Master Warrant Officer André Pinard was born on August 14, 1965 in Drummondville, Quebec. He graduated from high school in 1983 with a general auto mechanics course. He enrolled in the Canadian Forces on April 26, 1984 in Trois-Rivières and began his basic training in St-Jean on May 6, 1984 with platoon 8419. After completing his 5 month second language course, he was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) in Chilliwack B.C. for basic training as a combat engineer.
In May 85, he was posted to 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER) in Valcartier and promoted to Cpl in 87. He was then transferred in 88 to the 4 CER in Lahr, Germany and was promoted to MCpl and returned to the 5 CER in the summer of 89. He completed his Junior Leader course in 89 and his 6A qualification course in 90. After the Oka crisis, he participated in the UNICOM mission in Kuwait as a section commander from Oct 91 to April 92. He then participated in the UNPROFOR mission in Yugoslavia (Bosnia) as a Section Commander from April 93 to Oct 93 and was promoted to Sgt in Aug 93. From April 95 he returned to Yugoslavia (Croatia) and was transferred to CFSME in June 95 and was attached to 5 CER to complete the mission until Oct 95.
Back in Chilliwack, he was employed as an instructor in the bridging cell until July 97 when he was transferred to Gagetown, N.B. on the Vanguard Group, to prepare for the move of the school to Gagetown. Upon the arrival of the full school staff in Jan 98, he held the position of Standards Representative for QL3, QL5A and three Specialty courses.
In July 2001, he returned to 5 CER as a Construction Troop Warrant Officer from August to Dec 01. He completed his QL6B from Jan to Apr 02 and was promoted to Warrant Officer in May 02. He then served as a Resource Troop Warrant Officer until the end of Nov 02. From Dec 02, he served as the Support Troop Warrant Officer for the squadron's training and deployment on Op Athena Roto 1 in Kabul from Jan to Sep 2004.
Upon his return from leave, he was the Training Sergeant Major for the unit until his transfer in July 2005 to 5 ASG, Engineering Services Valcartier as the Foreman of the Roads and Grounds Shop where he managed 45 civilian employees during the winter months.
After his QAL course, in July 2007, he was transferred back to 5 CER, promoted to MWO and immediately deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan for a 9 month assignment as the CCLS Sergeant Major from August 07 to May 08. During this time he did an outstanding job managing the bridge project and the Foster Road paving project which employed approximately 425 Afghan men. He was employed as Sergeant Major of 58 Command and Staff Squadron until his retirement on August 25, 2008.
He is very proud of all he has accomplished in his career and honoured to have served with the Military Engineers. Master Warrant Officer Pinard and his wife Lyne Béland will be retiring to Ste Catherine de la Jacques Cartiers, Quebec. His farewell dinner is scheduled for the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess on 22 Aug 08. Please send stories and messages to the OPI, MWO Carrier, by email at Carrier Adjum JM@5 RGC@Valcartier or by fax at 418-844-5549, attention MWO Carrier.