After 30 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces, LCol Byron Conway will be officially retiring on 04 July 2018. A Depart with Dignity function will be conducted in his honour on 14 June 2018 at the Carleton Barrack’s Officer’s Mess (CBOM) at Base Gagetown.
LCol Byron Conway was born on a tea and coffee farm in Chipinga, Zimbabwe in 1970. As a result of the troubles in that country his family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, in the early ‘80s. Upon becoming Canadian citizens a number of years later, the family immigrated to Australia in hopes of once again becoming farmers. This ended up being a short visit and the family returned to Vancouver in 1986.
LCol Conway was accepted into Royal Roads Military College in 1988 and graduated four years later with a BSc in Physics and Oceanography (Combined Major). He subsequently earned an MSc in Defence Geographic Information from Cranfield University in the UK. LCol Conway graduated from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, India in 2010 and was simultaneously granted an MSc in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University. His other certifications include a Certificate in Mediation and a PMP Accreditation.
After exploring a career in the Air Force, LCol Conway had an epiphany and set to work on becoming an Engineer in the Canadian Army. His Engineer career thus far has followed two major themes: Combat Engineering and Geomatics Engineering. He has served as a Squadron Commander in both streams and most recently served as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Mapping and Charting Establishment in Ottawa. His operational experience includes two tours with the United Nations: the first in Haiti in 1996 (Troop Commander) and the second was a mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (Squadron Commander and Task Force Engineer) in 2000. In 2006, he served as the first Canadian C-IED Squadron Commander in Afghanistan.
One of only two Canadian Engineer Majors qualified as an Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Technician, LCol Conway was selected to establish the C-IED Squadron in Afghanistan in late 2006. He was able to apply his new-found experience when he was subsequently selected as the Operations Officer for the newly minted C-IED TF in 2007. LCol Conway once again returned to the C-IED TF; this time as the Liaison Officer to JIEDDO, in 2012. His contribution as a Liaison Officer and particularly, his work on Weapons Technical Intelligence was recognized with an MSM (US).
He was posted in 2015 to the 5th Canadian Division Support Group Gagetown as the Deputy Commander where he is currently serving.
LCol Conway and Gisele were married in 1996 and have four children. In addition to a general love of the outdoors, especially camping and gardening, LCol Conway is an avid photographer.