1. ON 06 JANUARY 2021 MWO MARTIN CRUIKSHANK, CD WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AFTER 31 PLUS YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS.

2. MARTIN WAS BORN IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA IN 1966, AND GREW UP IN AYLESFORD, NS WHERE HE LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE RIGHT UP UNTIL APRIL 1989 WHEN HE ENROLLED IN THE CANADIAN FORCES TO START HIS CAREER AS AN ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN.

3. FOLLOWING HIS BASIC ELECTRONICS TRAINING, HE BECAME A RADAR TECH AND WAS POSTED TO 14 WING GREENWOOD FROM 1990-1996, WHERE HE GAINED VALUABLE ELECTRONIC EXPERIENCE ON AIRFIELD RADAR EQUIPMENT. DURING THIS TIME THE ELECTRONIC TECH TRADES MERGED AND HE BECAME AN ATIS TECH. HIS NEXT POSTING WAS TO CFB HALIFAX WHERE HE SERVED FOR 11 YEARS WORKING IN 726 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON, N6, AND THEN BASE INFORMATION SERVICES, PROGRESSING FROM THE RANK OF CPL TO SGT. HE MOVED TO 12 WING SHEARWATER IN 2007 WHERE HE STARTED WORKING IN COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY AND IT SUPPORT WHICH INCLUDED A QUICK POSTING TO COLD LAKE, ALBERTA FOR 10 MONTHS IN 2011 WHERE HE WAS PROMOTED TO WARRANT OFFICER AND WAS THEN POSTED TO DAEPM R&CS, OTTAWA AS AN LCMM ON AIRFIELD EQUIPMENT. IN 2015 HE WAS POSTED BACK TO CFB HALIFAX, BASE INFORMATION SERVICES AS NAVAL RADIO STATION COORDINATOR, AND AFTER 1 YEAR HE WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK AND POSTED BACK TO 12 WING SHEARWATER AS TEL FLIGHT SWO. MARTIN STAYED AT 12 WING SHEARWATER UNTIL THE FALL OF 2020, AFTER WHICH HE SERVED HIS FINAL 3 MONTHS BACK WITH DAEPM R&CS, OTTAWA AS DAEPM R&CS SWO.

4. MARTIN, ALONG WITH HIS LOVING WIFE LESLEY, WILL BE REMAINING IN THE HALIFAX AREA. HE HAS HAD A REWARDING CAREER HOWEVER, THIS RETIREMENT IS NOT THE END. MARTIN WILL CONTINUE HIS CAREER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, WORKING FOR BASE INFORMATION SERVICES HALIFAX. HE IS GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES HE HAS MADE ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER THE YEARS.

5. DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS A FORMAL RETIREMENT FUNCTION WILL NOT BE HELD AT THIS TIME. A SMALL GATHERING OF FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS WILL TAKE PLACE AT A DATE TBD. CONGRATULATORY NOTES, MESSAGES AND “DIGS” CAN BE SENT TO MWO RACHEL BOUCHER AT [email protected].