1. MASTER WARRANT OFFICER ALAN AITCHISON, CD WILL RETIRE ON 28 JULY 2021 AFTER 37 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.

2. ALAN JOINED THE 1ST BATTALION, THE ROYAL NEW BRUNSWICK REGIMENT IN FREDERICTON AS A RESERVE INFANTRYMAN IN NOVEMBER 1983, TRASNFERING TO 4TH BATTALION, THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT IN AUGUST 1987. HE LEFT THE RESERVES IN MARCH 1988, AND JOINED THE REGULAR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1988 AS A RADIO OPERATOR, HEADING OFF TO CORNWALLIS FOR HIS BASIC TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION OF HIS TQ3 AT THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN AUGUST 1989, HE WAS POSTED TO 4 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON IN LAHR WEST GERMANY. WITH THE CLOSE OUT OF 4 CMBG IN 1992, ALAN WAS OFF TO LAND FORCES ATLANTIC AREA HEADQUARTERS HALIFAX INTO THE G6 SECTION WHERE THEY FAILED AT TRYING TO TURN HIM INTO A COMPUTER GEEK.

3. IN 1994, ALAN WAS POSTED TO DIRECTOR GENERAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AS THE CRYPTO CLERK AND GRAPHIC ARTIST FOR THE NEWLY FORMED NATIONAL SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT CENTRE. IN 1995 WITH THE OPENING OF NODE TUNNEYS, ALAN WAS POSTED TO 764 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON AS A FACILITY CONTROL CENTRE OPERATOR. IN 1999, UPON HIS APPOINTMENT TO MASTER CORPORAL, ALAN WAS POSTED TO 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT, SOON TO BECOME CANADIAN FORCES JOINT SIGNAL REGIMENT, SERVING IN 3 SQUADRON AND 4 SQUADRON IN VARIOUS ROLES. PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 2005, ALAN WAS SHIPPED OFF TO REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS AS THE REGIMENTAL PLANS SERGEANT. POSTED TO 2 CMBG HQ AND SIGS IN 2008, ALAN WAS EMPLOYED AS THE BRAVO TROOP WARRANT OFFICER FOR TEN MONTHS LESS A DAY, THEN POSTED BACK TO CFJSR INTO ALPHA TROOP AS THE TROOP WO.

4. PROMOTED TO WARRANT OFFICER IN 2010, ALAN REMAINDED IN HIS POSITION AS THE ALPHA TROOP WO FOR ONE MORE YEAR AND THEN MOVED INTO 1 SQUADRON OPERATIONS FOR HIS LAST TWO YEARS AT CFJSR. IN 2013, HE WAS POSTED TO 76 COMMUNICATION GROUP HEADQUARTERS AS THE GROUP OPERATIONS WARRANT OFFICER. PROMOTED IN 2016, ALAN WAS POSTED BACK TO KINGSTON, THIS TIME TO CFSCE AS THE SQUADRON SERGEANT-MAJOR OF SUPPORT SQUADRON. AFTER A YEAR, HE WAS MOVED TO 2 SQUADRON AS THE SERGEANT-MAJOR. HE WAS FINALLY POSTED TO CANADIAN FORCES JOINT OPERATION GROUP HEADQUARTERS AS THE CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR IN 2018, HIS LAST POSITION IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.

5. DURING HIS SERVICE, ALAN DEPLOYED TO OP DANACA (2000), OP APOLLO (2001), OP ATHENA (2003 AND 2010) AND OP HESTIA (2010).

6. ALAN HASN’T FIGURED OUT WHAT HE WILL BE DOING POST RETIREMENT, BUT HE HAS DETERMINED THAT, AFTER SO MUCH TIME WORKING FROM HOME IN THE LAST YEAR, FULL RETIREMENT IS OFF THE TABLE. HE AND HIS WIFE, CHRISTINE, WILL BE REMAINING IN THE KINGSTON AREA. DUE TO THE CURRENT HEALTH SITUATION, THERE WILL BE NO FORMAL DEPART WITH DIGNITY (DWD) ALTHOUGH, BEST WISHES AND CONGRATULATORY NOTES MAY BE SENT TO MAJ PENNEY AT [email protected] TO BE GATHERED TOGETHER FOR HIM.