Mark Evans (general)

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Mark Evans
MAJGEN Evans.JPG
Major General Mark Evans, early 2008
Born (1953-04-24) 24 April 1953 (age 68)
Kluang, Malaya
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Australia
Service/branchBritish Army (1973–76)
Australian Army (1976–11)
Years of service1973–2011
RankLieutenant general
Commands heldChief of Joint Operations (2008–11)
(2007–08)
1st Division (2002–04)
3rd Brigade (1998–01)
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1992–93)
Battles/warsThe Troubles
International Force for East Timor
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsOfficer of the Order of Australia
Distinguished Service Cross
Decoration of Merit (Netherlands)

Lieutenant General Mark Evans, AO, DSC (born 24 April 1953) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as Chief of Joint Operations from July 2008 until his retirement in May 2011.

Early years[]

Evans was born in Kluang, Malaya, on 24 April 1953 to William Eric and Valerie Doreen Evans, and was educated in the United Kingdom.[1][2]

Military career[]

British Army[]

He was a cadet in the Worcestershire Army Cadet Force, serving in Droitwich Troop, a detachment affiliated to the Queen's Own Hussars. He achieved the rare appointment of Cadet Under Officer before leaving the ACF for the Regular Army.[citation needed] Evans served for five years in the British Army, which included officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and regimental duties with the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in Berlin. During this time Evans served on counter insurgency operations in Northern Ireland. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 9 March 1973,[3] and promoted to lieutenant on 8 September 1974.[4] Evans resigned his British commission on 13 April 1976.[5]

Australian Army[]

Evans resigned his British commission on 13 April 1976 and joined the Australian Army, where he was first posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR). In 1979–80 he held the position (as a captain) of Officer Commanding C Company at the at Balcombe, Victoria. In 1985 he served with the United Nations in the Middle East.

In 1989 he was appointed as brigade major of 3rd Brigade, and in 1991 promoted to lieutenant colonel at Australian Defence Force Headquarters. Between 1992 and 1993, he commanded 6 RAR, for which he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.[6]

In December 1994, Evans was promoted to colonel, and in 1998 to brigadier commanding the 3rd Brigade. During this time he commanded the brigade on operations in East Timor, during Operation Warden, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[7]

In July 2002 he was promoted to major general and assumed command of the 1st Division at Gallipoli Barracks. On 13 April 2004 he assumed the new position of Deputy Chief of Joint Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command in Sydney. In July 2005 he was appointed as Head Defence Personnel Executive in Canberra, and in June 2007, awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia.[8]

On 17 June 2007, Evans assumed command of Joint Task Force 633 – Australia's contribution in the Middle East Area of Operations to the Global War on Terror. During that time he was responsible for Australian Defence Force operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the North Persian Gulf; he was succeeded in this position by Major General Mike Hindmarsh in an official ceremony on 1 March 2008.

On 20 March 2008 it was announced that he was to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and would assume the position of Chief of Joint Operations from 4 July 2008.[9] Evans retired from the Australian Army on 19 May 2011.[10]

Personal life[]

Evans married Veronica Ann Higley on 9 September 1974. The couple have an adult son and daughter. Evans has a wide variety of interests that include military history, reading, walking and watching Veronica gardening.[1]

Honours and awards[]

AUS Order of Australia (military) BAR.svg

DSC (Australia) ribbon.png GSM 62.gif Australian Active Service Medal ribbon.png INTERFET Medal ribbon.png

Afghanistan Medal (Australia) ribbon.png Iraq Medal (Australia) ribbon.png Australian Service Medal ribbon.png DFSM with Rosette x 4.png

Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon.png UNTSO Medal.gif NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar.svg NLD Medal of Merit, Gold ribbon bar.png

AUS Order of Australia (military) BAR.svg Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)[8] 11 June 2007
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)[6] 26 January 1994
DSC (Australia) ribbon.png Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)[7] 4 April 2000
GSM 62.gif UK General Service Medal with 1 Clasp Northern Ireland
Australian Active Service Medal ribbon.png Australian Active Service Medal with 2 Clasps EAST TIMOR and IRAQ 2003
INTERFET Medal ribbon.png International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
Afghanistan Medal (Australia) ribbon.png Afghanistan Medal
Iraq Medal (Australia) ribbon.png Iraq Medal
Australian Service Medal ribbon.png Australian Service Medal with 1 Clasp Middle East
DFSM with Rosette x 4.png Defence Force Service Medal with 4 rosettes 35–39 years service
Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon.png Australian Defence Medal
UNTSO Medal.gif UNTSO Medal (United Nations)
NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar.svg NATO ISAF Medal (NATO)
NLD Medal of Merit, Gold ribbon bar.png Gold Decoration of Merit (Netherlands) 16 September 2010

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lt-Gen. (Rtd) Mark Evans". Who's Who in Australia Online. ConnectWeb. Retrieved 18 June 2014.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Major General Mark Evans, AO, DSC". Operation Catalyst. Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  3. ^ "No. 45956". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1973. pp. 4932–4935..
  4. ^ "No. 46419". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 December 1974. p. 12158.
  5. ^ "No. 46874". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 April 1976. p. 5468.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b It's an honour entry – Member of the Order of Australia – 26 January 1994
    Citation: In recognition of service to the Australian Army, particularly as brigade major of the 3rd Brigade and CO of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b It's an honour entry – Distinguished Service Cross (Australian) – 4 April 2000
    Citation: For distinguished command and leadership as the Commander of the 3rd Brigade during Operation WARDEN in East Timor.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b It's an honour entry – Officer of the Order of Australia – 11 June 2007
    Citation: For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force in senior command and staff appointments.
  9. ^ MIN21/08 – Major General Evans appointed Chief of Joint Operations Archived 11 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans is farewelled". Australian Defence Image Library. Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
Military offices
Preceded by
Lieutenant General David Hurley 		Chief of Joint Operations
2008–2011 		Succeeded by
Lieutenant General Ash Power
Preceded by
Brigadier 		Commander Joint Task Force 633
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Major General Mike Hindmarsh
Preceded by
Major General Jim Molan 		Commander 1st Division
2002–2004 		Succeeded by
Major General Mark Kelly
Retrieved from ""