{{Short description|Canadian military physician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox military person |name= Jean-Robert Bernier |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= |birth_place= |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= Canada |branch= |service_years= |rank= Major general |service_number= |unit= |commands= Canadian Surgeon General<br />Commander of Canadian Forces Health Services Group<br />Chairman, Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) |battles= |awards= Order of Military Merit<br />Order of Ontario<br />Canadian Forces' Decoration |relations= |other_work= }} '''Jean-Robert Bernier''' is a Canadian military physician who served as the 38th Canadian Surgeon General<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-10 |title=News Release - New Surgeon General Appointed for the Canadian Forces |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=new-surgeon-general-appointed-for-the-canadian-forces/hgq87xpn |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305193600/http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=new-surgeon-general-appointed-for-the-canadian-forces/hgq87xpn |archive-date=2014-03-05 |website=National Defense and the Canadian Armed Forces, Government of Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-06 |title=Major-General J.J.-R.S. Bernier, OMM, CD, QHP, BA, MD, MPH, DEH, DSc(hon), FRCPC(hon) - Biography |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-org-structure/comeds-chairman-elect-bio.page |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226073807/http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-org-structure/comeds-chairman-elect-bio.page |archive-date=2019-02-26 |website=National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, Government of Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usuhs.edu/sites/default/files/media/vpe/enews/newsed1212.pdf |title=The Pulse, Volume 7, Issue 12 |access-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-date=April 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427184716/https://www.usuhs.edu/sites/default/files/media/vpe/enews/newsed1212.pdf |url-status=dead |date=2012-08-12|website=Uniformed Services University}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://future-forces-forum.org/delegation/people/65_bernier?lang=en|title=Future Forces Forum|website=future-forces-forum.org}}{{Dead link|date=March 2026}}</ref> and chief medical adviser to the North Atlantic Alliance as the 7th chairman of NATO's Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS).
==Biography== A native of Sarnia, he was educated at Royal Roads Military College,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-02-09 |title=Where are they now? |url=http://everitas.rmcclub.ca/where-are-they-now-42/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121048/http://everitas.rmcclub.ca/where-are-they-now-42/ |archive-date=2019-01-19 |website=Royal Military College of Canada Alumni Club}}</ref> the Royal Military College of Canada, McMaster University Medical School, the US Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, the Canadian Forces College, and Queen's University's business school. Upon RMC graduation in 1982 with an honours BA in History, he was commissioned in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, commanded rifle and anti-armour platoons and served as assistant and acting adjutant with the Third Battalion in Victoria, instructed at the PPCLI Battle School in Wainwright and the Infantry School in Gagetown, and served on the Operations Staff of 1 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters in Calgary.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-06-10 |title=New Surgeon General Appointed for the Canadian Armed Forces |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2015/06/new-surgeon-general-appointed-canadian-armed-forces.html |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Brigadier-General Jean-Robert Bernier: assessing the health of the war-weary Canadian Forces. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Brigadier-General+Jean-Robert+Bernier:+assessing+the+health+of+the...-a0333842840 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref> Upon completion of his medical education in 1991, he served as Regimental Medical Officer to Third Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment and as a hospital medical officer in Baden-Soellingen Germany, commanded MacPherson Hospital as Base Surgeon in Calgary, underwent training with US establishments in medical nuclear, biological, and chemical defence, and completed post-graduate public health and environmental health programs at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda.
After serving with the US Defense Intelligence Agency's National Center for Medical Intelligence at Fort Detrick, he served as the Canadian Armed Forces Head of Operational Medicine, chaired the Canada-UK-US CBRN Medical Countermeasures Coordinating Committee and the Australia-Canada-UK-US Medical Intelligence Analysts Working Group, and was vice-chair of NATO's Biomedical Defence Advisory Committee. He was then sequentially appointed Head of Occupational and Environmental Health, Director Force Health Protection in charge of the military public health agency, and Director Health Services Operations responsible for support to all Canadian missions, including the multi-national combat hospital in Kandahar for which Canada received NATO's highest medical honour, and for chairing the multi-national steering group coordinating NATO health resources in southern Afghanistan.<ref name="auto1">[https://cimvhr.ca/forum/published-docs/MVHR-forum-program-2012.pdf Canadian Military and Veteran Health Research Forum 2012], pg. 7. cimvhr.ca {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826000931/http://cimvhr.ca/forum/published-docs/MVHR-forum-program-2012.pdf |date=August 26, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2012-11-21 |title=Canadian Forces awarded highest NATO honour for medical achievements in Afghanistan |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2012/11/canadian-forces-awarded-highest-nato-honour-medical-achievements-afghanistan.html |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> During his term as Deputy Surgeon General, he also chaired the Health, Medicine, and Protection research committee of NATO's Science and Technology Organization, the world's largest research network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Les Meilleurs Casinos en Ligne 45enord : Info de Contact |url=https://www.45enord.ca/a-propos-de-nous/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=45enord |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2012, he was appointed Surgeon General, Head of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, Commander of Canadian Forces Health Services Group, Director General Health Services and Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II.<ref name="auto1" /><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.royalcollege.ca/en/about/governance/council.html|title=Royal College Council|website=Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada|access-date=2026-03-24}}</ref> In 2015, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the NATO Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services, serving until 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-06-02 |title=Canadian Armed Forces Surgeon General Appointed Chair of the Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2015/06/canadian-armed-forces-surgeon-general-appointed-chair-committee-chiefs-military-medical-services-nato.html |website=Government of Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=25 years of NATO's Chiefs of Military Medical Services |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_160701.htm |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=NATO |language=en|date=2018-11-22}}</ref>
=== Civilian Appointments ===
* Governing council and executive committee of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50472.html |title=Canadian Institutes of Health Research Annual Report 2016‑17 |access-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-date=October 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018030519/http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50472.html |url-status=dead |date=2017|website=Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Government of Canada}}</ref> * Board of directors, chair of Governance and Quality Committees for Ontario Health<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ontario Health Board of Directors Reappointed And New Member Added {{!}} Ontario Health |url=https://www.ontariohealth.ca/about-us/news/news-release/ontario-health-board-directors-reappointed-and-new-member-added |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.ontariohealth.ca}}{{Dead link|date=March 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors – Ontario Health |url=https://www.ontariohealth.ca/about-us/our-people/board-directors |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.ontariohealth.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ontariohealth.ca/about/governance/accountability-transparency/board-directors-meeting-february-6-2024|title=Board of Directors Meeting: February 6, 2024 | Ontario Health|website=www.ontariohealth.ca}}</ref> * Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Council Biographies |url=https://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/about/governance/royal-college-council/council-biographies-e |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302144751/https://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/about/governance/royal-college-council/council-biographies-e |archive-date=2021-03-02 |website=Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada}}</ref><ref name="auto2" /> * Advisory council of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veterans Health Research<ref>[https://cimvhr.ca/advisory%20council/ Advisory council] cimvhr.ca {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119164627/https://cimvhr.ca/advisory%20council/ |date=January 19, 2019 }}{{Failed verification|date=March 2026|reason=Cited source does not mention Bernier}}</ref> * Board of the Foundation for Civic Literacy<ref name="auto1" /> * Board of The Dorchester Review<ref name="auto1" /> * Board of Royal Ottawa Institute for Mental Health Research<ref>{{Cite web|title=Research to Action 2018-2019 Impact Report, page 38 |url=https://www.theroyal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMHR-Impact-Report-2018-19_FINAL.pdf</ref> * Adjunct professor of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences<ref>{{Cite web|title=19-208 Board of Regents Meeting Materials - page 151|url=https://cdm16005.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15459coll3/id/53094/rec/1 19-208 Board of Regents Meeting Materials</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Royal College Council |url=https://www.royalcollege.ca/en/about/governance/council.html</ref>
==Awards==
* Royal Military College History Prize<ref name="auto1" /> * United States Army Medical Department Center and School Commanding General's Award<ref name="auto1" /> * Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Queen's University<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2015-05-21 |title=Queen's recognizes exemplary careers with honorary degrees |url=https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/queen-s-recognizes-exemplary-careers-honorary-degrees |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Queen's Gazette {{!}} Queen's University |language=en}}</ref> * Order of Military Merit<ref name="auto1" /> * Order of Ontario<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-17 |title=2025 Order of Ontario Appointees |url=https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1007023/2025-order-of-ontario-appointees |website=Government of Ontario - Backgrounder}}</ref> * Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons<ref name="auto2" /> * Election to the U.S. national honour society in Public Health<ref name="auto1" /> * Honorary membership in the Royal Canadian Dental Corps<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dental Corps Communique 2015_11_-issue-23Eng page 12 |url=https://acdrc-rcdca.ca/cfds-newsletter-le-communique-sdfc/</ref> * NATO Science and Technology Organization Award of Excellence.<ref name=":2" /> * Chief of Defence Staff Commendation<ref>{{Cite web|title=Honours & Recognition 2019, page 58 |url=https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/honours/honours- recognition-2019.pdf</ref> * Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta<ref name=":0" /><ref name="auto1" /> * Honorary Physician to Her Majesty the Queen<ref name="auto1" /><ref name=":3" /> * Honorary Graduate of the U.S. Interagency Institute for Federal Healthcare Executives<ref name=":2" /> * First graduate of the Uniformed Services University to be appointed a Surgeon General<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Pulse, vol 7 Issue 12, August 12 2012, pages 4 and 5 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427184716/https://www.usuhs.edu/sites/default/files/media/vpe/enews/newsed1212.pdf</ref> <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bernier |first=Jean-Robert |date=2015 |title=The Place of USU Among America's Allies: Reflections From the Surgeon General of the Canadian Armed Forces |url=https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00681 |journal=Military Medicine |volume=180 |pages=136-137}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Uniformed Services University's 50th Anniversary: An (Abbreviated) History |url=https://news.usuhs.edu/2022/01/uniformed-services-universitys-50th.html |website=Uniformed Services University News}}</ref> * Recognized in the United States Congress<ref name="auto2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-158/issue-127/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E1559-3|title=IN CELEBRATION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES; Congressional Record Vol. 158, No. 127|website=United States Congress|date=2012-09-19}}</ref> * Presented a Jefferson Cup by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff<ref name="auto2" />
==Medals and Awards== <div class= "center"> <br /> 200px
200px
100px <br /> 90px 100px 100px 100px
{| class="wikitable" |- style="background:silver;" align="center" |Ribbon || Description || Notes |- |40px || Order of Military Merit (OMM) ||<ref name="auto1" /> |- |40px || Order of Ontario (OOnt) ||<ref name=":4" /> |- |40px ||Special Service Medal||<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://ca.linkedin.com/in/major-general-ret-d-jean-robert-bernier-omm-oont-c-a3403124|title=Major-General ret'd Jean-Robert Bernier [LinkedIn Profile]|website=LinkedIn}}{{Better source needed|reason=Ideally, information could be verified from an independent source, rather than LinkedIn|date=March 2026}}</ref> |- |40px || Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal||<ref name=":5" /> |- |40px || Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)|| 32 years of service in the Canadian Forces<ref name=":5" /> |- |40px|| Knight of the Order of Malta |<ref name=":0" /> |} </div>
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernier, Jean-Robert}} Category:Surgeons general of Canada Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Canadian medical doctors Category:Canadian military personnel Category:Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Canada)