1. MAJOR JUSTIN URQUHART WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) ON 31 JANUARY 2022 AFTER 12+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA.

2. JUSTIN JOINED THE CAF AND IMMEDIATELY COMMENCED HIS EDUCATION AS AN OFFICER CADET AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE (RMC). HE GRADUATED FROM RMC WITH A DEGREE IN PHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE AND MOVED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE), WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS INITIAL TRADE TRAINING IN LATE 2014 AS A COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING (CELE) OFFICER. JUSTIN’S FIRST POSTING WAS TO THE CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNALS REGIMENT (CFJSR) WHERE HE ENJOYED MANY BUSY POSITIONS, STARTING WITH CHARLIE TROOP COMMANDER IN 1 LINE SQUADRON. HE THEN MOVED TO 3 SQUADRON, ECHO TROOP COMMANDER AND WAS ALSO EMPLOYED AS THE DART SIGNALS OFFICER. IN LATE 2016 JUSTIN DEPLOYED TO OP IMPACT AS THE ROTO SIGNALS OFFICER. UPON RETURN FROM OP IMPACT IN 2017, JUSTIN WAS EMPLOYED AS THE OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR 3 SQUADRON, WHERE HE STAYED UNTIL HE WAS POSTED TO CFSCE IN 2018. JUSTIN’S POSTING TO CFSCE WAS SHORT LIVED WHERE HE HELD THE POSITION OF COURSE DIRECTOR FOR THE BASIC CELE OFFICER COURSE FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE HE MOVED TO THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION (NCR) TO WORK AT CANSOFCOM HEADQUARTERS IN THE SUMMER OF 2019. WHILE AT CANSOFCOM, JUSTIN SPENT HIS FIRST YEAR AS THE OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTRE (SONOC) AND IN 2020 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, JUSTIN WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE SONOC AS THE OFFICER COMMMANDING. CAPTAIN URQUHART WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK OF MAJOR IN EARLY 2020.

3. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER JUSTIN ALWAYS ENJOYED THE BENEFITS OF MAINTAINING HIS FITNESS AND EDUCATION. WHILE AT RMC HE PARTICIPATED IN THE SANDHURST COMPETITION AND ENJOYED MANY HOURS OF SOCCER. IN 2012 HE COMPLETED THE PETAWAWA IRONMAN COMPETITION IN AN ATTEMPT TO BEAT HIS MOTHER’S BEST TIME. JUSTIN COMPLETED A MASTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN 2020 AND PLANS TO COMPLETE THE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) IN THE NEXT YEAR.

4. JUSTIN WILL BE REMAINING IN THE OTTAWA AREA AND HAS ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH A CONSULTING COMPANY. HE PLANS TO KEEP PLAYING SOCCER ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH HIS WIFE CAPT LAURA MECHEFSKE, M.D. AND THEIR 2 CATS, RANDY AND MR LAHEY.

5. THERE WILL NOT BE A DEPART WITH DIGNITY FUNCTION.

6. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES, AND/OR PHOTOS ARE WELCOMED AND CAN BE FORWAREDED TO MAJ ANTHONY SHIELDS BY EMAIL [email protected] NLT 28 FEBRUARY 2022.