1. SERGEANT STÉPHANE GAGNÉ RETIRES FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 19 MARCH 2022, AFTER MORE THAN 35 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA.

2. SGT GAGNÉ IS A NATIVE OF STUKELY-SUD IN THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS. HE JOINED THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 5 FEBRUARY 1987 AS A SIGNAL OPERATOR. AFTER ATTENDING RECRUIT SCHOOL AND THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN ST-JEAN, HE BEGAN HIS SIGNALMAN TRAINING AT THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS IN KINGSTON, ON. IN 1988, ONE YEAR AFTER ENLISTING AND COMPLETING HIS TRAINING, HE WAS POSTED TO HQ & SIG SQN IN VALCARTIER AS PART OF SIGNALLERS TROOP. IN 1990, HE DEPLOYED TO ISRAEL ON THE GOLAN PLATEAU AS A SIGNAL OPERATOR. AFTER BEING NEWLY PROMOTED TO CORPORAL IN 1991, HE IS TRANSFERRED TO 5RGC IN VALCARTIER. IT WAS DURING THIS TRANSFER THAT HE WAS DEPLOYED TO KUWAIT FROM 1991 TO 1992. IN 1994, HE MARRIED HIS SPOUSE. THAT SAME YEAR, HE WAS POSTED TO 408 HEL TAC SQN IN EDMONTON. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, IN 1995, HE DEPLOYED TO HAITI WITH THE SAME UNIT. WHILE STILL A MEMBER OF 408 HEL TAC, HE RETURNED TO ISRAEL IN 1998 FOR A SECOND TOUR. IN 1999, HE DEPLOYED TO KOSOVO. UPON HIS RETURN TO CANADA, HE WAS PROMOTED TO MCPL AND TRANSFERRED TO HQ & SIG SQN IN EDMONTON. IN 2002 HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO 715 COMMS SQN IN ST-JEAN. HE DEPLOYED WITH THE NATIONAL SUPPORT ELEMENT IN 2004 TO BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. IN 2005, HE WAS EMPLOYED AT THE ST-JEAN SUPPORT BASE AS A SUPPORT TECHNICIAN. IN 2007-2008, HE DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN WITH THE 3R22R INFANTRY BATTALION GROUP SIGNAL PLATOON. FOLLOWING HIS PROMOTION TO SERGEANT, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE CF JOINT SIGNAL REGIMENT IN KINGSTON IN 2008 WHERE HE HELD SEVERAL POSITIONS, INCLUDING TRAINING AND OPERATIONS SERGEANT. IN JUNE 2009 HE REQUESTED A TRANSFER TO THE SUPPLEMENTARY RESERVE AND WAS EMPLOYED AS A RANGE OFFICER IN FARNHAM.

3. IN AUGUST 2013 HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE REGULAR FORCE. HE IS THEN TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE HQ & SIG SQN IN VALCARTIER. THE FOLLOWING YEAR (2014), HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CF LEADERSHIP AND RECRUIT SCHOOL WHERE HE HELD THE POSITION OF OPERATIONS SERGEANT OF THE SUPPORT TROOP. IN 2017, HE WAS FINALLY TRANSFERRED TO THE SIGNAL SQUADRON OF 2 CDN DIV SG, WHICH LATER BECAME THE IT SERVICE 2CDN DIV SG. DURING THIS LAST ASSIGNMENT, HE SERVED ON OP LENTUS IN 2019 IN SUPPORT OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA FLOOD RESPONSE.

4. SGT STÉPHANE GAGNÉ IS MARRIED TO MRS NATHALIE THIBODEAU AND THEY HAVE 2 CHILDREN WHO ARE NOW ADULTS, CHRISTOPHER AND VANESSA. SGT GAGNÉ WILL BE TAKING A SABBATICAL TO REST AND REFLECT ON HIS FUTURE.

5. WE WISH TO RECOGNIZE HIS CAREER AND OFFER HIM OUR BEST WISHES FOR A WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT. AT STÉPHANE’S REQUEST, ONLY AN INTIMATE GATHERING WITH HIS COLLEAGUES WILL BE HELD UPON HIS DEPARTURE. MESSAGES, CONGRATULATIONS AND STORIES CAN BE SENT BY EMAIL TO [email protected]