Brigadier General (ret) Greg Young, OMM, MSM, CD BGen Greg Young joined the Canadian Forces in 1964 as an infantryman with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. He progressed through all the NCM ranks to Master Warrant Officer qualifying and instructing on numerous basic and advanced trade specialty courses.: scout, machine gun, mortar; sniper; assault pioneer; armour defense; demolitions; basic para; AVGP; Mechanized Combat Team Commander. He served in various infantry and combat support Platoons including Weapons Platoon, Armour Defense Platoon. Mortar Platoon, and Assault Pioneer Platoon. In 1969 he was attached to 2 PPCLI and deployed to West Germany as the Assault Pioneer Platoon Sergeant in Combat Support Company. BGen Young served in every sub-unit of The Regiment and completed his sixteen years as an NCO as Sergeant-Major of Charlie Company. BGen Young also trained extensively with the US Army qualifying Special Forces Recondo in 1980.
In 1980 he was commissioned to the rank of Captain and appointed OC C Company (Mech) 48th Highlanders of Canada introducing the AVGP and mechanized infantry ops into The Regiment. During his five years as OC Charlie Company BGen Young expanded the Regiment’s successful training exchange with the 107th Armoured Cavalry Regiment USANG deploying a fully mechanized Combat Team to support their operations in 1985. For his work with the National Guard, he was awarded the Army National Guard Commendation Medal. BGen Young was promoted to the rank of Major in 1984 and appointed Unit Operations Officer in 1986.
From 1987 to 1988 he was attached to Toronto District Headquarters and tasked to create the District Battle School, which he subsequently commanded. He returned to his Regiment in 1988 as Deputy Commander. One year later he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer. As Commanding Officer, BGen Young commanded an Armoured Battle Group during the first Total Force FTX, Exercise On Guard 90 in that same year. During his tenure as CO, he led the Regiment through its 100th Anniversary celebrations culminating with a trooping of new Colours in 1991.
He relinquished command of his Regiment in 1992 and was transferred to LFCA HQ, Land Force Restructure as the SSO for the 10/90 Infantry Battalion project. On completion of this tour, BGen Young returned to Toronto District HQ and served as G1, DCOS Sup, DCOS Ops and Deputy Commanding Officer. He was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of the newly formed 32 Canadian Brigade Group in June of 1997. BGen Young was awarded the OMM in 1998 and commanded Task Force Central Area during Op Abacus in 1999.
Upon completion of his tour as Commander of 32 Brigade in 2000 he was appointed ACOS of LFCA HQ. Subsequently in 2001, he was promoted to Brigadier-General and appointed Deputy Commander of LFCA. In January 2005, BGen Young assumed Command of LFCA, only the second Reservist in LFCA to ever do so. Upon relinquishing command of LFCA in Oct 2005, he was appointed the first Deputy Commander of Land Forces Doctrine and Training Systems in Kingston.
In Nov 2006 BGen Young deployed to Afghanistan as the Deputy Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan US CENTCOM . As DCG of the Police Reform Directorate, he was responsible for the manning, training, equipping and facilitizing of all Police Forces within the Afghan National Security Forces. For his service in Afghanistan BGen Young was awarded the SWASM with Afghanistan bar; the Legion of Merit, Degree of Officer and the US Joint Unit Meritorious Award with Oak Leaf Cluster by the Government of the United States; the Bariyal Medal for Bravery, 1st Class by the Government of Afghanistan and the Meritorious Service Medal by Canada.
BGen Young retired from the Toronto District School Board after 35 years as a teacher and Department Head of History at Silverthorn Collegiate in 2005 and retired from the Army in 2007 after 43 years service. General Young is currently the Chairman and Team Leader of the 15th Battalion Memorial project.