LIEUTENANT-GENERAL J.S. LUCAS, CMM, CD
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS)

Lieutenant-General Lucas was born on 24 February 1952 in Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In August 1969, Lieutenant-General Lucas joined the Canadian Forces. After receiving his engineering degree from RMC in May 1973, he undertook air navigator training at the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School in Winnipeg, receiving his wings in February 1974.

Promoted to Major in 1981, Lieutenant-General Lucas was posted to National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ), Ottawa, in the Directorate of Air Plans.

On promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1986, he was posted to CFB Edmonton as Base Operations Officer. During that period he was named as commander for OPERATION NILE, a UN-sponsored humanitarian food lift in Ethiopia. In July 1989, he assumed command of 435 (T) Squadron, then located in Edmonton. After one year in this position, he was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay.

In 1993, he was posted to NDHQ as Director of Joint Requirements within the Force Development Branch. In August of 1996, he became Director of Aerospace Planning Coordination within the Aerospace Development Division. Promoted to Brigadier-General effective December 1996, he assumed the position of A4 Support at 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters in the summer of 1997. In December 1997, he moved laterally to the position of A3.

Lieutenant-General Lucas was promoted Major-General in July 2000 and assumed command of 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD Region until July 2002 at which point he was appointed Chief of Staff, Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Military) at NDHQ.

In March 2003, he assumed the position of Chief of Staff Joint Force Generation within the DCDS Group. Lieutenant-General Lucas was promoted to his current rank in April 2004 and was appointed Special Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff for Defence Policy Review and Homeland Security Issues. In May 2005, he assumed the position of Chief of the Air Staff.

Lieutenant-General Lucas is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and the National Defence College.