Alain Forand

Major General (ret) Alain Forand

Born (1944-01-27) January 27, 1944
Farnham, Quebec, Canada
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Canadian Forces/Land Force Command
Years of service 1967–2000;
2007–2015
Rank Major General
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards Commander - Order of Military Merit
Officer - Order St.John
Star of Courage
Meritorious Service Cross
Canadian Forces Decoration

Major-General Joseph Robert Alain Pierre (Alain) Forand, CMM SC MSC CD (born January 27, 1944) was a Canadian infantry officer and the former Colonel of the Royal 22e Régiment.

Early life

Alain Forand was born in Farnham, Quebec, Canada on 27 January 1944. He is married to Pierrette Langlois and is father of two sons: Jean Guillaume and Marc Antoine.

Military career

In 1967, Major-General Alain Forand enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces as an infantry officer with the Royal 22e Régiment. He served in all the battalions of the regiment in Canada and Germany as well with the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Major-General Forand commanded the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Valcartier, Quebec, the 5th Mechanized Brigade Group of Canada (Valcartier, Quebec) and the Quebec Area Land Force (Montreal, Quebec). His other assignments were the Aide de Camp (ADC) of the Commander of the Army, Infantry School Chief Instructor, Instructor at the Army Command and Staff College in Kingston (Ontario), responsible for training the Army and postings as Staff officer at NDHQ (Ottawa, Ontario), at Colonel and Brigadier-General as responsible for plans and operations. Major-General Forand participated in three United Nations missions: UNFICYP (2), MINURSO (2), UNPROFOR.

His career has been an uninterrupted series of interesting episodes. Among the highlights of his career, he served in Cyprus in 1974 with the Canadian Airborne Regiment during the Turkish invasion.[1][2] He was awarded the Star of Courage for his extraordinary actions under enemy fire.

In 1991, first, he assumed the position of higher Liaison Officer Group belligerents "POLISARIO" and, thereafter, he became the Deputy Commander for the mission of the United Nations Referendum in Western Sahara. In 1993 he was given command of 5,000 soldiers of the 5th Mechanized Brigade Group of Canada and the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier. During this period, he was held responsible for the training of more than 4,000 soldiers have been deployed to UN missions.

In 1995, Major-General Forand became the Commander of the Southern Sector of the United Nations in Croatia when the Croatian army became master of the Serbo-Croatian separatist republic. Major-General Forand often reported [3] war atrocities been committed all around his area of responsibility.[4][5] He distinguished himself, despite threats and constraints of the Croatian authorities, by ensuring the safety of 1200 Serbs that took refuge in his camp.[6] Upon his return to Canada, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross for his exploits in Croatia.

From 1996 to 1998, Major-General Forand was the Commander of the Quebec Area Land Force in Montreal. This command was marked by the Saguenay flood operation and the famous ice storm of 1998,[7] where he successfully led the activities of more than 12,000 soldiers and worked closely with political, civil and public safety authorities to quickly resolve the crisis.[8][9] From 1998 to 2000, Major-General Forand was the Executive Director of the Group of National Contingency Planning for Y2K.

In 1997, Major-General Forand was appointed Commander of the Order of Military Merit[10] and in 1999 was admitted to the Order of St. John.[11]

Citation - Star of Courage[12]

On July 23, 1974, during the war in Cyprus, a Canadian patrol conducting a group of combatants out of a UN controlled area came under fire. Several combatant soldiers were killed or wounded and the Canadian officer leading the escort party was wounded. One of his men who began to render first aid to the fallen officer was also hit. At the bottom of a creek bed, the victims were exposed to continuing machine gun fire. Coming on the scene, Captain Alain Forand arranged for covering fire and, with complete disregard for his own safety, he crawled forward over the exposed ground, to aid the two casualties. Single-handedly, he managed to drag the wounded officer some distance up onto the bank of the creek where others helped carry him out of the danger area. Captain Forand then directed the rescue of the wounded soldier.

Citation Meritorious Service Cross[13]

From July until October 1995, Brigadier-General Forand served as Commander of Sector South with the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) in the Serb-controlled territory of Krajina in Croatia. During "Operation Storm",[14] which started on August 4, 1995, he provided outstanding leadership and demonstrated extreme courage and determination. Thanks to his actions, countless UN peacekeepers and more than 700 Serb refugees escaped injury.

In retirement

Major-General Forand retired from the Canadian Forces in August 2000 after 33 years of honorable services.

He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Hydro-Québec from 2000 to 2004. He was Colonel Commandant of the Canadian Infantry from August 2001 to October 2004, Honorary Colonel of the 4th Intelligence Company-LFQA and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel 4e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment until summer 2009. He is a member of the Board of the Corps of Commissionaires Montreal Region and member of the board of IInterloge Montreal. He acts as a senior consultant and mentor at Rheinmetall and acts as mentor at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. Major-General Forand became the 14th Colonel of the Royal 22nd Regiment June 26, 2009.[15]

In 2008, Major-General Forand testified at the International Court of Justice of La Hague in the case of former Serb generals answering for war crime charges in the 2005 Operation Storm.[16][17][18][19][20]

Major-General Forand is the honorary president of the branch Major-General Alain R. Forand of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations peace (CAVUNP) since its founding in 1988 in Chambly, QC.

In 2012, Major-General received his third bar of the Canadian Forces Decoration for 42 years of ongoing service and received the medal for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

In March 2014, Major-General Forand participated in a commemorative ceremony in Cyprus of the 50th Anniversary of Canada's Peacekeeping Mission to Cyprus accompanied by a delegation of UNFICYP veterans and Canada's Veterans Affairs minister, M. Julian Fantino[21]

As 2014 is the anniversary year of the Royal 22nd Regiment, Major-General Forand devotes himself to represent the Regiment in every 100th anniversary scheduled activities.[22] On May 14, 2014, Major-General Forand lead a delegation of the Regiment to Vatican City and had the Regimental colors blessed by the Pope Francis.[23]

MGen Forand getting the Regimental colors blessed by the Pope in Rome in 2014

Afterward, he led the Regiment at Buckingham Palace where the palace"s guard duties were assumed by the Royal 22nd Regiment and all commands given in French Canadian– an historic moment.[24]

Meeting between Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and MGen Alain Forand at Buckingham Palace during the 100th Anniversary of the Royal 22e Régiment

On June 15, 2015, Major-General Forand passed on his role of Colonel of the Regiment to Lieutenant-General Richard Évraire at the Citadelle of Quebec.

As an Author

Major-General Forand has authored a number of books and papers

Books

Written Articles

References

  1. ↑ "Turks "Jockey for position"". The Vancouver Sun. 1 Aug 1974. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Smol, Robert (14 July 2009). "Lest we forget the cost of peacekeeping". CBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "U.N. general confirms `ongoing' atrocities against Serbs". Washington Times. 15 October 1995. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "WITNESS: RANDOM SHELLING OF KNIN". SENSE agency. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Bonner, Raymond (21 Mar 1999). "War Crimes Panel Finds Croat Troops 'Cleansed' the Serbs". NewYorkTimes. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Français, Canada (4 Oct 2006). "Il protège des Serbes dans son quartier général". Canada Français. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Radio, Canada. "Le grand verglas de 1998". Documentaire audio-visuel. Les Archives de Radio-Canada. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Fortin, Guylaine (13 Feb 2008). "A light in the darkness". The Maple Leaf. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Liste des articles liés à " crise du verglas "". Le Devoir. Jan 1998. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Forand, Alain. "THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Forand, Alain. "Major-General/Major-général". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Forand, Alain. "Captain". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  13. ↑ Forand, Alain. "MERITORIOUS SERVICE DECORATIONS". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Forand, Alain. "The shelling of Knin by the Croatian Army in August 1995: A police operation or a non-international armed conflict?". ICRC. ICRC. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  15. ↑ Champagne, Pierre (2 July 2009). "Nouveau colonel". Le Soleil. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Canadians to testify against Croatian officers". CBC News. 27 July 2001. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "General Forand's protests were in vain". SENSE agency. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "PREVENTION OF CRIMES ‘ON PAPER’". SENSE agency. 5 June 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "DEFENSE: CANADIANS FAVOURED KRAJINA SERBS". SENSE agency. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  20. ↑ Williams, David (16 November 2012). "Serbia blasts UN war tribunal after court clears Croatia generals of crimes against Serbians". DailyMail online. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  21. ↑ Veterans Affairs Canada. "50th Anniversary of Canada's Peacekeeping Mission to Cyprus". Government of Canada. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  22. ↑ Royal 22e Régiment. "Activités du 100e anniversaire du Royal 22e Régiment". Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  23. ↑ GovernmentofCanada. "The Royal 22e Régiment visits the Vatican". Canadian Forces. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  24. ↑ iPick Canadian FrontPage. "Quebec’s Royal 22nd Regiment guards Buckingham Palace as guard changes". Canadian Press. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
Military offices
Preceded by
Lcol (Col) J.A.Y. Sarrazin, OMM, CD		 Commander of the 3e Battalion Royal 22e Régiment
1982-1984 		Succeeded by
Lcol (Col) J.A.L. Bujold, CD
Preceded by
MGen R.A. D'Allaire, OC, CMM, GOQ, OStJ, MSC, CD, LOM		 Commander of the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
1993-1995 		Succeeded by
Bgén (Lgén) J.M.C. Couture, CMM, MSM, CD
Preceded by
MGen R.A. D'Allaire, OC, CMM, GOQ, OStJ, MSC, CD, LOM		 Commander of Land Force Quebec Area HQ
1996-1998 		Succeeded by
Bgén J.J.R. Gagnon, CMM, CD
Preceded by
Lcol G. Brais, OMM, CD		 Honorary Colonel of the 4e Battalion Royal 22e Régiment
2007-2009 		Succeeded by
Lcol J Girardin, CD
Preceded by
General Maurice Baril, CMM, MSM, CD		 Colonel of the Royal 22e Régiment
2009-2015 		Succeeded by
LGen(ret) R. Évraire, CMM, CD
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