SUBJECT: COLONEL WILLIAM LEWIS,
1. AFTER 35 YEARS OF SERVICE COLONEL WILLIAM (BILL) LEWIS WILL BE RETIRING 23 JULY 11
2. COLONEL W.J. (BILL) LEWIS IS AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER WHO HAS HELD VARIED OPERATIONAL, STAFF, AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS. AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA (RMC) WITH A BACHELOR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING IN 1981, HIS FIRST POSTING WAS AT CANADIAN FORCES BASE WINNIPEG. CONCURRENTLY, HE COMPLETED A MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA. THEN, RETURNING TO FULL-TIME STUDIES, COLONEL LEWIS COMPLETED THE AEROSPACE SYSTEMS COURSE 37 IN WINNIPEG IN 1985. AFTER A YEAR IN NDHQ, HE RETURNED TO RMC TO COMPLETE A MASTER OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING DEGREE. AFTER GRADUATION, COLONEL LEWIS REMAINED AT RMC AS A MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIC FACULTY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. DURING THESE THREE YEARS, HE ALSO COMPLETED A BACHELOR AND A MASTER OF EDUCATION DEGREE FROM QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY. COLONEL LEWIS WAS THEN POSTED IN 1991 TO THE AEROSPACE MAINTENANCE DEVELOPMENT UNIT AT TRENTON, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BECOMING THE FIRST MILITARY ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT RMC, AND HAS REMAINED AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS. WHILE AT AMDU, COLONEL LEWIS COMPLETED HIS PHD IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING. AFTER A THREE-YEAR TOUR AND PROMOTION AT AMDU, COLONEL LEWIS WAS POSTED TO THE 8 AIR MAINTENANCE SQUADRON AT 8 WING TRENTON WHERE HE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS AIRBRIDGE, ASSISTANCE, AND ASSURANCE. IN 1997, COLONEL LEWIS WAS POSTED TO OTTAWA AS A MEMBER OF THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF, AND RECEIVED THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT IN 1998. COLONEL LEWIS RETURNED TO TRENTON IN 2001, AS A FLIGHT COMMANDER AT THE AEROSPACE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING SUPPORT SQUADRON, FOLLOWED BY COMPLETION OF THE COMMAND AND STAFF COURSE 29, AND A MASTER OF DEFENCE STUDIES DEGREE FROM RMC. COLONEL LEWIS WAS POSTED TO 8 WING IN 2003 AS THE WING ADMINISTRATION OFFICER, AND THEN WAS ALSO THE ACTING WING COMMANDER FOR 8 WING TRENTON BETWEEN DECEMBER 2003 TO JULY 2004. IN JUNE 2004, HE BECAME THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF 8 AIR MAINTENANCE SQUADRON. IN JULY 2007, HE WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN FORCES AEROSPACE WARFARE CENTRE. WHILE THERE, HE INITIATED AND BECAME THE FIRST SENIOR EDITOR OF THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE JOURNAL. PROMOTED TO HIS PRESENT RANK IN JUNE 2008, HE WAS POSTED TO NDHQ IN THE STRATEGIC JOINT STAFF. POSTED IN JUNE 2009 TO HIS PRESENT POSITION AS THE DIRECTOR OF APPLIED MILITARY SCIENCE AND COMMANDING OFFICER OF POST GRADUATE AND MILITARY FACULTY AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA
3. COLONEL LEWIS IS MARRIED TO HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE SHANE. TOGETHER THEY HAVE TWO SONS, TED MARRIED TO ELAINE AND BEN MARRIED TO MALLORY. COLONEL LEWIS AND SHANE WILL BE RETIRING TO THE KINGSTON AREA
4. A RETIREMENT LUNCHEON IN COLONEL LEWIS’ HONOR WILL TAKE PLACE AT YEO HALL, RMC, KINGSTON, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, 21 JULY 2011, AT 1130 HRS. FORWARD ATTENDANCE TO NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF RETIREMENT FUNCTION COORDINATOR
5. EMAILS, ANECDOTES, SALUTATIONS, ETC, MAY BE SENT TO THE RETIREMENT FUNCTION COORDINATOR, CAPTAIN ROGER PIERCE – ROGER.PIERCE@FORCES.GC.CA, (613) 541-6000 EXT 6153
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SUBJ: RETIREMENT OF LCDR CHRISTIAN KILLER KOWALSKI
1. AFTER TWENTY SIX YEARS OF LOYAL AND HIGHLY ENERGETIC SERVICE TO THE CF, LCDR CHRISTIAN KOWALSKI WILL BE RETIRING IN SUMMER 2011
2. KILLER HAS HAD AN EXCITING AND VARIED CAREER. AFTER A BRIEF START AS A COMBAT ENGINEER WITH 45 FIELD ENGINEER SQUADRON IN 1985,
HE JOINED THE ROYAL CANADIAN HORSE ARTILLERY AS A GUNNER. KILLER SPENT MOST OF THE NEXT 6 YEARS IN LAHR DRIVING GUNS, CALLING DOWN
ARTILLERY FIRE AND ENJOYING GERMANY. THESE YEARS WERE THE MOST FUN OF HIS CAREER, BUT AFTER A SHORT SENTENCE IN SHILO HE ENTERED ROYAL ROADS MILITARY COLLEGE IN 1993 AS AN ARMY LOGISTICS OFFICER, COMPLETING AN HONOURS DEGREE IN HISTORY AT THE ROYAL MILITARY
COLLEGE IN 1997. SEEING THE LIGHT HE FINALLY JOINED THE NAVY, WHERE HE PLAYED THE ROLE OF A PIRATE IN THE 1997 VICTORIA TO AUSTRALIA
EXPEDITION IN HMCS ORIOLE. HE SERVED AS ASSISTANT LOGISTICS OFFICER IN HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN, AND AS LOGISTICS OFFICER IN HMC SHIPS VILLE DE QUEBEC AND PROTECTEUR. ON A PROUD NOTE, HE MAINTAINED A DIVING OFFICER QUALIFICATION FOR NEARLY A DECADE, AND SERVED AS DIVING OFFICER IN EACH OF HIS SHIPS. HE SERVED IN VARIOUS JOBS ASHORE, INCLUDING CLIENT SERVICES AND BASE OPERATIONS AT CFB HALIFAX. HIS MOST MEMORABLE SHORE POSTING WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A MARITIME VERSION OF JAMES BONDS Q AS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT OFFICER IN SUPPORT OF JOINT TASK FORCE TWO. AFTER A DOG WATCH IN PMO CANADIAN SURFACE COMBATANT AS SUPPLY INTEGRATION MANAGER, LCDR KOWALSKI DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN IN THE MATERIAL DISPOSAL TEAM. HE HAS FAR EXCEEDED HIS INITIAL GOAL OF REACHING THE RANK OF MASTER BOMBARDIER, AND FEELS QUOTE THAT THE CROWN HAS BEEN A FAIR AND CHALLENGING SUPERIOR UNQUOTE
3. LCDR KOWALSKI HAS ACCEPTED A CIVILIAN POSITION AS A NAVAL PROJECT OFFICER WITH THE NATO MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY AGENCY (NAMSA) IN LUXEMBOURG. HE IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN BUT WILL RETURN IN JULY 2011 TO CLEAR OUT AND PREPARE FOR A MOVE TO EUROPE
4. A RETIREMENT FUNCTION WILL BE HELD IN KILLER KOWALKSI S HONOUR AT 1100 ON 26 JULY 2011, AT HMCS BYTOWN NAVAL OFFICERS MESS IN OTTAWA. THIS RETIREMENT FUNCTION WILL BE HELD 26 YEARS TO THE DAY LCDR KOWALKSI COMMENCED BASIC TRAINING AT CFRC CORNWALLIS
5. LCDR KOWALSKI S NEW NATO POSITION OFFERS HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO EUROPE ALONG WITH HIS WIFE PATRICIA AND HIS SONS MARCO, DEVIN AND HIS DAUGHTER NATASSJA 6. LT CDR (RN) LUDO MCCLOSKEY (TEL: 819-994-0816) IS THE RETIREMENT FUNCTION COORDINATOR. PERSONNEL WISHING TO ATTEND THE 26 JULY RETIREMENT FUNCTION ARE ASKED TO CALL OR EMAIL THEIR INTENT TO LT CDR MCCLOSKEY NLT 15 JULY IOT FACILITATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOOD AND DRINK. PERSONNEL WISHING TO SUBMIT ANECDOTES OR PERSONAL WISHES SHOULD EMAIL THEM TO IAN.MCCLOSKEY @ FORCES.GC.CA