After more than 33 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers Branch, CWO Martin Durand, CD, will retire on 01 September 2022. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to CWO J.F.S.S. Blanchette at SteeveBlanchette1@hotmail.com.
Born in La Tuque, Quebec, Chief Warrant Officer Martin Durand enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in August 1989. After completing basic recruit training and combat engineer training at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Chilliwack, British Columbia, he was posted in August 1990 to 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER) at CFB Valcartier where he held a variety of positions within the unit.
During the Oka crisis in August 1990, he was deployed on his first domestic operation as a member of 2 Troop of 51 Field Engineer Squadron (FES). In 1993, he took part in his first United Nations (UN) mission in the former Yugoslavia and a second time in 1995. He then deployed to the Central African Republic in 1998. He was promoted to the rank of Master Corporal in 1999 and was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) in August 2000 as an instructor.
Promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2001, he was posted back to 5 CER and in August 2003, as a Section Commander with 2 Troop of 51 FSS. In 2004, he deployed for the third time to the former Yugoslavia as an engineer troop operations sergeant. In 2006, he deployed again, this time to Afghanistan with the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) as the second in command of the Protective Forces Troop. In December 2006, his convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber. As a result of his response during the attack, he was awarded a Commander’s Commendation by CEFCOM.
In 2008, he was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer and held the position of Warrant Officer of Troop 2. In 2009, he deployed for a second time to Afghanistan as the Engineer Regiment Operations Warrant Officer. In 2011, he was posted to the Land Force Quebec Area Training Center as the Divisional Standards Warrant Officer. That same year, he was posted to the 32nd Combat Regiment in Toronto.
Promoted to the rank of Master Warrant Officer in 2012, he returned to 5 CER as the sergeant major of the 51st ESC and 58th Support Squadron. In 2015, he deployed to Kuwait as the JTFSC Sergeant Major. He was awarded another commendation by the commander of JTF-IRAK. Upon his return, he was assigned to Longue-Pointe as the Garrison Sergeant Major.
In April 2018, he was promoted to his current rank and assigned to CFB Gagetown as the Canadian Army Test and Evaluation Unit (CATU) Chief Warrant Officer. He completes his military career as the RSM of the 2nd Canadian Division Training Center from May 2019 to March 2022. He leaves the CAF on September 1 2022, after completing 33 years of good and loyal service.
He is married to Nathalie Gagné and they have two children, Vanessa and David. They are also grandparents of a granddaughter named Florence.