Royal Canadian Logistics Service Association

AFTER ALMOST 38 YEARS OF RESERVE AND REGULAR FORCE SERVICE, ALL AS AN ARMY LOGISTICIAN, LCOL JAMES DEBRUIN IS RETIRING FROM THE CAF / CA / RCLS ON 31 JULY 2024. LCOL JAMES DEBRUIN JOINED THE CA RESERVES (11 VICTORIA SERVICE BATTALION) IN OCT 85 AS PRIVATE, FOUND OUT THAT HE REALLY COULD NOT BACK UP TRAILERS TO SAVE HIS LIFE AND SO WAS “COUNSELLED” THAT MAYBE TRUCK DRIVING WASN’T WHAT HE WAS CUT OUT TO DO IN THE ARMY. JAMES FIGURED THAT IT WAS SAFER ALL AROUND IF HE COMMISSIONED (JURY REMAINS OUT), VICE BEING A TRUCKER AND SO WENT THROUGH THE RESO PROGRAM WHILE AT UVIC, STUDYING TWO SUBJECTS (HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY), THAT HE LOVED BUT WERE REALLY OF NO INTRINSIC VALUE TO BEING AN ARMY LOGISTICS OFFICER. ALONG THE WAY, JAMES FINISHED HIS DEGREE AT UVIC AND LATER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE HIS MDS WHILST AT THE COLLEGE OF HIGHER KNOWLEDGE IN TORONTO (AKA CFC), THE LATTER AN EXPERIENCE THAT WAS “THE BEST YEAR OF HIS LIFE”!

AFTER JUST OVER 17 YEARS IN THE RESERVES, JUMPING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN CLASS B AND THE CIVILIAN SECTOR, INCLUDING DRIVING A TOW TRUCK (THE STREETS OF EDMONTON WERE NEVER THE SAME), BEING A COURIER (VICTORIA AND EDMONTON ARE GLAD THAT HE LEFT), FALLING TREES (MOSTLY SAFELY), BEING A PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE MEDIATOR AND TRAINER (FOR THOSE WHO KNOW JAMES, THIS IS A BIT OF IRONY). WHILE GENERALLY DOING COOL STUFF, NONE OF IT REALLY PAID WELL AND SO JAMES JOINED THE REGS IN 2002. IRONICALLY, HIS FIRST POSTING WAS AS RSS AT 33 SVC BN, WHERE HE WAS LUCKY TO FALL UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF MIKE RAFFERTY, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CHANGED HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE. SERVING OVER THE NEXT 22 PLUS YEARS, JAMES HAD INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES BOTH IN CANADA AND OVERSEAS, COMPLETING FOUR OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS, AND A POSTING TO THE CANADIAN ARCTIC, THE LATER WHICH REMAINS THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS CAF CAREER. OTHER INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDED TWO OUTCAN POSTINGS, ONE IN BELLA NAPOLI, ITALIA, DURING WHICH HIS LIFE-LONG AFFINITY FOR COFFEE AND LA DOLCE VITA WERE FIRMLY CEMENTED, AND THE SECOND AT JFC BRUNSSUM IN THE NETHERLANDS. ALONG THE WAY, JAMES HAS BEEN TRULY LUCKY TO HAVE SERVED WITH SOME INCREDIBLE PEOPLE, INCLUDING: MIKE RAFFERTY (OLD MAN WINTER), RICK O’NEILL (THE GREAT EASTER FLIGHT PLAN!), STEVE HART (“NO, OPS O, YOU CAN’T DO THAT”), TREVOR CADIEUX (SKI SCHOOL!), JAKE FRENCH (WHY IS THE NAVY IN YELLOWKNIFE, ANYWAY?), LARRY CLARKE (BEST USM EVER: “SIR, CAN WE TALK? …. IN YOUR OFFICE … PRIVATELY … AND DON’T SEND THE EMAIL QUITE YET”), ROSS WEATHERBEE (“THE LIGHTS ARE TOO FLASHY, SIR”), PETER RAINEY (“SIR, THE GUCCI KIT IS NOT FOR YOU, ONLY FOR THE TROOPS ACTUALLY WORKING OUTSIDE … IN THE ARCTIC WINTER … SIR”), JOHN HAYLOCK (DONKEYS!), SCOTT KENNEDY (“AH, OPS O …? WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT YOUR CONCEPT OF SELFCON”), STEVE BLAIR (“OPS O, YOU SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY THOUGHT THIS THROUGH A BIT LONGER … AND WHERE ARE YOUR SOCKS …?!”), KRISTIAN UDESEN (“WE SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT ONE THROUGH A BIT BETTER …”), JEREMY MACDONALD (“LOOK, I DIVE … AND WORK … OCCASIONALLY”), ADAM MCCABE (“COFFEE REALLY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THROUGH THIS”), ANDREW COLPITTS (“SIR, I REALLY DON’T WANT TO SPEND TWO DAYS IN THAT TWIN OTTER …”), JENNIFER “MM” JONES PARKER (“OKAY, JAMES … SIT BACK DOWN …. YOU LOOK THIRSTY, YOU SHOULD DRINK SOME WINE”), REBECCA “BECKS” MIEDEMA (“THE MISSION FAILS WITHOUT THE MOPS AND BROOMS”), SHEILA CHAPMAN (“REALLY, JAMES?! WHAT WERE YOU … THINKING”), AUDREY MORALES (THE BIG KAHUNA!), JANE ANN SWIM (DON’T SIGN THAT QUITE YET, SIR … JUST SAYING), BRIAN JOHNSON (“THE CEL PHONE WILL WORK OUT THERE … I THINK; CALL ME”), AND A WHOLE WHACK OF OTHERS WHO I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY MISSED HEREIN. THANK YOU. THE PEOPLE MAKE IT, REGARDLESS OF, AND EVEN IN SPITE OF, EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO EACH DAY. WE ARE LUCKY TO BE AMONGST SUCH TRULY EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE WHO GIVE SO SELFLESSLY EVERY DAY.