1. MASTER WARRANT OFFICER STEVEN NICHOL WILL RETIRE FROM THE RCAF ON 13 OCT 2020 AFTER A COMBINED 33 + YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE CAF, THE RCAF AND THE RCCS.

2. MWO STEVEN NICHOL WAS BORN IN GRAND FALLS, NEW BRUNSWICK. HE ENROLLED IN THE CANADIAN FORCES IN NOVEMBER 1987 AS A LINEMAN. AFTER COMPLETION OF HIS BASIC TRAINING IN CORNWALLIS, NS, HE COMPLETED HIS DRIVER TRAINING COURSE AND LAND TACTICAL TRAINING (LTT) AT CFB BORDEN IN FEB 1988. THIS TRAINING WAS FOLLOWED BY HIS LINEMAN TQ3 AT CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE), AT CFB KINGSTON. HE GRADUATED IN AUG 1988 AND WAS POSTED TO SSF HQ & SIGS, PETAWAWA.

IN 1991 HE WAS POSTED TO 742 COMMUNICATION SQUADRON IN EDMONTON UNTIL 1996 WHEN HE WAS POSTED TO 1 LINE SQUADRON IN KINGSTON. WHILE IN KINGSTON, HE SERVED WITH 79 COMMUNICATION REGIMENT, AREA SUPPORT UNIT KINGSTON, AND CFSCE AS AN INSTRUCTOR. AS A LINEMAN HE DEPLOYED TO VARIOUS THEATERS OF OPERATION: CYPRUS IN 1989, GOLAN HEIGHTS IN 1993, AND KOSOVO IN 1999.

IN 2002 MWO NICHOL COMPLETED AN OCCUPATIONAL TRANSFER TO AIR TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN (ATIS TECH). IN OCTOBER 2003, AFTER GRADUATING ATIS QL3 HE WAS POSTED TO CFB TRENTON, AT THE AEROSPACE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING SUPPORT SQUADRON (ATESS).

IN 2011, HE WAS PROMOTED TO SGT, AND POSTED TO THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO AS A RECRUITER. IN 2013 HE WAS POSTED TO OTTAWA TO CANADIAN FORCES NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTER AS A TECHNICAL SECURITY INSPECTION TEAM MEMBER. IN 2015 HE RECEIVED A PROMOTION TO THE RANK WO AND POSTED TO CHIEF OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT CYBER. DURING HIS TIME IN OTTAWA, HE DEPLOYED TO OP IMPACT IN IRAQ.

IN 2018 HE WAS PROMOTED TO MWO AND POSTED TO CFSCE IN KINGSTON, AS THE SQUADRON SERGEANT-MAJOR (SSM) OF 3 SQUADRON AND SENIOR TRADE ADVISOR FOR ATIS, RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATIONS TECHNICIAN TRAINING FOR ARMY AND AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

3. STEVE PLANS TO RETIRE IN THE AREA OF FRANKFORD, ONTARIO WITH HIS WIFE LORI. HE PLANS TO ENJOY FISHING AND HUNTING AND SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY.

4. DUE TO COVID-19 A DWD FUNCTION WILL BE SCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE.

5. PLEASE SEND ANECDOTES OR MESSAGES TO RETIREMENT FUNCTION COORDINATOR (RFC) LT PALMATEER, [email protected]  NLT 15 AUG 2020 TO ALLOW TIME FOR COMPILATION.