After more than 17 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers, Cpl Brad Dickin, CD, will retire on 09 January 2023. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to MCpl R.J.G. Piercey at Ronald.Piercey@forces.gc.ca.

Cpl Brad Dickin was born and raised in the Kitchener, Ontario, area. In 2005, at the age of 20, he enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as an Infantryman. After completing Basic Training at CFB Borden, he completed the Soldier Qualification and Basic Infantry Qualification at CFB Meaford and was subsequently posted to the 3rd Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment at CFB Petawawa. While serving with November Company of 3 RCR, Cpl Dickin deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Task Force 3-08 as a LAV 3 Driver. During his deployment, he participated in the first Canadian air assault operation since the Korean War and was honoured to be a pallbearer for a fallen comrade during the ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield. In 2014, Cpl Dickin attended the Infantry Primary Leadership Qualification course at CFB Aldershot, Nova Scotia. He also deployed on many exercises throughout Canada and the United States, most notably to Yuma, Arizona; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 2015, Cpl Dickin transferred from the RCR to the Canadian Military Engineers as a Construction Technician and gained a year of OJE with the Range Construction Cell at the Canadian Special Operations Regiment in Petawawa. He completed QL3 training at CFSME in Gagetown, New Brunswick, in June 2017 and was posted from CFB Petawawa to CFB Comox. Cpl Dickin deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait from November 2018 to May 2019 as an apprentice carpenter but found himself as the sole carpenter at Camp Canada for the first half of the deployment. He completed the QL5 Journeyman Construction Technician course at CFSME in December 2020 and attained the Red Seal Certification for Carpentry in June 2021. Upon retirement, Cpl Dickin will attend a three-month timber framing course at the Island School of Building Arts on Gabriola Island, BC. Following this course, he and his three children will move to Kingston, Ontario, to be closer to his family and friends. Once settled in Kingston, Cpl Dickin plans to work as a carpenter in the home construction industry. He is looking forward to the stability of civilian life and to reconnecting with his family and friends. Cpl Dickin would like to thank all of his brothers and sisters-in-arms for their friendships, their compassion, their guidance and leadership, and the many laughs and unforgettable memories he will carry with him into civilian life. Pro Patria, Chimo!