8027

 

8027 Ron Dickenson

1969 Review

     

 

Military

After grad I was posted to 1 RCR London, where my first position was Infantry platoon commander. We first spent the summer on the Petawawa plains training Militia units (my trainees won the top regiment award). In 1970 we spent seven months under UNFICYP on peacekeeping duties. Days after repatriation to Canada we were called out to Quebec for the FLQ crisis (the wives were not happy.)

 

In Jan 1973 in Edmonton I took my second parachutist course where I seriously injured my lower back and right hip during the ground phase of training. Being young, physically fit, determined and heeding Chief Pitt’s advice “Shit or Bust, gentlemen,” I completed the course, with my “Wings” and a total of eleven certified jumps.

 

In March my pain became so unmanageable, I was taken to London veterans’ hospital, where they found I had ruptured two discs in my lower back on the course. Immediate surgery followed, and I eventually returned to limited duty. I describe this background in some detail because it significantly affected the rest of my military career and life.

 

Now physically unable to do physical tasks of an Infantry officer, my file went before a medical review board. I was allowed to remain in the military, with compulsory medical remuster in 1974 to personnel selection officer [PSO]. This required education and training in behavioural sciences. Being an RMC “pass Arts” grad, I began night, intersession and summer courses in honours psychology, at UWO and then Queen’s. In 1983 I was accepted into full time post-grad studies at Queen’s, graduating with an MA (Psychology).

 

As a PSO, I worked at base, command and national defence headquarters levels in a variety of different positions. As a field PSO, I advised commanders on their personnel and did assessment, testing, interviewing and counselling of military members for voluntary and compulsory career change. Change included occupational remuster programs, officer production programs and second career assistance counselling and support.

 

Some further military positions:

·         CFTS – Command PSO. Provided technical supervision and support for eleven BPSOs on our five major training bases;

·         NDHQ – section head, Directorate of Military Psychology. Coordinated and supported behavioural science research projects sponsored by commands and training establishments;

·         RMC – sessional assistant professor, Department of Military Psychology and Leadership. Taught psychology courses on-site, and authored/taught courses online for the Division of Continuing Studies;

·         NDHQ – policy analyst, Directorate of Personnel Policy. Conducted research and advised senior leadership on individual rights policies and procedures; drafted updated CF harassment policy;

·         NDHQ – head of CF Second Career Assistance Network, a very challenging and rewarding position, as the Force Reduction Program (FRP) was in full swing at the time. My team helped a lot of members and I was proud of them. However it was time for me to “take off the uniform” which I did in August 1995. I retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel officially in March 1996 after 33 years of military service.

 

Civilian

I created a management consulting company, with the majority of clients coming from DND. Examples of contract work:

·         RMC - taught psychology courses on-site and online for a total of 20 years, starting in 1995;

·         NDHQ (SA/CDS) – organized and conducted two elicitation studies using focus groups to Identify Leadership and Ethical Challenges Experienced by Canadian Forces [1) Officers and 2) Non-Commissioned Officers] on Operational Missions;

·         Canadian Forces Leadership Institute – conducted 3-day workshop on Interviewing Skills and Focus Groups;

·         Canadian Forces College:

o    presented lecture on Personnel Sustainment to Advanced Strategic Management Course;

o   academic instructor, Joint Command and Staff Program (online) for five years. Counselled students and marked assignments and essays on-line. Taught/assessed students in two residential terms at CFC for each ten-month course;

·         NDHQ (DArmd) – researcher and project leader for development and provision of mental training for the 8Ch Canadian Army Trophy team, Lahr. Clients were very pleased with the program and results.

Family

My first wife Jackie and I secretly married before grad, then publicly in December 1969. We raised three wonderful children who this year are 51, 50, and 48. After 30 years we separated and then divorced in 2002. One month after Jackie remarried, I met my second (and final) wife Mary. We were married in the RMC chapel one year later, complete with Cadet sword arch and highland dancing. I got to be a dad again with Mary’s two lovely children who this year are 37 and 35. In 2021 we moved to Lanark County after “rehabilitating” a boarded up stone house originally built by Mary’s ancestors in 1830. We have been happily married for 21 years.

 

Thank you for reading my mini bio. I wish all my classmates, wives, partners and families good health and happiness.

 Ron, TDV!