I was born in Naples, Italy on the 3 April 1954 in what is now the archeological site of the Roman town of Herculaneum.  In 1956, my family immigrated to Toronto, Canada where I grew up.  I later entered The Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston and graduated with an Honours BA in History in 1976. I was posted to the 8^th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) in Petawawa, ON as a Reconnaissance Troop Leader.

As a Lieutenant I did a peacekeeping tour in Cyprus in 1978/79, attended the Army Command and Staff College in 1984 and was promoted to Major in 1985 after which I was selected for the two-year German Command and General Staff Course.  I attended the Canadian Forces Language School for a year, and then attended the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg, Germany.  In 1988 I graduated with distinction and returned to my regiment to command a tank squadron in Lahr, in the Black Forest.  In 1990 I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was the founding commander of the Arms Control Verification Unit.  In 1991 I was given command of the 8^th Hussars in Germany and repatriated them to Canada in 1993.  I was then a staff officer in HQ 1^st Canadian Division and an instructor (DS) at the Canadian Army Command and Staff College.

In 1998, I retired early to join the firm of Calian.  I soon became responsible for the contract that operated the Canadian Army’s six simulation centres across Canada.  I am married and we have two sons.  Both served combat tours of duty in the Afghan War.

In 2006 the Commander of the Canadian Army personally asked me to return to uniform as a Colonel and act as a Special Advisor to him and his generals.  I was reluctant but did so, serving another four years. I hold an MA and a PhD in War Studies.  I was an Assistant Professor Pro Tem at the Royal Military College and an Adjunct Professor of military thought and theory at Norwich University, America’s oldest private military academy.  In 2010 I was honoured to be appointed by the Minister of National Defence as the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Queen’s York Rangers (1^st American Regiment) Canada’s oldest armoured cavalry regiment.

I am parachute qualified, was a demolitions instructor and small arms instructor.  I was qualified to drive and shoot all main battle tanks in the NATO inventory, navigate a warship (I began my life in the Canadian Navy) and am an honorary member of the German General Staff.  I speak Italian, French, German and (a little bit of) English. My first book Praxis Tacticum (see My Books) has been well received and my second book Strategia is now on the street. My third, a history of the famous German leadership philosophy of Auftragstaktik is currently being edited.