1. MASTER WARRANT OFFICER MICHAEL TAYLOR, CD, WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) ON 23 NOVEMBER 2022 AFTER 31 + YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS AND THE LINE TECHNICIAN TRADE.

2. MWO TAYLOR JOINED THE CAF AS AN INFANTRYMAN, ON THE SAME DAY AS THE 1ST GULF WAR STARTED, 17 JANUARY 1991, WITH ASPIRATIONS OF BECOMING AIRBORNE INFANTRY. DURING BASIC TRAINING, AT CFRS CORNWALLIS, HE WAS INFORMED THAT HIS EYES WERE DEEMED UNFIT FOR THE INFANTRY OCCUPATION. HE CHOSE TO REMUSTER TO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN AND WAS SHIPPED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO TO COMMENCE HIS PERFORMANCE ORIENTED ELECTRONICS TRAINING (POET). UPON GRADUATION OF POET, HE WAS POSTED TO CFB BORDEN AND THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERS TO COMMENCE HIS TRADE’S COURSE. JUST THREE (3) WEEKS PRIOR TO HIS COURSE, THE FORCE REDUCTION PLAN WAS INITIATED AND THE 431 ELECTRO-MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN TRADE WAS CLOSED. PTE TAYLOR WAS OFFERED THE LINEMAN OCCUPATION OR RELEASE.
ACCEPTING THE OFFER OF LINEMAN, HE RETURNED TO KINGSTON WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS LINE APPRENTICE COURSE IN DECEMBER OF 1992 AFTER WHICH HE WAS POSTED TO CHARLIE TROOP OF THE 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNALS REGIMENT (1 CDHSR). DURING HIS TIME AT 1 CDHSR, PTE TAYLOR PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS BENNETT CUPS AND COMPETITIONS AND PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS ARMY NATIONAL ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK WHEN FULL CONTACT WAS THE NORM. WHILE EMPLOYED AT “THE REGIMENT”, PTE TAYLOR WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DISASTER ASSISTANCE RELIEF TEAM AS A LINEMAN WHERE HE WAS TRAINING TO DEPLOY TO ZAIRE ON OPERATION ASSURANCE, HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PROMOTED TO CPL. HE COMPLETED HIS LINEMAN JOURNEYMAN COURSE IN 1994 AND DEPLOYED ON OP ASSISTANCE TO AIDE IN THE 1997 RED RIVER FLOOD IN MANITOBA.
LATER IN 1997, CPL TAYLOR WAS POSTED TO BASE TELECOM AT CFB SUFFIELD IN ALBERTA WHERE HE ENJOYED RAISING HIS FAMILY, PLAYING HOCKEY, AND GAINING HIS SKILLS AS A LINEMAN. IT WAS HERE IN 2002 THAT HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MCPL AND WAS EMPLOYED AS THE LINE CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN. AFTER EIGHT (8) GREAT YEARS IN SUFFIELD, HE WAS POSTED TO THE 1 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNALS SQUADRON (1 CMBG HQ AND SIGS) IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA IN 2004.
DURING HIS ELEVEN (11) CONTINUOUS YEARS AT 1 CMBG HQ AND SIGS, HE SERVED AS A LINE DETACHMENT COMMANDER, LINE SECTION COMMANDER, TROOP WO, PLANS WO, ASSISTANT LINE COMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT, BRIGADE LINE COMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT AND EVEN AS ACTING SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR. HE DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN DURING OP ATHENA FROM FEBRUARY TO NOVEMBER 2006 WITH THE MULTINATIONAL BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS REGIONAL COMMAND SOUTH AS A CONVOY COMMANDER AND AS COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE SECURITY TEAM LEADER WHERE HE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING THE VAST COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE. WHILE WORKING FOR THE MULTI-NATIONAL BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS REGIONAL COMMAND SOUTH, HE WAS OFTEN TASKED TO PROVIDE CLOSE PARTY PROTECTION FOR KEY STAFF AND WAS EVEN ONCE ASSIGNED AS THE QRF COMMADER FOR THE CDS AND OTHER VIP’S DURING VISITS TO VARIOUS FORWARD OPERATING BASES IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN. PROMOTED TO SGT, HE RETURNED TO THE DEPLOYED 1 CMBG HQ AND SIGS LINE SECTION UNTIL THE END OF THE OPERATION.
HE DEPLOYED TO KANDAHAR AGAIN FROM FEBRUARY TO NOVEMBER 2009 WITH TASK FORCE KANDAHAR AS THE TROOP WO OF ALL DEPLOYED LINEMEN IN THEATRE. HE WAS AWARDED A COMMENDATION FOR MAINTAINING TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE COMMANDER OF KANDAHAR AIRFIELD.
HE WAS AWARDED THE ARNIE MURRAY TROPHY FOR TOPPING HIS LINE MANAGER 6B COURSE AND WAS ALSO AWARDED AN HONORARY MEMBERSHIP TO THE CANADIAN NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM FOR HIS WRITING SKILLS ON MILITARY HISTORY DURING HIS INTERMEDIATE LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATION IN 2011. SGT TAYLOR WAS PROMOTED TO WO JUST PRIOR TO DEPLOYING ON OP LUSTRE IN 2011, AGAIN TO ASSIST WITH FLOOD WATERS IN MANITOBA.
WO TAYLOR WAS POSTED ON IMPOSED RESTRICTION TO CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNALS REGIMENT DETACHMENT PETAWAWA IN 2015 AS THE REGIONAL LINE WORK CENTER LINE CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN, WHERE HE OVERSAW 2ND AND 3RD LINE MAINTENANCE OF ALL TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE AND ANTENNA MAINTENANCE WITHIN THE ONTARIO, QUEBEC, AND PARTS OF NORTHERN CANADA AREAS OF OPERATION.
PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK IN 2016, MWO TAYLOR WAS POSTED TO THE 3RD CANADIAN DIVISION HEADQUARTERS IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA AS THE LINE COMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT AND IN SEPTEMBER 2016, MWO TAYLOR WAS ATTACHED POSTED TO 3 LINE SQUADRON UNDER A NEW UNIT, 77 LINE REGIMENT DOUBLE-HATTED AS THE SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR AND AS THE REGIONAL LINE COMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ALL TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE AND ANTENNA MAINTENANCE IN ALL CAF ESTABLISHMENTS IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN CANADA. IN 2017 MWO TAYLOR HANDED THE SSM REIGNS OVER AND FOCUSED ALL HIS EFFORTS ON HIS CURRENT ROLE AS THE REGIONAL LCS AND AS ADVISOR TO COMMADER OF THE 3RD CANADIAN DIVISION.
MWO TAYLOR IS FOREVER INDEBTED TO THE COUNTLESS LINEMEN, SOLDIERS, LEADERS, HOCKEY PLAYERS, AND PERSONALITIES THAT HAVE MADE HIS CAREER A MEMORABLE ONE AND TO THOSE WHO DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY INFLUENCED HIS PATH. YOUR CONSISTENT DAY IN AND DAY OUT COMMADERIE, DETERMINATION, SPIRIT AND DEDICATION WILL TRULY BE MISSED. THROUGH!

3. MIKE HAS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH SHARED SERVICES CANADA AS MANAGER REGIONAL OPERATIONS CABLE NETWORK MAINTENANCE WITH INITIAL INTENTIONS ON REMAINING IN THE EDMONTON AREA WITH HIS LOVING WIFE SUZAN, STAYING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO HIS FOUR (4) GROWN CHILDREN WHILE ENJOYING TRIPS ON HIS NEW ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLE, PLAYING ‘OLD TIME’ HOCKEY, SPENDING TIME WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND JUST ENJOYING A SIMPLER LIFE.

4. A DWD CEREMONY WILL BE HELD FOR MIKE ON 7 OF DECEMBER AT THE GOLF AND CURLING CLUB EDMONTON. PLEASE SEND ANY INCRIMINATING OR FUNNY STORIES, ANECDOTES AND/OR LIES TO MWO JASON POOLE AT [email protected] NLT 30 NOVEMBER 22.