1. ON 31 MAY 2022, MAJOR TOM BACHELDER, CD, WILL RETIRE AFTER MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, THE COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS BRANCH AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS.

2. MAJ BACHELDER FEELS LIKE HE HAD THREE CAREERS IN THE CAF SINCE HE HAD TO DO BASIC TRAINING THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE INITIALLY JOINED THE COMMUNCATIONS RESERVE IN OCTOBER 1981 (WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS), THE SECOND TIME WHEN HE TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FORCES IN MAY 1983 (CANADIAN FORCES BASE (CFB) CORNWALLIS NS), AND FINALLY, WHEN HE ACCEPTED HIS COMMISSION UNDER THE UNIVERSTIY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NON-COMMISSIONED MEMBERS (UTPNCM) PROGRAM IN JUNE 1997 (CFB ST JEAN PQ).

3. OVER THE 40 YEARS, MAJ BACHELDER HAS HAD 22 POSTINGS IN VARIOUS STAFF, OPERATIONAL AND GARRISON POSITIONS, AND SPENT A NUMBER OF TIMES ON THE BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING LISTS LEARNING TO BE BETTER. STARTING AT 705 (RESERVE) COMMUNICATIONS SQUADRON IN HAMILTON ON, IN OCTOBER 1981, AS A RADIO/TELETYPE OPERATOR. HE TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FORCES IN MAY 1983 WHERE HE COMPLETED PERFORMANCE ORIENTED ELECTRONICS TRAINING (POET) AND BECAME A RADIO TECHNICIAN. AS AN NCM, MAJ BACHELDER SERVED AT CFB PETAWAWA, CFB LAHR, RESERVE SERVICE SUPPORT (RSS) WITH TWO RESERVE UNITS IN VANCOUVER BC AND, FINALLY, CFS ALDERGROVE. MAJ BACHELDER COMPLETED TWO UNITED NATIONS TOURS AS A NCM IN UNIIMOG (BAGHDAD IRAQ 1988) AND UNPROFOR (CROATIA 1992). UPON COMMISSIONING AS A SIGNALS OFFICER, MAJ BACHELDER SERVED AT CFB BORDEN, CFB KINGSTON, JOINT TASK FORCE NORTH (JTFN) YELLOWKNIFE (BEST POSTING EVER), NORFOLK VA USA (NATO ACT), AND BACK TO CFB KINGSTON. IN JANUARY 2018, MAJ BACHELDER TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE ARMY RESERVE AND COMPLETED A SERIES OF CLASS B CONTRACTS AROUND THE BASE. FINALLY ENDING HIS CAREER DOING CLASS A WORK WITH 21 ELECTRONIC WARFARE REGIMENT.

4. TOM WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO MADE A GOOD CAREER EVEN BETTER. TOM WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO THANK HIS SPOUSE KATHLEEN AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN, TAYLOR AND KIANA, FOR GIVING HIM THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT.

5. UPON RETIRING, TOM AND KATHLEEN WILL BE REMAINING IN THE KINGSTON AREA FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. HE ALREADY HAS HIS GOLF MEMBERSHIP TO THE GARRISON GOLF CLUB AND HAS BEEN ACCEPTED TO ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE IN THE FALL FOR A TWO YEAR CULINARY MANAGEMENT COURSE.

6. BARRING ANY UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, A DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY IS PLANNED TO OCCUR OVER LUNCH AT THE GARRISON GOLF AND CURLING CLUB HERE IN KINGSTON ON 31 MAY 2022. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, SALUTATIONS, ANECDOTES, PHOTOS, AND BEST WISHES CAN BE FORWARDED TO THE ATTENTION OF LT JASON MUNOZ AT [email protected].