1. AFTER 37 YEARS IN UNIFORM(S) SERVING QUEEN AND COUNTRIES, MASTER CORPORAL PAUL JOHNSON RETIRED FROM THE CAF, EFFECTIVE 27 SEP 2020.

2. BORN IN THE UK, MCPL JOHNSON MOVED FROM LIVERPOOL ENGLAND TO CANADA, LANDING IN QUEBEC CITY AND EVENTUALLY ENDING UP IN OTTAWA WHERE HE GREW UP. IN 1983 HE WENT BACK TO THE UK AND JOINED THE ROYAL NAVY, SERVING UNTIL 1990. THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS WITH THE ROYAL NAVY WAS A DEPLOYMENT TO AUSTRALIA. UPON RETURNING TO CANADA IN 1990, HE CONTINUED HIS NAVAL CAREER IN THE RCN IN HALIFAX AS A LEADING SEAMAN MARINE ELECTRICIAN. IN AUGUST 1990 HE SAILED ON HMCS TERRA NOVA TO THE PERSIAN GULF ON OP FRICTION. AFTER COMPLETING HIS ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN COURSE IN 1992 HE JOINED THE BRAND NEW CPF HMCS TORONTO SAILING ON OP SHARP GUARD IN 1994-95. IN 1997 HE WAS POSTED ASHORE TO MAROPS GROUP 5 FOR TWO YEARS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS POSTING WAS SAILING HMCS SASKATOON TO THE WEST COAST AFTER ITS COMPLETION. MCPL JOHNSON’S LAST SEA POSTING WAS TO HMCS IROQUOIS IN 1999 WHERE HE SAILED ON A 6 MONTH NATO DEPLOYMENT TO EUROPE, VISITING MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING 4 STOPS IN THE UK. HIS LAST BIG TRIP WAS OP APOLLO IN 2001, COMING AFTER THE TERROR ATTACKS IN THE U.S., SPENDING 7 MONTHS IN THEATRE. IN 2003 HE REMUSTERED TO ATIS TECHNICIAN, COMPLETING HIS TRAINING IN KINSTON AND OBTAINING A DIPLOMA FROM ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE. POSTED BACK TO HALIFAX IN 2005, HE SPENT 4 YEARS WORKING FOR N6 IN CLIENT SERVICES. PROMOTED AND POSTED TO OTTAWA IN 2009, HE WORKED FOR 76 COMMUNICATIONS REGIMENT IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, INCLUDING THE NATO COMMFAC AT TUNNEY’S PASTURE AND GEOSPATIAL NETWORK SERVICES UNDER 765 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON.

3. MCPL JOHNSON HAS ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND WILL BE WORKING WITH THE CAF TRANSITION GROUP HQ HERE IN THE NCR. HE WILL BE STAYING IN KANATA WITH HIS WIFE TRACY AND WILL TRY TO VISIT HIS GRANDCHILDREN IN PETAWAWA AS OFTEN AS HE CAN.

4. TO COMMEMORATE HIS DEDICATION TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, A DWD WILL BE HELD IN OTTAWA AT A LATER DATE ONCE THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED.

5. PAUL HAS MANY FOND MEMORIES OF SAILING ALL OVER THE WORLD AND SERVING WITH MANY GREAT PEOPLE IN EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH HE WAS A MEMBER. PLEASE SEND ANY STORY OR FRIENDLY ANECDOTES TO MCPL BYRNES – [email protected]/TEL: 613-985-8833