1. ON 19 AUGUST 2021, MASTER WARRANT OFFICER MIKE THOMPSON RETIRED FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AFTER 34 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA, THE CAF, THE RCAF, RADAR TECHNICIANS EVERYWHERE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH.

2. MWO THOMPSON ENROLLED IN THE CAF ON 02 JUL 87 AS A RADAR TECH/NAV AIDS. HIS IMPRESSIVE CAREER TOOK HIM TO BTELO IN TRENTON, RADAR TECH AT CFB UPLANDS (THAT’S RIGHT CFB), 7 WING, 764 COMM SQN, AND 76 COMM SQN IN OTTAWA. AS A MCPL HE THEN STARTED A LONG LINE OF POSTINGS IN COMPUTER, CRYPTO AND NETWORK SUPPORT WORLD FROM AIR COMMAND OFFICE OTTAWA, CAS SHADOW (OTTAWA). HE THEN PROCEEDED TO NORTH BAY ON IR TO CADS/NORAD 17 WING NORTH BAY FOR 4 YEARS. IN 2009, HE CAME BACK TO OTTAWA AT DIMTPS 3-4-3 RDS DESIGN SHOP. HE ENTERED THE LCMM CRYPTO WORLD UPON RECEIVING HIS PROMOTION TO WARRANT OFFICER. AS AN MWO, HE WORKED FOR SSG PETAWA AND SSG 77 LINE REGT MONTREAL AS THE SSM AND A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE VIDEO CONFERENCING SECTION. MWO THOMPSON RETIRED FROM HIS LAST POSTING AT CFNOC (CFS LEITRIM) WHERE HE WAS THE PLANS MWO COORDINATING INTERNATIONAL CYBER EXERCISES AS THEIR SSM.

3. THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, YOU COULD FIND MIKE SUPPORTING HIS TROOPS AND GOOD CAUSES. HE ALSO HELD A MULTITUDE OF POSITIONS IN THE SGT & WOS’ MESS COMMITTEE FOR WHICH HE WAS RECOGNIZED AS AN HONORARY MEMBER. YOU CAN ALSO HEAR JOKES ABOUT MIKE HAVING THE FOREVER GSO HAT UNTIL THE VERY LAST DAY IN THE CAF.

4. MIKE RETIRED IN THE OTTAWA REGION WITH HIS PARTNER NATHALIE (ALSO RECENT RETIREE). YOU CAN FIND MIKE AT PEARKES IN HIS NEW JOB WORKING FOR CFINTCOM.

5. DUE TO THE EVERCHANGING PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT, MIKE WILL BE CELEBRATING THIS MILESTONE AT A LATER DATE. PLEASE SEND ANY CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES AND HUMOROUS ANECDOTES TO NATHALIE AT [email protected].