Lieutenant-Colonel Eppo van Weelderen will take command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group at a ceremony taking place in Calgary on Saturday 17 August in the Queen Elizabeth II Atrium at The Military Museum.
Lieutenant-Colonel van Weelderen enlisted in 1986 as a non-commissioned member with 746 (Calgary) Communications Squadron. He served as a signaler and lineman and, upon his appointment as a Master Corporal, as the Unit’s Line Construction Foreman.
Upon graduating from the University of Calgary in 1994, he transferred to Calgary’s 33rd Field Engineer Squadron and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Over the period 1994 to 2002, he served in a variety of command and staff appointments with the unit and assumed command of the Squadron in 2003.
In 2006 he was promoted to his current rank and became a member of the Directing Staff of the Primary Reserve Army Operations Course. The purpose of the course is to train captains and majors to work as staff in a team environment to plan and conduct operations in all phases of war for battle groups (1,500 personnel) and brigades (10,000 personnel).
In 2008, Lieutenant-Colonel van Weelderen assumed command of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, an Army Reserve unit with engineer squadrons in both Calgary and Edmonton.
In 2010, he deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as a Senior Staff Officer with the Combined Joint Engineer Cell at the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Headquarters.
In 2011, he assumed command of the Brigade Battle School with the responsibility for all formal individual training courses within 41 Canadian Brigade Group; sixty-odd courses totaling over 450 days of instruction.
He was appointed Deputy Commander of 41 Canadian Brigade Group in June 2013.
Lieutenant-Colonel van Weelderen completed the Joint Reserve Command Staff Program (2012), New Zealand Grade 2 Territorial Staff Officer Course (2006), Militia Command and Staff Course (2003) in addition to military engineer-specific qualifications.