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The Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) is comprised of prominent and senior retired Generals from countries that are supportive in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom, against tyranny and Russian aggression. The SAC is chaired by Canadian General Rick Hillier, a former Chief of the Defense Staff and senior commander of forces in several theatres. The SAC serves three main roles:
Gen. (Ret) Rick Hillier’s career in the Canadian military is one of the most storied in the nation’s history, commanding operations in various land conflicts and domestically during natural and health-related disaster.
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General David Petraeus’ military career included some of the most critical positions of combat leadership in modern U.S. history, including command of all forces in Iraq during the Surge and all forces in Afghanistan.
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General Clark spent 34 years in the U.S. Army, receiving dozens of military decorations, several honorary knighthoods, including and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and remains one of the longest-serving, decorated and honoured members of the U.S. Armed Forces as a four-star general.
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A retired Royal Netherlands Air Force four-star general, Berlijn served as Chief of Defence of the Netherlands (Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff) from 2004, until 2008.
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Gen. (Ret) Rick Hillier’s career in the Canadian military is one of the most storied in the nation’s history, commanding operations in various land conflicts and domestically during natural and health-related disasters.
Hillier served as Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces from 2005 until 2008, after commanding the NATO ISAF in Afghanistan from February to August 2004.
He was named chief of the land staff on May 30th, 2003, which included commanding Land Force Command.
Hillier’s international experience also includes commanding the Multi-National Division (South-West) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
At home in January 1998, Hillier also served as commander of 2 CMBG, leading Operation Recuperation: The Canadian Forces’ intervention in the paralyzing ice storm in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
Among his many other command and staff appointments, Petraeus served as the first Commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq from June 2004 through September 2005, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from July 2002 to June 2004, including the invasion of Iraq and first year there, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (2001–02) for the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia, Assistant Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division (1999-2000), Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1997-1999), Commander of the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (1995-1997), and the first Chief of Operations (1995) for the United Nations Force in Haiti.
Among his military accolades are four awards of the Defence Distinguished Service Medal, the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal for Valour, two awards of the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, Ranger tab, and Master Parachutist wings. He has also been decorated by 13 foreign countries and was, in 2007, runner up for Time Person of the Year (the year that Vladimir Putin earned that recognition). Among his numerous other awards, has twice been a Time 100 selectee, three times a Foreign Policy magazine top public Intellectual, Princeton University's Madison Medallist, and the Daily Telegraph Many of the Year.
General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy and later earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has held academic appointments at USMA, CUNY's Honours College, USC, Harvard's Belfer Center, and Yale's Jackson School.
General Petraeus is currently a Partner with the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. He also serves on the boards of One Stream and Optiv, is a personal venture investor, and is a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Yale University.
Clark’s career includes serving as Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000, commanding Operation Allied Force during the Kosovo War, and was a major author of the Dayton Peace Accords that prevented ethnic cleansing.
Clark earned his second Legion of Merit for his work in the offices of the Chief and Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1984.
A decorated war veteran who served in Vietnam, despite being severely injured, went on to command several more battalions.
Graduating first class as valedictorian in 1966 at West Point, Clark was also a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford and graduated from the Command and General Staff College with a master’s in military science.
A distinguished officer and fighter pilot whose military career began in 1969, General Berlijn has been one of the leading figures in The Netherlands military.
In the 1980s, Berlijhn monitored his force’s conversion to more advanced fighter jets, was supervisor to a specialist weapons training course for pilots and became Head of the Fighter Weapons Branch.
In the 1990s, his leadership grew to Chief of Flying Operations at Twenthe Air Base, tasked with the base’s operational preparations for Operation Deny Flight, which monitored and enforced the UN’s approved no-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He would eventually be appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and later on, Chief of Defence Staff.
Among his military honours for his service, Berlijn is the recipient of both the NATO Medal, as well as the Multinational Peace Operations Commemorative Medal for Operation Deny Flight.
