Maurice Baril

J.G. Maurice Baril
Maurice Baril, September 2008.
Born	September 22, 1943 (1943-09-22) (age 68) Saint-Albert-de-Warwick, Quebec
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Army-Canadian Forces Land Force Command-Canadian Forces
Years of service	1963-2001
Rank	General
Unit	Royal 22e Régiment
Commands held	Chief of the Defence Staff, Head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, (United Nations), Commander, CTC Gagetown
Battles/wars	Cyprus
Awards	Commander of the Order of Military Merit Canadian Forces Decoration
Other work	Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, 2005-2007

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.^[1]

Early life

He was born in Saint-Albert-de-Warwick, Quebec in 1943 and studied at the University of Ottawa from 1961 to 1964, becoming an officer in the Canadian Army in 1963.^[1]

Military career

Baril served with the Royal 22^e Régiment 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.^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[1]

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.^[1][3]

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.^[4]

Post military career

In 2002, he led the Canadian board of inquiry into the friendly fire 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.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Bernier, Serge (2008). "Baril, Maurice". http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0009306. Retrieved 2008-09-13. 
2. ^ Soloman, Evan (2006). "AN INTERVIEW WITH KOFI ANNAN". http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/kofiannan.html. Retrieved 2008-09-13. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Governor General of Canada - Assumption of Command of Lieutenant-General J.M.G. Baril - Rideau Hall - Wednesday, September 24, 1997
4. ^ North American Aerospace Defense Command (June 2001). "SEADS CONCEPT PROPOSAL AMALGAM VIRGO 01". http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/linkscopy/AmalgumVirgo.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-13. 
5. ^ Transport Canada - News release H 003/07 - Minister Cannon accepts the decision of the board of directors' chairman for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority - January 23, 2007

Military offices
Preceded by Gord Reay	Chief of the Land Staff 1996-1997	Succeeded by William Leach
Preceded by Larry Murray	Chief of the Defence Staff 1997-2001	Succeeded by Raymond Henault

Persondata
Name	Baril, Maurice
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 22, 1943
Place of birth	Saint-Albert-de-Warwick, Quebec
Date of death
Place of death