After 20 years of service to the CAF, WO Derek Fairbairn will retire on 15 June 18. A depart with dignity luncheon will be held on 15 Jun at Barbie & Ken Bar & Eatery at 277 Restigouche Rd, Oromocto, NB. The OPI is WO Bobby Willis and any retirement wishes and anecdotes may be sent directly to him at bobby.willis@forces.gc.ca<
WO Derek Fairbairn, born in Halifax Nova Scotia to Evelyn and Wayne. I have three brothers (two sets of twin boys) and one sister, my twin brother is Darren. As a family of mostly boys we were large active in physical sports (i.e. football ruby, hockey, weight training and baseball). Growing up in Cole harbour Nova Scotia we attained the same public school, and mostly all when to the same University. I only finished two years at Saint Mary’s before switch over to the plumbing trade school.
Joined the Canada Forces in 1998 as an Air defence artillery operator. I was posted to the artillery school working with the field artillery, into the ammo section throwing 115lbs bullets for three and half years. In summer of 2001 I put in for my transfer to plumbing and heating tech, getting my posting to CFB Greenwood in 2002. Posted to 14 Wing until 2007 doing a tour of the Golan heights 05/06 (close out tour) and a tour of Dubai 07 with buildup training in Cold Lake (in the winter, good training), I found my time in Greenwood to be the best time in the forces, with the most interaction between the different construction trades, that I’ve seen in all my postings. Posted to CFB Winnipeg after getting off the return plane ride from Dubai I jumped onto a HHT trip in 2007. Tour of Winnipeg from 2007 till 2013, there I completed my 2nd and 3rd MSS (mission support squad excises), another trip to Dubai, one to Jamaica, Italy and 2 to CFS Alert (the second one 2 months after Italy) both seasons (light and dark), but I would go back for more (day light tour for sure). In Winnipeg I started out as a section 2ic, then to planning and finally contracts. 2013 I was posted to CFB Wainwright as a contract inspector, but was moved up to contractor’s officer within a few months. By far my shortest posting only 2 years, but one of the busiest, as Wainwright as over 200 buildings and miles of training area for a small CE section to look after (17 military from top to bottom). Often multi hatted you could be asked to fill in any roll from SSM to BCEO. With the switch over to ADMIE we sent all our contracts to DCC where it's (as I was told) cheaper, with them paying my contractors 20% more (see savings).
Posted to CFSME in 2015 I was waiting to see what spot I will be put in, in the end Standards after doing the PH cell head job for 3 months. As a standards member I have a big voice in how the trade training is delivered. As for my ultimate goal in the military it’s to go back to work in the reverse unit in Campbellton NB, as from what I’ve seen they do a lot of traveling and that’s what I enjoy most in my military career working in different locations.