After more than 27 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, LCol D.A Warnke, CD, will retire on 6 April 2026. Anecdotes and well wishes may be sent to his new email: david.warnke2@forces.gc.ca
Après plus de 27 ans de service loyal et dévoué aux Forces armées canadiennes et à la Branche du Génie militaire canadien, Lcol D.A. Warnke, CD, prendra sa retraite le 6 avril 2026. Les anecdotes et les bons vœux peuvent lui être transmis à son nouveau courriel: david.warnke2@forces.gc.ca
Lieutenant-Colonel Warnke enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in late April 1998 after completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University. He spent the next two years completing initial military training before being posted to 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) in the spring of 2000.
Over the course of his career, LCol Warnke was posted to 2 CER on four separate occasions, serving in roles ranging from Troop Commander to Deputy Commanding Officer. Each posting included an operational deployment and participation in an Ironman competition, except when deployment schedules overlapped with competition timelines. He also commanded Transition Unit–National Capital Region from APS 2019 to APS 2021.
Throughout his service, LCol Warnke held a wide variety of staff positions across the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff organization, the Canadian Army, Canadian Joint Operations Command, and Military Personnel Command. He is currently serving at Canadian Army Headquarters. His service has been recognized through three commendations: Commander CJOC (Op REASSURANCE), Task Force Commander (Op IMPACT), and Commander Military Personnel Command.
LCol Warnke has made significant professional contributions to the modernization and advancement of combat engineer capabilities. His work included the development and revision of doctrine and tactics in areas such as Counter-IED in Land Operations, Counter-IED TTPs, Military Search, Mobility Support - Route and Area Clearance, Expedient Route Opening Capability (EROC), and Tactical Breaching. He also laid much of the foundational groundwork for the Advanced Combat Engineer Search capability, in close collaboration with Directorate of Land Requirements and CFSME staff.
While posted to Canadian Joint Operations Command, LCol Warnke served as the lead planner for the Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group stand-up in 2017. More recently, he led planning efforts for several major strategic-level initiatives, including the Operational Sustainment Modernization Strategy, the Health Services Modernization Strategy, and the Joint Logistics Modernization Campaign Plan.
In APS 2024, LCol Warnke returned to Canadian Army Headquarters and was quickly seconded to the Army Modernization Team as its Deputy. In this role, he was a key architect of Inflection Point 2025, the Canadian Army Modernization Order, and multiple associated implementation directives.
Following a second knee surgery and the acceptance of a position with Health Services, LCol Warnke has elected to voluntarily release from the CAF after more than 27 years of service, continuing his contribution as a civilian. He will remain at the Carling Campus—making this transition feel less like a release and more like another posting.
He is married to Brigadier-General Krista Bouckaert, who continues to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. They expect to remain in the National Capital Region for the next decade, alongside their three dogs, while continuing renovations on their antique home. They have two adult children currently attending college. LCol Warnke looks forward to returning to hockey once his knee has fully recovered.
Chimo!