Mark Evans (general)

{{Infobox military person

|image= MAJGEN Evans.JPG

| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General

| name = Mark Evans

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO|DSC}}

|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1953|04|24|df=yes}}

|birth_place= Kluang, Malaya

|death_place=

|caption= Major General Mark Evans, early 2008

|nickname=

|allegiance= United Kingdom
Australia

|branch= British Army (1973–76)
Australian Army (1976–11)

|serviceyears = 1973–2011

|rank= Lieutenant general

|unit=

|commands= Chief of Joint Operations (2008–11)
Joint Task Force 633 (2007–08)
1st Division (2002–04)
3rd Brigade (1998–01)
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1992–93)

|battles= The Troubles
International Force for East Timor
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War

|awards= Officer of the Order of Australia
Distinguished Service Cross
Decoration of Merit (Netherlands)

|laterwork=

}}

Lieutenant General Mark Evans, {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|sep=,|AO|DSC}} (born 24 April 1953) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. He was 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.{{cite web|url=http://0-www.connectweb.com.au.library.newcastle.edu.au/view-biography.aspx?pid=13670&p=WWA|title=Lt-Gen. (Rtd) Mark Evans|accessdate=18 June 2014|work=Who's Who in Australia Online|publisher=ConnectWeb}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/opcatalyst/bioevans.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810234514/http://www.defence.gov.au/opcatalyst/bioevans.htm|archivedate=10 August 2008|title=Major General Mark Evans, AO, DSC|accessdate=20 March 2008|work=Operation Catalyst|publisher=Department of Defence}}

Military career

= British Army =

He was a cadet in the Worcestershire Army Cadet Force (ACF), 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|date=May 2009}} Evans spent 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, he was involved in counter insurgency operations in Northern Ireland. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 9 March 1973,{{London Gazette |issue=45956 |supp=y |pages=4932–4935 |date=16 April 1973 }} and promoted to lieutenant on 8 September 1974.{{London Gazette |issue=46419 |supp=y |page=12158 |date=2 December 1974 }} Evans resigned his British commission on 13 April 1976.{{London Gazette |issue=46874 |supp=y |page=5468 |date=12 April 1976 }}

= 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 Australian Army Apprentice School 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.{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/879119 |title=Member of the Order of Australia |date=26 January 1994 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |quotation=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.}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/917131 |title=Distinguished Service Cross |date= 4 April 2000 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |quotation=Citation: For distinguished command and leadership as the Commander of the 3rd Brigade during Operation WARDEN in East Timor.}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1134681 |title=Officer of the Order of Australia |date=11 June 2007 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |quotation=Citation: For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force in senior command and staff appointments.}}

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 that 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.{{cite press release |url=http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Fitzgibbontpl.cfm?CurrentId=7520 |title=Major General Evans appointed Chief of Joint Operations |date=20 March 2008 |publisher=Department of Defence|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311025239/http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Fitzgibbontpl.cfm?CurrentId=7520 |archivedate=11 March 2011}} Evans retired from the Australian Army on 19 May 2011.{{cite web |url=http://111.125.172.46/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveId=5000&search=(IPTC007%20contains(20112760)) |title=Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans is farewelled |accessdate=19 May 2011 |work=Australian Defence Image Library |publisher=Department of Defence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807061101/http://111.125.172.46/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveId=5000&search=(IPTC007%20contains(20112760)) |archive-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Personal life

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

Honours and awards

100px

class="wikitable"
rowspan=2\|60px	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)	11 June 2007
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	26 January 1994
60px	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)	4 April 2000
60px	UK General Service Medal	with 1 Clasp Northern Ireland
60px	Australian Active Service Medal	with 2 Clasps EAST TIMOR and IRAQ 2003
60px	International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
60px	Afghanistan Medal
60px	Iraq Medal
60px	Australian Service Medal	with 1 Clasp Middle East
60px	Defence Force Service Medal with 4 rosettes	35–39 years service
60px	Australian Defence Medal
60px	UNTSO Medal (United Nations)
60px	NATO ISAF Medal (NATO)
60px	Gold Decoration of Merit (Netherlands)	16 September 2010