1. ON 14 JUN 2021, SERGEANT DANA HOWARD CD WILL RETIRE AFTER MORE THAN 18 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE.

2. AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE CANADIAN TELECOM GIANT NORTEL, SGT DANA HOWARD ENROLLED IN OTTAWA AND WAS RECRUITED IN MAY OF 2003 AS AN ATIS 226 (AEROSPACE TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN).

3. SGT DANA HOWARD’S FIRST POSTING WAS TO 22 WING NORTH BAY, CANADA’S NORTH AMERICAN AIR DEFENCE COMMAND (NORAD) UNDERGROUND COMPLEX (UGC) AKA “THE HOLE”, AS A SECURE TELECOM TECHNICIAN AND COMPLETED SEVERAL RADIO COMM AND CRYPTO MAINT COURSES. IN 2005 SHE WAS POSTED TO 8 WTISS TRENTON, WORKING IN THE ADP SHOP BEFORE MOVING INTO SECURE NETWORKS (SECNET). IN 2009, SHE WAS PROMOTED TO MCPL AND MOVED AROUND THE CORNER TO AEROSPACE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING SUPPORT SQUADRON (ATESS) AS AN OSQ & QL5 INSTRUCTOR, SHAPING THE TECHNICAL MINDS OF JUNIOR ATIS TECHNICIANS. IN 2013, SHE WAS POSTED TO 76 COMMUNICATION REGIMENT IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO AS A NATO & OC&E TECH WITHIN 764 COMM SQN. IN JULY 2015 SHE MOVED TOWERS TO START A NEW POSITION AS THE NATIONAL CSNI INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT IC. IN OCTOBER 2018 SHE WAS PROMOTED TO SGT AND POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTRE (CFNOC) AT CFS LEITRIM, WORKING AS THE DIGITAL FORENSICS TECHNICAL SGT IN SUPPORT OF CAF/DND CYBER DEFENCE.

4. SGT DANA HOWARD WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WITH WHOM SHE SERVED AND WHO WILL FOREVER BE A PART OF HER EXTENDED FAMILY. SGT DANA HOWARD WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS HER GRATITUDE FOR HER PARENTS, SISTER, HER ELDEST DAUGHTER, ALEXA JORY, PARENTAL INVESTMENT PARTNERS, AND THE MENTORS, SUPERVISORS AND COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE SUPPORTED HER THROUGHOUT HER CAREER. SHE WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL.

5. SGT DANA HOWARD WILL BE STAYING IN THE OTTAWA REGION WITH HER PARTNER-IN-CRIME JAY, HER SON LOGAN, DAUGHTER TEAGHAN, WHILE CHERISHING VISITS FROM HER GRANDSON, ROWAN. UPON RETIREMENT, SGT DANA HOWARD WILL TRANSITION TO A PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION WITHIN THE DIRECTORATE PROJECT DELIVERY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AS PART OF THE AUTOMATED IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY (AIT) PROJECT.

6. SGT DANA HOWARD HAS DECLINED A FORMAL DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. FOR MEMBERS WISHING TO SEND CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES AND/OR PHOTOS ARE WELCOMED AND CAN BE FORWARDED TO SGT DEBUSSCHERE BY EMAIL TO [email protected].