Jonathan Vance

Jonathan Holbert Vance, CMM, MSC, CD[2] (born January 3, 1964)[3] is a retired Canadian Army general who served as the chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces from 2015 to 2021.

Jonathan Vance
Vance in 2018
Birth nameJonathan Holbert Vance
Nickname(s)Jon
Born (1964-01-03) January 3, 1964
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Canadian Army
Years of service1982–2021
Rank General
Commands held
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
Military intervention against ISIL
AwardsCommander of the Order of Military Merit
Meritorious Service Cross
Canadian Forces Decoration
Alma materRoyal Roads Military College
Royal Military College of Canada
Spouse(s)Kerry Vance[1]

Military career
Vance (right) and Hulusi Akar (left), Chief of the Defense Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, at the Halifax International Security Forum in 2017

Born in Kingston, Ontario,[4] Vance joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1982 and was commissioned as an infantry officer upon graduation from Royal Roads Military College in 1986.[5][6] He served as deputy commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, and commander of the Canadian Task Force in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.[7][8] He went on to be commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command in September 2014 and chief of Defence Staff on July 17, 2015.[7]

Vance holds a bachelor of arts degree in military and strategic studies from Royal Roads Military College, and a master of arts degree in war studies from the Royal Military College of Canada.[9]

On July 23, 2020, Vance announced his intention to retire as chief of Defence Staff after 5 years in office and will serve until his replacement is named. Despite being a potential candidate for an upcoming vacancy as chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the federal government announced its intention not to pursue the competition.[10]

On December 23, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Vance would be succeeded by Vice Admiral Art McDonald as chief of the Defence Staff, with the change of command held on January 14, 2021.[11]

Family

His father, Jack Vance, was a Canadian lieutenant-general who had been the Vice Chief of Defence Staff in 1985.[12]

Honours and decorations

Vance has received the following orders and decorations during his military career:




Honours and decorations
Ribbon Description Notes
Order of Military Merit (CMM)
  • Commander 26 September 2013
  • Officer 28 November 2008 [13]
  • [14]
Meritorious Service Cross (MSC)
  • With Bar
  • December 13, 2011
  • [15]
General Campaign Star
  • Southwest Asia
  • With two rotation bars
Special Service Medal
  • With "NATO" Bar
Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
UNPROFOR
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • 2002
  • Canadian Version of this Medal
  • [17]
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • 2012
  • Canadian Version of this Medal
  • [18]
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
  • With 2 Clasps
Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
  • Foreign honour from the French Republic
  • Filed with the Canada Gazette on 30 September 2017 [19]
Order of Viesturs, First Class
  • Foreign honour from the Republic of Latvia
  • Filed with the Canada Gazette on 29 September 2018 [20]
Commander of the National Order of the Star of Romania
  • Foreign honour from the Republic of Romania
  • Filed with the Canada Gazette on 29 June 2019 [21]

References
  1. General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "Vance, Jonathan Holbert [Individual]". reg.gg.ca. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. Media Advisory: Governor General to Present 45 Military Decorations at Rideau Hall Marketwire (December 9, 2011).
  3. "General Jonathan Vance". NATO. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  4. "Chief of Defence Staff". Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  5. Lee Berthiaume. "All eyes on new commander as military faces significant challenges". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  6. "Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance appointed next chief of defence staff". cbc.ca. April 27, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  7. "Afghan vet Jonathan Vance eyed for top general post". thestar.com. April 2, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  8. "Gen. Jonathan Vance becomes chief of defence staff, vows to tackle harassment". cbc.ca. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  9. "Chief of the Defence Staff". Government of Canada. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  10. Brewester, Murray (July 23, 2020). "Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, announces retirement". CBC News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  11. "Top military job for New Waterford man". Chronicle Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  12. "Jonathan Vance: 6 Facts About Canada's Next Defence Chief". Huffington Post. April 27, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  13. "Canada Gazette" (PDF). June 13, 2009.
  14. "The Governor General of Canada > Find a Recipient". gg.ca. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  15. "The Governor General of Canada > Find a Recipient". gg.ca. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  16. "Mention in Dispatches". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  17. "The Governor General of Canada > Find a Recipient". gg.ca. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  18. "The Governor General of Canada > Find a Recipient". gg.ca. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  19. "Awards to Canadians". canadagazette.gc.ca. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  20. Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada (September 29, 2018). "Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 152, Number 39: GOVERNMENT HOUSE". canadagazette.gc.ca.
  21. "Awards to Canadians". canadagazette.gc.ca. Retrieved January 11, 2020.

Media related to Jonathan Vance at Wikimedia Commons

Military offices
Preceded by
Tom Lawson		 Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)
July 2015–January 2021		 Succeeded by
Art McDonald
Preceded by
Stuart Beare		 Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command
September 2014 – June 2015		 Succeeded by
Stephen Bowes
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