Le Lcol Gowdy prendra sa retraite des FAC, le 3 mai 2019, après plus de 36 ans de service. Une cérémonie de départ avec dignité se tiendra le 24 avril à 14 heures dans la salle d'infanterie du mess des officiers de l'armée, à Ottawa. Si vous avez l'intention d’être présent, veuillez le confirmé avec major Stephen Burke par courriel à l'adresseSTEPHEN.BURKE4@forces.gc.ca. Veuillez également transmettre vos messages de félicitations, anecdotes et d’adieu au Maj Burke.
LCol Gowdy has enjoyed a diverse and rewarding military career which has taken him coast to coast to coast as well as across the globe. LCol Gowdy has a broad background as an Engineer including Construction Engineering (CFB Gander and CFB Lahr), Combat Engineering (4 CER Lahr), Land Force Area HQ (Halifax), Project Management (Land Force Command System), J Engineer Branch (DCDS Group and CEFCOM), Multi-National Division HQ Chief Engineer (Kandahar, Afghanistan) and Real Property Management (ADM(IE)). He has also completed three tours within the Geospatial Intelligence community including Troop Command, Squadron Operations and Squadron Command at the Mapping and Charting Establishment, as well as at the staff level as Director Geospatial Intelligence Operations.
Outside the Engineer family, LCol Gowdy has developed some expertise in Domestic Operations over the last several years being employed in Canada Command J3 Current Operations and Canadian Joint Operations Command J5 Continental Plans.
LCol Gowdy’s career has also sent him overseas on several occasions including a posting early on to Germany, operational tours in Croatia (4 CER 1992), Bosnia (HQ SFOR 1996-1997), Afghanistan (Regional Command South HQ 2009-2010) and Jerusalem (United States Security Coordinator 2014-2015). Another highlight was taking the family to Singapore completing Command and Staff College there in 2006-2007, maximizing the opportunity to explore the region.
LCol Gowdy graduated from Queen’s University in 1986 under the ROTP Program, with a Bachelor of Science (Civil Engineering), and completed a Master of Engineering in Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering at UNB in 1996.
While LCol Gowdy’s career has been diverse in nature, one of the constants has been the great people he has had a chance to work with over the years and assisted him in achieving success, he is extremely grateful for their support and comradeship.
The success of a service-member’s career also depends very much on the support of family; Dave is extremely indebted to his wife Regine and children Tyler and Katrina for their patience and determination during trying times and operational deployments.
The Gowdy family will remain in Ottawa for the immediate future.