Marc Caron
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General
Joseph Henri Paul Marc (Marc) Caron, CMM
, MSM
, CD
(born June 1, 1954) was a Canadian
infantry
officer and the former Chief of the Land Staff
of the Canadian Forces
.
, Quebec
, Canada
on 1 June 1954. He holds a baccalaureate
in Political Science
from the University of Ottawa
.
in Quebec (May 1973 - April 1974), 1st Airborne Commando in Cyprus
(April 1974 - August 1976), 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Lahr
, Germany
(August 1976 - January 1978) and with the Royal Welch Fusiliers
in Lemgo
, Germany (January 1978 - Unknown Date).
He then became a student at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham
, England
(1981) and subsequently at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
in Kingston, Ontario
(1982).
He became a Company
Commander in the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Quebec (August 1982 - 1984) and then became a student at the Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto
, Ontario (1984).
Later he joined the Project Management Office, Anti-Armour Projects at National Defence Headquarters
(NDHQ), in Ottawa
(June 1985) before becoming Commanding Officer
of 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Quebec, Canada (1988–1990).
He was appointed Head of G3 staff in the Land Force Command Headquarters (July 1990 - June 1993) before becoming a student at the U.S. Army War College
(1994). He was made Director Force Concepts and Director Land Requirements at NDHQ (July 1994 - November, 1998) and then Chief of Staff of the Kosovo Verification Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (November 1998 - June 1999).
He was selected to be Commander, Land Force Quebec Area
(July 2000 - May 2003) and then Assistant Chief of the Land Staff
(May 2003 - February 2005). He was Acting Chief of the Land Staff (November 2003 - October 2004) and then Chief of the Land Staff
(February 2005 - June 2006).
. Today he works for the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
(DCAF), within its International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT).
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant 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....
Joseph Henri Paul Marc (Marc) Caron, CMM
Order of Military Merit (Canada)
The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
, MSM
Meritorious Service Decoration (Canada)
The Meritorious Service Decorations , available in two forms as the Meritorious Service Cross and the Meritorious Service Medal , are Canadian decorations awarded to those who have demonstrated an outstanding level of service or set an exemplary standard of...
, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(born June 1, 1954) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
officer and the former Chief of the Land Staff
Chief of the Land Staff
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.-History of the post:...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian 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."...
.
Early life
Caron was born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on 1 June 1954. He holds a baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
.
Military career
Caron enrolled in the Canadian Forces in October, 1971 and after graduating from the Officer Cadet Training Programme, was commissioned in May, 1973. As a junior officer he served with the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e RégimentRoyal 22e Régiment
The Royal 22nd Regiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army...
in Quebec (May 1973 - April 1974), 1st Airborne Commando in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(April 1974 - August 1976), 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Lahr
Lahr
Lahr is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 38 km north of Freiburg in Breisgau and 100 km south of Karlsruhe...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(August 1976 - January 1978) and with the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
in Lemgo
Lemgo
Lemgo is a city in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of c. 42,000.It was founded in the 12th century by Bernhard II at the crossroad of two merchant routes. Lemgo was a member of the Hanseatic League, a medieval trading association of free cities in several...
, Germany (January 1978 - Unknown Date).
He then became a student at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1981) and subsequently at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
The Canadian Army Command and Staff College , formerly the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, is a school for officers of the Canadian Forces, specializing in staff and army operations courses...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
(1982).
He became a Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
Commander in the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Quebec (August 1982 - 1984) and then became a student at the Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario (1984).
Later he joined the Project Management Office, Anti-Armour Projects at National Defence Headquarters
Department of National Defence Headquarters (Canada)
The Major-General George R. Pearkes Building is the principal location of Canada's National Defence Headquarters and is located in Ottawa, Ontario....
(NDHQ), in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(June 1985) before becoming Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Quebec, Canada (1988–1990).
He was appointed Head of G3 staff in the Land Force Command Headquarters (July 1990 - June 1993) before becoming a student at the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
(1994). He was made Director Force Concepts and Director Land Requirements at NDHQ (July 1994 - November, 1998) and then Chief of Staff of the Kosovo Verification Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (November 1998 - June 1999).
He was selected to be Commander, Land Force Quebec Area
Land Force Quebec Area
Land Force Quebec Area is responsible for all Canadian army operations and administration in the region within the province of Quebec. LFQA is headquartered in Montreal.- Regular Force :* Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre - Courcelette...
(July 2000 - May 2003) and then Assistant Chief of the Land Staff
Chief of the Land Staff
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.-History of the post:...
(May 2003 - February 2005). He was Acting Chief of the Land Staff (November 2003 - October 2004) and then Chief of the Land Staff
Chief of the Land Staff
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.-History of the post:...
(February 2005 - June 2006).
Retirement
He retired from the forces in June 2006 and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Andrew LeslieAndrew Leslie
Lieutenant-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:...
. Today he works for the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
-Mission:The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces is one of the world’s leading institutions in the areas of security sector reform and security sector governance...
(DCAF), within its International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT).