Military Personnel Command welcomes new Commander
News Release
March 31, 2017 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Lieutenant-General Charles Lamarre assumed Command of Military Personnel Command (MPC) from Lieutenant-General Chris Whitecross today during a ceremony at the Cartier Square Drill Hall in Ottawa. General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, presided over the ceremony.
The Commander of MPC oversees approximately 14,000 military and civilian personnel who are responsible for the overall personnel management of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Personnel management covers a wide spectrum including recruitment, training and education, benefits, health services, honours and history, and corporate and personnel support.
Lieutenant-General Lamarre’s last position was the Director of Staff at the Strategic Joint Staff in National Defence Headquarters. On November 29, 2016, Lieutenant-General Chris Whitecross was appointed Commandant of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defense College in Rome, Italy, the first woman to fill this role since the college was founded in 1951.
Quotes
“I want to thank Lieutenant-General Chris Whitecross and her team at Military Personnel Command for their commitment in developing improvements to policies and programs that will enable us to better support our members and their families. I’m delighted for her and wish her every success as the new Commandant of the NATO Defense College. I am also looking forward to working with Lieutenant-General Chuck Lamarre, who will provide strong leadership to the dedicated women and men within the Military Personnel Command in their important work.”
— General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff
“I am honoured to take over as Commander of Military Personnel Command and to work with this dynamic team. People are our greatest resource and I will continue putting all our effort toward ensuring that we are an organization that focuses on supporting our people and their families.”
— Lieutenant-General Lamarre, incoming Commander of Military Personnel Command
“Serving as Commander of the Military Personnel Command for nearly the last two years has been a great honour. To add to the wellbeing of our men and women in uniform and their families has been a privilege. The team implemented and oversaw efforts to eliminate harmful inappropriate behaviour through Operation HONOUR, broaden our diversity, and increase the percentage of women in uniform. On that last effort, I am both humbled and proud of the young women who have decided to join the Canadian Armed Forces. They are going to move this organization ahead. I will truly miss the team, but I know that MPC will continue to advance under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Lamarre.
— Lieutenant-General Chris Whitecross, outgoing Commander of Military Personnel Command
Quick Facts
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Key tasks of the Military Personnel Command are:
- To recruit, train and educate, prepare, support, honour and recognize military personnel and their families for service to Canada;
- To develop and implement strategies, policies and programs that foster and maintain the profession of arms as an honourable and desirable career;
- To monitor compliance with CAF personnel management policies and be accountable for the CAF Personnel System;
- To eliminate harmful and inappropriate behaviour in the CAF through Operation HONOUR; and
- To increase diversity and female representation in the CAF.
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Contacts
Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca