After more than 29 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers, CWO C.A. Kletke, MMM, CD, will retire on 20 February 2023. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to Cpl P.C. Goemans at Peter.Goemans@forces.gc.ca.

Chief Warrant Officer Kletke enrolled in 3^rd Field Engineer Squadron (3 FES) in Ottawa early in 1993 completing his Basic training and Field Engineer QL3 that same year.

The reserves gave him the money to pay for his studies at the University of Ottawa graduating 1997 with a B.A. Honours in History and a minor in Canadian Studies. Weeks after completing his last courses, he deployed on Op RECUPERATION during the Ice storm as a section commander and then commenced pre-deployment training for Op PALLADIUM. He deployed to Bosnia and as a Mine Monitor within 24 Field Squadron attached to the 3 RCR Battle Group. On returning to Canada in February of 1999, he worked at 33 Canadian Brigade Group HQ (33 CBG HQ) in the G3 Individual Training Cell then went to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Gagetown. He taught at the school for several summers and went back to university to get a degree in education.

After completing a B. A. in Education, he moved to Toronto to teach high school and remained a member of the Canadian Forces transferring to 2 Field Engineer
Regiment that fall. He returned to Ottawa in spring of 2002 and was hired to work at the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH). This was also when he started a master’s degree at Royal Military College part time and graduating with a Master of Arts in War Studies in 2006. Working at DHH had been a dream job allowing him to do several interesting assignments regarding CAF history, customs and traditions. In May 2021, he received a promotion to be the Army G1 Honours and Heritage putting his 20 years of experience at the Directorate of History and Heritage to good use for the Canadian Army.

Since his return to Ottawa in 2002, he continued to be an active member of 33 Combat Engineer Regiment (3 CER) filling a variety of positions at every rank and teaching Basic Demolition Courses at the 33 CBG Battle School. He was the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of 33 CER between September 2013 and October 2017, a very active regiment that continued to grow during his time as RSM. Between 2014 and 2017 he served as Primary Reserve RCE CWO representing reserve RCE at various equipment, training and force structure working groups. In the spring of 2017, he deployed on Op LENTUS to Montreal as the Sergeant Major of the 4th Division Composite Engineer Squadron made up of three field troops and 3 heavy equipment detachments, generated by 31, 32 and 33 CERs. With some additional attachments from 5 RGC and 1 R22eR the squadron successfully built a 12 bay triple single reinforced Acrow Bridge to reconnect two parts of an island reestablishing access for safety vehicles to all homes in this area. In the fall of 2017, CWO Kletke was assigned to the 33 CBG Battle School and the following year to be the 33 CBG career manager. In June of 2020, he was appointed Brigade Sergeant Major of 33 CBG. This appointment allowed him to meet many more great soldiers from across the Wolf Pack.

CWO Kletke plans to spend his all his additional free time with his wife and son at their cottage, on the ski slopes and hockey rinks.