Major (Ret’d) Kerry Mould

After joining the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989, Kerry Mould completed his basic training in Chilliwack, British Columbia and went on to serve as a construction engineer.  He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who served in the same role during the Second World War. His grandfather helped build the Alaska Highway and airfields across Canada and Alaska.

Over the next decade, Kerry Mould was posted to engineering sections across the country, including places like Goose Bay, Labrador, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I don't really care what mission to go on, I just want to go on a mission.

Despite his many postings to Canadian Forces Bases across Canada, Mould always dreamed of serving internationally on a United Nations (UN) Mission.

“The actual section that arranges for all the deployments of personnel from the Air Force to UN missions was one floor down from where I worked,” Mould says. “So I went down and badgered the guys and said, you know, I really want to go, I don't really care what mission to go on, I just want to go on a mission.”

After completing the UN military observers course at CFB Kingston, Mould was placed on a contingency standby list for UN missions. In early 2001, he finally got his chance, learning he would deploy to East Timor as part of ongoing peacekeeping efforts in the country.

“I was excited.  It was something that I had worked through my whole career towards, at that point, I'd been in the military about 12 years,” Mould says.

Mould and two other Canadians were part of the second and last rotation of Canadian staff officers in East Timor from October 2001 until March 2002. There, he worked in the mission headquarters, which was responsible for commanding all the peacekeeping forces within the country. Originally, Mould thought he was going to work as a construction engineer during that mission. But when he arrived, he was told that position had been filled and was assigned to the information section.

You don't realize it when you come from a wealthy first world country, how much you take for granted.

At the time, East Timor had recently gained its independence. Mould was assigned to create a handbook that described the current political parties, their positions and bases of support for the UN, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and aid organizations working in the country.

So I got an opportunity to travel and go and visit with multiple leaders,” Mould says. “It was a fascinating experience.”

Mould also gathered intelligence on day-to-day events in the country and briefed military commanders, NGOs and aid organizations with the UN mission.

“I left in March of 2002,” Mould says. “It's a very difficult thing to build a country from the ground up. And I saw that firsthand. There was a long road ahead of East Timor. You don't realize it when you come from a wealthy first world country, how much you take for granted.”

In 2003 Kerry Mould spent a year deployed to the Golan Heights in Syria before returning to CFB Trenton.

After a 20-year military career, Mould retired in 2009 while working as a level one engineer for the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in Ottawa.

Since then, he has been recognized for his work with the Canadian Association of Veterans of United Nations Peacekeeping (CAVUNP). He received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for his work with CAVUNP’s John Gardam chapter, including the annual commemorative event held at Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument on National Peacekeepers’ Day in Ottawa.

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Kerry Mould has left his mark. Discover more stories.

You can also listen to his podcast episode.