Garey Gabriel, CD, C.E.T

Garey Gabriel was born in the small town of New Germany, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. After leaving New Germany Rural High School, he enrolled in the RCAF in May 1967 and graduated from the Radar and Communications School in Clinton, ON in 1968 and then Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Ordinance and Engineering at CFB Borden, ON in 1969, in the first graduating class of Instrument Electrical Technicians.
His first posting was 429 Tac (T) Sqn, St. Hubert, P.Q. There he received training on the Single Otter as well as the CC115 Buffalo aircraft.
When the Sqn. folded in 1970, he was posted to 424 Sqn, Trenton and continued to work on the Buffalo, Twin Otter, Voyageur and one day each on the Caribou and Dakota a/c. After a 6 month United Nations tour with 116 Air Transport Unit in Ismalia, Egypt where he was appointed M/Cpl WSE, he returned to Trenton and spent a year in labs and engine bay working on Hercules, Buffalo and Boeing 707 engines, props and APU's. After completing the CC130 Hercules and Boeing 707 instrument courses back to back in Jan 1977, he was posted to CFB Summerside to work on the Argus, as well as being promoted to M/Cpl outright. While in Summerside he also worked yet again on the Buffalo and Voyageur in 413 Search and Rescue Sqn. Upon promotion to Sgt in 1981, he was posted to CFB Cold Lake as the NCO i/c of the Instrument Electrical Labs. While here, he received all the required CF18 Instrument Electrical First Line courses and upon promotion to WO in 1985 was posted to 409 Tac (F) Sqn Baden-Solingen as a line servicing WO. While here he applied for and earned the title as a Certified Engineering Technician with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists. In 1988 he was promoted to MWO at 409 Sqn and transferred to CFSATE Borden as a QL 6A and 6B Instructor Supervisor in AERE Sqn where he served as the AERE Sqn MWO and the Base Fluid Services Officer. Two years later in 1990, he was again posted to 409 Sqn Baden, to lead the advanced maintenance party of CF18 aircraft to Qatar in the Persian Gulf in aid of Canada’s commitment to the Gulf War. Upon return to CFB Baden, he was appointed to the Squadron MWO position in 421 Tac (F) Sqn. In 1991 he was promoted to CWO and oversaw the closeout of this unit and worked with 439 Tac (F) Sqn when they disbanded. He was then posted to NDHQ Ottawa in 1992 to what was known then as DASP, Directorate of Avionics Simulators and Photography as an LCMM Supervisor. When DASP was disbanded in 1994, he was posted to the Tutor and T-Bird Cell as an LCMM Supervisor and LCMM. In 1996 the IE FT CWO position was deleted and he was re-assigned as the CC130 Instrument and Electrical LCMM and (TH) CWO. When offered a position as the Base Chief in Cold Lake in late 1998, after consulting with his wife, he decided to retire from the CAF with 31 years and 222 days total service. In Jan 1999 he accepted a job in the CF18 Instrument Electrical Integration Centre of Excellence as Instrument and electrical Integration Manager where he has been ever since. He has been active in private life, running a small appliance repair business and refurbishing laptop computers and batteries. Lately he has been pursuing a passion for BMW’s which he enjoys due to his Germany tour. His most valuable and obvious attributes are his friendly and cooperative demeanour and caring manner towards his co-workers and friends. I you need something; he knows where it is and how to get it.

Garey and his wife of over 40 years, Gale, live in Orleans and have a son who lives with his wife, their daughter and twins in Calgary.