Master Warrant Officer Bradley (Brad) Michael Ethier, CD2 (Canadian Forces’ Decoration second clasp) (07 April 1964 – 11 June 2023) – joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in the Army Reserve as an infantryman with the Algonquin Regiment in North Bay, ON, in March 1981. Two years later, he was released from the CAF to attend college and then in April 1984 rejoined the military as a Mobile Support Equipment Operator with the 26 Service Battalion.
Master Warrant Officer Ethier transferred to the Regular Force in September 1987 and completed the Performance Orientated Electronics Training at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston, and CFB Borden, and was selected to be a Communication Radar Systems Technician, and in May 1989 was posted to 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta.
Master Warrant Officer Ethier worked in the Base Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Organization Traditional Avionics Labs, 1 Air Maintenance Squadron Aerodrome Reporting (AMS ARO) Officer, and finally at 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron. While with the fighter squadrons, he deployed to Aviano, Italy, in April 1999 in support of Operation ECHO, NATO’s contribution to the former Yugoslavia.
In March 2003, Master Warrant Officer Ethier was appointed to the rank of Master Corporal and posted to 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, now known as 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, as a Junior Maintenance Supervisor on the CH-146 Griffon Helicopter.
Master Warrant Officer Ethier was then promoted to Sergeant and posted to 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, in July 2009. While there, he deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in March 2011 in support of Joint Task Force Afghanistan Canadian Helicopter Force Roto 11. In July 2014, Master Warrant Officer Ethier was promoted to Warrant Officer and posted back to Garrison Petawawa with 450 Squadron Tactical Helicopter Squadron to work on the CH-147F Chinook helicopters.
In July 2019, Master Warrant Officer Ethier was posted to 444 Combat Support Squadron at 5 Wing/CFB Goose Bay in Labrador as the Senior Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent/Employment & Training Officer and was promoted to the rank of Master Warrant Officer in June 2021, where he was then appointed the Squadron Warrant Officer (SWO). This position gave him great pride, and he served as the 444 Squadron SWO until his passing, after over 41 years of dedicated service to the CAF.
Master Warrant Officer Ethier is survived by his parents, Paul and Janice, sister Christine, and brothers Randy and Michael. Brad will be fondly remembered by members of the military he befriended throughout his career, especially as an avid hunter, fisherman, and expert outdoorsman. A celebration of life will take place on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at 9 a.m. at the Queen of Peace Chapel, 22 Wing/CFB North Bay, followed by a full military internment ceremony, with firing party, at 11 a.m. at the St. Thomas D’Aquin Cemetery in Astorville, Ontario.
The family would like to thank the staff of Labrador Health Centre, Master Warrant Officer Craig Pye, Captain Samantha Watson-Fredette, and the members of 444 Squadron for their dedicated support to Brad over the last months of his life.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Brad’s memory can be made to the ‘Soldier On Fund’ at soldieron.ca/ and the ‘Canadian Cancer Society’ at cancer.ca/en/ would be greatly appreciated by the family.