LCol Stewart Beal, CD will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces on 6 Jan 2015 after 23+ years of dedicated service to the CAF and the CME Branch (please see bio below).

A depart with dignity will be held at the Keg in Winnipeg on Thurs 18 Dec 2014 from 1130-1330 hrs. Please send congratulatory messages or anecdotes to Maj Todd Young at Todd.Young5@forces.gc.ca

Lcol Stewart Beal, CD prendra sa retraite des Forces armées canadiennes le 6 jan 2015 après plus de 23 années de loyaux services au sein des FAC et de la Branche du GMC (voir bio au-dessous). Une cérémonie de départ dans la dignité aura lieu au resto The Keg à Winnipeg le jeudi 18 déc 2014 de 11h30 à 13h30. Veuillez acheminer vos messages de félicitations ou anecdotes au maj Todd Young à Todd.Young5@forces.gc.ca

LCol Stewart Beal grew up in Sackville, NB. He graduated from Mount Allison University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. After university, he worked as a geologist for 4-years. Spending numerous months in northern Ontario, northern BC and northern Quebec. He became tired of contract work and joined the Canadian Armed Forces for stability in September 1991.

With the completion of his officer training, he was posted to 17 Wing Construction Engineering Squadron, where he was employed as the Planning, Engineer and Requirements Officer position. He then relocated to 4 Wing Cold Lake, where he was worked as the Requirements Officer. Upon leaving Cold Lake, LCol Beal returned to Winnipeg to attend the year long French course. After completing the course, he was promoted to Major and posted to A4CE where he worked in the infrastructure directorate.

A year later he was posted over to 17 Wing Construction Engineering Squadron as the OC, where he remained for the following 5-years. During this period, he oversaw the amalgamation of the north and south site as well as deployed to Afghanistan – ROTO 1 where he was Task Force Engineer and was responsible for the beddown of the Canadian Battle Group at the Kandahar Airfield.

Upon the completion of his WCEO tour at 17 Wing, he was promoted to his present rank and posted to NDHQ, where he worked on the Chief of the Air Force staff as the infrastructure advisor. After 3-years of good behaviour, LCol Beal was released from NDHQ and was posted to NATO Joint Forces Command Brunssum in the Netherlands where he was employed as a Branch Head of Infrastructure Supply and Storage.

Half way through his 3-year tour, LCol Beal was offered command of the 17 Wing Logistics and Engineering Branch. After spending 11 of his 22 military years in Winnipeg, he happily accepted the offer to depart the Netherlands a year ahead of schedule and assume command of 17 Logistics and Engineering Branch.

After a year and a half, LCol Beal and his spouse (Sharon) decided it was time to call it a career. They will be splitting their retirement years between Winnipeg/Kenora and Phoenix, Arizona fishing and golfing.