Dear Atoms,

          Before starting to ramble on about myself I would like to take this chance to say hi to any old friends or teachers stumbling onto this page. Okay! So who the hell was Robert Colbourne and what ever happened to him?

Thinking back to my years spent in E.L.S.S. between 79-84, I remember a young man who loved life and lived it to it’s fullest. Life back in high school was good. My best memories revolve from my volleyball and basketball teams days, and all the time spent flirting around those beautiful E.L.S.S. women with my 3 best friends.

After graduating in 84, I went to Cambrian College in Sudbury where I took a Law and Security course. My time at college only lasted as long as the basketball season, which forced me to plan B and enlisting into the Canadian Armed Forces.

Enrolling into the Infantry Corps I was sent to the Royal 22 Regiment in Quebec City. Spending 4 interesting years in CFB Valcartier, it’s there that I met my wife, friend and lifelong partner. Promoted Master Corporal in 87, I made several exciting trips while in Quebec, which includes Norway, England, France, Germany and all throughout the U.S.A.

 In 89, I was qualified as an airborne paratrooper in Edmonton, which forever changed my life. Posted shortly afterwards to Petawawa as a volunteer, I became part of 1 Commando of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. This move closer to my birthplace of Mattawa would turn out to be the wisest decision that I would make in my career. The Airborne allowed me to challenge myself both mentally and physically while doing training that I only dreamed of attempting.

Promoted Sergeant in 90, the airborne initiated me to mountain climbing that I would come to truly enjoy. I later went on to complete their 2 month long Instructor course in the incredibly beautiful Kananaskis Valley near Banff which included both rock and glacier training.

The next year saw me cutting a path through underbrush in the South American jungles of French Guyana. I spent 1 month in a French Foreign Legion Jungle School learning how to survive and fight in their Equatorial Forest (jungle)

       In Dec 91, Santa Claus brought me twin boys for X-MAS. Roch and Vincent were delivered with my help on the 21 Dec. 91 in Ottawa. They were a gift from heaven weighing only 4 ½ pounds each.

Exactly 1 year later, I was deployed with the CAR to Somalia as part of Operation Deliverance. Although history will remember a different story, the Somalia mission was a success story, which turned horribly wrong. I remained in the CAR during all the trials and media attention trying, along with other members of the CAR, to right the wrongs and show Canadians that a few bad apples do not represent the whole Regiment.

During that last year in the CAR, 12 members of the airborne set up and completed an expedition to Mt.Robson (3954m / 12,969') in Alberta. We peaked, 7 of 12 members that 27^th of Aug. 94, the very day before my 30th birthday. I remained in the CAR till it was disbanded in 95 and was posted to my current location in Trenton Ont. as part of the Canadian Airborne Center (CABC) which was renamed Canadian Parachute Center (CPC). Here I was employed as a Parachute/Mountain Instructor teaching various airborne related courses including Helicopter and Drop Zone Operations.

In Dec 99, I was truly honoured by Ottawa’s National Capital Committee when they asked me and 4 other members of my unit to set up and perform a climb up the Peace Tower for a New Year’s celebration. We did it in front of a 50,000 + crowd and as one of the 2 climbers it was an incredible thrill to be able to close of the Millennium in this fashion.

In June 01, I was promoted to Warrant officer and posted back to Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in the 1^st Royal 22^nd Regiment. I went back to the very building and office that I had started off in 16 years earlier as a butt private. Here close to Quebec City I live and work training for whatever mission Canada is involved with.

To all E.LS.S. Alumni out there keep in touch and don’t ever forget from where you’re from! GO ATOMS