MWO // Adjum S.W. Clausen, CD

After more than 18 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, MWO S.W. Clausen, CD, (00149) retired on 12 March 2025. A DwD reception will be held on 30 May as follows:

• Time: 12:00 for 12:30 hours
• Location: 3 Brewers, Kanata, ON

RSVP and anecdotes:  LCol T.J. Gale by email: thomas.gale2@forces.gc.ca  NLT 28 May 2025

MWO Shaun Clausen served almost 19 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force enlisting into the service of the National Defence Fire Service on the 24th of March 2006, and retiring on the 12^th of March 2025.

Prior to joining the military Shaun served the Town of Comox as a volunteer firefighter right out of high school. He felt the pull to do and give more to the place he calls home by helping provide a service to the community. From 2004 until 2006, Shaun spent 1.5 years consecutively in Kabul, Afghanistan, working as a contracted firefighter for the CAF at Camp Julien. These working experiences helped shape and define what he would be doing for the rest of his working life.

Shaun’s military career started in March 2006 at CFB Borden where he completed his basic training and his firefighter QL3s. Upon completion he was posted back home to 19 Wing Comox where he continued training and working with the fire hall to better his skills as a firefighter. Comox was also where he met the love of his life and wife of 13 years. Wendy was working as a PMed Tech and was on the receiving end of a fire drill at the medical clinic, and the rest is history!

A whirlwind of postings followed: First, in 2010 an unaccompanied posting to CFB Esquimalt where he sailed on 5 different ships on both coasts in two years. Following a promotion to MCpl, Shaun and his wife were posted to 4 Wing Cold Lake from 2012 to 2016. In 2016, Shaun was promoted to Sgt and was posted to 8 Wing Trenton for 6 years unaccompanied while his wife was posted to the NCR. During these 6 years Shaun was promoted to WO. In 2022, Shaun was promoted to his current rank of MWO and posting to the NCR with RP OP’s North to create a Regional Fire Compliance Program.

Shaun has had the unique opportunity to deploy at every rank during his career. In 2010 he participated in OP PODIUM (JTF Games) for the Winter Olympics based out of the Whistler Heliport. Shortly after, he went on WestPloy with the HMCS Ottawa and OP CARIBBE with the HMCS St John’s. Shaun has spent 1.5 years of his career at CFS Alert working every rank within the fire department providing fire services to the “Frozen Chosen”. Quickly after his last 6-month deployment to Alert (2017) Shaun was deployed in 2018 to OP IMPACT in Kuwait as the Task Force Fire Marshal and 2021 to OP REASSURANCE in Latvia as the Task Force Fire Marshal. Additionally, Shaun was awarded a RCAF Commendation for his actions saving a CAF members life during his time in 4 Wing Cold Lake.

Highlights of MWO Clausen’s career has spanned his time in his hometown of Comox, meeting his wonderful Wife, a fantastic posting to Cold Lake filled with great morale and lasting memories, running his own crew for 6 years in Trenton and his time at RP OP’s North traveling the North of Canada visiting locations that many do not have the opportunity to see.

MWO Clausen is transitioning to a position with the National Defence Fire Service working at the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal’s Office as a Fire Protection and Alarm Technician (lovingly referred to as a “POTATO” - People Offering Terrific (Terrible) Advice To Others) on the 13th day of March, where he will be providing engineering support to Capital Projects and supporting DND/CAF CFI’s (Chief Fire Inspectors). Shaun and Wendy are looking forward to finally spending more time together, where they plan on more travelling adventures and being on the lake at every available opportunity.

Lastly, MWO Clausen would like to take the opportunity to thank his mentors who have given him the tools to build himself a fulfilling career in the military and for all the support he has been received from his colleagues he has worked with over his career.

CHIMO!