Brigadier-General L.W. Rutland, OMM, MSC, MSM, CD
Commander 3rd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (West)
Brigadier-General Rutland joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1995 as a primary reservist. Following transfer to the Regular Force and infantry officer training, he joined the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) in 1999, where he served as a rifle platoon commander. In 2002, he was posted to the Second Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment (2R22ER), and spent the next two years as the unit's Reconnaissance Platoon commander. Following the exchange posting, he served at the Infantry School in Gagetown; in 2006, he was posted within the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.
BGen Rutland took command of a rifle company in 1 PPCLI in 2008. He remained within the 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) in 2010, as the G3. BGen Rutland attended the Joint Command and Staff Program in 2011, and in 2012 became the Executive Assistant to the Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command. BGen Rutland remained within the Ottawa Region in 2013, moving to the Chief of Programme organization. In 2015 he completed a tour as the Chief of Staff of Joint Task Force – Iraq, before taking command of 1 PPCLI. While at 1PPCLI, he deployed as the first Commanding Officer of the Enhanced Forward Presence (Latvia) Battle Group, which stood up in June 2017. During this deployment, he was named an Officer of the Order of Viesturs, awarded for contributions to promoting security and defense in Latvia. In 2018 he became the Chief of Staff, 3rd Canadian Division and in 2019, he attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He commanded the 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group from June 2020 until April 2022. Subsequently, he commanded Joint Task Force – IMPACT and Task Force - CENTRAL in Iraq from May 2022 until May 2023. In July 2023, Brigadier-General Rutland assumed the role of Chief of Staff Army Operations at Canadian Army Headquarters.
BGen Rutland has participated in operations in Bosnia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Latvia, as well as multiple domestic deployments within Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree and two Masters Degrees (Defence Studies and Strategic Studies). He is a graduate of the US Army Ranger Course. BGen Rutland was appointed Commander 3rd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (West) on 27 June 2024.