ESQUIMALT AS THE DEPUTY CO/XO OF THE BASE INFORMATION SERVICES BRANCH, WHERE HE FINISHES HIS CAREER AS THE ACTING COMMANDING OFFICER SINCE JUNE 2017.

5. GRANT AND MARTHA, WILL REMAIN IN VICTORIA, ALONG WITH THEIR TWO SONS, CURTIS AND MITCHELL, AND FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBER DOG NAMED TREY, WHERE MARTHA AND GRANT PLAN ON GOLFING AND TRAVELING. ALL DESPITE GRANT MOVING ON TO A CIVIL SERVICE POSITION IN THE INTEGRATED CONFLICT AND COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT SERVICES CENTRE AT CFB ESQUIMALT WITH THE CAF/DND.

6. A DEPART WITH DIGNITY/RETIREMENT FUNCTION WILL BE HELD ON 28 JUN 18 AT THE CFB ESQUIMALT WARDROOM STARTING AT 1130HRS. ANYONE WITH ANECDOTES, SALTY TALES OR PHOTOS OF GRANT THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER ARE ASKED TO SEND THEM VIA EMAIL TO THE DWD OPI S MR. TOM ROBB, [email protected] AND MR. DAVE AWALT, DAVE.AWALT@ FORCES.GC.CA ASAP. ALL RANKS AND CIVILIANS WHO WISH TO SEE GRANT OFF ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND TO HELP WITH PLANNING, PLEASE SEND AN RSVP TO TOM OR DAVE AT THE EMAIL ADDRESSES ABOVE.

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