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: or Doogie Dick at 819-939-4955 or via e-mail: prior to 12 Dec. Best wishes, anecdotes or stories, can be also be sent to these same individuals.