21 January 2010

Nfld reservist to command Atlantic area soldiers

stack Brigadier-General Tony Stack, left,  will assume command of Land Force Atlantic Area in a  ceremony in Halifax this evening.  He replaces Brigadier-General David Neasmith.

Stack is currently the area deputy commander.

Land Force Atlantic Area is responsible for all army regular and reserve units in the four Atlantic provinces, with the exception of the Combat Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.  Currently there are approximately 7,000 soldiers in Atlantic Canada serving in four regular and 23 reserve units.

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Stack’s bio:

Brigadier-General Anthony Stack was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador in 1961. At Memorial University of Newfoundland, he earned Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) degrees in 1985 and obtained a Master of Education (Leadership Studies) in 2001.

Brigadier-General Stack began his military adventure in high school with 2415 Gonzaga Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. He joined the Canadian Forces army reserve in 1978.  He completed two terms as the commanding officer of 56 Field Engineer Squadron and a term as G3 Newfoundland District responsible for operations and training for  army reserve units in the province. He has also served as a company commander and Chief Instructor at the Atlantic Area Rank and Trade School in Gagetown, New Brunswick.

He is a graduate of the army command and staff college,  Kingston Ontario and the Joint Reserve Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Ontario.

In 2001, Brigadier-General Stack was the first Commanding Officer of the Land Force Atlantic Area civil military cooperation (CIMIC) unit.

In January 2004, he deployed with OPERATION ATHENA to Afghanistan where he served as the Chief of CIMIC Operations for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul.

Upon return from theatre, he was appointed deputy commander of 37 Canadian Brigade Group in September 2004 and assumed command of the brigade in June 2006.

In December 2009, he was promoted to his present rank and assigned the position of deputy commander, Land Force Atlantic Area.

Brigadier-General Stack resides in St. John’s NL with his wife Wanda and son Shane. In civilian life, he is the principal of St. Peter’s Junior High School in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Brigadier-General Stack enjoys running, reading, and watching his son compete in basketball and volleyball.