Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Colonel Zdunich joined the Canadian Army in 1986, attending College Militaire Royal de St Jean where he graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree in Military and Strategic Studies. Posted to the 12e Regiment Blinde du Canada in Quebec City, he served as a tank and reconnaissance troop leader, deploying to Bosnia in that capacity with United Nations Protection Forces in 1992 and again in 1993. While assigned as an instructor at the Armour School in Gagetown, New Brunswick, LCol Zdunich was selected as an Aide de Camp to the Governor General of Canada (Romeo Leblanc) and served at Rideau Hall in Ottawa from 1995 to 1996.
After a tour in the Central African Republic and graduation from the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in 1999, he became the Operations Officer of 12eRBC where he remained until posting to National Defence Command Centre in the summer of 2001. In 2003 he returned to Valcartier and assumed command of what became the Kabul Multinational Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron group, deploying with his unit to Afghanistan in 2004. Upon return to Canada he worked as the Army’s reconnaissance doctrine subject matter expert in Kingston until 2005 when, with the establishment of Canada Command, he was selected as the first Director of the organization’s Joint Command Centre, a position he held until his retirement from the Regular Force in August, 2006 when he transferred to the Primary Reserve.
LCol Zdunich holds a Masters Degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada (2003), and was appointed the 58th Commanding Officer of The Queen’s York Rangers in September, 2008. In his civilian career, he is the Vice – President of Professional Services for CPAS Systems, a pension administration software company, and is the proud father of a daughter, Trinity, who resides with him in Toronto.
Regimental
Sergeant Major
Chief Warrant Officer Lawson joined The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps in the summer of 1987, initially serving with The Ontario Regiment in Oshawa. After becoming qualified on the Cougar Armoured Vehicle as a Driver and Gunner, he completed the Combat Leaders Course, and was promoted to the leadership rank of Master Corporal in December of 1988. CWO Lawson maintained his crewman duties and was employed full time as the CMA Commander’s driver. In 1990 he deployed to the Middle East as a member of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), the first of two UN peacekeeping deployments, and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1992. He again donned the Blue Beret for peacekeeping duties with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia in 1994-95. Upon his return he occupied various leadership and staff positions at the troop and squadron level within his Regiment to a level that resulted in his promotion to Warrant Officer in 1996.
CWO Lawson qualified as an armoured gunnery coach, and instructed at the Armour School in Gagetown, New Brunswick. Moving to Oakville in 2000 as part of his civilian work commitments, CWO Lawson joined the Queen’s York Rangers and was employed immediately within the Reconnaissance Squadron as a Troop Warrant Officer. Later appointments saw him adopt added responsibility within the Squadron coordinating operations and then as the Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) upon his promotion to Master Warrant Officer in 2004, and accepting the responsibilities of SSM to the Domestic Response Unit Recce Sqn, and composite Recce Sqns at the last 3 summer training concentrations. CWO Lawson was promoted to his current rank in May 2007 when he was appointed RSM of the Queen’s York Rangers.
In his civilian career, he is a firefighter with the Oakville Fire Department. He is married to Mrs Wiggy Mabalay and is father to three girls.
