Vice-Admiral Ron Buck, RCN (Ret’d)

Vice-Admiral Ron Buck, RCN (Ret’d), was born and raised in Montreal, and joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1967. Vice-Admiral Buck graduated from McGill University in 1971, and was commissioned as a Sub-lieutenant in the Navy. He served his formative years, from 1971 to 1975, in HMC Ships Fraser, Saskatchewan, Margaree and Preserver. He was appointed Executive Officer (second in command) of HMCS Athabaskan in 1983, and on promotion to Commander, Vice-Admiral Buck was posted to National Defence Headquarters in 1985.

In 1987, Vice-Admiral Buck was appointed as Commanding Officer of HMCS Restigouche, and in 1989, he was selected as the Project Manager for the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project, which he led to successful award of the implementation contract that delivered 12 ships to the Navy.

In 1992, Vice-Admiral Buck was appointed as Commander of the Fifth Canadian Destroyer Squadron, and during this period, he led the operational acceptance of the Canadian Patrol Frigates, and updated Tribal Destroyers to fleet operations.

On promotion to Commodore in 1994, Vice-Admiral Buck was appointed as Commander of the Canadian Forces Training System, and was subsequently appointed as Chief of Staff of the Management Command and Control Reengineering Team (MCCRT) in Ottawa. In 1997, Vice-Admiral Buck was appointed as the first Commander of the Canadian Fleet Pacific, and he was promoted to Rear Admiral, and appointed as Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific in 1998. Vice-Admiral Buck served as MARPAC for three years through June of 2001, during which he was promoted to Vice-Admiral.

Shortly after appointment as the Commander of Maritime Command (head of Canada’s Navy) in 2001, Vice-Admiral Buck led the planning and execution of the naval component of Operation Apollo, the Canadian contribution to the Global War on Terrorism.

Vice-Admiral Buck was appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS), and served as VCDS from 2004 to 2006. Vice-Admiral Buck retired on 4 July 2006, after just short of 40 years of service in the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Canadian Forces, but quickly failed retirement.

During his military career Vice-Admiral Buck had major Cadet related responsibilities going back to 1994 in Ontario, from 1998 to 2001 in British Columbia and as Vice Chief of Defence staff from 2004 to 2006.