Master Warrant Officer William Shears will be retiring from the Canadian Forces on 7 Oct 2012, after completing 27+ years of loyal and dedicated service to Canada.

MWO Shears enrolled in the Canadian Forces in June 1978 as a Poet candidate, and took his release in March 1979. He re-enrolled in May 1985 as a member of the RCHA, in Shilo Manitoba, and after his second go round through Cornwallis and upon his completion of his training, in August 1987 he was posted to the Royal Canadian Artillery Battle School. Shortly there after he was promoted to MBdr and served as an Instructor until he re-mustered to EGS Tech in Jan 1991.

After completing his QL3 in Chilliwack B.C., he was posted to CFB Halifax, N.S. and worked with the Mechanical Maintenance Section. In 1993 he once again went to sunny Chilliwack B.C, to complete his QL5. In 1995 he was posted to CFB Trenton and was employed with the MRT installing generators at several bases across Canada. During his posting there, he went to CFS Alert in May 1996 for his first tour as power plant operator. He completed 2 TAVs to Bosnia with the MRT, in 1997 and 1998.

In Aug 1998 he was promoted to MCpl again and posted to CFB Kingston, where he and served with 79 Comms Regt, as the Mechanical Section Shop Supervisor. While there he went to Eritrea with 79 Comms Regt for theatre activation in Dec 2000 and a TAV to Bosnia in Oct 98.

In Jul 2001, he was posted to CFB Comox in and later that year was promoted to Sergeant, where he was “A” crew supervisor with 191 AEF. In May 2002, he completed his second tour to CFS Alert as the Power Plant Maintainer, and in June 2003 completed his 6A course. In Aug 2004, he was promoted to Warrant Officer and moved to Base Construction Engineering as the CE Procurement Officer.

In Dec 2007 he completed his 6B and was promoted and posted to CFB Esquimalt, where he worked as a Customer Service Annalist. In Sept 2009 he went to CFB Petawawa for work-up training for ROTO 9 where he worked till Mar 2010 and went to Fort Erwin, California for 2 months training. In April 2010 he was deployed to Kandahar as the Planning MWO for ROTO 9, and while there also spent 4 months in PRT. In Jul 2011 he was posted to 1 ESU CFB Moncton as the 1 SET MWO, and has since completed a 3 week TAV to Beijing, China and a TAV to CFS Alert in 2012

MWO Shears will be retiring on Vancouver Island where he plans to spend time with his kids Christopher, Stephen and Stirling, also Grandson, Kolton, and try and get in some BC Salmon fishing.