1. MAJ ROBERT BARD WILL RETIRE ON 1 DEC 2023 AFTER MORE THAN 37 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.

2. MAJOR ROBERT J.J.C. BARD ENROLLED INTO THE CANADIAN FORCES ON THE 6TH OF FEBRUARY 1986, HE IMMEDIATELY UNDERTOOK BASIC TRAINING, ARRIVING IN CORNWALLIS, NOVA SCOTIA ON FEBRUARY 14TH. AFTER CONDUCTING DRIVER TRAINING AT CFB BORDEN, HE STARTED HIS TRADE TRAINING IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO AS A LINEMAN. WHEN COMPLETED, HE WAS STATIONED TO THE 1ST CANADIAN SIGNALS REGIMENT AS WELL AS 1 LINE TROOP AT CFB KINGSTON UNTIL 1992. DURING THIS TIME, HE WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL GYMNASTICS CLUB AS WELL AS THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGES GYMNASTICS DISPLAY TEAM, TRAVELLING ACROSS ONTARIO CONDUCTING RECRUITING AT NUMEROUS HIGH SCHOOLS. THIS IS ALSO WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE (SUSANNE) AND SON (RENE). HE WAS POSTED IN 1992 TO 702 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON IN CFB PETAWAWA AND IN JULY 1996 WAS PROMOTED TO MCPL AND POSTED TO 2ND ROYAL CANADIAN HORSE ARTILLERY. HE CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT HIS MORAL AND SANITY WHILE IN PETAWAWA WAS MOSTLY DUE TO HIS WIFE’S CARTOONING ABILITY OF THE PERILS AT HIS WORK.

3. IN 2000 HE PETITIONED TO BE POSTED TO CFB SUFFIELD, AND AFTER ARGUING WITH THE CAREER MANAGER, WAS PROMPTLY POSTED TO CFJSR DET EDMONTON, WHERE HE WAS PROMOTED THE FOLLOWING YEAR, TAKING OVER AS THE PROJECT FOREMAN FOR TWO CREWS. IN 2003 HE WAS POSTED TO 742 COMM SQUADRON, EDMONTON AS A PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS, WHICH ALSO INVOLVED A TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2007.

4. IN 2008 HE WAS POSTED TO CFSCE KINGSTON AS THE TROOP WARRANT FOR LINE TRAINING, WHERE ALONG WITH THE MANY COURSES CONDUCTED, HE WAS ABLE TO FACILITATE 2 CABLE INSTALLATIONS COURSES FOR THE DUTCH MILITARY, DUE TO THE CONNECTIONS HE MADE WHILE IN AFGHANISTAN. 3 YEARS LATER HE WAS PROMOTED TO MWO AND POSTED TO DLCI AS THE OCCUPATIONAL MANAGER, DEALING WITH THE ACCIS OCCUPATIONS AND DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING THE NEW COURSE LOADING TOOL. WHILE IN THIS POSITION AND WITH PROMPTING OF HIS BOSS, HE SUBMITTED HIS CFR, BEFORE BEING POSTED IR TO 3 CDN DIV EDMONTON AS THE LCS FOR WESTERN CANADA IN 2011.

5. ACCEPTED FOR HIS CFR IN 2014, HE PROMPTLY RETURNED TO OTTAWA AND AS PART OF BTL WAS PROVIDED POSITIONS AT CJOC, CFSU(O) AS THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OFFICER AND THEN TO 76 COMM REGT AND THE PLANS OFFICER, BEFORE RECEIVING HIS PLAR FOR THE BASIC SIGNALS OFFICERS COURSE (BSOC) AND BEING POSTED BACK TO EDMONTON IN 2016. AS PLANS CHANGE, HE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED TO 3CDSG SIG SQN AS THE OPS O, HOWEVER DUE TO COMPLICATION, WAS PLACED AT LDSH AS THE SIG O IN JULY 2016. WHILE THERE, HE DEPLOYED TO UKRAINE WITH HIS UNIT IN JAN 2017 AND RETUNED TO CANADA TO BE POSTED TO 77 LINE REGT-3 LINE SQN, ORIGINALLY EXPECTING THE OPS O POSITION, BUT QUICKLY CHANGED TO 2IC OF THE SQN IN EDMONTON. HE WOULD SPEND THE NEXT 5 YEARS IN THAT POSITION MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AND BUILDING THE SQN.

6. IN 2022 HE WAS POSTED TO 3 CDSG SIG SQN EDMONTON AS THE DCO UNTIL HE WAS PROMOTED TO MAJ AND POSTED TO 3 CDN DIV IN 2023.

7. ROBERT INTENDS TO STAY IN THE EDMONTON AREA WITH HIS WIFE SUSANNE, DOG (TOBY) AND CAT (JUNIOR). HE IS FORTUNATE TO ALSO HAVE HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW LIVING CLOSE BY AS WELL. HE WILL WORK TOWARDS HIS NEXT PHASE IN LIFE, WHETHER IT BE ANOTHER JOB OR JUST TAKING IT EASY.

8. A DWD WILL BE HELD ON 7 DEC 2023 AT THE GREAT CANADIAN BREHOWSE (EDMONTON MANNING) 15513 37 ST NW AT 12H00. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES AND RSVPS FOR THE INFORMAL DWD CAN BE SENT TO HASAN.CHOUDHRY(AT)FORCES.GC.CA.