LCol Alan Markewicz will be retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces after 42 years and three months of service.
Born in Winnipeg MB, LCol Markewicz joined the military in 1974 and attended Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, and then moved to the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston ON. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) in 1978.
LCol Markewicz has served in five different engineer regiments – 2 CER Petawawa, 1 CER Edmonton, 4 CER Lahr, Germany, 25 Engineer Regiment (UU), and 8 Field Engineer Regiment Edmonton. He has held positions in field units ranging from intelligence officer to operations officer and commanding officer. Other highlights of his career include:
- Working for the air force as the head of the inaugural Airfield Damage Repair Squadron in Lahr;
- Secondment to the British Army, serving with 25 Engineer Regiment, Osnabruck, as part of the British Army on the Rhine. During this tour as the Operations and Training Major for the Regiment, he deployed to the First Persian Gulf War;
- Operations Officer for 4 CER, Lahr, participating in a wide of range of exercises with V (US) Corps and 4 CMBG;
- Working as the J3, J5 and J7 for Joint Task Force Games, The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, preparing the groundwork for CAF support to the security mission;
- Leader of troops, whether as a field troop commander or commanding officer; and
- Op ATTENTION in Kabul, Afghanistan, working at the Afghan Army Staff College.
In addition to his time in field units, he has served at NDHQ, Ottawa, on general staff as well as Army staff positions, and in Army doctrine. He is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, Kingston, and the Canadian Forces Staff College, Toronto.
LCol Markewicz has been a completive shooter since his military college days. He was inducted into the CF Sports Honour Roll In 2004, and subsequently the CF Sports Hall of Fame.
Throughout his career LCol Markewicz has been supported by his wife Valerie and their three children, Danielle, Lauren and Ian. They intend to remain in St Albert AB, for the foreseeable future.