Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)

Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Vice-Chef D’État-Major de la Défense
Badge of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
Her Majesty's Canadian Forces
Type	Commissioned officer
Status	Currently constituted
Abbreviation	VCDS
Reports to	Chief of the Defence Staff
Deputy	DG Executive Coordination Chief of Staff VCDS

The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) (French: Vice-Chef d'état-major de la défense) is the third most senior member of the Canadian Forces, reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff as well as the Deputy Minister of National Defence. The Directorate General Executive Coordination, the Chief of Staff of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal and several other departments report to the VCDS,^[1] who is appointed by the Chief of the Defence Staff.^[2]

Former Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

Name	Rank	Year	Home Province	Appointed by	Notes
Geoffrey Walsh	Lieutenant-General	1964 - 1965	ON	Frank Miller	[3]
Robert Moncel	Lieutenant-General	1965 - 1966	QC	Frank Miller	[4]
Frederick Sharp	Lieutenant-General	1966 - 1969	SK	Jean Allard	[5]
Michael Dare	Lieutenant-General	1969 - 1972	QC	Frederick Sharp	[5]
Chester Hull	Lieutenant-General	1972 - 1974	ON	Jacques Dextraze	[6]
Robert Falls	Vice-Admiral	1974 - 1977	ON	Jacques Dextraze	[7]
Ramsey Withers	Lieutenant-General	1977 - 1980	ON	Robert Falls	[8]
Gérard Thériault	Lieutenant-General	1980 - 1983	QC	Ramsey Withers	[9]
Daniel Mainguy	Vice-Admiral	1983 - 1985	BC	Gérard Thériault	[10]
Jack Vance	Lieutenant-General	1985 - 1988	ON	Gérard Thériault	[11]
John de Chastelain	Lieutenant-General	1988 - 1989	AB	Paul Manson	[12]
Charles Thomas	Vice-Admiral	1989 - 1991	BC	John de Chastelain	[13]
Fred Sutherland	Lieutenant-General	1991 - 1992	NS	John de Chastelain	[14]
John Anderson	Vice-Admiral	1992 - 1993	BC	John de Chastelain	[15]
Patrick O'Donnell	Lieutenant-General	1993 - 1995		John Anderson	[16]
Larry Murray	Vice-Admiral	1995 - 1997	ON	John de Chastelain	[17]
Gary Garnett	Vice-Admiral	1997 - 2001	BC	Maurice Baril	[18]
George MacDonald	Lieutenant-General	2001 - 2004		Raymond Henault	[19]
Ronald Buck	Vice-Admiral	2004 - 2006	QC	Raymond Henault	[20]
Walter Natynczyk	Lieutenant-General	2006 - 2008	MB	Rick Hillier	[21]
Denis Rouleau	Vice-Admiral	2008 - 2010		Rick Hillier	[22]
Bruce Donaldson	Vice-Admiral	2010 - 2013		Walter Natynczyk	[23]
Guy Thibault	Lieutenant-General	2013 - 2016		Thomas Lawson	[24]
Mark Norman	Vice-Admiral	2016 - present		Jonathan Vance	[25]

References

1. "VCDS - Organization". Vcds.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
2. "National Defence Act". Department of Justice. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
3. Army cadet league
4. Robert Moncel Generals.dk
5. DND Language Reform: Staffing the Bilingualism Programs 1967-1977
6. 427 Squadron Association
7. Admiral Robert Hilborn Falls CMM, CD
8. Ramsey Muir Withers
9. Gérard-Charles-Édouard Thériault The Canadian Encyclopedia
10. Vice-Admiral Daniel Nicholas Mainguy, CMM, CD, RCN (Retd)
11. Lieutenant-General J.E. "Jack" Vance, CMM, CD (Ret'd) Passes Royal Canadian Regiment
12. General John De Chastelain, OC, CMM, CD, CH, LL.D., BA Army Cadet History
13. Charles Thomas The Nauticapedia
14. 8 Wing / CFB Trenton to host leadership seminar The Contact, March 27, 2009
15. John Rogers Anderson The Nauticapedia
16. Patrick O'Donnell CFN Consultants
17. Parliament of Canada Evidence, October 29, 1996
18. Vice Admiral (Retired) Gary L. Garnett, CMM CD Senate Committee for National Security and Defence
19. George MacDonald CFN Consultants
20. "Ron Buck, CMM, CD" (PDF). Navy League of Canada. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
21. "Walter Natynczyk". NATO. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
22. Rear-Admiral Denis Rouleau is Announced as Next Vice Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces
23. Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson Assumes Role as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
24. Lieutenant-General Guy Thibault assumes role as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
25. Tasker, John Paul (19 January 2016). "Top ranks of Canadian Forces get shake-up with new army, navy commanders". CBC News. Retrieved 20 January 2016.