Colonel Michael Eugene James Whitty, CD was born in Chatham, New Brunswick, and joined the Canadian Forces as an Officer Cadet in the Regular Officer Training Plan. He completed his studies at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and graduated in May 1972 with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Following his completion of military training, he was posted to CFB Ottawa where he served in various positions within the Construction Engineers Section. In 1975, he was posted to HQ, Canadian Forces Europe where he worked on infrastructure projects in support of both Land and Air Force in Europe. Following French language training, Colonel Whitty was posted to 5 RGC in Valcartier, Quebec where he served as Platoon Commander, Squadron Commander and Acting DCO.
In 1982, he was assigned to Air Command HQ in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1984 Col Whitty became an Exchange Officer at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida where he worked on program training US engineers in Base Recovery After Attack.
From August 1987 to June 1988, he attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and had subsequent postings to: National Defence HQ as Project Manager providing a Rapid Runway Repair capability to Canadian Force Europe airfields at Lahr and Baden - Solingen; 5 Wing Goose Bay, Labrador as the Wing Logistics Officer in support of the Low Level Flying Training Program for British, Dutch and German forces; and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium as the Chief, Resource Management Branch. During the latter three-year period, LCol Whitty was temporarily assigned to Vicenza, Italy as Chief of Logistics, and to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of NATO’s Deny Flight and IFOR operations, respectively. He returned to National Defence HQ in 1996 to the Directorate of Military Engineering and then to the Infrastructure and Environment Division.
Colonel Whitty was appointed the Branch Advisor in January 1999 and served in the position for six months. This was followed by a year-long Dutch language training.
In July 2000, Colonel Whitty was appointed Canadian Forces Attaché to The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (Benelux) where he had the opportunity to gain in depth knowledge of the host countries’ Armed Forces. During his four-year assignment, he worked to foster the historic links between Canada and the Benelux countries. Colonel Whitty returned to Canada from the Netherlands in 2004 and retired from the Canadian Forces.
Mike is married to Deborah Watkins and they have three children; Kelly who works for Global Affairs Canada, Michelle, who is a Captain in the Combat Engineers, and Pierre who works for a construction management company in Ottawa.