1. AFTER 36 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF), THE CANADIAN ARMY, AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS, MWO WADE EVERTT PURCHA CD WILL RETIRE ON 9 FEB 24.

2. HE ENROLLED IN THE CAF ON 29 OCT 87 AT THE AGE OF 18. HE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING AT CFB CORNWALLIS IN JAN 88. HE’S BEEN POSTED 7 TIMES TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS CANADA MAINLY SERVING WITH THE CANADIAN ARMY BEFORE ENDING UP AT HIS FINAL POSTING IN OTTAWA WITH 7 COMMUNICATIONS GROUP HEADQUARTERS (7 COMM GP HQ).

3. AFTER BASIC TRAINING WADE COMPLETED BASIC DRIVER TRAINING AT BORDEN, ONTARIO IN FEB 88, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO KINGSTON, ON WHERE HE FINISHED QL3 RAD OP TRAINING IN OCT 88. HIS FIRST POSTING WAS WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN DRAGOONS AT PETAWAWA ON, FROM OCT 88 TO JUL 92. DURING THIS TIME, HE DEPLOYED ON TWO UNITED NATIONS MISSIONS – UNFICYP CYPRUS IN 89 AND UNDOF GOLAN HEIGHTS 91-92. FOLLOWING HIS RETURN FROM THE MIDDLE EAST HE WAS POSTED TO CALGARY, AB WITH 1 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (1 CMBG HQ & SIG SQN) IN JUL 92. HE WAS ATTACH POSTED TO 2 PPCLI FOR A UN DEPLOYMENT TO CROATIA (UNPROFOR) IN 93. IN JULY 96 HE WAS POSTED TO 1 SERVICE BATTALION AND MOVED WITH THE UNIT FROM CALGARY TO EDMONTON. WHILE WITH 1 SVC BN HE COMPLETED TWO TOURS TO BOSNIA (97-98 AND 00), BOTH IN VELIKA KLADUSA. STAYING IN EDMONTON HE WAS POSTED TO 3 PPCLI IN APR 01. HE DEPLOYED WITH THE BATTALION TO AFGHANISTAN IN 02 AS THE FWD CP DET COMD. PROMOTED TO SGT IN JUL 04, HE WAS POSTED TO 1 PPCLI. AFTER A YEAR WITH THE BATTALION, HE WAS POSTED TO 1 CMBG HQ & SIG SQN AND DID A 9 MONTH DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN IN 06. LOOKING FOR A CHANGE OF PACE, HE WAS THEN POSTED IN 07 TO CFSCE KINGSTON AS AN ADVANCED SIGNAL OPERATOR INSTUCTOR (QL6A/6B). FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS AT THE SCHOOL HE WAS PROMOTED TO WO AND POSTED TO 37 SIGNAL REGIMENT (ST JOHN’S) AS OPS WO. IN 2014 HE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNAL REGIMENT IN KINGSTON, ON. AFTER WORKING SERVERAL POSITIONS IN THE REGIMENT (AND COMPLETING A TOUR IN KUWAIT 15-16) HE WAS POSTED TO OTTAWA IN SEP 20 TO 7 COMM GP HQ AS OPS WO. PROMOTED TO MWO JUN 21 HE MOVED TO THE J5 SECTION AND WAS FORTUNATE TO END UP AS THE 765 COMM SQN SSM.

4. WADE HAS MANY GREAT MEMORIES WHILE SERVING WITH VARIOUS CAF ELEMENTS DURING EXERCISES AND OPERATIONS BOTH IN CANADA AND ABROAD. MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES INCLUDE JUMP COURSE IN DEC 90, SERVING WITH 2VP DURING MEDAK IN 93, THE WINNIPEG FLOODS IN 97, ROTO 0 IN KHANDAHAR IN 02, AND GETTING HIS AMERICAN AND GERMAN JUMP WINGS AT FORT BENNING WITH C COY 3 VP.

5. WADE AND DIANE WILL BE EVENTUALLY MOVING CLOSER TO KINGSTON TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND TRAVEL. FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE HE WILL BE ASSISTING DIANE IN HER HOBBY OF BUYING STORAGE LOCKERS AND SELLING THE “TREASURES” THEY DISCOVER.

6. A SMALL DEPART WITH DIGNITY LUNCHEAON CEREMONY WILL BE HELD FOR WADE IN OTTAWA ON 16 FEB 24. THOSE WISHING TO ATTEND OR WHO WANT TO SEND CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, PICTURES, TALL TALES, AND/OR ANECDOTES ARE TO EMAIL MAJ ZALAL AT [email protected] NLT 12 FEB.