Michael Rouleau Explained

Michael Norman Rouleau
Birth Date:4 July 1967
Allegiance: Canada
Serviceyears:1985–1999
2002–2022
Rank: Lieutenant-General
Branch:Canadian SOF Command
Commands:Strategic Advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
Joint Operations Command
Battles:War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Bosnian War
Awards:Commander of the Order of Military Merit
Meritorious Service Cross
Canadian Forces' Decoration
Governor General’s Commendation

Michael Norman Rouleau [1] [2] (born July 4, 1967)[3] is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as a lieutenant-general in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. He was the vice chief of the Defence Staff from July 15, 2020, until June 14, 2021.[4]

Education

Rouleau obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Manitoba. He would later graduate from the Royal Military College of Canada with a Masters in Defence Studies and a Master of Arts Degree in Security, Management, and Defence Policy.[5]

Military career

Rouleau joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1985 as an artillery officer.[6]

In 1994 he became a Special Operation Assaulter with Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2)[5]

In 1999, he retired from the CAF and joined the ranks of the Ottawa Carleton Regional Police Service as an emergency response officer. However, he re-enrolled in the CAF in 2002 following the events of the September 11 attacks against the United States.

Rouleau was appointed Commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in February 2014.[7] He was Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command from June 2018 to March 2020 before being replaced by Lieutenant-General Christopher J. Coates.[6] [8]

In July 2020, Rouleau was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. In March 2021, Frances J. Allen was announced as his successor and he was named a strategic advisor to the chief of the Defence Staff on future capabilities, pending Allen's completion of service as Canada's Representative to the NATO Military Committee.[9] He resigned prematurely from the role on June 14, 2021, after controversy over a golf game he played with former Chief of the Defence Staff Jonathan Vance during an investigation into the latter for sexual misconduct.[10] As Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Rouleau was the immediate superior to the Provost Marshal in charge of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.

He retired in September 2022.

Honours and decorations

Rouleau has received the following orders and decorations during his military career:



RibbonDescriptionNotes
Order of Military Merit (CMM)
  • Appointed Commander (CMM) on 29 June 2018[11]
  • Appointed Officer (OMM) on 7 November 2014
Meritorious Service Cross (MSC)
  • with AFGHANISTAN Clasp and Rotation bar
  • with NATO-OTAN Clasp
NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
  • with FORMER YUGOSLAVIA clasp
Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
  • with two Clasp for 32 years of services

Notes and References

  1. Web site: General. Office of the Secretary to the Governor. 2018-06-27. Order of Military Merit Investiture Ceremony. 2021-02-25. The Governor General of Canada.
  2. Web site: General. Office of the Secretary to the Governor. Major-General Michael Norman Rouleau. 2021-02-25. The Governor General of Canada.
  3. https://www.defenceiq.com/events-cabsec/speakers/major-general-mike-rouleau-omm-msc-cd Major-General Mike Rouleau
  4. http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2020/07/16/lieutenant-general-rouleau-assumes-responsibilities-of-the-vice-chief-of-the-defence-staff/ Lieutenant-General Rouleau assumes responsibilities of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
  5. Web site: Defence. National. 2013-04-23. Lieutenant-General M. N. Rouleau, CMM, MSC, CD. 2021-02-25. aem.
  6. Web site: New Commander for Canadian Joint Operations Command. Defence. National. 2018-06-13. gcnws. 2019-05-02.
  7. Web site: Michael Rouleau, Canadian Special Forces Commander, Fined $2,000 After Guilty Plea. 2016-10-11. HuffPost Canada. en. 2019-05-02.
  8. Web site: Defence. National. 2020-03-16. Chief of the Defence Staff announces Lieutenant-General Mike Rouleau as the new Vice Chief of the Defence Staff as part of the 2020 Canadian Armed Forces General and Flag Officer senior appointments, promotions, and retirements. 2020-07-19. gcnws.
  9. News: Stephenson. Mercedes. Cossette. Marc-André. Connolly. Amanda. March 8, 2021. Canada getting first female vice chief of defence staff after military shake-up. Global News. March 8, 2021.
  10. Web site: Canadian military's second-in-command resigns role after golfing with Vance - National | Globalnews.ca.
  11. Web site: Order of Military Merit List. The Governor General of Canada.