Published May 2, 2017 · By Don Chipman
Corporal Paul Andrew Colterman, CD joined the Canadian Armed Forces on 28 Oct 2009. After basic training in St-Jean (Quebec), he went to Gagetown where he spent almost 18 months on Pats/Pars. He worked with 4 ESR for most of his time, learning the military side of life with some field exercises.
Paul’s QL3 course was administered at NSCC Akerley campus in Dartmouth and was completed at CFSME in Gagetown in July of 2011. Upon completion, he received a posting message to 4 Wing Cold Lake for his QL4 training.
In Cold Lake, Paul continued his PH Tech training where he put his previous trade knowledge and past experiences to work immediately. By 2012, he was working on his own and assisted the PH shop in completing the never ending work orders generated on the Wing. Paul became a mentor to some of the less experienced QL3 techs in the shop and took lead on some of the projects, most notably was the replacement of a steam line in the all ranks kitchen. His work on the steam line was noticed by the CoC outside his unit and helped to substantiate a 9-month advance promotion to Cpl.
On completion of his OJT, Paul went back to CFSME to complete his QL5 course in the fall of 2015. Upon graduation, he became a journeyman, returning to Cold Lake and assumed more of a supervisory role within the PH shop.
Over the next couple of years, Paul furthered his training and gained more experience and knowledge with gas, oil, and hydronic heating. This resulted in him becoming an SME for projects at the Engineer Support Unit in Cold Lake and being the on-site PH Tech for numerous trips to FOL Inuvik.
When not in uniform, Paul volunteers in the community of Cold Lake. He began a scale modelling club for the youth, teaching them the fundamentals of scale model building. He volunteered with a Veteran PTSD peer support group which entailed being a voice of reason on the other end of the phone for veterans and current serving members all over North America. He was instrumental in starting the tier 4 inter-section hockey team “Superfriends” and played goalie for numerous teams, including the women’s base team.
To add to his extracurricular activities, Paul began writing for The Courier. He started with an article about the PH Shop, which led to four more articles about the history and heritage of the Canadian Armed Forces. He has since written several magazine articles about scale modelling in a couple of different publications.
Paul’s contributions to the PH Shop, CE, 4 Wing and the community should be recognised and commended. He truly embodies the spirit of what it means to be an Engineer and strives to lead by example.
He will be medically releasing from the Canadian Armed Forces on 5 Oct 2017. He has purchased a property in Baie-Sainte-Anne, where he will be living with his wife, Tobi, their 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 bearded dragons and many fish.
If you have more anecdotes or stories, they can be sent to the OPI, MCpl Roy, at clifford.roy@forces.gc.ca.
CHIMO!!!