Published September 18, 2022
After more than 11 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, MCpl Thomas Benoit will retire on 30 September 2022. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to WO J.S. Morin at Sebastien.Morin3@forces.gc.ca.
MCpl Benoit joined the Canadian Armed Forces on 29 September 2011 as a Vehicle Technician. In February 2012, he completed BMQ at St. Jean-surRichelieu. With a posting to CFB Borden CFSEME, he completed SQ in Shilo, MB. Following SQ, he returned to Borden to complete the Basic Driver qualification. MCpl Benoit spent the remainder of his time on PAT Platoon before completing the Vehicle Tech QL3 from September 2012 to April 2013.
Upon completion of QL3, MCpl Benoit was posted to 1 Svc Bn at CFB Edmonton to complete QL4. Shortly after reporting to the Unit, he was deployed to Calgary as part of a first-line MRT assisting with OP LENTUS. MCpl Benoit completed rotations at a number of different units including 1 Svc Bn, 1 HQ and Sigs, 408 THS, 1 VP and LDSH (RC), before being permanently posted to 1 Svc Bn Admin Coy. He was promoted to Corporal at the end of September 2014 before heading off to complete Veh Tech QL5 at CFB Borden. With QL5, he worked in the Components Section and then in the Heavy Section.
In the fall of 2015, MCpl Benoit submitted a VOT to become a Combat Engineer. During Maple Resolve 2016, his acceptance letter arrived, so he would no longer be a Vehicle Tech as of 15 July 2016. While on the BTL, he was assigned to 1 CER, 12 Sqn, 3 Tp for OJT before leaving for CFB Gagetown at the end of August to start Combat Engineer DP1.
MCpl Benoit completed Cbt Engr DP1 in February 2017 and then made his way back to 13 Armd Sqn. There, he spent time learning about the AEV1 and assisting with the transition to the present AEV2. Between February and April 2018, he returned to Gagetown for Combat Engineer DP2. Back at the Sqn, he began the AEV2 course. In the summer of 2019, he left 17 Armd Sqn to become the Ops Clerk and Bison Driver for RHQ. He stayed in this position for two years until attending PLQ in January 2021. After PLQ, he was back in 17 Armd Sqn as a Section Commander, where he deployed to the Okanagan Valley on OP LENTUS to assist with fighting forest fires. After a short break, he found himself back in BC on OP LENTUS again, this time as a Section 2 I/C fighting flooding.
After returning from BC, MCpl Benoit was promoted to MCpl and employed at the Tank Barn as the senior member of the Tool Crib where he will work until his release at the end of September 2022.