The Commandant

Commodore William S. Truelove O.M.M., C.D.

Cmdre Truelove was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in 1963, and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1981. He attended Royal Roads Military College, graduating in 1985 with a Bachelor's Degree in Military and Strategic Studies. After graduation, Cmdre Truelove completed his initial naval officer training in HMC Ship's CHALEUR, FUNDY, SASKATCHEWAN and QU'APPELLE. He was then posted to HMCS ATHABASKAN in 1986 where he served as a Bridge Watchkeeper, Navigation Officer and Above Water Warfare Officer. In 1990, he was posted to the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School where he served for two years as a Course Instructor and member of the Standards and Evaluation Cell.

In 1992, Cmdre Truelove was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander and attended the Operations Room Officer course in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Following the course, he was posted to HMCS IROQUOIS where he served as Deputy Combat Officer and Combat Officer until 1995. During this time, he completed a 7-month deployment to the Adriatic Sea in support of the United Nations Embargo on the former Yugoslavia. In 1995, Cmdre Truelove was appointed as the Senior Staff Officer Above Water Warfare in Maritime Command Headquarters following which he returned to Victoria, BC in 1997 to assume Command of HMCS CHALEUR. In 1998, he was selected to attend the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and subsequently promoted to Commander and appointed as Executive Officer of HMCS PRESERVER. Cmdre Truelove returned to Victoria, BC to command HMCS REGINA from August 2001 –August 2003 during which he deployed to the Persian Gulf for 5 months in support of Operation Apollo – Canada's contribution to the War on Terrorism. He then commanded the Naval Officer Training Center in Victoria, BC from September 2003 until June 2004.

Cmdre Truelove was promoted to Capt(N) in July 2004 and completed studies at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island as a student in the Naval Command College Class of 2005 while also completing a  Master’s in International Relations at Salve Regina University. In August 2005, Cmdre Truelove was appointed as the Canadian Forces Naval Attaché in Washington and subsequently assumed Command of Maritime Operations Group Four in Esquimalt in July 2006.  In 2007, Cmdre Truelove moved to Ottawa and assumed duties as the Special Assistant to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff until July 2008 when he transitioned to Special Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff.  Cmdre Truelove was promoted to Commodore in June 2009 and assumed Command of the Royal Military College of Canada on 17 July 2009.