After more than 21 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers, WO Josue Filiatreault, CD, retired on 30 May 2021. Due to the current situation, a Depart with Dignity ceremony will be planned once restrictions have been lifted. Congratulatory messages, anecdotes and best wishes can be sent to Sgt Y. Villeneuve at Yvon-Louis.Villeneuve@forces.
Warrant Officer Josue Filiatreault joined the Canadian Armed Forces in July 1999 at the age of 17 as an Army Weapons Technician. His first posting was to CFB Valcartier in 2001 to 5 Bns du Canada. He was promoted to Master Corporal in 2006 and posted to CFB Borden at the Weapons Technician School where he became an instructor. In 2005, he was deployed to Africa, Senegal, Thies, on OP AUGURAL II to support the training mission of the African Union Army. He also successfully completed his Basic Parachutist Course.
After eight years of being a Weapons Technician, he decided to change career paths to become a Refrigeration and Mechanical Technician. After four years of extensive training, he became a fully qualified Journeyman and Red Seal Refrigeration and Mechanical Technician. During his time at 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, he deployed to Afghanistan on Roto 1-11 with the Engineer Task Force.
In 2012, he was promoted back to the rank of MCpl and then posted to CE at 4 Wing Cold Lake as an Arresting Aircraft System Technician Team Leader and RM shop 2I/C. He completed multiple domestic deployments to the North, Inuvik, and Yellowknife FOLs, looking after the Arresting Aircraft System for the CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. Promoted to Sgt in 2016, he assumed the RM Shop I/C role for one year and was then transferred to the Contracts Section to assume the role of contract inspector. After being a contract inspector for one year, he was posted to 42 Radar Tactical Squadron in Cold Lake to assume the role of the Facility Supervisor and the acting Maintenance Warrant for the Maintenance section. During his time at 42 Radar Squadron, he deployed to the G7 in Quebec with the US Air Force troop and participated in EX MAPLE RESOLVE 19.
In June 2019, he was posted back to 1 CER in Edmonton where he immediately deployed on OP PRESENCE in Mali with the Mission Theater Closure Team. Upon his return to Canada, he became the acting Troop Warrant for the Construction Troop. In November 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer upon completion of the Intermediate Leadership Program and the DP3B course. He remained as the Construction Troop Warrant Officer until his retirement on 30 May 2021.