After more than 35 years of service, Chief Warrant Officer Gary Crosby will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces on 01 May 2016. Chief Warrant Officer Crosby joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1981. He has served on bases across Canada as well as overseas in Europe, Africa, Central America and the Middle-East. His last posting was to the Canadian Army Trials and Evaluation Unit in Gagetown, New Brunswick where he was employed at the unit's Sergeant Major.
Chief Warrant Officer Crosby and his wife Marie intend to stay in Oromocto where he will be employed as an artist for the New Brunswick Art Council. Chief Warrant Officer Crosby's service will be recognized at a private event as requested by the member. Letters of acknowledgement, anecdoted, jokes, or stories can be sent to Lieutenant V.E. Benotto, Adjutant CATEU Gagetown, New Brunswick at fax (506) 422-1469, telephone (506) 422 2000 EXT 2019 or via emial to VICTORIA.BENOTTO@FORCES.GC.CA.
Throughout his career, Gary has served in a number of engineer units across Canada and overseas, has deployed on operations in Africa, Central America, the Middle-East and on domestic operations. In addition, he has served at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME), Land Force Central Area Training Centre, Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force (CIED TF) and as Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of both the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre and the Canadian Army Trials and Evaluation Unit. He plans to remain in the Oromocto area with his wife Marie, working as an artist with the New Brunswick Art Council.
Gary was born in Ottawa. He is the son of Capt WM Crosby and was raised on multiple bases across Canada as his father completed a 35-year career. In 1981, he enrolled as a combat engineer in the CAF, completing his training in Chilliwack, BC before receiving his first posting to 22 Field Sqn in Gagetown, NB as a sapper. In 1985 he was promoted to Cpl and posted to 4 Combat Engineer Regiment (CER) in Lahr, Germany and received a promotion to MCpl two years later in 1987.
Upon return to Canada in 1989, Gary was posted to CFSME, promoted to Sgt in 1990 and employed as a course NCO at the school. Two years later, he was posted to 4 Engineer Support Regiment in Gagetown, NB, during which time he deployed to Kigali City, Rwanda. In 1996, he was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) in Edmonton, AB, deploying to Bosnia, followed by a posting to 2 CER in Petawawa in 1997.
Gary was deployed as the Engineer Troop Warrant when the ice storm hit southern Ontario in 1998 and deployed to Honduras later that year as part of the Disaster Assistance Response Team in the position of Engineer Platoon Warrant. Promoted to Warrant Officer in in 1999, he deployed on a mission to Sierra Leone, West Africa in 2001, for which his service in wartime operations earned him the United Kingdom’s Operational Service Medal. Promoted to MWO in 2002, he deployed a year later to Kabul as the senior Multinational Explosive Ordinance Disposal Advisor for the Kabul Multinational Brigade.
Gary was posted to LFCA TC in Meaford, ON and deployed yet again to Afghanistan in 2007, where he completed missions in Helmond, Qalat, Tarinkowt and Kandahar province. With this experience under his belt, he was posted to the CIED TF in Ottawa in the training cell. In 2010, he was posted to LFDTS in Wainwright. Gary accepted the position of RSM of the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB in 2011. He was presented the Army Commendation for his work in the CIED TC and the Order of Military Merit in 2013. In 2014, he took a final posting to Gagetown, NB where he has been employed as the Unit Sergeant Major for the past two years.