Maurice Baril
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gérard Maurice Baril, CMM
, MSM
, CD
(born September 22, 1943) 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 Staff
in Canada
from 1997 to 2001.
in 1943 and studied at the University of Ottawa
from 1961 to 1964, becoming an officer in the Canadian Army in 1963.
from 1964 to 1968. From 1968 to 1971, he served with The Canadian Airborne Regiment
in Valcartier, Quebec and Edmonton, Alberta. He commanded land forces in Cyprus
and Lahr
, Germany
, served at Department of National Defence
headquarters in Ottawa
, École supérieure de guerre in Paris and as Commander of the Combat Training Centre at CFB Gagetown
.
He was appointed head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) at the UN in June 1992, where he was military advisor to then under-secretary for peacekeeping operations Kofi Annan
.
Baril was in charge of the Military Division at DPKO during the Rwandan Genocide
where his countryman General Roméo Dallaire
was force commander of the UNAMIR. He went on to be Chief of Land Forces Québec Sector
in Montréal
in July 1995 and Chief of the Land Staff
in September 1996.
In September 1997, Baril was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff
by Governor General
Roméo LeBlanc
, on the advice of his Prime Minister
, Jean Chrétien
.
Baril, along with American General Henry Shelton, was a signatory to the joint Canadian-American military exercise Amalgam Virgo
in June 2001. Amalgam Virgo has been cited as a dress rehearsal for the Vigilant Guardian and Global Guardian
air exercises conducted during the 9/11 attacks.
Baril retired from the Canadian Forces
on July 18, 2001.
Tarnak Farm incident
on April 17, 2002 near Kandahar
, Afghanistan
.
Maurice Baril was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
(CATSA) in 2005, but resigned in January 2007.
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 September 22, 1943) is a retired General
General
A 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....
officer in 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."...
, a Military Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
& head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Department of Peacekeeping Operations
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is a department of the United Nations which is charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations.-History of the DPKO:...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
from 1992 to 1997, and Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief 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...
in 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...
from 1997 to 2001.
Early life
He was born in Saint-Albert-de-Warwick, QuebecQuebec
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....
in 1943 and studied at 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...
from 1961 to 1964, becoming an officer in the Canadian Army in 1963.
Military career
Baril served with the 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...
from 1964 to 1968. From 1968 to 1971, he served with The Canadian Airborne Regiment
The Canadian Airborne Regiment
The Canadian Airborne Regiment was a Canadian Forces formation created on April 8, 1968. It was not an administrative regiment in the commonly accepted British Commonwealth sense, but rather a tactical formation manned from other regiments and branches...
in Valcartier, Quebec and Edmonton, Alberta. He commanded land forces 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...
and 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...
, served at Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
headquarters 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...
, École supérieure de guerre in Paris and as Commander of the Combat Training Centre at CFB Gagetown
CFB Gagetown
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, referred to as CFB Gagetown is a large Canadian Forces Base located in southwestern New Brunswick.- Construction of the base :...
.
He was appointed head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Department of Peacekeeping Operations
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is a department of the United Nations which is charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations.-History of the DPKO:...
(DPKO) at the UN in June 1992, where he was military advisor to then under-secretary for peacekeeping operations Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
.
Baril was in charge of the Military Division at DPKO during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
where his countryman General Roméo Dallaire
Roméo Dallaire
Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
was force commander of the UNAMIR. He went on to be Chief of Land Forces Québec Sector
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...
in Montréal
Montreal
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...
in July 1995 and 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:...
in September 1996.
In September 1997, Baril was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief 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...
by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Roméo LeBlanc
Roméo LeBlanc
Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc was a Canadian journalist, politician, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation....
, on the advice of his Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
.
Baril, along with American General Henry Shelton, was a signatory to the joint Canadian-American military exercise Amalgam Virgo
Amalgam Virgo
]Operation Amalgam Virgo is a joint task counter-terrorist and field training exercise carried out in Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida on early June 2001. NORAD sponsored the multi-agency planning exercise involving the hypothetical scenario of a cruise missile or UAV launched by a terrorist group...
in June 2001. Amalgam Virgo has been cited as a dress rehearsal for the Vigilant Guardian and Global Guardian
Global Guardian
Global Guardian is an annual training exercise sponsored by the United States Strategic Command in conjunction with Air Force Space Command and NORAD...
air exercises conducted during the 9/11 attacks.
Baril retired from 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."...
on July 18, 2001.
Post military career
In 2002, he led the Canadian board of inquiry into the friendly fireFriendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
Tarnak Farm incident
Tarnak Farm incident
The Tarnak Farm incident refers to the killing of four Canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the Third Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on the night of April 17, 2002, by an American F-16 fighter jet. The aircraft, piloted by U.S...
on April 17, 2002 near Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Maurice Baril was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority is a Canadian Crown corporation responsible for the security screening at the 89 designated airports in Canada...
(CATSA) in 2005, but resigned in January 2007.