After more than 20 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, WO Jon Hamalainen, CD (bio attached), retired on 11 Jan 16. A Depart with Dignity Ceremony will take place at the Barrhaven Legion, on 08 April 16 at 1300hrs. Attendees are requested to advise the OPI of their planned attendance NLT 01 Apr 16. Anecdotes or retirement wishes may be sent to the OPI by e-mail. OPI: Anil Hayne, email Anil Hayne or by phone at 613-661-2886.

Après plus de 20 ans de bons et loyaux services au sein des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) et la Branche du Génie militaire canadien, l'Adj Jon Hamalainen, CD (veuillez voir la bio ci-jointe en anglais), a pris sa retraite le 11 jan 16. Une cérémonie de départ dans la dignité aura lieu à la légion de Barrhaven, le 08 avr 16 à 13h00. Les participants sont priés d'informer le BPR de leur participation prévue APTL 01 avr 16. Les anecdotes ou souhaits de retraite peuvent être envoyés au BPR par courriel. BPR : Anil Hayne  ou par téléphone au 613-661-2886.

WO Hamalainen started his military career as a reserve Signaller with 736 Communication Sqn in Thunder Bay Ontario (1991-95). After two years of college, he spent a year as a bush worker running heavy equipment but decided that living in the bush without running water for days or weeks at a time wasn’t for him. So down to the recruiting centre he went, and after some half-truths and misunderstandings, he joined the Regular Force.

In Oct 1995 he found himself at CFSME in Chilliwack, BC on his QL3 Combat Engineer course. Six months of rain later, he was posted to 2 CER where he was placed in Resource troop until it was time for 23 Field Sqn to deploy to the Red River Floods in the spring of 97. Following the flood, he deployed to Bosnia (Jan-July 98’) with 23 FD Sqn as a section member, and LO driver. Upon his return to Canada, he was sent to 28 Admin Sqn where he was employed as the OC’s driver until it was time for 24 Field Sqn to deploy to Bosnia. Cpl Hamalainen was moved to 24 Field Sqn where he continued to drive the OC in Bosnia from May-Oct 01’. It was during this tour that he (his wife) decided that he would remuster to Geomatics Technician so that he could get posted to Ottawa and as a bonus, acquire a skillset that he could fall back on after his release from the CAF.

In July 2002, Cpl Hamalainen’s prayers had been answered and he was course loaded on the Geo Tech QL5 course in Oct 2002. Upon course graduation in 2005, he and his course mates were promoted to MCpl. He was first employed as a Press Operator for approx. a year until he was promoted Sgt (Dec 06’) and began work up training for a deployment to Afghanistan (Aug 07’-Mar 08’). After 8 months of ‘rocket dodging’ in KAF he was posted to Chief of Defence Intelligence as the sole Geomatics Technician within the National Geospatial Intelligence Support team. Two years later (Nov 2010-Jul 2011) he was sent back to Afghanistan as the TFK HQ Chief Geo (3mos)/GST Commander (6 mos). Upon his return, he was posted to MCE for 6 months and then in June 2012 he was posted to the Joint Intelligence & Information Fusion Centre (JIIFC) until March 2015. Finally, he was posted back to MCE where he finished his career as a troop Warrant Officer in Geospatial Information and Services Squadron.

He remains in the Ottawa area, with his spouse Nell and children Kyle and Ella, where he secured employment with the public service as a geomatics analyst at Mapping and Charting Establishment.