Master Warrant Officer Carl Erskine will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian military Engineer Branch on 29 July 2107 after 24 plus years of loyal and dedicated service to Canada.

A Depart with Dignity retirement function will be held in Carl's honour at the Maple Leaf Room, Canadian Detachment, SHAPE, Casteau, Belgium, Wednesday, 21 June 2017, commencing at 1530.

For those wishing to attend please RSVP NLT 19 June 2017 to MWO Charles (Andy) Baird at Charles.baird@ncia.natio.int. For best wishes, anecdotes, amusing stories and messages, please contact WO Tim Williams at timothy.williams@nshq.nato.int

MWO Erskine joined the Canadian armed forces in 1992 as a combat engineer. His first unit was 2 combat engineer regiment in Petawawa. Between 1993 and 1998 he deployed on his first operational tour, Bosnia 1994, as well completed the Combat Diver, the Field Engineer Electrical Field Operations, the Combat Engineer QL5A and Junior Leader Land courses.

MWO Erskine re-mustered in 1998 to construction technician and was posted to CFSME in Gagetown for his QL3 course. Upon completion, he was posted to Halifax, employed within formation construction engineering’s naval construction troop. While there, he completed two more deployments to Bosnia (2001 and 2002) and was promoted to MCpl in 2003. In 2005, MWO Erskine was promoted to Sgt and posted to 3 Specialized Engineer Team (3 SET), 1 Engineer Support Unit (1 ESU) in Moncton, where he spent the next three years as a project manager and structural designer. While serving with 1 ESU he completed three deployments to Afghanistan, ROTO 0 and ROTO 2 working on Kandahar airfield infrastructure and again on ROTO 4 to Camp Nathan Smith with the provincial reconstruction team working on projects outside the wire.

In 2008, MWO Erskine was promoted to Warrant Officer and posted to CFB Halifax, Detachment Cape Breton in Sydney, employed in the role of Station Construction Engineering Officer. In 2009, after four years on imposed restriction, MWO Erskine was posted back to base construction engineering in Halifax as the contracts 2 i/c.

MWO Erskine was promoted to his current rank in 2011. Remaining in Halifax he was employed in multiple positions; Contracts Officer, Requirements MWO, Engineering Division Sergeant Major, and A/UCWO. He deployed to CFS Alert in 2012. In 2014, MWO Erskine was selected for his current position, in Belgium at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), employed as the Facilities Operation NCO in the SHAPE Command Center. During his time in shape, he attended the NATO NCO Advanced Leadership Course in a multinational environment, in Lucerne Switzerland.

Carl and his wife Natasha will return to Halifax Nova Scotia where he has accepted a position with the Canadian coast guard. They are very much looking forward to getting back to their kids, Taylor and Cody, settling down and spending time with extended family.