1. MASTER CORPORAL MURRAY IS RETIRING AFTER 35 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE CAF.
2. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS AS A CANADIAN FORCES RESERVIST, MCPL NATALIE MURRAY JOINED THE REGULAR FORCE IN JUNE 1987, ENROLLING AS A POET. GRADUATING FROM CFSCE KINGSTON AS A 231 RADAR TECHNICIAN, SHE WAS POSTED TO CFB BAGOTVILLE, WORKING ON THE PRECISION APPROACH RADAR AND THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM.
IN 1992, SHE WAS POSTED TO 22 WING, NORTH BAY, SPENDING EIGHT YEARS IN THE UNDERGROUND COMPLEX, BECOMING AN ATIS TECHNICIAN WHEN THE NEW TRADE WAS STOOD UP IN 1994. IN 2000, SHE WAS POSTED TO 76 COMM GROUP IN OTTAWA, WORKING MAINLY ON AUDIO-VIDEO SYSTEMS, IN PARTICULAR FOR EVENTS ON PARLIAMENT HILL AND THE NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL, AS WELL AS A TOUR IN BOSNIA.IN 2003, NATALIE STARTED LIVING OPENLY AS A TRANS WOMAN, THE EIGHTH MEMBER OF THE CAF TO DO SO, AND IS NOW THE LONGEST SERVING TRANS MILITARY MEMBER WORLDWIDE.
2007 SAW A MOVE TO 8 WING, TRENTON, AND A RETURN TO THE AIRFIELD, WHICH WOULD CONTINUE IN 2013 AT 19 WING, COMOX. DURING HER TIME IN COMOX, SHE STARTED THE CANADIAN FORCES’ FIRST OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED PEER SUPPORT GROUP FOR TRANS MILITARY MEMBERS, SINCE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT TRANS MILITARY MEMBERS TO DO SO.
MCPL MURRAY WAS DEPLOYED TO CFS ALERT AS THE FM TECH FROM FEBRUARY TO AUGUST OF 2018. DURING HER TIME THERE, SHE MADE HISTORY BY FLYING THE FIRST AND NORTHERNMOST TRANS FLAG AND PRIDE FLAG AT THE STATION. BOTH FLAGS REMAIN THERE IN A SHADOW BOX.
3.AFTER HER TOUR, MCPL MURRAY WAS POSTED TO GREENWOOD IN OCTOBER, WHERE SHE RAN THE LANDING AIDS SECTION FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, UNTIL SHE WAS TASKED AS THE SQUADRON CHIEF’S ASSISTANT, THEN THE TRAINING COORDINATOR FOR TELECOM FLIGHT.
4. SHE CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR TRANS MILITARY PEOPLE TO THIS DAY, AS A POSITIVE SPACE AMBASSADOR, A TRAINED SENTINEL, AND ON THE NEWLY FORMED DEFENSE TEAM PRIDE ADVISORY ORGANIZATION. IN HER SPARE TIME, SHE IS AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR AND AN ASPIRING ROLLER DERBY REFEREE AND ENJOYS OFF-ROADING IN HER DELICA. NATALIE AND HER PARTNER KATHERINE PLAN ON STAYING IN THE ANNAPOLIS VALLEY.
Natalie, I wish you all the best in your well-deserved retirement. It was fun working across the desk from you. I know you will take every day and make it yours! I hope you have good health, peace and happiness. xx
Natalie, I wish you and Katherin all the best in your next chapter. Most of us can only imagine serving for as long as you have; I am honored to have been able to be involved in planning your retirement functions. Wherever the open road takes you…..take it in!