The Veterans' Journey
By Jamie O'Hare & William Simmons
The Veterans' JourneyOct 04, 2020
Greg always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up: to be a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Greg’s childhood ambition led him to become a Combat Engineer and before long his superiors saw his potential, and he was selected amongst his peers to commence Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and eventually deployed to detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in Afghanistan.
Following his time with the CAF, Greg served as an advisor with the United Nations (UN). With an excellent sense of humour, Greg details how he went from a “bullet catcher” in the CAF into a career in Cyber Security with a limited background in tech, and finally becoming the Head of Cyber Security with WithYouWithMe (WYWM) with the help of Ernst & Young (EY), and the Cyber Workforce Enablement Program (CWEP).
Veterans sign up to the platform for free tech training https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Skills like leadership do not get translated to the public sector. There is a lack of recognition of potential and this makes it hard for those transitining from the military.
Michel “Mike” Toupin joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1996 as an Armoured Recce Driver, and quickly saw the value in getting involved in joining the IT Support Staff.
Soon thereafter, Mike Occupational Transferred (OT) to the world of RMS before leaving the military and joining the Canadian Public Service in the IM/IT sector within the Department of National Defence.
Beginning in Valcariter, Québec, and through his experiences in the Combat Arms, as a self professed IT nerd, Mike has represented Canada domestically and internationally, including long stints in Afghanistan, Budapest Hungary, and Belgrade, Siberia, before becoming one of the leading Cloud Architects within DND.
Mike possesses a wealth of experience, and a good sense of humor to compliment his professional contributions to the federal government, and has dedicated himself to constantly improving his technical skills and abilities.
Balancing family & health was a struggle that makes perseverance a key point in this weeks episode. Infantryman to Cyber Security Cloud Analyst.
Vince took his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in September 2020 to start a brand new career in the world of cybersecurity!
Vince first joined the CAF as a 16 year old reservist in Montréal, and later served as a Crew Commander with the Princess Patricia Light Infantry (PPCLI). Without a background in tech, Vince dove headfirst into an exciting, and rewarding, career.
Vince will be graduating in August of 2021 from his Cyber Security studies, and has recently joined the WYWM team in Canada as a Cyber Security Cloud Analyst!
Christopher has always seen the value of technologist opportunities in both the CAF and as a civilian, and is passionate about assisting transitioning CAF members into tech roles!
Christopher Boyd served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with the Royal Canadian Navy as a Weapons Engineering Technician and has since transitioned into Software Engineering.
Post-service, Christopher applied to the York University - Lassonde School of Engineering in Toronto, ON, and has focused his studies on upskilling in Advanced Software Engineering, Advanced Data Structures, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Big Data Systems, Data Mining, Artificial Intelligence, Database Systems, Software Design.
Christopher has always seen the value of technologist opportunities in both the CAF and as a civilian, and is passionate about assisting transitioning CAF members into tech roles!
Veterans sign up to the platform for free tech training https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Anywhere from 2.5 to 3 million in training, degree to masters level, why is it so hard to transfer these skills after leaving the military?
Andrew (Andy) Choquette served for over 34 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.
After two years as a military policeman in Québec City with 55 MPL, and another two years without a plan, he listened to his father, believed the CAF recruiter who had regaled him with tales of exotic locales such as CFS Bermuda, and enrolled in the Communications Research trade.
Initial tours of Leitrim, Alert, and Czech language training, led him to tours of Somalia, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. Andy spent his career continuously upskilling within the Comms Research trade and went from learning morse code to conducting enhanced cyber operations with NATO satellites.
After obtaining the rank of Chief Warrant Officer, Andy accepted a commission and retired from the CAF as a Captain. Following retirement from the CAF, Andy worked tirelessly within Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), Economic Development Canada (EDC), and the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group (CAF TG), to better improve transition outcomes for releasing CAF members and their families.
Currently, on a one-year academic sabbatical, Andy is completing his MBA at the Levine School of Business at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan.
Veterans sign up to the platform for free tech training http://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Getting stopped for thinking outside the box while in the forces? Maybe it's a sign the time to transition has come.
Veda Rajole is a former Master Corporal Medic from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Since releasing from the CAF in 2017, Veda has started a business with his business partner (also a CAF veteran), and has established a successful cafe called Les Mouilins La Fayette in downtown Ottawa.
Join us as we speak to Veda about his military career, the skills he acquired in the CAF that have helped him transition from the military into entrepreneurship, how he has been surviving COVID-19 as a small business owner, and advice for former CAF members looking to start a business following their military career.
Veterans sign up to the platform for free tech training http://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Military Police to Toronto Police Officer
Mark Michael is a constable with the Toronto Police Services (TPS), and previously served
in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a member of the Military Police. Mark’s time in the CAF includes domestic deployments throughout Canada and an overseas deployment in the Sinai, Egypt as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).
The MFO is responsible for overseeing the peacekeeping operations between the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the State of Israel. Mark shares his incredible insight into the training in the CAF, and the skills that CAF members possess that best prepare them for transition out of the military and into the civilian labor market.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
From Civilian To The CAF To Transitioning Out And Filling the Void That Was Left, With Education.
The amount of risk you have to take is huge when in the forces so once you have your challenges you constantly have to grow beyond just a proficiency level.
David uses this as his superpower and excels in the civilian field.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
19 Years in the Armed Forces to Entrepreneur by Means of Leadership, Strategy and Performance Management.
This week, the Veteran's Journey is joined by Julien Chaput-Lemay, who is currently enrolled in the Data/analytics program. Julien served in the CAF as an infantry officer from 2001 to 2020 and retired last March to become an entrepreneur. As the responsible manager for personnel, operations, logistics and intelligence, Julien was able to acquire solid experience in leadership, strategic planning, and performance management.
Of note, Julien served as the Canadian Army lead business planner, line and service company commander at 2nd Battalion Royal 22e Regiment. Julien deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009., and completed his command and staff college at l’École de guerre in Paris in 2017-2018.
Finally, Julien obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a master’s of history of ideas, and an MBA, and has published a few papers on various subjects ranging from lean management, close-range anti-tank warfare, and the warrior ethos.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Preparing for a Role in the Private Sector as a Veteran
This week's guest is Michael Nelson. Michael has served with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) since 2009 as an Intelligence Officer and deployed in theatre throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Since then, Michael entered the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and founded his own business CINTIQS:
a company that provides military, industry, and business expertise to help other businesses thrive in the global MilTech eco-system and beyond.
Michael speaks about how the training and deployment opportunities provided by the CAF prepared him for a career in the private sector, and how military experiences situate CAF members perfectly to transfer successfully from the military.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
Continued Learning and Up-Skilling and its Positive Effects Post CAF.
This week's guest is Chris Munro, a Program Advisor-Veterans Transition to Education and lecturer at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.
Chris Munro was 17 years old when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), participating in Canada’s 1980s peacekeeping missions for the rest of his early adulthood.
In his early 50’s, Chris completed his Master of Social Work as a graduate from Ryerson University’s Spanning the Gaps program, where he is now employed as a Veterans Transition to Education coordinator.
Chris talks about transition and the positive benefits that continued learning and upskilling will have for members leaving the CAF.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu
The unique skills miliatry members gain that makes them invaluable in civilian technology roles.
This week we are joined by Derek Dobson, a Global Defence Co-Lead with Ernst and Young (EY). Derek is a strong advocate for the Cyber Workforce Enablement Program (CWEP).
Derek’s military career spanned 20 years in both the British Army and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Since then, Derek successfully transitioned into the private sector and has become a public promoter for military members transitioning out of the military, and passionately highlights the unique skills that military members gain and possess through their military service.
Derek believes their experiences make military members and veterans ideal candidates for future employment in Cyber.
If you want to get started on your journey jump in through this link! https://go.withyouwithme.com/veteransjourneysu