1. AFTER MORE THAN 18 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA AND THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, SGT STEVEN W. GARDINER WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 14 JANUARY 2024.

2. STEVEN WAS BORN IN CUMBERLAND, BC AND ENROLLED IN THE CAF AS A COMMUNICATOR RESEARCH OPERATOR (AKA SIGINT SPEC) IN DEC 2005. FOLLOWING GRADUATION FROM BASIC TRAINING AND SOLDIER QUALIFICATION HE DID HIS TRADE TRAINING AT CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE). HE WAS POSTED TO 2 ELECTRONIC WARFARE SQUADRON IN FEB 07. HE WAS THEN POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES STATION LEITRIM IN DEC 2007. HIS FINAL POSTING, IN MAY 2018, TO CANADIAN FORCES INFORMATION OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS SAW HIM MOVED TO THE EDB FEB 19 TO WORK SUPPORTING CSE.

3. SGT GARDINERS MANY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED WORK AT CFS ALERT,CFS MASSET, AND CFS GANDER AND A DEPLOYMENT TO TF ARTEMIS IN THE GULF OF ADEN ABOARD HMCS TORONTO.

4. STEVEN IS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE FOR THE MANY EXPERIENCES, FRIENDSHIPS AND MEMORIES WITH SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, HE MET, OVER HIS LAST 18 PLUS YEARS IN UNIFORM. HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL WHO SUPPORTED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, ESPECIALLY THE UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM HIS WIFE COLETTE AND HIS 4 CHILDREN, DAUGHTER MIAMBI AND SONS LINDEN, EMRYS AND BIRAM.

5. UPON RETIREMENT STEVEN PLANS TO SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH HIS FAMILY, TRAVEL WITH HIS WIFE, MAKE MUSIC, PLAY GOLF AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD OF AERONAUTICS.

6. AS PER MEMBERS WISH, AN INFORMAL RETIREMENT FUNCTION WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY 10 NOV 2023. PLEASE, SEND YOUR RSVP, CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, HUMOROUS ANECDOTES AND STORIES TO PO1 LEWIS AT GREG.LEWIS3 AT FORCES.GC.CA NLT 24 NOV 2023.