Major Jacques Martel is from Cap-de-la-Madeleine (Trois-Rivières), Quebec. He enlisted as a reservist in May 1974 with the 12e RBC in Trois-Rivières as an officer. After graduating in architectural technology, he joined the regular forces on June 11, 1976. He completed his basic officer course at CFB Chilliwack, British Columbia. Following this training, he was transferred to CFB Borden to follow his second language instruction as well as on-the-job training with the local engineering section for five months. In He then returned to Chilliwack, to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME), to complete the Military Engineering Officer Course (CMEO Course) from February to December 1978.

In January 1979, Major Martel was transferred to 5 RGC in Valcartier where he was employed with the resource troop, the administration troop and finally as commander of the mechanized troop. During this posting, he served at the CFSME as Course Officer of Officer Phase II in the summer of 1980 and served in Cyprus during the fall and winter of 1980-1981. Major Martel was promoted to captain and moved to CFB Bagotville in Quebec in the summer of 1981 and became the Production Officer of the Engineering Section.

In 1983, Major Martel was transferred as Regular Support Staff (RSS) with the 10 Field Engineer Squadron in Quebec. Following his last transfer as a Combat Engineer Officer, he was transferred as the Requirement Officer (ReqO) to CE Saint-Jean, Quebec in 1985. In 1988, he joined the CF Recruiting Center (CFRC) of Montreal as a recruiter then appointed in 1989 as Deputy Commander and Administrative Officer of the Center. In 1991, he joined the office of the Chief of Engineer of the Mobile Force Command in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. It serves as a SSO for major and minor construction projects. Then in 1994, he was appointed Engineer Officer of the Longue-Pointe garrison in Montreal.

In 1996, after more than 11 years in the Montreal region, he accepted the position of a SSO for the Director of Force Planning and Program Coordination (DFPPC) to later become the Administration Officer of the Strategic Planning Division (DGSP) at NDHQ in Ottawa. He was selected in 2000 to complete a bachelor's degree at the University of Ottawa in Social Sciences - Concentration in Politics. At the end of this academic year, in the spring of 2001, he was promoted to major and transferred to J3 Engineering - Operations, ADM (IE) NDHQ in Ottawa as SSO Training and Administration. In 2005, he joined the Director Land Infrastructure with the Chief of the Land Staff (CLS), as the SSO – Infra Compliance.

In February 2007, after 32 years of service, Major Martel continued his career with DND as a Federal Public servant. He accepted civilian employment with the ADM(Mat) DGMSSC/ Director Supply Chain Operations as the Business Management Team Leader. He held this position until January 2008 until he was chosen to occupy the interim position of the Fuel and Lubricants contract manager for DND. During this employment, he implemented the new fuel consumption collection process for all CF vehicles/ mechanical equipment, more than 19,500 vehicles/equipment. The data collection methodology was carried out using the existing credit card system, which involved assigning a single credit card for each vehicle and equipment. He held this position until August 2009 when he was chosen by the Land Infrastructure Directorate as Acting Deputy Director of the Army's Capital Construction program. In July 2010, he was confirmed in this position as indeterminate AS-06. He held this position until April 2015, when he was posted to ADM(IE) following the amalgamation of all L1 construction services and became the Senior Analyst of the CF/DND Capital Program for ADM (IE). He retires on August 28, 2018.

Along with his wife Murielle, also retired from the federal government, and their son Benjamin, he moved to Bromont, Québec to enjoy his well-deserved retirement after more than 43 years in the service of the Government of Canada. Maj (R) Martel is the father of Marie-Ève, Maxime and Benjamin and the grandfather of six granddaughters.