Episode 3.38: Cyber Command with Major-General Dave Yarker

In our thirty-eighth episode of Battle Rhythm season 3, Dr. Wendy H. Wong (Professor of Political Science and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia) and Steve Saideman discuss Canada’s plans to recognize Palestine as a State while other options are still on the table (including an embargo on weapons sales to Israel); the prospects of getting to a two-state solution along with examining the lessons learned from the 2008 global economic fallout and Canada’s current guns vs butter dilemma. In today’s feature interview, Steve interviews Major-General Dave Yarker, Commander of Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM). Major General (MGen) Dave Yarker joined the Canadian Forces in 1989, graduating from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Kingston in 1993. Following completion of Graduate studies and Signals officer Training in 1996 he served with 2 Bde as a Signals Officer in both 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron and 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. He has been employed as staff in project management, joint, operational and strategic communications planning and deployed as the Canadian J6 to both Kosovo and Afghanistan. He has had the honour of command at 2 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre, and the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group. Since 2010, he has had the good fortune to have been employed in the cyber operations field, commanding at Unit and Formation levels as well as holding key staff and liaison positions including with United States Cyber Command and Canada’s Communications Security Establishment. In 2022, he was then appointed as Director General Information Management Operations and the Joint Force Cyber Component Commander which became the Director General Cyber and Command and Control Information System Operation in 2024. On promotion to his current rank, he was appointed Cyber Force Commander He holds undergraduate degrees in Engineering Physics and History, along with master’s degrees in Engineering Physics and Defence Studies. Major General Yarker is married and the couple lives in Ottawa with their son.