After more than 38 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, Sgt A.M. Troost, CD, retired on 24 April 2024. Anecdotes and well wishes may be sent to Maj I.O. SIY at ivan.siy@forces.gc.ca .
Sergeant Anthony (Tom) Troost, CD, joined 8 Field Engineer Regt (8 FER) in 1986. He took his driver wheeled course in 1987 qualifying on all the new vehicles in the Canadian fleet, the CJ, ILTIS, 5/4 ton, and the MLVW. He completed the supply tech course in Dundurn in July of 1987 and subsequently completed the Engineer TQ1 course in Edmonton in May of 1988. He took his Engineer TQ2 course in July of 1988 in Chilliwack and was promoted to Cpl.
Cpl Troost took his leadership course in 1989 in Edmonton and Wainwright and worked at the Edmonton battleschool in 1989 and 1990. He taught on the last Edmonton course to learn the FNC1 and the first course to learn the new C7. He took the tractor dump course in Chilliwack in August of 1991, embarking on a new direction within 8 FER with Hy Eqpt.
Cpl Troost attended the first reserve iteration of the HLVW BAPS course in July of 1994. He was promoted to MCpl in 1998. He subsequently traveled to CFB Gagetown in 2002 to take his QL6A course and was promoted to Sgt in 2004.
Sgt Troost was involved with numerous civilian and military projects. He worked on the Griesbach Engineer Monument, for which he received a Brigade Commander’s commendation, and 8 FER won the Hertzberg Trophy. In 2007 Sgt Troost led the construction of a pedestrian bridge in Vegreville over the Vermillion River at the Elks / Kinsmen Park. This bridge, designed by Capt Rod Facey, was such a success that the town asked if the unit could construct a second bridge. This second bridge, led by the same team, was built in Debney Armoury, welded, painted, and trucked to site for installation into custom abutments, and completed in 2019.
Sgt Troost spent his remaining years of service as an instructor. He taught on a BMQ course in 2020, roughly 30 years after teaching his first one. He then continued to support the unit by learning the MSVS Mack Truck (the HLVW replacement), running driver wheel courses, and teaching a backhoe/dump course in Chilliwack. Sgt Troost retired from the Canadian Forces in 2024 upon reaching CRA 60. He lives in Edmonton with his wife and three children, and remains active in local industry.
Chimo!
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