November 2000 - January 2005

Brigadier-General Silva entered the Militia in 1958 by enrolling in 6 Field Engineer Squadron at North Vancouver British Columbia and a few months later he left his unit to join the Regular Force. After recruit and new-soldier training at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering (RCSME) at Chilliwack, British Columbia, he was posted to 3 Field Squadron RCE (1 Combat Engineer Regiment). In 1961 he completed trades training at RCSME and was posted to 11 Works Company RCE in Vancouver where he took his release from the Regular Force in 1964 and rejoined his former militia unit as a sergeant.

After serving in various capacities from troop sergeant to sergeant major, Brigadier- General Silva was commissioned from the ranks in 1970. After commissioning, he continued to serve in 6 Field Engineer Squadron in various capacities from troop officer to Deputy Commanding Officer until he assumed command of the unit in 1974. He continued to command the unit until 1979 when he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and moved to the Area Headquarters in Vancouver.

At the Area Headquarters, Brigadier-General Silva served first as the Senior Staff Officer Operations and Training then as Senior Staff Officer Logistics and Administration. From 1982 to 1986, he was responsible for senior officer evelopment in Pacific Militia Area and served four terms as a member of the Directing Staff at the Militia Command Staff Course at Kingston. Promoted to colonel in 1986, he was appointed Deputy Commander and in 1988 was promoted again to become Commander of Pacific Militia Area. Upon completion of this appointment in 1990, Brigadier-General Silva retired.

Brigadier-General Silva is a partner in Hindson Silva Consulting, a firm offering consulting services in Occupational Health and Safety. His prior employment has included four years with the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia, and several years as a training consultant specializing in preparing and presenting courses in diamond drilling and explosives/blasting. He was also employed for several years with a large Vancouver Consulting Engineering firm where he was a civil project engineer.

Brigadier-General Silva is the former Chair of the Conference of Defence Associations, a Vice President of the Military Engineers Association of Canada and past president of Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver.