People in the Navy

Biography: VICE-ADMIRAL D.W. ROBERTSON, OMM, MSM, CD - CHIEF OF THE MARITIME STAFF

Vice-Admiral Drew Robertson joined the Canadian Forces in 1973 to attend le Collège Militaire Royal. He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1978 with a degree in Engineering Physics and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant.

His initial postings included tours as a warfare director in HMCS NIPIGON and HMCS KOOTENAY, as an instructor at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, and as Combat Officer of HMCS SKEENA. From 1988 to 1992 he served in operations billets ashore in both Maritime Command and National Defence Headquarters before attending the Command and Staff Course in Toronto in 1992.

On promotion to Commander in 1993 he served as the Executive Officer of the replenishment ship HMCS PROVIDER before assuming command of the destroyer HMCS ANNAPOLIS in January 1995.  In 1996 - 1997 he worked in the office of the Minister. He was promoted Captain(N) in 1997 and became the Director of NATO Policy.  In 1999 he assumed command of the destroyer HMCS ATHABASKAN, which deployed in 2000 as flagship of NATO’s Standing Naval Force Atlantic.

Following the National Security Studies Course in 2001 he was promoted Commodore and took command of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet, and sailed as the first commander of the Canadian Task Group deployed to Southwest Asia for six months as part of Operation APOLLO - Canada's contribution to the international campaign against terrorism. That deployment included command of a multi-national task group of ships from seven nations.  He was promoted Rear-Admiral in 2003, returning to NDHQ as Director General International Security Policy.

He was promoted Vice-Admiral in January 2006.

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