ON 7 FEB 2011, LCOL RICHARD BOIVIN WILL COMMENCE HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE REG FORCE HAVING COMPLETED 28+ YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO CANADA AND THE CF.
BORN IN CHICOUTIMI QUEBEC, RICHARD BOIVIN ENROLLED IN THE CF IN APRIL 1982 UNDER THE DEO PLAN AND HIS MILITARY ENGINEER TRAINING IN 1984 WAS POSTED TO THE CE SECT AT CFB COMOX. HE WAS PROMOTED TO CAPT IN 1986 AND A YEAR LATER WAS POSTED TO CFB GAGETOWN AS OC OF THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL.
IN 1988, HE WAS POSTED TO CFB BADEN SOELLINGEN GERMANY AS THE AIRFIELD DAMAGE REPAIR SQN COMD. DURING THIS TOUR HE LED THE INITIAL ENGINEER DEPLOYMENT TO THE GULF WAR, IN DOHA, QATAR AS PART OF OP FRICTION. UPON HIS RETURN TO CANADA IN 1991, CAPT BOIVIN WAS POSTED TO 5 WING GOOSEBAY AS THE CE SECT REQR OFFR. IN 1992 HE ASSUMED THE DUTIES OF THE BTSO AND WAS PROMOTED TO MAJOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
MAJ BOIVIN’S NEXT POSTING LANDED HIM IN NDHQ, AS STAFF OFFICER TO ADM IE AND IN 1995 HE UNDERTOOK A YEAR LONG DEPLOYMENT AS THE MILITARY ENGINEER ADVISOR TO THE UN AMBASSADOR IN SARAJEVO. UPON RETURNING TO CANADA, HE WAS POSTED TO 8 WING TRENTON AS CO 8 AIRFIELD ENGINEERING SQN. IN DEC 1998, MAJ BOIVIN DEPLOYED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO MACEDONIA AS THE DCO OF THE CANADIAN CONTNGENT AND A MEMBER OF THE ENGINEERING STAFF IN THE MULTI-NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE EXTRACTION FORCE LED BY THE FRENCH ARMY. AS A RESULT OF HIS EFFORTS ON THIS MISSION, HE WAS AWARDED THE FRENCH NATIONAL DEFENCE MEDAL.
IN 1999 HE RETURNED TO NDHQ AND WAS ASSIGNED TO J3 ENGR OPS. BY JULY 2000, LCOL BOIVIN WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT RANK AND TRANSFERRED TO CHIEF REVIEW SERVICES WHERE HE CONDUCTED AN AUDIT ON MATERIAL SUPPORT TO CF DEPLOYED OPS.
BETWEEN FEB 2001 AND AUG 2005, LCOL BOIVIN HELD THE POST OF SSO OPS AT THE CF JOINT SUPPORT GROUP IN KINGSTON, DURING WHICH TIME HE COMPLETED A THREE-MONTH TOUR IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN CLOSING OUT CAMP WAREHOUSE AND RECONFIGURING CAMP JULIEN FOR ITS CHANGING MISSION. IMMEDIATELY UPON HIS RETURN HE COMMENCED WORK ON HIS HONOURS DEGREE AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE IN KINGSTON, WHICH HE COMPLETED IN MAY THE FOLLOWING YEAR. BY APS 2006 LCOL BOIVIN WAS POSTED TO CFB BORDEN AS THE BTSO AND RETURNED TO KINGSTON AS J3 CFJSG IN 2008. HIS FINAL DEPLOYMENT TOOK HIM TO CYPRUS IN THE FALL OF 2009 AS CO OF THE THIRD LOCATION DECOMPRESSION CENTRE, IN SUPPORT OF TFA. BY SUMMER 2010, LCOL BOIVIN WAS POSTED TO THE CANADIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY HQ WHERE HE IS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AS THE FORMATION J3.
RICHARD AND FAMILY ARE NOT PLANNING ON MOVING OUTSIDE THE KINGSTON REGION AS HE HAS RECENTLY ACCEPTED A PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION WITH DRDC AT THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
IN KEEPING WITH HIS WISHES LCOL BOIVIN’S DEPARTURE FUNCTION WILL CONSIST OF A LUNCHEON WITH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES AT ONE OF HIS FAVORITE WATERING HOLES, THE MERCHANT MACLIAM, BEGINNING AT 1200HRS ON 11 FEBRUARY 2011. COST FOR ATTENDEES WILL BE AS PER THE MENU OF THE DAY.
RSVP FOR THE LUNCHEON AS WELL AS CONGRATULATORY MSGS, ANECDOTES, PHOTOS AND BEST WISHES FOR INCLUSION IN A PRESENTATION BOOK ARE TO BE FORWARDED TO MAJ KATE DOUCET BY FAX AT CSN 271-6908, COMMERCIAL 613-541-6908 OR BY EMAIL TO KATHERINE.DOUCET@FORCES.GC.CA NLT 8 FEBRUARY 2011.