After more than 17 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, Maj M.J. Tholl, CD, (00181) will retire on 01 September 2026.
Departure with Dignity (DWD)
A DWD will be held on 06 August 2026 from 1330-1600 at the Edmonton Garrison Officers' Mess, Conference Room / Snake Pit. A Teams link will be set up for anyone unable to attend in person. Well-wishes, questions, or comments can be sent directly to Maj Tholl either by email, at michael.tholl@forces.gc.ca, on Teams, or by phone (+1 825 437 9720).Major Michael Tholl, P.Eng, enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces through the Regular Officer Training Plan in July 2009 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2013 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering.
Following training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME), Maj Tholl served with 4 Engineer Support Regiment in Oromocto, New Brunswick, then returned to CFSME as Tactics Squadron Operations Officer, where training and mentoring young officers and non-commissioned members became the most rewarding part of his career.
He went on to complete a Master of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, working alongside the US Army Research Laboratory, before being posted to Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Suffield as a military research engineer, where he designed antennas and led a NATO trial on UAS sensor systems. In 2024, he returned to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton, serving as Adjutant and ultimately Squadron Commander of 17 Armoured Squadron.
Maj Tholl is married to Sarah, and together they recently welcomed their first child. The family is now relocating to Luxembourg, where he will continue serving the Alliance in a technical officer role with NSPA.
Above all, Maj Tholl remains most grateful for the people he has worked with throughout his career. None of it would have been possible without them, and they are who made him the person he is today.
Chimo!