1. AFTER 30 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE, MASTER WARRANT OFFICER GARRY SMITH WILL TAKE HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH AND THE ACISS-TECH TRADE.
2. MWO G.V. SMITH ENROLLED IN THE CAF ON 17 MARCH 1990 FROM PICTOU, NOVA SCOTIA AS AN INFANTRYMAN WITH THE FIRST BATTALION NOVA SCOTIA HIGHLANDERS, E-COY. FOLLOWING HIS TRADES TRAINING, MWO SMITH PARTICIPATED IN OP HARMONY, UNPROFOR, CROATIA WITH CANADIAN INFANTRY BATTLE GP 1 FROM APR –OCT 1993. UPON HIS RETURN FROM CROATIA MWO SMITH COMPONENT TRANSFERRED TO 1ST BATTALION PRINCESS PATRICIA’S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY (PPCLI) WHERE HE RETURNED TO OVERSEAS IN KOSOVO, OP KINETIC, KFOR WITH CANADIAN TASK FORCE KOSOVO FROM AUG 1999 TO DEC 1999. FOLLOWING HIS RETURN TO CANADA, MWO SMITH COMPLETED HIS JLC AND JNCO INFANTRY COURSE IN WAINWRIGHT, AB. MWO SMITH COMPLETED A VOLUNTARY OCCUPATIONAL TRANSFER IN OCT 2003 AND WAS POSTED TO CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE) TO EMBARK ON HIS PERFORMANCE OBSERVED ELECTRONICS TRAINING (POET) AND LATER THE LAND COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION SYSTEMS (LCIS) TECHNICIAN COURSE. UPON COMPETITION OF HIS TRADES TRAINING MWO SMITH WAS POSTED TO PETAWAWA, WHERE HE CONTINUED TO SERVE ON MANY OPERATIONS FOR THE CAF. MWO SMITH CONTRIBUTED TO OP ATHENA, OP HESTIA (HAITI) AND OP CADENCE AS THE FOREMAN OF SIGNALS. HE SERVED WITH MANY UNITS INCLUDING, HQ AND SIGNALS SQUADRON, 427 TACTICAL HELICOPTER SQUADRON, 2 SERVICE BATTALION, AND 2 ROYAL CANADIAN HORSE ARTILLERY.
3. IN AUG 2012, MWO SMITH WAS POSTED CANSOF AND HE AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO STITTSVILLE, ON. MWO SMITH WAS POSTED TO CANSOFCOM UNTIL JUL 2017, WHEN HE ATTENDED SECOND LANGUAGE TRAINING (SLT) AT THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL. FOLLOWING HIS COMPLETION OF SLT, MWO SMITH WAS APPOINTED AS 764 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON’S SQUADRON SERGEANT-MAJOR. HE REMAINS IN THIS APPOINTMENT UNTIL HIS RELEASE ON 17 MARCH 2020.
4. AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM THE CAF, MWO SMITH PLANS ON TRAVELLING THE WORLD ONCE MORE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND HAS DECIDED TO REMAIN IN OTTAWA WITH HIS WIFE CHRISTINE AND DAUGHTER ALEXA, TO BE SITUATED CLOSE TO HIS ELDEST DAUGHTER, KYRA, WHO LIVES IN KINGSTON. MWO SMITH PLANS ON SPENDING MORE TIME ON MARATHON TRAINING AND RELAXING WITH HIS FAMILY.
5. MWO GARRY SMITH HAS REQUESTED AN INFORMAL DWD AT THE SNR NCO’S MESS IN OTTAWA ON 12 JUNE 2020. HE HOPES TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE FROM HIS LIFE IN CAF TO CELEBRATE WITH HIM.
6. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, STORIES OR ANECDOTES CAN BE FORWARDED TO WO MELISSA DU PREE AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: [email protected]
Congrats on a great career Gary! It was great to work with you brother. All the best.
Congratulations Garry! It was an honour to work with you. Thanks for all the support and opportunity that you gave to me and especially to the Sqn. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!
Congrats on a well-deserved retirement, Garry. Thank you for all your support, guidance, and mentorship while at 764. All the best in your next chapter!
In light of current restrictions on gatherings and mess closures, the DWD scheduled on 12 June will not occur. We are looking at potential dates in Sept. Thank-you for the congratulations and it was an absolute pleasure to work with all of you.
Congrats Garry – Just seeing this now. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!
PS – I will forever be jealous of your athleticism and drive during morning PT sessions in Ottawa!
Congratulations Garry! It was an honour to work with you at 2 RCHA. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours! Glad you’re staying here in Ottawa! Maybe we’ll see you around!
Congrats Garry!
All the best in your next adventure Garry. Your service has been nothing short of remarkable.
Congrats on both an amazing career and on your retirement. You will be missed.
Garry, congratulations! Was a pleasure serving with you at 2 RCHA.
Congrats Garry. I’d follow you into a wood chipper