Upon graduation from the University of Ottawa, Lieutenant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989 as an armoured officer. His command appointments included 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 2e Division du Canada/Joint Task Force (East), and the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre. He was also appointed Deputy Commanding General Sustainment I (US) Corps during a two-year exchange with the United States Army.

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Upon graduation from the University of Ottawa, Lieutenant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989 as an armoured officer. His command appointments included 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 2e Division du Canada/Joint Task Force (East), and the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre. He was also appointed Deputy Commanding General Sustainment I (US) Corps during a two-year exchange with the United States Army.

Key staff appointments include Chief of Staff Headquarters 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé, Director Land Requirements, Chief of Programme at National Defence Headquarters, and Commander of the Canadian Army. He was appointed as Vice Chief of Defence Staff in 2019, a role he fulfilled until his retirement from service in July 2020.

Lt.-Gen. Lanthier participated in six international deployments and two domestic operations. He deployed three times with different units to the former Yugoslavia, under the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force and the NATO Stabilization Force. He commanded the first Canadian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team in 2006-07 in the province of Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was the Canadian Deputy Commander Joint Task Force Haiti following the earthquake that hit the country in January 2010. From 2011 to 2012, he was the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Director of Afghan National Security Forces Operations, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and his Master’s degree in Applied Science from the University of Cranfield, England. Lt.-Gen. Lanthier completed the Land Force Command and Staff Course in Kingston, ON, and the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the British Joint Services Command and Staff College. He is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School in Watchfield, Oxfordshire, and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

His decorations include the Order of Military Merit in the rank of Commander, the Meritorious Service Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the United States Legion of Merit (with oak leaf).

Lt.-Gen. Lanthier joined the ADGA Strategic Advisory council in July 2020.

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