Sergeant Jason Birch, CD, will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces on 22 May 2023 after 15 years of service in Canada, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
Jason was born and raised in Vars, ON. He completed high school in 2007 and soon after graduation, enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces as an Infantry soldier.
Jason completed basic training in St-Jean, QC, receiving the Royal Canadian Legion Comradeship Award. He then completed trades training at 4 CDTC in Meaford, ON. He served in Petawawa, ON, with 1 Royal Canadian Regiment before deploying to Afghanistan in 2010 on Op ATHENA with TF1-10 Battle Group, 1 RCR, B-Coy, 5 Pl. Upon his return to Canada, he completed the Basic Reconnaissance Patrolmen Course and served in Recce Platoon from 2011 to 2015. During this time, he completed the Patrol Pathfinder and Complex Terrain Instructor Course.
In 2015, Jason transferred occupations to Geomatics Technician (Geo Tech) and completed the two- year QL5 trades training at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON. Upon graduating in 2017, he supported the National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence (NCGI) at RAF Wyton, in the United Kingdom.
In 2018, Jason deployed on Op PRESENCE, Roto 0, as part of the CAF’s contribution to the United Nations Multi-Dimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), where he supported the Aviation Task Force. Upon returning home in 2019, Jason moved to the Foundation Production Sqn and he completed the Primary Leadership Qualification course, finishing as top candidate. He was then posted to the School of Military Mapping as an instructor for the QL5 course at Algonquin College.
In 2021, Jason completed a Technical Assistance Visit (TAV) to Op REASSURANCE to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s transition from the Soviet coordinate system to the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS). Jason subsequently completed another TAV to Op IMPACT to support the Joint Imagery Centre (JIC) with geospatial products.
While in Ottawa, Jason joined the Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue Team (SBO-OVSAR) as he has always enjoyed the field. To date, he has committed over 700 hours to training and incidents.
Jason would like to thank his family and those who crossed his path for their support during his military adventure. Jason has accepted a job with Parks Canada as the Geomatics Technician in the Western Arctic Field Team. He will move to Inuvik, NT, to start a career in a new green uniform. He also hopes to explore the north while completing university studies.