1. WARRANT OFFICER (WO) PHILIP BERRESFORD WILL RETIRE FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) ON 06 MARCH 2024 AFTER 22+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA.

2. FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER, GRANDFATHER, FATHER, MOTHER AND BROTHER, WO BERRESFORD ENROLLED IN THE CAF AS A SIGNALS OPERATOR (SIG OP) ON 07 JUNE 2001 AT THE CFRC CALGARY DETACHMENT IN EDMONTON, AB.

3. WO BERRESFORD BEGAN HIS BASIC TRAINING AT THE NAVAL RESERVE SCHOOL AT CFB BORDEN, ON AND WAS THEN POSTED TO CFLRS ST-JEAN, QC FOLLOWING AN INJURY DURING TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION OF BASIC TRAINING AT CFLRS AND FOLLOWING A VOT-U TO NAVAL ELECTRONIC SENSORS OPERATOR (NESOP), PHIL WAS POSTED TO CFB ESQUIMALT, BC WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS QL3 AND NAVAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING PROGRAM (NETP) AT THE NAVAL FLEET SCHOOL (PACIFIC). IN FEBRUARY 2004, PHIL WAS POSTED TO CFB HALIFAX, NS, WHERE HE SERVED ON HMCS IROQUOIS (2004), HMCS ATHABASKAN (2004-2008), AND WAS ATTACHED POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES NAVAL OPERATIONS SCHOOL (CFNOS) ABOVE WATER WARFARE SECTION (2006-2007). PHIL WAS PROMOTED TO SAILOR FIRST CLASS (S1) IN JUNE 2005.

4. ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2008, FOLLOWING A COT TO AEROSPACE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN (ATIS TECH), S1 BERRESFORD BECAME CPL BERRESFORD AND WAS POSTED TO CFB KINGSTON, WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS PERFORMANCE ORIENTED ELECTRONIC TRAINING (POET) AND ATIS TECH QL3 AT THE CANADIAN FORCES SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS (CFSCE). UPON GRADUATION, PHIL WAS POSTED TO CFB GREENWOOD, NS WHERE HE COMPLETED HIS OJPR AND WAS SUBSQUENTLY EMPLOYED AS THE IC BLACKBERRY AND MOBILE PHONE SERVICES SHOP. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF HIS QL5 IN 2011, HE WAS EMPLOYED AS 2IC THEN IC OF THE PC MAINT SECTION (2011-2012), THEN AS THE IC NETWORK MAINTENANCE SECTION (2012-2013).

5. APPOINTED MASTER CORPORAL (MCPL) IN JULY 2013, PHIL WAS POSTED TO CFB ESQUIMALT, MAINTENANCE DETACHEMENT ALDERGROVE IN MATSQUI/ALDERGROVE, BC WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED AS A HIGH FREQUENCY/LOW FREQUENCY (HF/LF) MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR. AFTER COMPLETING THE HIGH FREQUENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS (HFCS) MAINTENANCE COURSE AT CFSCE IN DECEMBER 2014, PHIL RETURNED TO CFSCE ON A CFTPO IN MAY-JUNE 2015 AS AN HFCS INSTRUCTOR.

6. PROMOTED TO SERGEANT (SGT) IN JULY 2017, PHIL WAS POSTED TO CFSCE AS THE HFCS AND CRYPTOGRAPHIC TRAINING COURSE DIRECTOR. PHIL WAS PROMOTED TO WARRANT OFFICER IN 2021 AND BECAME THE F FLIGHT WO AT CFSCE.

7. IN MAY 2023, HE WAS POSTED TO ADM(IM) WITH THE DIRECTOR GENERAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROJECT DELIVERY (DGIMPD) AS AN LCMM AND NATIONAL HF/LF MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING COORDINATOR.

8. WO BERRESFORD WILL CHERISH HIS TIME IN THE CAF, THE ABILITY TO HAVE SERVED HIS COUNTRY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE LASTING FRIENDSHIPS, STORIES AND MEMORIES ACCUMULATED OVER THE LAST 22+ YEARS. HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO HE HAS SERVED WITH, LEARNED FROM AND IS ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT AND SACRIFICE FROM HIS SPOUSE KATHY. PHIL AND KATHY WILL REMAIN IN THE NCR WHERE PHIL WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE CANADA IN A PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION HE HAS ACCCEPTED WITH THE CIO GROUP.

9. A DEPART WITH DIGNITY (DWD) EVENT WILL BE HELD ON 08 MARCH 2024, FROM 1300 TO 1600 AT TAILGATORS, 1642 MERIVALE ROAD, OTTAWA, ON. ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND TO SHARE STORIES AND CELEBRATE HIS RETIREMENT. PLEASE RSVP TO CRAIG ADAMSON AT [email protected]. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, STORIES, PHOTOS OR ANECDOTES CAN ALSO BE SENT TO THE SAME ADDRESS.