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20691 Major Martine Chambers (CMR RMC 1997) (nee Theoret) will be retiring on 14 April 2015 after more than 22 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces. Maj chambers joined the CAF on 26 June 1992 as an army personnel administration officer under the regular officer training plan.
She graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston with a bachelor of business administration and minor in psychology in May 1997. Her first posting was in Winnipeg as the 1 Canadian air division headquarters deputy administration officer followed by the 17 wing deputy personnel administration officer. During her posting to Winnipeg, she transferred to the air element. In 2002, she deployed on Op Apollo as the executive assistant to the joint task force southwest Asia commander. On her return from deployment, she applied for a voluntary transfer to become a health care administration (HCA) officer.
Her postings as an HCA included, 1 FD Ambulance in Edmonton as a platoon commander followed by unit adjutant, centre de Santé de Valcartier, Quebec as the support service manager and deputy clinic manager, and CF H SVCS GP HQ Ottawa as the CFHIS functional lead. In 2011 she was posted to 15 Wing Moose Jaw as the wing administration officer.
After a year leave of absence to Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, she accepted a transfer to Health Services Operations (HSO) and returned to CF H SVCS GP HQ in July 2014 as the Headquarters’ commanding officer. Maj Chambers will now begin a new journey with her husband 21211 LCol Rhett Chambers (RMC 1998) and children Malec, Eva and Laura as they move to Shepperd AFB, Texas for her husband’s command posting.
A depart with dignity farewell will be held on 6 march 2015 at 1000hr at the CF H SVCS GP HQ, Urquart conference room (reception area NLT 26 February 2015. lisa.murphy3@forces.gc.ca NLT 26 February 2015.
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17351 Major Robert Johnson (RMC 1990) will retire from the Canadian armed forces on 04 March 2015, after more than 28 years of dedicated service with the royal Canadian Air Force.
Maj Johnson joined the RCAF in 1986 under the regular officer training plan, and attended the Royal Military College, Kingston, graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1990. Upon completion of pilot training in 1992, Maj Johnson was posted to Valcartier, QC to fly the ch136 Kiowa with 430 Squadron. In 1996, he was posted 403 sqn in Gagetown, NB to instruct on the ch146 Griffon helicopter.
In 2004, Maj Johnson moved on to a search and rescue role at 442 Sqn in Comox, BC, flying the CH149 cormorant helicopter in the operational and instructional roles.
Maj Johnson then left Comox in 2009 for a two year posting to the United Kingdom, where he instructed Canadian ch149 crews in the simulator. His final posting was to Ottawa in 2011, where he took up project director duties with directorate of air requirements and the directorate of air simulation and training. Rob and family will be staying in the NCR as he has taken a job with transport Canada, training helicopter pilots.
A depart with dignity luncheon was held in Ottawa 19 Feb – see photo above.
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16383 Colonel Daniel Vermeersch (CMR 1988) joined the Canadian Forces in 1983. Upon graduating from RMC Saint-Jean in 1988, he was posted to CFB Kingston, where he held various junior officer positions within the Comptroller Branch until 1991.
In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was posted to CFB Calgary, where he served as Base Management Services Officer. He would also become the acting Comptroller for one year, from 1993 to 1994.He then served as the Comptroller at ASU London, Ontario in 1994, before becoming the Deputy Commanding Officer for the next two years, until 1997.
Following a promotion to Major in 1997, he became the Land Forces Central Area (LFCA) Comptroller until 2001, during which time he participated in a six-month tour in Kosovo before being posted.
He then attended RMC Kingston from 2001 to 2003, where he received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Following a promotion the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 2004, he began working for ADM (Fin CS). In 2006, he was posted to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA), where he held the position of Comptroller. In July 2009, he took on the role of Commanding Officer of Personnel Support Services within 5 Area Support Group (5 ASG).
Promoted to the rank of Colonel at the end of his mandate at 5 ASG in 2011, he was appointed Comptroller at the Land Forces Command at NDHQ in Ottawa. In July 2014, he was appointed Commandant of Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa), in Ottawa. Colonel Dan Vermeersch is a graduate of the Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston, and the Canadian Staff College in Toronto.
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16076 Col John Conrad (RRMC RMC ’87) has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Masters in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario. He was commissioned as a Naval Officer (MARS) in May, 1987.
After retraining as an army combat logistics officer he has served in virtually every command billet possible in 1 Service Battalion in Western Canada from platoon commander to Commanding Officer in 2005-2006. Over half of his career has been spent with the Army of the West in 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Subsequent postings have included a year on Atlantic Area Staff (now the 5th Canadian Division) in Halifax, a year at the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre in Kingston as well as the G4 (Principle Staff officer for Logistics) for HQ Land Forces Central Area (now the 4th Canadian Division) in Toronto.
He has served in late 2006 to May 2007 as an instructor at the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and most recently finished up a two-year tour serving as a Deputy Director and Instructor at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.
Col Conrad has previous operational experience in Cambodia (March to November, 1993) with UNTAC and North West Bosnia (March to September 2000) with NATO’s Stabilization Force (SFOR). He has completed a tour as the Commanding Officer of the National Support Element, the logistics battalion responsible for sustaining the Canadian Task Force in Southern Afghanistan from February to August 2006 (Operation Archer/US Operation Enduring Freedom).
Col Conrad was decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal for his leadership in Kandahar on
this difficult tour. Colonel Conrad currently commands 41 Canadian Brigade Group in the army reserve and works full time as a senior manager with the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources Development. John Conrad is an author with more than 28 years experience in the Canadian Forces and has published “What The Thunder Said” and “Scarce Heard Amid The Guns Below”.
As a published freelance author, his first book, “What the Thunder Said”, was selected by the Book of the Month Club and was nominated for the 2009 Canadian Writers Trust Award in the Non Fiction category.
He is married to Martha Rutherford Conrad and has four children Aidan, Morgan, Harriet and Grace