Majo Kevin Houlgate, CD

    Maj Houlgate enrolled in the Canadian Forces in January 1999 to become an infantryman in the Governor General’s Foot Guards in Ottawa. In 2001, after skilfully avoiding ever wearing Scarlets or a bear-skin hat, Cpl Houlgate component transferred to the Regular Force to attend the Royal Military College where he completed a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 2005.

    Upon completion of Engineer officer qualification training, Lt Houlgate was posted to 4 Engineer Support Regiment in Gagetown, NB, where he held the positions of Training Officer, Field Engineer Troop Commander, Support Squadron 2IC, Field Squadron 2IC, and Regimental Operations Officer. During this posting, Maj Houlgate served a tour in the HQ of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team on Op Athena in 2007, and he also completed the Combat Diver and Combat Diver Supervisor courses.

    In 2010, Capt Houlgate was posted to the Fort Garry Horse in Winnipeg, to help build a combat engineer capability in 38 Canadian Brigade Group as part of army reserve transformation. 38 Combat Engineer Regiment (38 CER) was officially stood up on parade in April 2012. During this posting, Major Houlgate held the positions of unit Adjutant, OC 31 Engineer Squadron, and DCO of 38 CER. He also was fortunate to maintain diving currency with the Port Inspection Dive team of HMCS Chippawa.

    In the summer of 2013, Maj Houlgate was promoted and posted to the Canadian Joint Operations Command Headquarters in Ottawa where he is serving as a staff officer until his release and transfer to the Supplementary Reserve at the end of April 2014. Upon release Major Houlgate is not yet ready to settle in one place, but intends to take up a second career. In the short term, he and his wife Jeannine plan to rent a yacht to sail in the Virgin Islands for a couple of weeks, and then actively pursue new career and life opportunities.