After more than 16 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, WO E.A. Cabana, CD, will retire on 14 October 2025. Anecdotes and well wishes may be sent to Capt N.J. Vallieres: nicholas.vallieres@forces.gc.ca
WO Elizabeth Cabana enrolled with the Canadian Armed Forces in September 2009 in Hamilton, Ontario, as a Plumbing and Heating Technician. She got her first trade choice as a PH Tech to follow in her father’s footsteps in becoming a plumber.
After BMQ, and her DP1 PH Tech trade course, she was posted to 22 Wing North Bay, where she spent four years learning the trade via on- the-job training. 22 Wing was also where she met who would become her future husband, MWO Guy Cabana. She was promoted to the rank of Corporal in October 2013.
In the summer of 2014, she received the Peer Award upon graduation of her DP2 trade course, with a posting message in hand for CFB Gagetown for two weeks later. She was posted to 4 Engineer Support Regiment where she deployed to Ukraine as part of the Theatre Activation Team in support of OP UNIFIER in 2015.
She completed her PLQ course in 2015. She was designated to be the Flag Party Commander during the graduation ceremony, and was also the recipient of the Gravell Award, which was voted on by her peers. She completed SLT French levels 1-5 in 2016 and received a BBB profile upon the completion of the training.
WO Cabana was promoted to the rank of Master Corporal in February 2017, and was posted to CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia in the summer of 2018, where she was employed as the Safety and Training Coordinator within Real Property Operations Unit.
While in Esquimalt, WO Cabana attended her QL6A trade course in 2019.
In 2020, she was promoted to Sergeant and was posted to 191 Construction Engineering Flight, at 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia as the Plumbing and Heating Section IC.
In 2023, she attended her QL6B course and received the Top Student Award. Later that year, she also achieved platinum on the FORCE test, scoring 399/400. That same summer was promoted to her current rank and received an inter-base posting to Real Property Operations (Pacific) Detachment Comox as the Detachment Warrant Officer.
In February 2024, she attended the NATO Infrastructure Assessment in Support of Planning Course in Ingolstadt Germany, with members from other NATO nations.
She only held the Det WO position for one year before getting posted, this time to Real Property Operations Unit (Atlantic) Detachment Gagetown as the Contracts 2IC in the summer of 2024. After only four short months in that position, the career manager had a surprise for her, she was posted again to CFSME in January 2025, as an instructor in CEMS. Once again, after only in the position for a few months, it was time for a change. But this time, it was by her choice. She ceased her IREM and chose her release date.
WO Cabana will retire on 14 October 2025 after 16 years of service. She has been accepted into the University of New Brunswick and is currently a full-time student in the Bachelor of Integrated Studies program, with a concentration in psychology and education.
After her retirement from the CAF, WO Cabana will remain in the Gagetown area, continue her studies, enjoy living on the lake, spending time with her family, and living the healthy lifestyle. Elizabeth and her husband Guy have three daughters, Peyton, Madison, and Carolyn, and one grandson, Atticus.