Major-General Denis Thompson ends tour as MFO Force Commander in Sinai
News Release
March 1, 2017 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Today, Major-General Denis Thompson relinquished command of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) to Australian Major General Simon Stuart, bringing to an end his three-year tour of this multinational force. He was the first Canadian General Officer to hold the appointment since 2001-2004.
Major-General Thompson will be retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces later this year after a distinguished 39-year career. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College and has served in all three Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment as well as Joint Task Force 2.
His operational deployments include command appointments in Cyprus, Germany and Bosnia (twice). In 2008, he was Commander of Task Force Kandahar in 2008, the brigade-level formation conducting the International Security Assistance Force mission in Kandahar Province. Prior to his deployment as Force Commander of the MFO, he was Commander of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) in Ottawa.
Quotes
Throughout his service as Force Commander of the Multinational Force and Observers, Major-General Thompson had shown a tremendous commitment to maintaining peace and security in the Middle East. Thank you, Major-General Thompson, for representing Canada so well during your three years as Force Commander of the MFO.
— The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence
Major-General Thompson has demonstrated exceptional leadership as Force Commander of the Multinational Force and Observers. During the past three years, he was able to draw upon a wealth of operational experience to strengthen the safety and security of the mission. I congratulate him on his success and thank him for his dedication and professionalism.
— General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff
Quick Facts
- The MFO is an independent international organization with peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai. It was established in 1981 by the United States with Egypt and Israel, and is responsible for supervising the implementation of Annex 1 (the “Security Annex”) of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace.
- Twelve nations - Australia, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay - contribute troops towards the approximately 1400 personnel who are part of the MFO.
- Operation CALUMET is Canada's participation in the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), an independent peacekeeping operation in the Sinai Peninsula. Canada has maintained a contingent in the MFO since September 1, 1985.
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