Civilian Careers

12320 General (Retd) Walter Natynczyk – President - Canadian Space Agency - 2013-2014; Deputy Minister Veterans Affairs – 2014 – 2021

12341 Al Stewart - Dean of Engineering - RMC - 2002 - 2010; and Vice Principal Academic from 2008-2012

12264 Doug Campbell - 2023 - Present - Host City Manager and Chair of the FIFA 2026 World Cup Vancouver Secretariat

12239 Randy Smith - 2019 - Present - Chairperson, RCMP External Review Committee

Military Careers

Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS)

(click each link to see the page)

12320 General Walter Natynczyk – Chief of the Defence Staff
– 2008 to 2012

Academic and Professional Achievements

PhDs

12027 Alain Brizard, PhD, Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 1990

12157 Wayne Boone, PhD, Information Systems Assurance, University of Fairfax, Va 2009

12167 Dan Eustace, PhD, International Relations, National University of Ireland, 2014

12173 Richard Gimblett, PhD, Canadian Naval History, University of Laval 2000

12238 Ray Stouffer, PhD, War Studies, Royal Military College, 2005

12247 Jim Wishloff, PhD, Organizational Behaviour, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 1996

12259 Kevin Biggar, PhD, Geotechnical Engineering, University of Alberta, 1991

12298 Ron Humble, PhD, Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

12341 Allan Stephenson, PhD, Political Science, Carleton University 2006

12342 Allen Stewart, PhD, Traffic Engineering, Queens University 1992

Honourary

12342 Allen Stewart, PhD, Engineering, RMC 2018

Medical/Dental/Legal

12051 David Fermor, Medical

12154 Peter Barber, Legal, Bachelor of Law, University of Alberta, 1992

12218 Guy Killaby, Legal, Georgetown University, Washington DC 2005

12265 Mike Campbell, Medical

12289 Richard Groves, Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of Sask 1990

12339 Randy Smith, Legal, Bachelor of Civil Law, McGill University, 1983; Bachelor of Common Law, 1984, McGill University; Master of Laws, 1992, US Army JAG School, Charlottesville, Va.

Professional Honours and Distinctions

12027 Alain Brizard – Fellow of the American Physical Society

12255 Alan Barnes - Canadian Association of Professional Intelligence Analysts - Award for Distinguished Career Achievement (First time awarded)

12259 Kevin Biggar – Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada

12342 Allen Stewart - Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers

12192 General Tom Lawson – Chief of the Defence Staff
– 2012 to 2015

Of note, the Class of 79 was the only Class to that point to have produced two different Chiefs of Defence Staff.  The Cmdt at RMC for our last two years, BGen John de Chastelain, later challenged the “only Class to have two Chiefs” claim, observing to Rich Gimblett, “with a twinkle in his eye”, that his Class had two, because he himself had served as the CDS – on two different occasions!

Senior Rank

12192 General Tom Lawson

12320 General Walter Natynczyk

12141 Rear-Admiral Bryn Weadon

12286 Rear-Admiral Nigel Greenwood

12287 Rear-Admiral Richard Greenwood

12324 Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile

12162 Brigadier-General Dwight Davies

12193 Brigadier-General Terry Leversedge

12345 Brigadier-General John Turnbull

12016 Captain (Navy) Richard Bergeron

12041 Colonel Yvon Desjardins

12061 Colonel Steve Gagnon

12148 Colonel Chuck Attwood

12149 Captain (Navy) Peter Avis

12231 Colonel John Roeterink

12280 Colonel Craig Fletcher

12335 Colonel Guy Simard

12341 Colonel Al Stephenson

M0135 Colonel Donald McLeod

Military Decorations, Awards and Commendations

There are numerous military decorations and awards so no attempt is made here to capture medals awarded for operational deployments (see Classmates/Theatres and Operation for a list of deployments that included members of our Class) or for long service. This is very much a work in progress having only been started in October 2025 so very incomplete at this stage.

Order of Military Merit

12192 General Tom Lawson - Order of Military Merit - Principal Commander

12320 General Walter Natynczyk - Order of Military Merit - Principal Commander

12286 Rear-Admiral Nigel Greenwood - Order of Military Merit - Commander

12324 Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile - Order of Military Merit - Commander

12141 Rear-Admiral Bryn Weadon - Order of Military Merit - Commander

12287 Rear-Admiral Richard Greenwood - Order of Military Merit - Officer

12016 Captain (Navy) Richard Bergeron - Order of Military Merit - Officer

12231 Colonel John Roeterink - Order of Military Merit - Officer

12335 Colonel Guy Simard - Order of Military Merit - Officer

Meritorious Service Cross

 

12320 General (Retd) Walter Natynczyk - While Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM from January 2004 to January 2005

Meritorious Service Medal

12287 RAdm (Retd) Richard Greenwood - While Director General of Maritime Equipment Program Management from 2005 through 2010.

12162 BGen (Ret’d) Dwight Davies - Meritorious Service Medal - Task Force Aviano

CDS Commendations

12289 Richard Groves - CDS Commendation 2018 - RCDC Centennial Book

12299 Ulrich Jaggi - CDS Commendation 2009 - For Development and Fielding of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Command Commendations

11887 Steve Gasser - Maritime Commander’s - In Recognition of Exceptional Service to Maritime Command