Colonel Commandant – The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Michael K. Jeffery, C.M.M., C.D.
The office of Colonel Commandant is an honorary one. It symbolizes the Regimental family and traditions drawing together all its members: serving and retired, regular and reserve. The first Artillery Commandant in Canada was appointed on 1 April 1925.
On 01 October, 2011 Lieutenant General Mike Jeffery assumed the appointment of Colonel Commandant, The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
Lieutenant General Mike Jeffery was born in London, England. He joined the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery under the Canadian Army Soldier Apprentice Programme in 1964. After his commissioning in 1967, he served six years of Regimental duty in 2RCHA (Gagetown) and 1RCHA (Germany). Following completion of the Gunnery Staff Course (UK) he served four years as an Instructor in Gunnery at the School of Artillery (Gagetown).
In 1981 he assumed command of C Battery 1RCHA (Germany) and subsequently was appointed G2 4CMBG and Deputy Commanding Officer 1RCHA. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 1985, Lieutenant General Jeffery was posted as the Canadian Exchange Officer at the British Army Staff College in Camberley. In 1987 he was appointed Commanding Officer of Third Regiment RCHA (Shilo). Promoted to Colonel in February 1989, he was appointed Canadian Contingent Commander to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. Following attendance at the National Defence College, he served at National Defence Headquarters in a variety of staff positions including Director of Land Requirements, Director of Artillery and Director General Program Co-ordination.
In 1996, Lieutenant General Jeffery was appointed Commandant of the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College. In 1997, he was appointed Commander of the lst Canadian Division and Army Training Authority. In 1999 Lieutenant General Jeffery was appointed Joint Task Force Commander for Operation ABACUS and oversaw the transition of the Division HQ to the CF Joint HQ. On promotion to Lieutenant General on 1 May 2000, he was assigned to the Reserve Restructure Project.
Lieutenant General served as Chief of the Land Staff from 8 August 2000 to 30 May 2003. He retired from the CF on 1 August 2003.
Lieutenant General Jeffery is a graduate of the Long Gunnery Staff Course (UK), the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, The US Army Command and General Staff College and the National Defence College. In 2000, he was promoted in the Order of Military Merit to the grade of Commander. In 2004 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Royal Military College.
Lieutenant General Jeffery and his wife Anne have two adult children, Christopher and Jennifer and live in Ottawa.
Past Colonel Commandants
