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| General Rick Hillier | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rick Hillier |
| Birth date | 1955-06-08 |
| Birth place | Oak Lake, Manitoba, Canada |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Army |
| Serviceyears | 1973–2009 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Canadian Forces Land Force Command, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Canadian Forces |
General Rick Hillier Richard "Rick" Hillier (born 8 June 1955) is a retired Canadian General and senior Canadian Forces officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff from 2005 to 2008. He led Canadian military operations during the Afghanistan war and reshaped force priorities amid debates in the Parliament of Canada, interactions with the Department of National Defence and engagement with allies such as the United States, NATO, and the United Kingdom.
Hillier was born in Oak Lake, Manitoba and raised in Killarney, Manitoba, the son of a farming family with roots in Manitoba. He enrolled in a junior training program with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets before attending the Royal Military College Saint-Jean and later training with the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School. Hillier completed professional military education at institutions including the Canadian Forces College, the United States Army War College, and advanced staff courses associated with the NATO Defence College and the British Army Staff College. His early mentors and contemporaries included officers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the Royal 22e Régiment, and the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada.
Hillier was commissioned into the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and served in a sequence of regimental and staff appointments across Canadian garrisons such as Valcartier, Petawawa, and Shilo. He commanded at company and battalion level with the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and later held brigade-level command within the 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Staff postings included positions at National Defence Headquarters (Canada), the Canadian Forces Northern Area, and the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff. Hillier's contemporaries and supervisors encompassed leaders from the Chiefs of Staff Committee, senior figures in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and ministers in the Cabinet of Canada.
Throughout his career Hillier planned, deployed, or oversaw operations linked to multinational efforts such as NATO missions, Operation Medusa, and deployments to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and particularly Afghanistan (2001–2021). He worked in coordination with the United States Central Command, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and commanders from the British Army, Dutch Armed Forces, and the Australian Defence Force. His operational record intersected with episodes including the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan era planning legacies, peacekeeping precedents set by the United Nations in Cyprus, and coalition operations with partners like France, Germany, and Italy.
As Chief of the Defence Staff, Hillier advocated prioritized sustainment of combat-capable forces, emphasizing deployments to Afghanistan (2001–2021), modernization procurement programs involving companies in the defence industry such as those operating in Ottawa and Quebec City, and institutional reforms within National Defence Headquarters (Canada). His tenure intersected with prime ministers from the Liberal Party of Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada, and involved testimony before the House of Commons of Canada defence committees. Hillier engaged with military leaders from NATO and the United States Department of Defense to secure operational support, drew on lessons from the Gulf War and the Iraq War (2003–2011), and managed domestic debates involving provincial premiers, labour leaders, and veterans' organizations like the Royal Canadian Legion.
After retirement Hillier moved into roles spanning corporate boards, public commentary, and health-care advocacy. He joined non-profit boards and corporate boards with links to sectors in Ontario and Quebec, provided strategic advice to firms with international operations in the United States and United Kingdom, and made media appearances on networks that cover Canadian politics and international security. Hillier also took leadership in initiatives addressing veteran rehabilitation, collaborating with organizations such as provincial veterans' affairs offices and medical research centres at universities including those in Toronto and Montreal. He entered public debates alongside figures from the Canadian Labour Congress, the Assembly of First Nations, and former cabinet ministers.
Hillier is married and has family ties in Manitoba and Ontario, with personal connections to regimental associations including the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association. His decorations include Canadian and multinational honours awarded by institutions such as the Order of Military Merit (Canada), campaign medals associated with NATO operations, and recognition from allied governments including awards typically given by the United States and United Kingdom. He has been a recipient of service recognition from the Royal Canadian Legion and has been honoured at ceremonies involving leaders from the Department of National Defence (Canada), provincial lieutenant governors, and municipal officials.
Category:Canadian generals Category:People from Manitoba