After 34 plus years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers, MWO Robert (Bobby) Gale will retire on the 9 Aug 2020 . There will be an informal lunch on 23 April 2020 at Ye’s Buffet 616 St. James St, Winnipeg, MB. Attendees are requested to advise the OPI of their planned attendance to this event NLT 16 April 2020 . Anecdotes or retirement wishes may be sent to the OPI: MWO Cory Gill, Email at Cory.Gill2@forces.gc.ca or by phone at 204-833-2500 Ex 5528.
MWO Gale enrolled in the CAF in Oct 1985 at CFRC Det. Corner Brook, NL as an Artilleryman. After completing his Basic Training at CFB Cornwallis in Dec 1985, he was posted to CFB Shilo where he completed his QL3 Field Artilleryman course. Upon graduating from Artillery school, he was posted to W Battery Arty School at CFB Gagetown where he spent a total of 4 years all the while obtaining the rank of Cpl.
After a short stint firing the big guns, he acquired a Component Transfer to Fire Fighter, and in May 1990 he started his Fire Fighter QL3 training. Upon graduating his QL3 at CFB Borden he was posted to the 4 Wing Cold Lake Fire Hall in July 1990. From Cold Lake, he was sent to HMCS Preserver in Jul 1996 and after three years on the Preserver got posted to the CFB Shearwater Fire Hall where he spent 4 years and where received the rank of MCpl. He was then once again sent back to HMCS Preserver for an additional 2 years. In 2005, he got posted to HMCS Iroquois for a year, within that year he received the Sgt rank and then back to the CFB Shearwater Fire Hall in 2006. After 3 years back at CFB Shearwater he was posted to 8 Wing Trenton in 2009. In 2011 MWO Gale was posted to 14 Wg Greenwood, in 2014 he was posted back to CFB Shearwater for a short term where he received the rank of WO and then sent packing to CFB Edmonton in 2015 where he spent 3 years. Promoted to MWO in 2018 he got posted to 1 CAD at 17 Wing Winnipeg.
During his time in the CAF, he has deployed overseas on Op Palladium, Op Athena, Op Endeavor as well as completing a 6 month tour in Alert and not to mention the magnitude of domestic taskings he has participated on (too many to list).
MWO Gale will be retiring with his spouse Lisa and moving back to his hometown in Newfoundland but plans on attending a Heavy Equipment Operators course in Alberta prior to moving back to his beloved province. In his spare time however he plans on doing a little bit of hunting and fishing and lots of joyriding on his new side by side. [zrp]