Major-General J.I. Fenton

Major General J.I. Fenton, OMM, CD enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1970 while attending York University, Toronto. On graduation in 1972 with a BA in English he was commissioned as an infantry officer into The Royal Canadian Regiment. Key military courses included the CF Command and Staff Course, the UK Joint Warfare Course, and the US Joint Combined Warfare Course. In 1993 MGen Fenton received his Master of War Studies Degree from RMC, Kingston. From January to June 1999 he attended the National Security Studies Course at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.

Regimental duty has included service in Canada, with NATO in Germany, and with the United Nations in Cyprus. Regimental appointments, all with Third Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment, comprised rifle and reconnaissance platoon commander, intelligence officer, adjutant, company commander, and battalion commander.

Staff appointments have included instructional duty at the CF School of Communications and Electronics, operational training staff at army headquarters, Brigade G3 in 1 Brigade, and Division G3 of the1st Canadian Division. Posted to NDHQ in 1995, he served in J3 Plans and J3 Doctrine and Training, and was Deputy Chief of Staff J3 (Operations) in which he supervised the National Defence Operations Centre and coordinated CF Taskings and support to the RCMP. He was appointed as an officer of the Order of Military Merit for his work there in support of domestic and international operations. Taking over CFB Petawawa in July 1999, he deployed as the Commander of Task Force Kosovo, from December 1999 to June 2000 in command of approximately 1,400 troops. He was promoted to BGen and appointed as the Comd LFWA in the summer of 2001. BGen Fenton was promoted to MGen in May 2004 and appointed to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium as the Assistant Director of Operations.

MGen Fenton and his wife Sue met and were married in Petawawa and are celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary there in 2000. They have two grown children, Christopher and Angela, and innumerable dogs.

Biography courtesy of DND and The RCR click here