pipe major

Pipe Major CWO John Vass, MMM, CD

pipe major Chief Warrant Officer John Vass was born on 12 February 1950 at Penticton B.C. He joined the Canadian Army (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) in May 1967 and underwent basic training at the PPCLI Depot in Edmonton, Alberta. In October 1967 he moved to the RCEME School in Kingston, Ontario for vehicle tech(nician) trades training.

On the completion of trades training in August 1968 he was posted to 207 Workshop Kingston, he completed a basic para course in 1970 and in 1971 he moved to 1 Canadian Signal Regiment where he remained until 1972. He was then posted to the Canadian Airborne Regiment in Edmonton where he was employed in various jobs, he completed his Jumpmaster course in 1974 and in 1977 he was promoted to Sergeant and moved to Petawawa with the Regiment.

In 1978 he was posted to CFS Kamloops B.C. as NCO I/C Maintenance and remained there until promotion to Warrant Officer and posted to Baden Soellingen, Germany in 1980. In 1983 he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer and posted to CFB Chilliwack B.C. In 1986 he was posted back to Petawawa and the Canadian Airborne Regiment as the ETQMS (Engineer Technical Quartermaster Sergeant). He completed a tour in Cyprus and was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in 1988 and was then posted to 2 Service Battalion as the ETSM (Engineer Technicial Sergeant Major) of Maintenance Company.

In 1991 he was posted to National Defence Headquarters as career manager for the 411 Vehicle Tech trade. In 1994 he was back in Petawawa as the RSM of 2 Service Battalion and remained there until 1998. While in 2 Service Battalion he completed three tours in the former Yugoslavia, 1994/95 *UNPROFOR, 1996 **IFOR and 1998 ***SFOR.

In Sept 1998 he was posted to Base EME Workshop in Kingston as the B Maint O and in May 1999 he was appointed Base Chief Warrant Officer. Posted to Ottawa in 2002, he assumed position as the EME Branch Chief Warrant Officer overseeing every Maintainer in the Canadian Forces.

Throughout his entire career, Chief Vass never let on to anyone that he played the bagpipes. Despite all the of the Pipe Bands in as many locations, he kept his talent and his hobby to himself. After retiring from the Forces and settling outside of Kingston Ontario, in the summer of 2005, Mr. Vass had the opportunity to step into the appointment of Pipe Major from the then retiring Sgt. Jeff Donnelly who had command of not only the PWOR band but was also the Pipe Major for the Royal Military College Pipes and Drums as well. After recieving his honourary Chief Warrant Officer Rank from former Commanding Officer Colonel Howard Coombs on parade in front of the Regiment and the Band, Chief Vass, though retired, retains the rank of CWO, under the appointment of Pipe Major where he is currently.

In the Fall of 2007 CWO Vass' nephew, Brendan Hogan, a Royal Canadian Army Cadet with 2587 PWOR joined the Pipe Band and plays full time along side his Uncle in Command.

*United Nations Protection Force - Croatia
**Implementation Force - Bosnia and Herzegovina
***Stabilization Force - Bosnia and Herzegovina