Le Capitaine Derek Marcoux prendra sa retraite des FAC le 30 novembre 2020 après plus de 30 ans de service loyal et dévoué au Canada, les Forces Armée Canadienne, et le Génie Royal Canadien. Son Départ dans la Dignité aura lieu le 27 novembre 2020. Pour plus des renseignements, veuillez contacter le Capt S.J. Baker. Des messages de félicitations peuvent être envoyés à le Capt S.J. Baker à Stuart.Baker@forces.gc.ca.
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Derek Marcoux grew up in the village of New Mills, NB, located about 30 km east of the Town of Dalhousie on the Bay Chaleur. He enrolled in the Canadian Forces on the 5th September 1990 at Bathurst, NB, and completed Basic Training at Canadian Forces Recruit School Cornwallis. He completed QL3 Field Engineer training at CFB Chilliwack and was posted to 2 Troop, 22 Field Squadron, at CFB Gagetown in May of 1991. In July of 1992, after returning from Rendez-Vous 92, he deployed to Croatia on Operation Harmony with 4 CER for four months.
Upon returning to 22 Fd Sqn, Derek was posted to 21 Armoured Engineer Troop and remained there for the next seven years, advancing through the ranks from Sapper to Master Corporal. During this period, he re-mustered to the 042 Field Engineer Equipment Operator trade, held key positions in Armoured Troop, and deployed on several domestic operations and national training events.
In August of 1999, Derek was posted to CFB Suffield where he was employed as the Heavy Equipment Supervisor at Range Control. This was an enjoyable and interesting posting where he learned many valuable trade-related lessons and was, in his opinion, the best job for an Engineer heavy equipment operator. Also during this time, he had an opportunity to work with the British Army on a regular basis and that experience served to prepare him for things to come.
In July of 2003, Derek was a newly promoted Sgt and posted to 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. Shortly after his arrival, he deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina on Op Palladium as a section commander in 23 Field Squadron for the remainder of Roto 13. He stayed in theatre after the Petwawa Battle Group re-deployed and was employed as the Heavy Equipment Detachment Commander for 5Troop, 5ieme Régiment Genie du Combat which was embedded with the 12ieme Régiment Blindé du Canada Recce Squadron Group for Roto 14. During the nine month deployment, Derek had the opportunity to work closelywith many multi-national partners such as the Italian Carabinieri, the Dutch Infantry, the Royal Green Jackets, and the Royal Ghurkas, for whom he has great admiration and respect.
When he returned to Petawawa, Derek was posted to 28 Administration Squadron where he was employed as the Squadron Operations Sgt and the 2 Engineer Equipment Troop WO. In 2005, he was posted back to 23 Fd Sqn and was employed as the Operations Sgt. He deployed with the squadron as part of Task Force 3-06 on Operation Athena in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in July of 2006. The seven month rotation culminated with a promotion to WO and is remembered as some of his toughest days in the army.
Upon returning to Canada, Derek was posted to 25 Support Sqn as the Heavy Equipment Tp WO for a little less than a year. He then deployed as the Engineer Plans WO in the Task Force Afghanistan Engineer Detachment. There, he earned the Task Force Commander’s Commendation for his effort in developing protective works for friendly forces in the Canadian area of operation. It was during this almost 11 month tour that he decided that he wanted to influence the procurement process of the Canadian Army. With the support of his CO, he attended the Army Technical Warrant Officer Program (ATWO-P) held at the Royal Military College of Canada.
The ATWO-P was designed to prepare senior WOs and MWOs to work in the army HQ and Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel (ADM-MAT) environments. He graduated from the program in July of 2009 and was posted to ADM-MAT where he was employed as the Life Cycle Material Manager for Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment. He found the job to be interesting, but at times extremely frustrating because of bureaucracy. In July of 2011, Capt Marcoux was promoted to MWO and was posted to the Directorate of Land Requirements where he was employed as a Project Director, developing requirements for equipment and stores such as Shock Tube, Militarized Heavy Equipment, and Geospatial Suites.
In 2014, Derek accepted a Commission from the Ranks, was promoted to his current rank of Captain and was posted to the Canadian Army Trials and Evaluations Unit where he had the opportunity to interact with junior soldiers again, something he had missed very much since leaving Petawawa.
After 30 years and 88 days of service, Derek is being released and will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces. He intends to drive a commercial truck and serve the Maritimes community in that respect. He has participated in this capacity for several years on a part time basis. At first, he did it for the adventure, then for a little the extra cash but now, mostly from a sense of reward and obligation to the community as there is a looming shortage of qualified people for this job. He will most likely deliver groceries and other goods throughout the Maritimes, Quebec, and Ontario while he is still young and fit enough to do so. He has wanted to do this since childhood and finds great peace and satisfaction when driving through some of the most beautiful terrain in the world, interacting with the Canadians that keep our nation moving forward. He is doing what he wants to do; a blessing not everyone receives.
Derek plans to remain in Oromocto, NB, with his wonderful wife, Carol, who has always supported him through the good, the bad, and the ugly… for over three decades. Derek and Carol are the parents of two fine young men who are just starting their own great adventures; Matthew who is a full time employee with the Sobeys team, and Ryan who aspires to join the Service and make his own adventures.