Major Tariq Rasheed, P. Eng, CD

Tariq always aspired to be in the military and is the first in his family to serve. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 7th Toronto (TOR) Regiment RCA in November 2006. As a second Lieutenant, he underwent Artillery Officer training at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) - Shilo and was subsequently commissioned as an Artillery Officer. While with 7th TOR Regiment, he served as a Command Post Officer and Gun Position Officer. Following his promotion to Captain, Tariq served as Battery Captain and fulfilled duties as Assistant Operations Officer. He completed the Forward Observation Officer (FOO) Course in the summer of 2016 and has been deployed on multiple occasions as a FOO with infantry and armoured reconnaissance companies.

After completing the Army Operations Course (AOC), Maj Rasheed transferred to 11 Field Regiment RCA in Guelph and has been Battery Commander (BC) for 29, 16 and 11 Batteries, and Regimental Second-In-Command. In Mar 2019, he deployed on OP NUNALIVUT to the Arctic as a Company Operations Officer. In Jan 2021, Maj Rasheed deployed to Kuwait on OPERATIONS INHERENT RESOLVE (OIR), embedded with the US led, Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Operations Cell, working as Current Operations Planner (CUOPS). During this time, he provided directions and leadership to the Current Operations Plans Section, was tasked with preparing estimates, guidance, and planning efforts for current and future operations throughout Iraq and Syria. For his meritorious service in Kuwait, the Commanding General CJTF-OIR (Iraq & Syria) awarded Maj Rasheed the Joint Service Commendation Medal. In Dec 2024, Tariq was selected to be the next Commanding Officer (CO) of the 11 Field Regiment RCA, with change of command scheduled for Jun 7, 2025.

Tariq Rasheed was born into the middle of five children in the family of a prominent physician in Karachi, Pakistan. After completing high school, he packed a suitcase and moved to the United States on his own to complete his Baccalaureate and Masters’ degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Universities of Arizona and Oklahoma, respectively. He had the opportunity to travel through Europe during internships at an engineering firm in Holland and a nuclear research facility in Germany. Tariq is a licensed Professional Engineer (P. Eng) and began his career in 1998 as a Manufacturing Engineer, for a Tier One Automotive Parts supplier in Canada and fell in love with the country. He also earned the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation and transitioned into project engineering roles to work on many exciting projects with increasing responsibilities. He has over 25 years of practical engineering experience and is currently a Project Manager for a multinational corporation, Hillenbrand Inc. In this role, he works with executive leadership to oversee global projects and strategic initiative for new facility development, business mergers and acquisitions, and new product launches / expansion, focusing on operational efficiencies and successful revenue / market share growth.

Tariq lives in Brampton and is married to his wife, Tabassum, who works for a major pharmaceutical company in oncology research. Together, they are raising three children; Ibraheem, who is completing his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University and is currently following his father’s footsteps in serving the CAF as an Officer Cadet in the Air Force after completing the basic paratrooper course at CFB Trenton; Tahira, who will be heading into secondary school next year and competing to hold her winning title in First Aid competitions with the Army cadets; and Yusuf, a French immersion student in middle school and Petty Officer 2nd class in the Navy League. Tariq enjoys traveling and seeing the world but spends a lot of time right now driving across the GTA to support his kids’ activities. He has completed 75% of his goal to visit every state, province and territory in North America. He is trained in sailing and holds a Pilot License in the Ultra-light Plane category. He enjoys outdoor activities with his family, including hiking, and kayaking. He has recently taken up astronomy and is planning future travel adventures.

Chief Warrant Officer Keith John Steele, CD

Chief Warrant Officer Keith John Steele was born in Ajax, Ontario, but was raised in Port Perry, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science, focusing on Biological Sciences, in 2014. He then attended Queen’s University, where he completed a Bachelor of Education specializing in Biology and Mathematics education in 2015, and further specialized in Physics education in 2018.

In his civilian career, CWO Steele is a Secondary School Teacher with the Upper Grand District School Board, currently teaching Senior Physics at Centennial CVI in Guelph, Ontario.

CWO Steele began his military career in 2005 when he joined the Primary Reserves as an Armoured Soldier with The Ontario Regiment in Oshawa, Ontario. In 2008, he moved to Guelph, Ontario to attend university and subsequently transferred to the 11th Field Regiment, RCA, as a Gunner in 2009. Following his Basic Military Qualification, Soldier Qualification, and Armoured DP1 in 2006, he was employed as an Armoured Crewman from 2006 to 2009. After completing his Artillery DP1 in 2009, he served as a Gun Detachment Member from 2009 to 2011. Upon completing his Primary Leadership Qualification in 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Master Bombardier and took on the role of Gun Detachment Second in Command from 2011 to 2012.

Completing his Gun Area Technical Supervisor course in 2012, he served as his unit's Command Post Supervisor from 2012 to 2015, during which time he also completed his Gun Detachment Second in Command course and was employed as a Gun Detachment Commander. With the completion of his Gun Area Troop Sergeant Major (TSM) course and Intermediate Leadership Qualification in 2015, he served as a Gun Area TSM from 2015 to 2019, and was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer in 2017.

In 2019, he completed his Battery Sergeant Major course, and after finishing his Advanced Leadership Qualification in 2020, he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer. He then served as 29 Battery Sergeant Major in Guelph and 16 Battery Sergeant Major on field exercises for his unit from 2020 to 2024. Upon his promotion to Chief Warrant Officer in 2025, he was appointed as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 11th Field Regiment, RCA.

CWO Steele has been a dedicated instructor since 2011 and continues to take an active role in his unit's Artillery Individual Training, as well as serving as a guest instructor at the Royal Canadian Artillery School, specializing in Mathematics, Ballistics, and the Duties of a Reserve Battery Sergeant Major.

In recognition of his service, CWO Steele was awarded the Canadian Forces' Decoration in 2018. He is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.

Outside of his military and teaching careers, CWO Steele enjoys weightlifting and snowboarding. He is married to his beautiful and supportive wife, Capt Tanya Steele, and together they are raising three wonderful children: Korben, Shaylee, and Sylvia.

Honorary Colonel Linda L.M. Bossi

Major (Retd) Linda L.M. Bossi was appointed as Honorary Colonel of the 11th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery on 14 Nov 22, following a two-year appointment as Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel.

HCol Bossi was born on 13 August 1960 to immigrant parents of German and Dutch origin. She was raised in Guelph, actively pursuing her interests in sports and music (choral and instrumental) and graduated from Centennial C.V.I. in 1978 with Honours.

She joined the 11th Field Regiment (RCA) in February of 1977 as a Private administrative clerk but was also an active member of the regimental band. She attained the rank of Sergeant in 1982 while completing her post-secondary education at the University of Guelph. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics in 1983.

HCol Bossi joined the Regular Forces in August of 1984 as a Lieutenant, direct entry Bioscience Specialist Officer, and was posted to the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment (CFEME), co-located with Defence R&D Canada – Toronto Research Centre (DRDC-TRC) where she spent most of her regular force career as an applied research scientist (promoted to Captain in 1985, Major in 1991, Acting Lieutenant-Colonel from 2002 to 2005 as the Senior Bioscience Officer and Occupation Advisor, reverting to substantive Major from 2005 to 2010). She conceived and led many projects and teams to enhance the protection, capabilities, performance and operational effectiveness of Canadian Armed Forces personnel (particularly aircrew and dismounted soldier systems).

HCol Bossi completed a military-sponsored Master of Science degree in Ergonomics from Loughborough University of Technology (UK) in 1993, graduating with distinction. In 2010 she began at a civilian defence scientist manager position as Section Head of DRDC-TRC Human Systems Integration Section, thus ending her 33 year career in the CAF. Her civilian defence science career continues as a bench scientist; in addition to project leadership responsibilities, she continues her own scientific work within the soldier systems domain focusing on the survivability tradespace (specifically the impact of load and kit design on mobility, lethality and susceptibility to enemy action).

HCol Bossi’s honours and awards include: Chief of Defence Commendation for her leadership and contributions to the operational readiness of Canada’s naval task force deployed to the Persian Gulf (1993); Canadian Decoration 2nd clasp; Special Service Medal (Canada 125); Queens Diamond Jubilee medal; The UK Ergonomics Society Ulf Aberg Award for best graduate thesis project (1995); The US Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Best Ergonomics in Design Paper Award (2005); two NATO Scientific Achievement Awards (2009 & 2019), a Distinguished Service award (2021) from The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP - an international (5 Eyes) defence S&T collaborative program), professional certification (CCPE) from the Association of Canadian Ergonomics (2021), plus numerous unit awards for her scientific and technical contributions over 3 decades in and out of uniform.

HCol Bossi has returned to reside in her hometown of Guelph along with her partner John Haines, an IT Solutions Architect, and part of their blended family: adult children Andrew, Alexandra, MacKenzie and 2 pets.

Past Commanding Officers

For a complete history of previous command teams please reference The Senate Book of Biographies.