D. Craig Aitchison was born on June 4, 1968, to William Joseph Aitchison and Elva Aitchison. Aitchison is the second of three sons to Joe and Elva. His older brother, Master Warrant Officer Alan Aitchison, CD, is also a currently serving member of the Canadian Forces. His father, W.J. Aitchison, is a retired Colonel, and the former Colonel of The Regiment for The Royal Canadian Regiment Aitchison joined the Canadian Forces Reserves in January 1985 with the Royal New Brunswick Regiment. He transferred into the Regular Force in 1987 through the Regular Officer Training Plan, while attending University of New Brunswick. Aitchison has two adult children and a grand daughter. He is married to Sally, and they currently reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Military career
Training and Early Postings
Aitchison joined the Canadian Forces in January 1985 and transferred to the Regular Force in 1987. He attended the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. On completion of Infantry Phase IV training, he was posted to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. He served as a Rifle Platoon Commander, Battalion Intelligence Officer and Assistant Adjutant. He deployed to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia as Intelligence Officer on Operation CAVALIER Roto 0. Aitchison was posted to the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School in Chilliwack, BC, in 1994 and served two years as a Platoon Commander and Company Second-in-Command. He moved with the School, which had been re-designated the CF Leadership and Recruit School, where he served as a Company Commander. Posted to 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment in 1997, he filled a variety of posts before leaving as the Adjutant in 2001. While serving with 3 RCR he deployed twice on operations to the FRY in 1998 – 99 and 2001. He attended the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in 2001, following which he was posted to the Tactics School at CFB Gagetown as the School Operations Officer.
Tactics School, Afghanistan Deployment, Further Education, and Command Positions
Promoted Major in 2002 while at the Tactics School, he was posted to 2 RCR as the Officer Commanding Golf Company and subsequently as the Operations Officer. He left 2 RCR in 2005 to assume a position as a desk officer in the Directorate of Land Force Development. After two years on the Land Staff, Aitchison was selected for and attended the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College where he earned a master's degree in Defence Studies. Following Staff College, Aitchison was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and deployed to Afghanistan for nine months as the CJ3 at HQ Regional Command in Kandahar. On repatriation he took command of the Infantry School. On completing command of the School in 2011, Aitchison was posted to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to attend the year-long Advance Operational Art Studies Fellowship at the United States ArmySchool of Advanced Military Studies where he earned a master's degree in Military Art and Science. He spent the following year on the faculty of SAMS as a seminar leader helping teach majors operational planning. Promoted Colonel in May 2013, he was posted to the Army Staff in Ottawa as Director Army Staff and Director of Infantry. In July 2015, Aitchison was posted to Gagetown New Brunswick as the Commander, Combat Training Centre.
Promotion to General
On January 31, 2017 it was announced that BGen Aitchison would be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed Chief of Staff for the Coalition Forces Land Component Command. Aitchison was promoted to Brigadier-General on April 3, 2017. In August 2017, Aitchison deployed to Iraq to assume the role of Chief of Staff for the Combined/Joint Forces Land Component Command, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
