Chief of the Land Staff
Encyclopedia
The Chief of the Land Staff is the commander and institutional head of the Canadian Army. The Chief of the Land is based at National Defence Headquarters
in Ottawa, Ontario
.
that saw the Canadian Army dissolved and replaced by Force Mobile Command. The position retained that title until 1993 when Force Mobile Command was renamed to Land Force Command
at which time it was renamed Chief of the Land Staff. In 2011 Land Force Command was renamed to Canadian Army however the appointment Chief of the Land Staff has not been renamed.
National Defence Headquarters (Canada)
The National Defence Headquarters is the headquarters for Canada's Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. NDHQ actually comprises a collection of offices spread in buildings across the National Capital Region, however it is most commonly identified with the Major-General George R...
in Ottawa, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
History of the post
The appointment was entitled Chief of the General Staff from 1904-1964 when the appointment was retitled Commander of Mobile Command in 1964 during the lead-up to the unification of the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
that saw the Canadian Army dissolved and replaced by Force Mobile Command. The position retained that title until 1993 when Force Mobile Command was renamed to Land Force Command
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
at which time it was renamed Chief of the Land Staff. In 2011 Land Force Command was renamed to Canadian Army however the appointment Chief of the Land Staff has not been renamed.
Chief of the General Staff
- Brigadier-General Sir P.H.N. LakePercy LakeGeneral Sir Percy Henry Noel Lake, KCB, KCMG was a senior commander of the British Indian Army, serving during World War I, and a Canadian soldier.- Career :...
1904-1908 - Brigadier-General Sir W.D. OtterWilliam Dillon OtterGeneral Sir William Dillon Otter KCB, CVO, VD was a professional Canadian soldier who became the first Canadian-born Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army.-Military career:...
1908-1910 - Major-GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir C.J. MackenzieColin John MackenzieMajor-General Sir Colin John Mackenzie, KCB was a British soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army, from 1910 until 1913.-Background:...
1910-1913 - Major-General Sir W.G. Gwatkin 1913-1920
- Major-General Sir J.H. MacBrienJames Howden MacBrienMajor-General Sir James Howden MacBrien, KCB, CMG, DSO, CStJ was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Militia from 1920 until 1927....
1920-1927 - Major-General H.C. ThackerHerbert Cyril ThackerMajor-General Herbert Cyril Thacker, CB CMG DSO was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1927 until 1929.-Military career:...
1927-1929 - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
A.G.L. McNaughtonAndrew McNaughtonGeneral Andrew George Latta McNaughton, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD, PC was a Canadian army officer, politician and diplomat.- Early life :...
1929-1935 - Lieutenant-GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
E.C. AshtonErnest Charles AshtonLieutenant-General Ernest Charles Ashton CB CMG VD was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1935 until 21 November 1938...
1935-1938 - Major-General T.V. AndersonThomas Victor AndersonMajor-General Thomas Victor Anderson DSO CD was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 21 November 1938 until 6 July 1940.-Education:...
1938-1940 - Lieutenant-General H.D.G. CrerarHarry CrerarHenry Duncan Graham "Harry" Crerar CH, CB, DSO, KStJ, CD, PC was a Canadian general and the country's "leading field commander" in World War II.-Early years:...
1940-1941 - Lieutenant-General K. StuartKenneth StuartLieutenant-General Kenneth Stuart CB DSO MC was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 24 December 1941 until 27 December 1943.-Military career:...
1941-1943 - Lieutenant-General J.C. MurchieJohn Carl MurchieLieutenant-General John Carl Murchie was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from December 27, 1943 until August 21, 1945.-Military career:...
1943-1944 - General C. Foulkes 1945-1951
- General G.G. SimondsGuy SimondsLieutenant General Guy Granville Simonds, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD was a Canadian Army officer who commanded the II Canadian Corps during World War II. He served as acting commander of the First Canadian Army, leading the Allied forces to victory in the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944...
1951-1955 - Lieutenant-General H.D. GrahamHoward GrahamLieutenant General Howard Douglas Graham, was a Canadian Army Officer and former Chief of the General Staff.-Early life:...
1955-1958 - Lieutenant-General S.F. ClarkSamuel Findlay ClarkLieutenant-General Samuel Findlay Clark, CBE, CD was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1958 until 1961.-Education:...
1958-1961 - Lieutenant-General G. WalshGeoffrey WalshLieutenant-General Geoffrey Walsh CBE, DSO, CD was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1961 until Unification in 1964.-Military career:...
1961-1964
Commander of Mobile Command
- Lieutenant-General J.V. AllardJean Victor AllardJean Victor Allard, was the first French-Canadian to become Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest position in the Canadian Forces, from 1966–1969. He was also the first to hold the accompanying rank of general....
1965–1966 - Lieutenant-General W. AndersonWilliam Anderson (Canadian Army officer)Lieutenant-General William Alexander Beaumont Anderson OBE CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1966–1969 - Lieutenant-General G. TurcotGilles TurcotLieutenant-General Gilles-Antoine Turcot CM CMM CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1969–1972 - Lieutenant General W. MilroyWilliam Milroy (Canadian Army officer)Lieutenant General William Alexander Milroy CM DSO CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1972–1973 - Lieutenant-General S. WatersStanley WatersLieutenant General Stanley Charles "Stan" Waters, CD was Canada's first Senator to be appointed to his Senate seat following a non-binding provincial Senate election.-Early life:...
1973–1975 - Lieutenant-General J. ChouinardJacques ChouinardLieutenant General Jacques Chouinard, CMM, CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1975–1977 - Lieutenant General J.J. ParadisJean Jacques ParadisLieutenant General Jean Jacques Paradis CMM CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1977–1981 - Lieutenant-General C.H. BelzileCharles H. BelzileLieutenant-General Charles H. Belzile, CM, CMM, CD was a Canadian soldier and a former head of the Canadian Army. He is an honorary member of the Royal Military College of Canada student #H22547.-Education:...
1981–1986 - Lieutenant-General J. FoxJim Fox (Canadian Army officer)Lieutenant General James A. Fox CMM CD was the Commander, Force Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:Fox joined the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and went on to be Commanding Officer of Lord Strathcona's Horse taking his Regiment on an operational tour with the United Nations...
1986–1989 - Lieutenant General K. FosterKent FosterLieutenant-General Kent R. Foster, CMM, CD was the Commander, Force Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:Foster graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1960. He served with the Canadian Airborne Regiment and rose through the Officer ranks to become Commander, Force...
1989–1991 - Lieutenant-General J. GervaisJim GervaisLieutenant-General J. C. "Jim" Gervais CMM, CD was the Commander, Mobile Command of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:Born at Rouyn-Noranda and educated at the University of Ottawa, Gervais graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1962...
1991–1993
Chief of the Land Staff
- Lieutenant-General G. ReayGord ReayLieutenant General Gordon Reay CMM MBE CD was the Chief of the Land Staff of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:...
1993-1996 - Lieutenant-General M. BarilMaurice BarilJoseph Gérard Maurice Baril, CMM, MSM, CD is a retired General officer in the Canadian Forces, a Military Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General & head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations from 1992 to 1997, and Chief of the Defence...
1996-1997 - Lieutenant General W. LeachWilliam Leach (Canadian Army officer)Lieutenant-General William Leach CMM CD was the Chief of the Land Staff of the Canadian Forces.-Military career:Leach graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a degree in Economics and Commerce in 1965 and was commissioned into the Canadian Army. He went on to command a Logistic...
1997-2000 - Lieutenant-General M. Jeffery 2000-2003
- Lieutenant-General R. HillierRick HillierGeneral Rick Hillier, CMM, MSC, CD , is the former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces. He held this appointment from February 4, 2005 to July 1, 2008. He retired on July 1, 2008, and was replaced by former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk...
2003-2005 - Lieutenant-General M. CaronMarc CaronLieutenant-General Joseph Henri Paul Marc Caron, CMM, MSM, CD was a Canadian infantry officer and the former Chief of the Land Staff of the Canadian Forces.-Early life:Caron was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 1 June 1954...
2005-2006 - Lieutenant General A. LeslieAndrew LeslieLieutenant-General Andrew Brooke Leslie, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD is the Chief of Transformation of the Canadian Forces, and a former Chief of the Land Staff.-Background:...
2006-2010 - Lieutenant General P. DevlinPeter DevlinLieutenant General Peter John Devlin CMM, MSC, CD is the Chief of the Land Staff in the Canadian Forces.-Military career:Educated at the University of Western Ontario, Devlin was commissioned into The Royal Canadian Regiment, having joined the Canadian Forces in 1978. Devlin served in an...
2010-present
See also
- Chief of the Defence StaffChief of the Defence Staff (Canada)The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
, the second most senior member of the Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
after the Commander-in-Chief - Commander of the Royal Canadian NavyCommander Royal Canadian NavyThe Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is the commander and institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy. The Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.-History of the post:...
, commander and institutional head of the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces... - Chief of the Air StaffChief of the Air Staff (Canada)The Chief of the Air Staff is the commander and institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, commander and institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...