Published April 29, 2014 · By wkadmin
After 37+ years of reserve and regular force service, Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Laughton will depart the CF August 26th, 2011.
A native of Ottawa, Lieutenant-Colonel Laughton first enrolled in the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa on his seventeenth birthday in April 1974. After completing basic rifleman training he transferred to the Regular Officer Training Plan at the University of Toronto where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation from officer training in Chilliwack, he was Design Officer, Planning Officer and Special Projects Officer in the Construction Engineering Section in Gagetown. The highlight of his time there was his support to Ex WATERLEAP 81 with 50 Construction Squadron RE undertaking a number of projects.
Returning to Chilliwack in 1982, Lieutenant Colonel Laughton was 2 Troop Commander, Adjutant and OC 11 Field Squadron in 1 Combat Engineering Regiment. He moved from there to 3 Field Engineer Squadron as the Regular Support Staff officer, where he also completed Land Forces Staff Course 8601.
Following completion of Division 1 of the British Army Staff College in 1988, Lieutenant-Colonel was employed in equipment staff and then Army Doctrine in National Defence Headquarters, where he developed land options for Canadian Forces Europe and put Corps 96 to bed. His reward for this was Squadron Command coincidentally with the same 50 Headquarters Squadron in 36 Engineer Regiment, Maidstone, UK. The Squadron had troops deployed to Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and Kenya and his final task was to train the Regimental group for Roto 1 of the British deployment to Bosnia.
The punishment for this highly rewarding jaunt was a return to doctrine in Director General Military Engineering Operations. After a year of Leave without Pay to complete a teaching degree at Ottawa University, LieutenantColonel Laughton had three plus years as the Engineers Career Manager, the best job outside regimental employment in his career. He posted himself on IR to Command and Staff Course 26!
After Toronto, it was back to doctrine, albeit now in J3 Engineers. This appointment included being project director for the Engineering Support Unit. Upon promotion to his current rank, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 2nd Field Engineer Regiment in Toronto, where he transferred to the Primary Reserve. He subsequently commanded 3 Field Engineer Squadron and 33 Combat Engineer Regiment while working as the Assistant Dean for Academics in the Carleton University Faculty of Engineering and Design. His final appointment has been on a full-time reserve contract as the Assistant Chief of Staff to the Chief Military Engineer for the last three years.
Lieutenant-Colonel Laughton and his wife of 33+ years, Muriel, will continue to live in Ottawa as he returns to the Assistant Dean position at Carleton. They are the extremely proud parents of three adult children, Angela (Dan Cossette), Andrew (Krista Wells) and Amy who are a doctor, high school teacher and registered nurse respectively and who also work and live in Ottawa. More and more time will be spent at their country home on the Rideau system just north of Kingston!!