After more than 37 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, Sgt Mike Brajak, CD, will retire on 23 February 2024. A DwD will be held on 01 March 2024 from 11:30 hrs to 14:00 hrs at the WOs' & Sgts' Mess, 4 Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON. Anecdotes, well wishes, and attendance at the DwD may be sent to Sgt J.J. Allaire atJustin.Allaire@forces.gc.ca.

Mike was born and raised in Montreal, QC, in 1970. He was an Army cadet in his teens and completed high school in 1987. Mike enrolled as a Reservist Combat Engineer at 3 Field Engineer Regiment (3 FER) in Westmount, QC, in January 1987. He juggled his time between studying in electronics and being a combat engineer for five years until Ex RENDEZVOUS ‘92. From there, his career path was chosen.
 
From 1994 to 1998, Mike was employed on numerous courses as incremental staff at CFSME where he trained many future leaders who later became his boss. At 3 FER, he occupied all positions leading to Troop Warrant and achieved the rank of Warrant Officer prior to his transfer to the Regular Force in 1999.

In March of 1999, Mike reported to 5e Régiment du Génie de Combat (5 RGC) at the rank of Cpl. During his five-year stint at 5 RGC, he deployed to East Timor on Op TOUCAN as a section member, to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Op PALLADIUM, Roto 9, as section 2IC, and to Afghanistan on Op ATHENA, Roto 1, as 2IC of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. In 2004, Mike was posted to Ottawa at 33 CER as the RQ and transport NCO. In 2007, following a promotion to Sgt and a posting to 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR), he deployed again to Afghanistan on Op ATHENA, Roto 6, as a section commander with the Expedient Route Opening Capability (EROC).

In 2010, Mike took the road less travelled to Yellowknife, NT, for a posting with the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG) as a Ranger Instructor. For three years at 1 CRPG, he had the opportunity to travel into isolated communities in all three territories and participated in Op NANOOK and Op NUNALIVUT.

In 2013, Mike changed trades to Geomatics Technician and was posted to Ottawa, as a Cpl again, for a two-year course at Algonquin College. Upon graduating in 2015, he was posted to the Mapping and Charting Establishment (MCE) to the Survey troop. As a surveyor, Mike accomplished taskings from coast to coast and as far North as Alert, NU. In 2017, he also did a five-month stint at RAF Wyton in the UK.

Mike will retire with his wife, Camilla, in Valleyfield, QC. He plans on fishing from his dock, riding his bike into the sunset, and tending to Camilla’s honey-do list...although probably not in that orde.