After more than 17 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, Warrant Officer C.J. Bentley, CD, retired on 8 Aug 25.
A Departure with Dignity (DWD) event was held in his honour at the Canadian Brewhouse in St. Albert, hosted by the Squadron leadership. Anecdotes and well wishes can be sent to: Capt K.S.C. Ho at: Kyle.Ho@forces.gc.ca
WO C.J. Bentley was born in 1984 in Edmonton, Alberta. He enrolled in the CAF on 19 Mar 08 as a Combat Engineer while residing in Victoria, British Columbia. Upon
completion of his DP 1 training, his request to return to his birthplace of Edmonton was granted, an early acknowledgement of both his potential and his strong work ethic.
Early in his career, WO Bentley distinguished himself
through professionalism, technical skill, and leadership. He was selected for the Leopard C2 Main Battle Tank and Armoured Engineer Operator
Course, earning the respected title of “Iron Horseman.” His capability and reliability quickly led to his deployment with the Mission Transition Task Force (MTTF) in 2011, supporting the final rotation responsible for closing out Canada’s combat mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
After returning from their MTTF 1-11 deployment, he completed career courses, fulfilled different positions within 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER), and participated in numerous field exercises. He was promoted to the rank of Master Corporal in the summer of 2015 and fulfilled the role of Armd Eng Det Comd through 2017. They also deployed on OP LENTUS 2017-04 as a Sect Comd to William’s Lake, BC and surrounding areas.
In 2018, WO Bentley was promoted to Sergeant, a reflection of his operational competence and leadership. With this promotion came a major move across the country to Gagetown, New Brunswick, where he served as an instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Military
Engineering (CFSME). The Engineer Branch recognizes that its most capable NCOs must shape the next generation, and WO Bentley excelled in this role. In 2020, they received a CTC commendation related to demolitions training. Over four years, he instructed across multiple
training areas, passing on invaluable field experience and ensuring that operational units received the highest quality of soldiers from the training system.
In 2022, WO Bentley returned to Edmonton and was employed as the Troop WO for the Airborne Engineer Troop. During an intense deployment cycle, he became the backbone of the unit, carrying significant responsibilities while many leaders were deployed abroad. His steady leadership and calm under pressure were instrumental to maintaining troop readiness and cohesion.
In 2023, he was promoted to his current rank and soon deployed on Operation LENTUS, supporting efforts to combat the Alberta Eagle Complex wildfire. Later, in fall 2024, he deployed to Latvia on Operation REASSURANCE as an Engr Tp WO supporting a light infantry battalion, where he used his operational and instructional experience to mentor Spanish engineer elements and strengthen multinational interoperability.
After more than 17 years of loyal and dedicated service, WO C.J. Bentley retired from the Canadian Armed Forces on 08 Aug 25. His Squadron leadership organized a warm and well-
attended Departure with Dignity (DWD) ceremony to recognize his contributions, leadership, and commitment to the Engineer Branch and the CAF.
Since retiring, WO Bentley has dedicated more time to one of his greatest passions: “Running.” He has completed one marathon with the goal of completing more. True to his character and love for service, he plans to re-enroll in the CAF in summer 2026, pursuing a new occupation and beginning again at the rank of Corporal.
We are wishing WO Bentley an enjoyable retirement and success as he prepares to don the uniform once more.