Sgt William (Bill) McDougall, CD

    Sergeant William (Bill) McDougall is retiring after 20 years of service on September 21, 2008. He was born in Burnaby, British Columbia; he started his Military Career in the fall of 1988 in Cornwallis, N.S. Upon completion of his Basic Training and Basic Engineer qualifications in Chilliwack, B.C., he was then posted to 2 CER in Petawawa, Ontario.

    As a sapper in One Troop he obtained his Driver Wheeled Course and Jump Course. During his time in One Troop he was a section storeman and Troop Recce Driver and was awarded Sapper of the Year. However, while on a Bridge Camp in 1990 he saw the light and transferred to the Field Engineer Equipment Operator (FEE Op) side of the Corps and in 1991 he commenced his QL5 training in Chilliwack B.C.

    Following completion of his QL5 FEE Op Course in Dec 1991, he was deployed to Kuwait on a UN Mission, as an equipment operator. Immediately following the Kuwait tour he went on another tour in Somalia (1992) as part of the Canadian Airborne Regiment Contingent. After the tour he was posted to the Airborne Regiment, where he was a section member in the Engineer Platoon, part of Combat Support Commando.

    After the disbandment of the regiment in 1995, the Engineer element of the commando was posted back to 2 CER, there he began training to go to Bosnia on the IFOR tour in 1996. Cpl McDougall was part of the Flood Relief in Winnipeg and the Ice Storm Relief in Ontario and Quebec. In 1998, he returned to Bosnia as part of SFOR and was employed as a Section Storeman, MT Rep and an Equipment Operator.

    In October 1999, he received a Grader Course at the new Engineer School in CFB Gagetown. Then in 2001 he returned to Bosnia again with 3 RCR Battle Group for Roto 8, as part of SFOR. In January 2002, Cpl McDougall went on a CF Junior Leadership Course; following the successful completion of the course he was then posted to the G3 Range Operation’s Range Maintenance Troop at CFB Suffield, Alberta, as an equipment operator.

    In June 2003 Cpl McDougall completed his QL5A Field Engineer Conversion training and in July of 2003 was promoted to Master Corporal. He then took over as the Heavy Equipment Section Commander in the Range Maintenance Troop. Later in May 2004; he completed the QL6A Course at CFSME. Then he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 15 December 2006; where he took over the Range Maintenance Troop as the RM WO until a suitable replacement could be found.

    Sgt McDougall was then posted to DRDC Suffield, in July 2007, where he worked in Explosives Detection Group. He had the opportunity to go to Afghanistan in the spring of 2008 with his group to conduct in theatre trial with explosive detection equipment.

    Currently, Sgt McDougall lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta with his wife, Shannon and daughter Emily. He has not made any permanent plans but is considering Federal Employment as a civilian, as one of his options.