DISTRIBUTION LIST: AIG 1704 AND 1705 (ALL BASES, STATIONS COMMANDS AND
SHIPS)
SUBJECT: Retirement - Sgt B.A. Parsons, ATIS Tech 0109
1.
Sgt Bruce Parsons will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces on 13 Jan 2015 after 23 plus short
years of loyal, dedicated military service to the RCAF, the Communications and Electronics Branch and
Canada.
2.
Bruce enrolled in the CAF on 3 May 1991 in Toronto, Ontario, proceeding to Cornwallis, Nova
Scotia the next day for basic training. Kingston was his next stop for nine months of fun polishing brass
and dusting displays at the old C&E museum in the basement of the Forde bldg prior to starting his
Performance Oriented Electronic Training (POET) course. Upon completion of his POET crse, Bruce was
sent for five months to 16 WG Borden to complete his 521 Integral Systems Technician crse. His first
posting was to 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron in Cold Lake AB in November 1992. He saw the
Sqn disband in 1995 and moved to 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron to work on CF-18’s for six years.
While working with 416 Sqn, Bruce had a great five months deployment to Aviano, Italy where work was
hard but the play was even harder. After a short 9 1/2 years in Cold Lake he saw the light and remustered
to his current ATIS trade and took a posting to Trenton, ON in Mar 2001. September 11th happened and
he was off to the Middle East on Roto 1 at Camp Mirage for a short seven months of fun in the desert. In
2005 Bruce was posted to CFS Leitrim (Ottawa) to be closer to his son Alex. In 2006, he was promoted to
MCpl and took charge of desk top support for all the networks within Leitrim and the rest of CFIOG units
and detachment across Canada. 2008 brought another deployment but to a much colder area of the world
at CFS Alert, Nunavut for three months of 24 hrs of total daylight. In 2009, he was promoted and posted
to ADM Mat/DAEPM (R&CS) still staying in the Ottawa area. With his pending medical release from the
military and the loss of the Clerk from the C&E Branch Office, Bruce accepted to become the Clerk at the
Br Office at Tunney’s Pasture on an accommodation for two years.
3.
Bruce would like to thank all personnel that he had a chance to cross paths with. He has learned a
lot from his superiors and peers alike especially on what to do and what not to be.
4.
Bruce along with his wife Sandra and his three sons: Alexander, Matthew, and William are going
to remain in the Ottawa area. He is planning on taking a few online courses and being a taxi driver until
the boys become of age to drive.
5.
There will be a Depart with Dignity ceremony on 18 Dec starting at 11:30 hrs at the Royal Oak
pub, 1217 Wellington St. Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Z9. Personnel interested to attend are requested to contact
CWO M. Boislard at 613-991-4193 or via e-mail: michel.boislard@forces.gc.ca or Doogie Dick at 819939-4955 or via e-mail: Doogie.Dick@forces.gc.ca prior to 12 Dec. Best wishes, anecdotes or stories,
can be also be sent to these same individuals.