Profile: Col. Russell Williams

During his 23-year military career Col. Russell Williams earned himself a reputation of a rising star.

“Very intelligent, very mature, very calm, hardworking and dedicated which is exactly why we selected him to be a wing commander,” says retired lt.-Gen. Angus Watt.

Watt says he considered Williams one of the military’s best and brightest and says he had a bright future.

Ontario Provincial Police arrested Col. Williams February 7 in relation to the murders of two Ontario women and sexual assault of two others. Police are now combing their unsolved murder files to see if there are any connections.

According to his biography on the Department of National Defence website, which has since been removed, he graduated with a degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto in 1987.

He’s described in it as “A keen photographer, fisherman and runner”. The biography also says he is married to Mary Elizabeth.

After joining the military, he spent two years at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at the now closed CFB Portage-la-Prairie.

In 1992 he began his two-year posting at CFB Shearwater in Halifax, where he worked as a coastal patrol pilot.

In 1994 he was transferred to Ottawa where he continued to fly as a pilot, this time working in transporting VIPs.

Promoted Major in November 1999 he became Director General Military Careers where he served as the pilot career manager.

Col. Williams attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course from August 2003 to June 2004, where he obtained a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College.

Following promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel in June 2004 he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of 437 Squadron at CFB Trenton, a posting he held for two years.

He spent six months as the Commanding Officer at Camp Mirage, a support base in the Middle East, reported to be in or near Dubai.

In January 2009 he was posted to the Canadian Forces Language School in Gatineau for a 6-month French language training, during which he was promoted to his current rank and assumed control as commanding officer of CFB Trenton in July 2009. 

A Google cache of the Department National of Defence biography can be found here.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today