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BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN (RETIRED)

Brad Power works on Pumper 242, but he spent the previous 23 years with the Canadian Armed Forces. He retired in 2021 as a Search and Rescue Technician, holding the rank of Sargent.

Brad started his military career in 1998 as an Army Reservist with the 728 Communication Squadron in St. John’s Newfoundland. He transferred over to the Regular Forces in 1999 and was posted to the Signals Regiment in Kingston, Ontario.

In 2001, a few weeks after 9-11, he deployed on his first overseas tour with NATO Forces, on ‘Op Palladium’ in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He served there for six months as part of the NATO contingent on a peace-keeping mission.

He received the NATO Medal and the Peacekeeping Medal for his efforts there. As a Signaller, he worked in the Comms Centre for the Canadian Camp, enabling his units to communicate with other units, and with Canada.

In 2002, Brad took part in the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen event, which is the largest multiple day marching event in the world. It takes place in the city of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. It is a four day, 160 km march, where participants carry a 25-pound rucksack. Military personnel and civilians come from around the world to participate.

“On one of the days, the marching route stopped at the Canadian War Grave Cemetery. We had the opportunity to pay our respects to some of the 7,600 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the Netherlands during WW2. Canadians are highly respected in the Netherlands, even to this day, since our soldiers led the eight month campaign to liberate the Netherlands during WW2”. In 2003, Brad was part of Mercury Trek, which was an 8,500 km bicycle ride across Canada. Brad was with 24 other Military Signallers on the ride. They were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Military Communication branch. They were riding in the spirit of the first Signallers, who delivered messages by bicycle. They started in Victoria, B.C. in mid-April, and completed the ride in his hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland on July 1st.

“Crossing the country on a bike really allowed us to take in the cultures, sights, and the individual spirit of small towns across our land. We were hosted by a different town each night. We slept in school gyms, churches, Legions, campgrounds, and one time in an old shed full of construction