Mark Evans (general)

Mark Evans
Major General Mark Evans, early 2008
Born	1953 (age 57–58) Malaya
Allegiance	United Kingdom  Australia
Service/branch	British Army Australian Army
Years of service	1973–1976 1976–2011
Rank	Lieutenant (British Army) Lieutenant General (Australian Army)
Commands held	Chief of Joint Operations Joint Task Force 633 1st Division 3rd Brigade 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Battles/wars	Counter insurgency operations – Northern Ireland International Force for East Timor War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia Distinguished Service Cross Decoration of Merit (Netherlands)

Lieutenant General Mark Evans AO, DSC (b. 1953) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) from July 2008 until May 2011.

Early years

Mark Evans was born in Malaya in 1953 and was educated in the United Kingdom.

Military service

British Army

He was a cadet in the Worcestershire Army Cadet Force, serving in Droitwich Troop, a detachment affiliated to the Queen's Own Hussars. He achieved the rare appointment of Cadet Under Officer before leaving the ACF for the Regular Army.^{[citation needed]} Evans served for five years in the British Army which included officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and regimental duties in the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in Berlin and Northern Ireland. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 9 March 1973,^[1] and promoted to lieutenant on 8 September 1974.^[2] Evans resigned his British commission on 13 April 1976.^[3]

Australian Army

Evans resigned his British commission on 13 April 1976 and joined the Australian Army, where he was first posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR). In 1979–80 he held the position (as a Captain) of Officer Commanding C Company at the Australian Army Apprentice School at Balcombe, Victoria. In 1985 he served with the United Nations in the Middle East.

In 1989 he was appointed as Brigade Major of 3rd Brigade, and in 1991 promoted to lieutenant colonel at Australian Defence Force Headquarters. Between 1992 and 1993, he commanded 6 RAR, for which he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.^[4]

In December 1994, Mark Evans was promoted to colonel, and in 1998 to brigadier commanding the 3rd Brigade. During this time he commanded the brigade on operations in East Timor, during Operation Warden, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.^[5]

In July 2002 he was promoted to major general and assumed command of the 1st Division at Gallipoli Barracks. On 13 April 2004 he assumed the new position of Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (DCJOPS) at Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) in Sydney. In July 2005 he was appointed as Head Defence Personnel Executive in Canberra, and in June 2007, awarded Officer of the Order of Australia.^[6]

On 17 June 2007, Evans assumed command of Joint Task Force 633 (JTF663) – Australia's contribution in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) to the Global War on Terror. During that time he was responsible for Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the North Persian Gulf; he was succeeded in this position by Major General Mike Hindmarsh in an official ceremony on 1 March 2008.

On 20 March 2008 it was announced that he was to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and would assume the position of Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) from 4 July 2008.^[7] Evans retired from the Australian Army on 19 May 2011.^[8]

Personal life

Mark Evans is married to Veronica. They have two grown up children. He has a wide variety of interests that include military history, reading, walking and watching Veronica gardening.

Honours and awards

	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)[6]	11 June 2007
	Member of the Order of Australia (AM)[4]	26 January 1994
	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)[5]	4 April 2000
	UK General Service Medal	with 1 Clasp Northern Ireland
	Australian Active Service Medal	with 2 Clasps EAST TIMOR and IRAQ 2003
	International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
	Afghanistan Medal
	Iraq Medal
	Australian Service Medal	with 1 Clasp Middle East
	Defence Force Service Medal with 4 rosettes	35–39 years service
	Australian Defence Medal
	UNTSO Medal (Middle East)
	NATO ISAF Medal (Afghanistan)
	Netherlands Decoration of Merit (Gold)	16 September 2010

Notes

1. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45956. pp. 4932–4935. 16 April 1973. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 2nd Lieutenant.
2. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46419. p. 12158. 2 December 1974. Retrieved 2008-04-10. Lieutenant.
3. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46874. p. 5468. 12 April 1976. Retrieved 2008-04-10. Resigned British Commission
4. ^ ^{a b} It's an honour entry - Member of the Order of Australia — 26 January 1994
   Citation: In recognition of service to the Australian Army, particularly as Brigade Major of the 3rd Brigade and CO of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.
5. ^ ^{a b} It's an honour entry - Distinguished Service Cross (Australian) — 4 April 2000
   Citation: For distinguished command and leadership as the Commander of the 3rd Brigade during Operation WARDEN in East Timor.
6. ^ ^{a b} It's an honour entry - Officer of the Order of Australia — 11 June 2007
   Citation: For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force in senior command and staff appointments.
7. ^ MIN21/08 - Major General Evans appointed Chief of Joint Operations
8. ^ "Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans is farewelled". Australian Defence Image Library. Australian Department of Defence. http://111.125.172.46/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveId=5000&search=(IPTC007%20contains(20112760)). Retrieved 19 May 2011. "Gallery Number: 20112760 19/05/2011: Personnel at Head Quarters Joint Operational Command, in Bungendore, today farewelled outgoing Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans. After serving for more than 35 years in the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Evans is retiring. Air Chief Marshal Houston thanked the outgoing Chief of Joint Operations for his work in the position ..." 

References

• Operation Catalyst Biography
• ADF Biography

External links

Links to copyright photographs of Mark Evans:

• 19 May 2011. Personnel at Headquarters Joint Operations Command, in Bungendore, farewell the outgoing Lieutenant General Mark Evans Commander Joint Operations Command.
• MAJGEN Evans at Government House, 11 April 2008, receiving Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) from His Excellency Major General (Ret'd) Michael Jeffery, AC CVO MC, the then Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (copyright)
• Official ADF photo 2007 (copyright)
• HDPE photo 2005 (copyright)
• Mark Evans at the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (MRCC) Overview, 2005 (copyright)

Military offices
Preceded by Lieutenant General David Hurley	Chief of Joint Operations 2008 – 2011	Succeeded by Lieutenant General Ash Power
Preceded by Brigadier Michael Crane	Commander Joint Task Force 633 June 2007 – March 2008	Succeeded by Major General Mike Hindmarsh
Preceded by Major General Jim Molan	Commander 1st Division May 2002 – 2004	Succeeded by Major General Mark Kelly

Persondata
Name	Evans, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1953
Place of birth	Malaya
Date of death
Place of death