After 31 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Engineer Branch, Capt (CWO) John McPherson CD has retired from CAF as of 23 Jan 2019. If you have any anecdotes, congratulatory messages, or photos please send them to WO Darren Veinot via e-mail at Darren.Veinot@forces.gc.ca
A DWD ceremony will take place at the WO & Sgts mess in Edmonton on the 8th of March 2019 at 1430. Cost will be $10.00 per person. Please RSVP to WO Veinot for numbers prior to 1 March.
Captain John McPherson enlisted with the Canadian Armed Forces as a Field Engineer in April of 1987. He served with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Chilliwack British Columbia from 1987 until 1994. During that period he deployed several times with the United Nations on observer missions to the Republic of Cyprus in 1990, Kuwait & Iraq in 1991, Croatia in 1993. In 1994 he was posted to 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in Petawawa Ontario. In 1995 he deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina with NATO and again in 1998. In 1999 he deployed on OP TORRENT with the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Relief Team to provide humanitarian relief following an earthquake in Turkey. In 2000 he was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Gagetown New Brunswick where he was employed as an instructor in Field Engineer Training Squadron. In 2003 John was posted back to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton Alberta and was employed as the Armoured Engineer Troop Warrant Officer. In 2006 he deployed to Southern Afghanistan on Operation Enduring Freedom with Task Force 1-06. There he was employed as the operations warrant officer in the Battle Group Engineer Support Coordination Centre. On his return from Afghanistan he was posted to the Land Forces Western Area Training Centre as an instructor. In 2008 John returned to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment as the Squadron Sergeant Major of 11 Field Squadron. In October 2009 he deployed again to Southern Afghanistan with Task Force 3-09 as the Engineer Squadron Sergeant Major. He returned to Canada in May 2010 and was appointed Squadron Sergeant Major of 18 Administration Squadron. In July 2011 John was posted to CFSME as the Sergeant Major of Field Engineer Training Squadron. From August 2013 to June 2014 he attended second language training in Edmonton, successfully completing the course after the longest year of his life. Upon completion of his French course he was posted to 3 CDSB Engineer Services and was employed as the Operations Coordinator. John was promoted to CWO in June of 2015 and appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. In June of 2018 after three years as the RSM, was posted to Real Property Operations Unit (West) and commissioned as a Capt. under the Special Requirements Commissioning Program and was employed as the operations officer.
John will retire from the Canadian Forces on the 23rd of January 2019 after thirty-one plus years of service. John is married to Maggie, his wonderful and supportive wife of thirty-one years and they are the proud parents of Ashley their beautiful daughter and pride and joy. John and Maggie will continue to live in St-Albert where he will do his best not to annoy Maggie too much and try to stay out from under her feet.