Military Wiki
Military Wiki
Major General (ret) Alain Forand
Mgen-Forand-2009
Born January 27, 1944(1944-01-27) (age 80)
Place of birth Farnham, Quebec, Canada
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Canadian Army Flag Canadian Forces/Land Force Command
Years of service 1967 - 2000
2007 -
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 current 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 him self, 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", which started on August 4, 1995, he provided outstand- ing leadership and demonstrated extreme courage and determi- nation. 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.[14]

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.[15][16][17][18][19]

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.

As an Author[]

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

Books[]

Written Articles[]

References[]

  1. "Turks "Jockey for position"". 1 Aug 1974. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b6FlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U4sNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3987,42623&dq=alain+forand&hl=en. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  2. Smol, Robert (14 July 2009). "Lest we forget the cost of peacekeeping". http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/07/14/f-vp-smol.html. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  3. "U.N. general confirms `ongoing' atrocities against Serbs". 15 October 1995. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0F18A0CF10EB7&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  4. "WITNESS: RANDOM SHELLING OF KNIN". 14 July 2008. http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/witness-random-shelling-of-knin.29.html?cat_id=1&news_id=8385. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  5. Bonner, Raymond (21 Mar 1999). "War Crimes Panel Finds Croat Troops 'Cleansed' the Serbs". http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/21/world/war-crimes-panel-finds-croat-troops-cleansed-the-serbs.html. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  6. Français, Canada (4 Oct 2006). "Il protège des Serbes dans son quartier général". http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=804&dat=20061004&id=ttAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q0gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4981,40433. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  7. Radio, Canada. "Le grand verglas de 1998". Documentaire audio-visuel. Les Archives de Radio-Canada. http://archives.radio-canada.ca/environnement/catastrophes_naturelles/dossiers/265/. Retrieved 22 May 2013. 
  8. Fortin, Guylaine (13 Feb 2008). "A light in the darkness". http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=4124. Retrieved 23 May 2013. 
  9. "Liste des articles liés à " crise du verglas "". Jan 1998. http://www.ledevoir.com/motcle/crise-du-verglas. Retrieved 22 May 2013. 
  10. Forand, Alain. "THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. http://gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/1998/1998-06-20/html/gh-rg-eng.html. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  11. Forand, Alain. "Major-General/Major-général". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. http://gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/1999/1999-05-22/html/gh-rg-eng.html. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  12. Forand, Alain. "Captain". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=13527&image_id_nbr=828765&f=p&PHPSESSID=47ascdmjmo8sd1l06s5jqp2dp4. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  13. Forand, Alain. "BRIGADIER-GENERAL". Gazette of Canada. Government of Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=1478&image_id_nbr=618068&f=p&PHPSESSID=b5p4eb2mjku1smuudo63suu5s2. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  14. Champagne, Pierre (2 July 2009). "Nouveau colonel". http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/tableau-dhonneur/200907/01/01-880438-symposium-des-croisieres-canada-new-england.php. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  15. "Canadians to testify against Croatian officers". 27 July 2001. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2001/07/27/war_tribunal010727.html. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  16. "General Forand's protests were in vain". 03 Juin 2008. http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/general-forand’s-protests-were-in-vain.29.html?cat_id=1&news_id=8326. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  17. "PREVENTION OF CRIMES ‘ON PAPER’". 5 June 2008. http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/prevention-of-crimes-‘on-paper’.29.html?cat_id=1&news_id=8329. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  18. "DEFENSE: CANADIANS FAVOURED KRAJINA SERBS". 6 June 2008. http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/defense-canadians-favoured-krajina-serbs.29.html?cat_id=1&news_id=8327. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  19. Williams, David (16 November 2012). "Serbia blasts UN war tribunal after court clears Croatia generals of crimes against Serbians". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234136/Serbia-blasts-UN-war-tribunal-court-clears-Croatia-generals-crimes-Serbians.html. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
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-
Succeeded by
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Alain Forand and the edit history here.