1.  MAJOR BILL SALMINEN HAS RETIRED FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 2 FEBRUARY 2023 AFTER 32 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA.

2. IN MAR. 1990, MAJ SALMINEN JOINED 736 (THUNDER BAY) COMMUNICATION SQUADRON UNDER THE RESERVE ENTRY SCHEME, OFFICERS AS A SIGNALS OFFICER. WHILE ATTENDING UNIVERSITY HE SPENT THE NEXT TWO SUMMERS COMPLETING BASIC OFFICER TRAINING AT THE INFANTRY SCHOOL IN GAGETOWN AND CELE RES BASIC AT CFSCE IN KINGSTON. PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT IN 1991 HE MOVED TO VANCOUVER WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS PART-TIME SERVICE WITH 744 (VANCOUVER) COMM REGT, FILLING THE 2I/C RADIO SQUADRON, THE UNIT TRAINING OFFICER, AND OFFICER COMMANDING SUPPORT SQUADRON POSITIONS. HE WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN IN 1996 AND FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS HE WAS EMPLOYED CLASS B AS THE REGT OPS & TRG O AT 744 (VANCOUVER) COMM, G6 AT 39 CBG, OC SP TP AT 1 CMBG HQ & SIGS SQN, DCO AT 2 ASG SIGS SQN, OPS O AT THE BC COMMUNICATION REGIMENT, G3 AT 74 COMM GP ROLES AS WELL AS SPENDING ALMOST EVERY SUMMER AT CFSCE TRAINING NEW RES AND REG FORCE SIGS OFFRS AND COMM RES NCMS.

IN 2006 MAJOR SALMINEN TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FORCE. HIS FIRST POSTING WAS TO DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (DIMTPS) WITHIN ADM (IM) AS THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCE MANAGER FOR THE GDNS PROJECT AND MANAGER OF THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE (RFS) PROCESS. WHILE AT DIMTPS, MAJ SALMINEN DEPLOYED TO ISAF HQ, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN AS THE CJ6 PLANS (LAND) WHERE HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PLANNING OF THE AFGHANISTAN MISSION NETWORK CONCEPT. ON HIS RETURN IN 2010 HE WAS POSTED TO CANSOFCOM HQ AS THE J6 OPS O.

MAJ SALMINEN WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK IN 2012 AND TRANSFERRED TO CFINTCOM AS THE LEAD INFORMATIONALIZED WARFARE TECHNICAL ANALYST IN THE DIRECTORATE OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE. IN ADDITION TO EVALUATING PERFORMANCE AND VULNERABILITIES AND ASSESSING THREATS FROM CURRENT AND EMERGING C4ISR AND CYBER TECHNOLOGIES HE WAS THE FVEY CHAIR FOR THE ELECTRONIC WARFARE AND RADAR INTELLIGENCE EXCHANGE, THE COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS INTELLIGENCE EXCHANGE, AND THE C3/EW COMMITTEE FOR THE ALLIED LAND WARFARE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. IN 2019 MAJOR SALMINEN REJOINED CANSOFCOM WITHIN THE DIRECTOR SOF REQUIREMENTS (C4ISR CAPITAL PROJECTS). IN 2020 MAJOR SALMINEN WAS POSTED TO THE JOINT COMMAND AND CONTROL INFORMATION SYSTEMS FORCE DESIGN (JC2ISFD) DIRECTORATE WITHIN ADM (IM). HE WAS EMPLOYED AS THE ACTING SECTION HEAD FOR THE DEFENCE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT INTEGRATION SECTION UNTIL HE WAS ASSIGNED TO HIS CURRENT ROLE IN 2021 IN THE NEWLY CREATED JOINT AND COMBINED REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT.

3.  MAJ SALMINEN WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WITH WHOM HE SERVED. HE IS THANKFUL FOR THE LONG AND GREAT FRIENDSHIPS DEVELOPED OVER HIS YEARS IN UNIFORM. HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER BUT WILL MISS THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH OUTSTANDING PEOPLE WANTING TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE. HE IS EXCEPTIONALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF HIS WIFE, JULIE, AND DAUGHTER, HANNAH, THAT ALLOWED HIM TO HAVE THIS EXCEPTIONAL ADVENTURE. HE PLANS TO REMAIN IN THE NCR AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING TO UNIVERSITY TO PURSUE A CYBER SECURITY CERTIFICATION AS WELL AS SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY, PLAYING THE GUITAR, AND SEEKING TO IMPROVE HIS HAND TOOL WOODWORKING ABILITIES.

4.  A DEPART WITH DIGNITY EVENT WILL BE HELD IN THE 21 APRIL 2023 AT THE ARMY OFFICERS’ MESS / LE MESS DES OFFICIERS DE L’ARMÉE DE TERRE, 149 SOMERSET ST. WEST, OTTAWA.  PLEASE CONTACT MAJOR TOMASZ RYBAK, [email protected] TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE.