Conrad Westerson, CD, MPA, P.Eng joined the Canadian primary reserve militia in January of 1983 with the 20th Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery. Conrad transferred to the Regular Force as a Marine Engineering Technologist. Spending 2 years in Cornwall, Ontario and achieving his Auxiliary Machinery Operators Certificate and Leading Seaman Rating and spent the next 6 months attending Junior Leadership and his Trade Qualification 5 training. Posted to the West Coast, he spent the next 5 years steaming 300 out of every 365 days and reached the rating of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Conrad attended Royal Roads Military College in Victoria for Pre-Engineering and was transferred from the Navy to the Canadian Military Engineers as an Airfield Engineer. Conrad was posted to Winnipeg, as the Wing Construction Engineering Officer during the flood of the Century in 1997. Conrad was then posted to Cold Lake, where he oversaw preparations in response to 9/11. He was deployed to Kelowna in 2003 in support of Op Peregrine (forest fire operations) as the Operations Officer for a detachment of Cold Lake personnel. After, Conrad was posted to Canadian Forces Base Suffield where he assisted in the re-writing of the British Army Training Unit Suffield 25 Year Agreement.
On September 29, 2006, Captain Westerson retired from the Canadian Armed forces after 23 years, having achieved his CD2. Conrad married Lori, and they have three children: Ryan, Shaun and Shaelin. He lives in Lethbridge.
