Military Wing Sergeant Major
MWO Skinner A.J.L., CD1, CD2
Master Warrant Officer Skinner was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He enrolled in the Youth Training Enrollment Program (YTEP) as an Artilleryman in the summer of 1983. He was given the choice of completing his training in either Shilo Manitoba where his father was the School RSM, or in Petawawa Ontario at the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle School.
Upon completion of his basic and trades training, in Petawawa, MWO Skinner was posted to the E Battery (Bty) Para 2RCHA. Successfully completing his jump course he remained with the Para Bty for the first five years of his career. He displayed a technical aptitude and completed both his basic and advanced tech courses for employment in the Bty command post. His time in E Bty included a tour to Cyprus in the fall and winter of 1985/86. It was at this time that he was promoted to MBdr and enjoyed the last two months of the tour as a line NCO.
In early 1989 MWO Skinner was promoted to Sergeant and was selected to attend the year long continuous French course in Valcartier PQ. He successfully completed his second language training and was posted to the 5ieme Regiment Legere du Canada as a member of Romeo Bty and remained there until the summer of 1993.
In 1990 MWO Skinner deployed as a member of 5 Brigade to OKA in the role of Bty Command Post Supervisor. In 1991 he completed his Forward Observation Technicians course and was employed in an OP party, call sign 31. In 1992 he was tasked to 2RCR and deployed to Bosnia as the Welfare NCO, spending the last two months of the tour on the coast of Croatia in the small town of Ploce. Shortly after returning from tour he was posted to the Royal Canadian Artillery Battle School in CFB Shilo, MB.
MWO Skinner spent four years in the Battle School from 1993 until the summer of 1997. He instructed on and filled the position of Troop Sergeant Major(TSM)/Course WO for a variety of courses, including; basic Artillery trade qualification, reserve basic training, reserve basic technician and junior leadership courses. He was also able to complete his Senior Leadership, demolition instructor and Assistant Instructor of Gunnery (AIG) courses. In the summer of 1996 was he was promoted to WO.
In the summer of 1997, after completion of his AIG course, MWO Skinner was posted to the Field Artillery School in CFB Gagetown, NB. After only one year in the Arty School, he asked for and received a posting back to 2RCHA in Petawawa. He remained in 2RCHA from 1998 until his posting this summer to RMC.
During his second stint in 2RCHA MWO Skinner completed 2 tours to Afghanistan, filled every WO job in the Regiment and spent time as a member of each of the four Btys. In 2003 he completed his Arthur Radar course in Hjerkin Norway and deployed on Op Athena Roto 0 as the Radar TSM. In 2006 as the Regimental Ops WO he attended the NATO school in Oberammergau Germany, completing his Targeting and Weaponeering courses. In 2007 fate intervened on his side allowing him to deploy to Afghanistan a second time, this time in a Gun Line TSM position as a member of Task Force 1-07. Most recently MWO Skinner was employed as the 2RCHA Regimental Command Post Officer(RCPO) or in other words the Regimental training officer.
MWO Skinner has been happily married for 22 years to his wife Jennifer. They have two children; a daughter Natalie who is attending the University of Ottawa and a son Andrew who is in his final year of high school.
