Mater Warrant Officer Eric Ferris will be retirering from the Canadian Forces on January 11th, 2012, after completing 27+ years of loyal and dedicated service.
He enrolled in the Canadian Forces, as a Crewman 011, in Oct 84 and upon completion of basic recruit training, was sent to the 12e RBC, in Valcartier PQ in Dec 84. During his stay with the Armored Corps, MWO Ferris was able to enjoy many exercises, both in summer and winter, including a Brigade Deployment to Norway under Ex Brave Lion in 1986. By Mar 87, he was posted to NDHQ, and employed with the Armored Corps Career Manager, where he was exposed to a world beyond the Combat Arms trades. In Jan 90, MWO Ferris re-mustered to the world of Construction Engineers as a Water, Sanitation, Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricant Technician, in Chilliwack, BC.
In Jun 90, he was posted to the Water Plant at CFB Uplands, Ottawa. In Dec 92, MWO Ferris successfully completed his JLC at CFB Penhold AB and returned to Ottawa just in time for his first tour as an Engineer, to Op Harmony in Croatia between Oct 93 to Apr 94. In Jan 95, he attend his WSPOL Tech QL5 course in Chilliwack for 6 months, and was subsequently posted all the way to across the country to CFB Esquimalt, in beautiful Victoria BC. Not to long after, in Aug 96, he was appointed to the rank of Master Corporal, and took over as the WFE Sect supervisor.
After a few more enjoyable years on the west coast, in Aug 98, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and posted out of Victoria, kicking and screaming, to CFB Bagotville as the water plant supervisor. His second deployment to the Balkans came shortly after and was then off to Macedonia (FYROM) with 81 AEF from Dec 98 to Mar 99, where chasing off wild dogs with pick-axe handles was a popular thing, it seems. By Jul 01, after completing his WFE Tech QL 6A course, he was off to his third tour to the Balkans, but this time to Bosnia from Sep 01 to Mar 02. He was promoted to the rank Warrant Officer while on tour.
In Jul 02, MWO Ferris was posted from Bagotville to CFSME Gagetown, as the WFE Sect Comd, where shortly after arriving at the school, undertook and successfully completed his Construction Superintendent tech QL 6B course. An internal transfer in Jul 04 saw him moved to the WFE Std Rep position, a task he held until Jun 06, and which he received a promotion to the rank of Master Warrant Officer and subsequent posting back to NDHQ Ottawa, as a Life Cycle Material Manager for the Army under ADM (MAT). His responsibility as an LCMM saw him travel a fair bit over the next 5 years, including 3 two month trips to Afghanistan, as well as 3 trips to RTC Storage sites in Italy, and Disaster Assistance to Haiti in Feb/Mar 10. During his stay time in NDHQ, he had a short posting to ADM (IE)/DGME, from Nov 08 to Apr 09.
Eric and his wife Janet-Lee, will be staying in the National Capital Region, where he will begin a new career as a public servant for DND.