Major Daniel Matheson is a current member of the Canadian Forces, who hails from Indian Harbour, Nova Scotia, a small fishing community just outside Halifax. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1997 right out of High School under the Regular Officer Training Plan and attended Royal Military College in St Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC and Kingston, ON. Upon graduation in May 2002, he was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. After completing his Artillery Officer training in August 2002, he was posted to 2 Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA) in Petawawa, ON as a Troop Commander in E Battery. He deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan on Operation ATHENA in 2003-2004 with Kabul Multi-National Brigade (F Battery) as Radar Troop Commander. His second tour was in Kandahar, 2006-2007 with Task Force 3-06 1 Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group (E Battery) as a Forward Observation Officer / Forward Air Controller. In June 2007, he was posted to the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery School (RCAS) in Gagetown, New Brunswick and completed the year-long Instructor-in-Gunnery Course (Field). In 2011 he was provided the opportunity to join 1 RCHA in Shilo, MB as principle staff in the capacity of Regimental Command Post Officer (RCPO). He was promoted Major that same year and took Command of A Battery, 1 RCHA in June 2012.
Major Matheson has taken part in two domestic operations as well. He was involved in the Ice Storm clean-up in 1997/1998 as an Officer Cadet attending RMC Prep Year in St Jean; it was his first real exposure to the Canadian Army. Major Matheson said: “My experience during this time impressed upon me the importance of the diverse role the Armed Forces can and should play in times of domestic as well as international strife.” He was also involved Operation PALACI in Roger’s Pass, B.C. first as a Troop Commander in 2003 and as the lead Technical Authority for 1 RCHA in my capacity as RCPO in 2011/12.
Major Matheson visited us at Crestwood in March 2015, along with four other officers from the CFC.
Videos
- 1. Growing up in Nova Scotia.mp4
- 2. Joining the Military.mp4
- 3. Becoming an Artillery Officer.mp4
- 4. Training.mp4
- 5. Second Thoughts during Training.mp4
- 6. Work Life Balance.mp4
- 7. The Quebec Ice Storm.mp4
- 8. The First Afghanistan Deployment.mp4
- 9. On the Job Learning in Kabul.mp4
- 10. Day to day Experiences in Afghanistan.mp4
- 11. 2nd Deployment - Kandahar.mp4
- 12. International Cooperation.mp4
- 13. The Afghan People.mp4
- 14. A Husband and a Father.mp4
- 15. A Husband and a Father continued; PTSD.mp4
