CPO2 R.C. Bates, CD 00168 MM TECH
1. AFTER 29 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CAF IN THE PRIMARY RESERVE AND REGULAR FORCE, CPO2 R.C. OTIS BATES WILL BE TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS, HANGING UP THE STOREROOM KEYS AND PIPING SECURE FOR THE LAST TIME ON 13 MAY 2022.
2. ENROLLING AT HMCS YORK IN 1992, CPO2 BATES SERVED FOR 4 YEARS AS THE CLASS B STORESMAN THERE (1996-2000) BEFORE DECIDING HE ENJOYED A REGULAR PAYCHECK AND GUARANTED EMPLOYMENT. DURING HIS TIME IN THE RESERVES, HE SUPPORTED DOMESTIC OPERATIONS INCLUDING OP ASSISTANCE (THE RED RIVER FLOODS IN 1997), OP RECUPERATION (THE QUEBEC ICE STORMS IN 1998), AND OP PERSISTENCE (THE SWISSAIR ACCIDENT IN 1998). HE DIRECTLY PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE TORONTO SNOWSTORM OF 1999 AND THE TORONTO AIRSHOW NIMROD CRASH IN 1995.
3. DURING HIS 22 YEARS IN THE REGULAR FORCE, POSTINGS INCLUDED EVERY FRIGATE ON THE WEST COAST (HMCS WINNIPEG, REGINA, OTTAWA, VANCOUVER AND CALGARY, CHRONOLOGICALLY) CULMINATING WITH HIS DEPLOYMENT AS THE LOG CHIEF OF HMCS CALGARY IN 2018 ON OP PROJECTION. HE WAS PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED ON OP APOLLO, OP SIRIUS, OP ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, OP CARIBBE, OP REASSURANCE (ONCE ON HMCS VANCOUVER, AND AGAIN AS FLS FOR HMCS WINNIPEG) AND SEVERAL RIMPAC AND WESTPLOY EXERCISES. OTHER POSTINGS INCLUDED CFB ESQUIMALT BASE LOGISTICS, MOG4 (FOR 9 DAYS!), NOTC, 443 SQN (2BZ), CFRC TORONTO AND FINALLY RCSU(PACIFIC) AS THE J4 AND HQ UNIT CHIEF.
4. CPO2 BATES WOULD LIKE TO THANK HIS MENTORS OVER THE YEARS (ALMOST ALL OF WHOM ARE NOW RETIRED) WHO SET THE STANDARD AND TAUGHT HIM MANY LESSONS OVER THE YEARS: PO2 (RETD) SUE MCGUIRE, CPO1 (RETD) GORD MCLENNAN, FORMER CPO1 (NOW CDR) GLENN WOOLFREY II, CPO2 ROB MCLENNAN, MS (RETD) CRAIG NICKS, MS LIZ AMORIN, CPO2 (RETD) SHARON SLENDERS, CPO1 (RETD) AL WALKER, CPO2 GUS GREER, CPO2 (RETD) CHRIS CARNALL, CPO2 (RETD) ANGIE SCHENKERS, CPO1 (RETD) WILL SLATER, CPO1 (RETD) PAPA GINO SPINELLI, CPO1 STAN BUDDEN, CPO2 (RIP) BEVERLEY SKEHANS, PO1 (RETD) MEL LOWE, PO1 (RETD) BLAISE PYKE, PO1 JOE FOGARTY, SUE PYKE AND DAVE POLLITT.
5. A SPECIAL THANKS TO THEOSE PEERS, COWORKERS AND SUBORDINATES WHO DERSERVE IT (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) AND A SPECIAL APOLOGY TO THE DOZENS OF OFFICERS OVER THE YEARS WHO HAD TO TRY TO CORRAL HIS ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM.
6. OTIS ASKED TO HAVE AN EXTRA SPECIAL THANK-YOU TO HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS CAREER OVER THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY HIS LONG-SUFFERING SPOUSE BARBARA WALKER WHO RECENTLY DECLARED WHEN DISCUSSING HIS DEPLOYMENTS YOU WERE DEPLOYED A *LOT*!. HE COULDNT HAVE BEEN THIS SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT YOU TAKING CARE OF THINGS AT HOME.
7. OTIS AND BARB HAVE DECIDED TO RETIRE AWAY FROM VICTORIA AND WILL SPEND THEIR RETIREMENT SEEING THE WORLD A MONTH AT A TIME (BECAUSE THE BEST WAY TO SEE A PLACE IS TO LIVE THERE FOR A MONTH).
8. A DWD WILL BE HELD AT A TIME A LOCATION TBD IF THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST AND COVID RESTRICTIONS ALLOW. RSVPS TO ATTEND A POTENTIAL DWD, CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, ANECDOTES, STORIES, WELL-WISHES OR OTHER COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO PO1 J. FOGARTY AT JOSEPH.FOGARTY(AT)FORCES.GC.CA.
1. APRES 29 ANS DE SERVICE DANS LA PREMIERE RESERVE ET LA FORCE REGULIERE DES FAC, LE PM 2 R.C. OTIS BATES ETEINDRA LES LUMIERES, ACCROCHERA LES CLES DE LA CAMBUSE ET DONNERA LE COUP DE SIFFLET ANNONCANT LA FIN DE LA JOURNEE POUR LA DERNIERE FOIS LE 13 MAI 2022.
2. LE PM 2 BATES S ENROLE A BORD DU NCSM YORK EN 1992, ET SERT PENDANT 4 ANS COMME CAMBUSIER DE CLASSE B (1996TO2000) AVANT DE DECIDER QU IL APPRECIE UN SALAIRE REGULIER ET UN EMPLOI GARANTI. PENDANT SON SEJOUR DANS LA RESERVE, IL APPUIT DES OPERATIONS NATIONALES, NOTAMMENT L OP ASSISTANCE (LES INONDATIONS DE LA RIVIERE ROUGE EN 1997), L OP RECUPERATION (LES TEMPETES DE VERGLAS AU QUEBEC EN 1998) ET L OP PERSISTENCE (L ACCIDENT DE SWISSAIR EN 1998). IL PARTICIPE DIRECTEMENT AUX OPERATIONS EN REPONSE A LA TEMPETE DE NEIGE DE TORONTO EN 1999 ET A L ECRASEMENT DU NIMROD DU SPECTACLE AERIEN DE TORONTO EN 1995.
3. AU COURS DE SES 22 ANNEES DANS LA FORCE REGULIERE, SES AFFECTATIONS INCLUENT TOUTES LES FREGATES DE LA COTE OUEST (NCSM WINNIPEG, REGINA, OTTAWA, VANCOUVER ET CALGARY, PAR ORDRE CHRONOLOGIQUE) POUR COMME POINT CULMINANT SON DEPLOIEMENT EN TANT QUE PM LOG DU NCSM CALGARY EN 2018, DANS LE CADRE DE L OP PROJECTION. IL EST AUPARAVANT DEPLOYE DANS LE CADRE DES OP APOLLO, OP SIRIUS, OP ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, OP CARIBBE ET OP REASSURANCE (UNE FOIS AU SEIN DU NCSM VANCOUVER ET UNE AUTRE FOIS EN TANT QUE SLA DU NCSM WINNIPEG) ET DE PLUSIEURS EXERCICES RIMPAC ET WESTPLOY. PARMI LES AUTRES AFFECTATIONS, MENTIONNONS LA LOGISTIQUE DE LA BFC ESQUIMALT, LE 4GOM (PENDANT 9 JOURS), LE CIOM, LE 443 ESCADRON (2BZ), LE CRFC TORONTO ET FINALEMENT L URSC PACIFIQUE EN TANT QUE J4 ET PM D UNITE DU QG.
4. LE PM 2 BATES AIMERAIT REMERCIER SES MENTORS AU FIL DES ANS (QUI SONT PRESQUE TOUS MAINTENANT A LA RETRAITE) QUI ONT ETABLI LA NORME A SUIVRE ET LUI ONT ENSEIGNE DE NOMBREUSES LECONS AU FIL DES ANS : M 2 (RET) SUE MCGUIRE, PM 1 (RET) GORD MCLENNAN, ANCIEN PM 1 (MAINTENANT CAPF) GLENN WOOLFREY II, PM 2 ROB MCLENNAN, MATC (RET) CRAIG NICKS, MATC LIZ AMORIN, PM 2 (RET) SHARON SLENDERS, PM 1 (RET) AL WALKER, PM 2 GUS GREER, PM 2 (RET) CHRIS CARNALL, PM 2 (RET) ANGIE SCHENKERS, PM 1 (RET) WILL SLATER, PM 1 (RET) PAPA GINO SPINELLI, PM 1 STAN BUDDEN, PM 2 (RIP) BEVERLEY SKEHANS, M 1 (RET) MEL LOWE, M 1 (RET) BLAISE PYKE, M 1 JOE FOGARTY, SUE PYKE ET DAVE .
5. UN REMERCIEMENT SPECIAL AUX PAIRS, COLLEGUES ET SUBALTERNES QUI LE MERITENT (VOUS SAVEZ QUI VOUS ETES) ET DES EXCUSES SPECIALES AUX DIZAINES D OFFICIERS QUI, AU FIL DES ANS, ONT DU ESSAYER DE CANALISER SON ENERGIE ET SON ENTHOUSIASME.
6. OTIS DEMANDE A CE QU UN REMERCIEMENT SPECIAL SOIT ADRESSE A SES AMIS ET A SA FAMILLE QUI ONT SOUTENU CETTE CARRIERE AU FIL DES ANS, EN PARTICULIER A SA CONJOINTE BARBARA WALKER QUI A LONGUEMENT
SOUFFERT ET QUI A RECEMMENT DECLARE, EN PARLANT DE SES DEPLOIEMENTS, TU AS ETE DEPLOYE BEAUCOUP IL N AURAIT PAS PU AVOIR AUTANT DE SUCCES SANS QUE TU T OCCUPES DES CHOSES A LA MAISON.
7. OTIS ET BARB ONT DECIDE D ETRE RETRAITES A L EXTERIEUR DE VICTORIA ET DE PASSER LEUR RETRAITE A VISITER LE MONDE UN MOIS A LA FOIS (PARCE QUE LA MEILLEURE FACON DE VOIR UN ENDROIT EST D Y VIVRE PENDANT UN MOIS).
8. UN DEPART DANS LA DIGNITE SERA ORGANISE A UNE DATE ET UN LIEU A DETERMINER SI L INTERET EST SUFFISANT ET SI LES RESTRICTIONS DE LA COVID LE PERMETTENT. LES REPONSES POUR ASSISTER A UN EVENTUEL DEPART DANS LA DIGNITE, LES MESSAGES DE FELICITATIONS, LES ANECDOTES, LES HISTOIRES, LES SOUHAITS OU AUTRES COMMENTAIRES DOIVENT ETRE ENVOYES AU M 1 J. FOGARTY A JOSEPH.FOGARTY(A)FORCES.GC.CA.