1. AFTER 34 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE QUEEN, COUNTRY, AND TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN SIGNAL CORPS, MASTER WARRANT OFFICER DAVID KENNEDY WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 17 JANUARY 2022.

2. MWO DAVID KENNEDY ENROLLED IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES IN SUDBURY ONTARIO ON 21 JAN 1988. UPON COMPLETION OF BASIC TRAINING AND DRIVER TRAINING, HE WAS POSTED TO CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS RADIO OPERATOR TRAINING AND WAS POSTED TO BRAVO TROOP 1 CSR JUST IN TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN RV ‘89 IN WAINWRIGHT AB. DURING HIS TIME AT 1 CSR HE DEPLOYED TO SOMALIA IN DEC 1992 WHERE HE WORKED IN THE CP AS WELL AS DRIVING ESCORT DETAILS THROUGH THE MEAN STREETS OF MOGADISHU. THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN 1994 DAVID DEPLOYED TO RWANDA WHERE HE WORKED WITH THE AUSTRAILIAN DEFENCE FORCE MEDICAL UNIT TREATING WOUNDED CIVILIANS DURING THEIR MANY MOBILE MEDICAL CLINICS. HE ASSISTED THE AUSTRAILIAN MEDICS WORKING AS AN INTREPETER BETWEEN THEM, THE CATHOLIC SISTERS AND MANY HUNDREDS OF WOUNDED. FOLLOWING HIS RETURN TO CANADA, IN AUG 1995, DAVID AND HEATHER WERE POSTED TO WINNIPEG MB, AS A SIGNALLER WITH 2 PPCLI (SECOND TO NONE). ONLY JUST RETURNED FROM TOUR, HE BEGAN WORK UP TRAINING FOR BOSNIA. WHILE HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH 2 PPCLI OVERSEAS, IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE AS THE GOVERNMENT CANCELLED THE SECOND BATTLE GROUP DEPLOYMENT TO THE BALKANS. THIS DID ALLOW DAVID AND HEATHER TO FOCUS ON MORE PRESSING ISSUES AND NEXT, THEIR DAUGHTER SHANNON BRIANNA WAS BORN IN MAY 1996. IN AUG 1996 HE WAS DEPLOYED WITH SIGS PLATOON TO BOSNIA AS PART OF SFOR. THE NEXT YEARS SAW THE USUAL BN EXERCISES AND COURSES. DURING A BREAK IN THOSE EXERCISES DAVID AND HEATHER MANAGED THEIR TIME WELL ENOUGH TO MAKE AN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY WHEN THEIR SON MATHEW WAS BORN IN 1998. IN 2000 HE WAS THEN DEPLOYED TO BOSNIA WITH SIGS PLATOON AS THE UNIT COMSEC CUSTODIAN RETURNING TO CANADA IN TIME TO BE POSTED BACK TO THE MOTHER SHIP. HIS FOUNDEST MEMORIES OF 2 VP ARE THE MANY LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIPS, COMPLETING BOTH THE MOUNTAIN OPS AND BASIC PARATROOP COURSES DESPITE A LIFE LONG UNCOMFORT AT HEIGHTS. IN 2001, HIS RETURN TO CFJSR FOUND HIM ONCE AGAIN IN 1 SQN WHERE HE DEPLOYED TO DIEGO GARCIA IN 2002 AND CAMP MIRAGE IN 2006. IN 2008 THE KENNEDYS WERE POSTED TO VANCOUVER WHERE HE FILLED VARIOUS ROLES. WHEN THE CAREER SHOP REALIZED MWO KENNEDY WAS ENJOYING HIMSELF FAR TOO MUCH ON THE WEST COAST, HE WAS POSTED BACK TO CFJSR IN 2012. BY 2014, AS A TROOP WO, HE WAS DEPLOYED TO KUWAIT TO ASSIST IN THE SWACKING OF ISIS. IN 2017, HE WENT I.R. TO ST JEAN AS THE SSM OF 2 LINE SQN IN THE NEWLY FORMED 77 LINE REGIMENT. THIS WAS NOT THE PUNISHMENT MOST WOULD THINK IT IS. IN FACT HE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED HIS TIME WITH THE SQN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VALCARTIER DET SHAMED HIM INTO CLIMING A LINE POLE TO CONFIRM THAT HE WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE AT HEIGHTS. IN 2018, HAVING RETURNED TO KINGSTON AS SSM OF 1 LINE SQN HE SETTLED IN TO GARRISON ROUTINE AND TOOK UP HUNTING, KAYAKING, AND WOODWORKING TO FILL TIME.

3. IN 2020, AFTER A POSTING BACK TO CFJSR AS CCO, MWO KENNEDY REALIZED IT WAS TIME TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE MILITARY. DAVID AND HEATHER ARE LOOKIN FORWARD TO THE NEXT BOUND. HE WILL BE ATTENDING ROSEWOOD STUDIO WOODWORKING SCHOOL. WHEN NOT WOODWORKING, HE PLANS TO SIT IN TREE STANDS, KAYAK, GARDEN, AND GENERALLY ENJOY LIFE WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

4. WELL THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME TO FORMALLY SAY GOOD LUCK WITH THE FUTURE ENDEAVOUR’S HE MAY ENCOUNTER IN THE FUTURE.
ON JUNE 03 2022 A DWD WILL BE HELD FOR MWO (RET) DAVID KENNEDY.

DATE: 03 JUN 2022
PLACE: ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE CLUB (ANAF) 317 GORE ROAD KINGSTON ONTARIO
TIME: 1400 ONWARDS

ALL WELL WISHES CAN BE SENT TO MWO ZEBINSKI AT [email protected]